foxtrot722

Early 70's 400? I raced against a few of these, that bike had really good bottom end.

I understand your thoughts about slow speed practice and skills, but in MHO, might not compare to spending some time ridding off-road. Having raced MX for 6 years and ridding off-road for over 35 years before purchasing a bike that had a license plate, I believe there is a opportunity and gain some skills ridding off-road you might never learn just ridding street. I know several ridders that had 30+ years of on-road experience only that spend a couple off weekends ridding off-road on a dirt bike and afterwards, each of them felt the little off-road time build some skills that might help them in a emergency situation where hard breaking while turning or having to take the bike off the pavement to avoid a accident. Just my thoughts,

The bike in the pictures is several steps up on the awesome scale, I can't look to long, might have to have one, great setup you have there.

Congratulations on a great bike, we need to see pictures.

Please add any tips or tricks you might have, 2015 - FJ09, Mirror, Did you know that the right hand mirror stem is left hand threads, found this while installing mirror extensions. Chain, Did you know the distance between center of 16 pins on your chain is a maximum of 239.3 mm (9.42 in). if it is greater than that, time to replace.

I have been ridding since 1968, worked at a Yamaha dealership back in the 70's for a while, never heard of this, very interesting, but I without having some feedback from other that have used the screw type master link, I would be nervous about using. Having ridden only off-road and MX until about 5 years back and seeing the results of the engine cases when the chain wraps around the front sprocket, I'm a little skeptical. Guess I need to purchase one and install on a piece of scrap chain and get a feel for how the compression works when tighten the nuts. I haven’t needed to replace the chain on the FJ yet and was looking at the RK chain tool. Read the reviews on the one Cycle Gear has and felt the RK might be the way to go. I agree with Bugsinteeth, purchasing the highest quality chain is the best investment you can make when it is time to replace the set. When I purchase new MX bikes, I get the highest tensile strength name brand non-oring chain available before ridding the bike and letting the cheap chain start wearing the sprockets. Unbelievable the difference the how many times a cheap chain will need to be adjusted compared the a high tensile one.

Just finished installing a set of factory heated grips, wanted the clean install and not need to add any switches. The install was straight forward and looks great when complete. Set the heat control at 3-5-7, haven't gone for a ride yet, will give feed back after the test ride.

I must agree also,

Merchant Interstate Cycle - MotorSport Monster Address: 3265 Charlotte Hwy, Mooresville, NC 28117 Phone: (888) 987-6361 parts@interstatecycle.com 704-987-9800 Motor Sport Monster When I called a explained the reason for wanting the return the 15 pan screws, part folks were very professional and understanding, are going the wave the restocking fee.

OK, so to add a question a little different. I use Castrol 10W40, it runs about $10.00 to $11.00 + tax a quart locally. Was considering purchasing online for a cost saving. Any thoughts on the possibility of this oil being fake? Meaning it is counterfeit by producing a container that looks right and putting some really low in stuff in the bottle. I have purchase a USB drive that was fake, the sellers overclocked the drive making it appear twice the size it really was, it failed in a few months. Called the Scandisk and they walked me through the process to proved it was counterfeit.

Thoughts of using aluminum diamond plate? It comes in at least two thicknesses, one has some structural strength and the other is thinner and is used for decorative decking like on some boat trailer fenders. The thinner one epoxied on would offer some added protection if the pan were bumped by distributing the impact to a wider area. A BIG downside would be if it broke loose from the different expansion and contraction, at highway speeds, hitting the rear tire and just the right angle could be disastrous.

Yes Sir, just completed

Report post Posted Tuesday at 05:23 PM (edited) This is my first time experiencing this problem, but many others have. My 2015 with the bottom drain plug finely caught up with me. was getting fuel about 200 mile from home, in the pouring rain, misjudged a little step down, bottom of bike just barley touched, just enough to feel, pulled back under fuel pump area and inspect. After about 2 minutes, saw that one little drop of oil. Rented an U-Haul 5X9 trailer and trailered the bike 200 miles to home. So the good part is, caught it as soon as it happened. Call the dealer where I purchased the bike, spoke with service Manager and explained the bottom drain design error and Yamaha attempted to correct the problem with a redesigned drain that was located on the side. Taking that into consideration, would he provide a discount on the parts needed to make the repairs. After getting pricing from local dealer, looks like to me the pricing they offered was retail. based that on a Yamaha Parts web site that was offering parts at a 40 % discount. When I added up the web parts cost and added about 40% to it, it was near what the dealer quoted me. Needless to say, I was a little miffed that the dealer didn't appear to offer any discount. The next time I am close by, I'll stop in and ask to speak to the Dealer Manager, only fair to let him know they have lost a customer and I won't rely on them for new bike sales, parts, or service. I was aware of the Mazda mod, but felt consider I ride solo and am cautious about clearance, I could avoid hitting something. Which was not the case. Remember, the bump was so light, I barely felt it. For those of you that might want to switch to a side drain pan, below is a part list I ordered. The online part number page showed the new part # for the pan and also a new part # for the 15 screws to mount. I was not able to tell if the screws for the new pan was longer or shorter, so I ordered them also. . .Gasket - These are the crush washers that go on the drain plug Item #214-11198-01-00 $1.60 3 $4.80 Gasket, Exhaust Pipe - Be sure an order these, crush washers for exhaust headers. Item #4FM-14613-00-00 $5.15 3 $15.45 Element Assy, Oil Cleaner - This is the oil filter Options: Old Sku: 5GH-13440-50-00 Item #5GH-13440-60-00 $8.08 1 $8.08 . .O-Ring - This is the O-ring that goes on the oil level switch located on bottom of pan. One is all that is needed. Item #5VY-8A8E0-00-00 $4.42 2 $8.84 . Plug, Straight Screw - This is the drain plug, not needed, it is included with the Strainer Cover Assy, that we call the oil pan Item #90340-14132-00 $5.88 1 $5.88 Bolt, Hexagon Socket Head - Shame on Yamaha here, when ordering the updated pan, it showed updated part numbers for the 15 bolt that attach the pan, concerned they might be a different length, I ordered a complete set, the only difference is the new one have the heard painted black, I'm returning these. Options: Old Sku: 91312-06025-00 Item #91317-06025-00 $1.90 15 $28.50 Strainer Cover Assy Options: Old Sku: 1RC-13400-00-00 Item #B56-13400-10-00 $131.45 1 $131.45 Gasket, Strainer Cover Options: Old Sku: 1RC-13414-00-00 Item #BD5-13414-00-00 $11.74 1 $11.74 Subtotal: $214.74 Shipping: $23.49 Salestax: $0.00 Order Total: $238.23 Learned a few things during the install, Parts list, As you know, there is a revised part # for the pan with the side drain, it also showed a revised part # for the 15 screws that attach it. I purchased just in case there was a length difference. End up the only difference was the color of the head of the screw, it was black, so I'll be returning these. Also, someone mention that the drain plug was included with the pan, and that was correct. The pan replacement is fairly straight forward, I did take a few photos of the process. It can be done with bike on side stand if you don't mind laying on the floor for a few hours. I used a couple on exercise mats to lay on. Picture of new pan. Center stand needs to be removed, the spring was a bit of a challenge to get off. Used a block of wood to brace up the brake lever and used a screwdriver to remove. The nut for the bolt on the center stand is welded on the back side, so just unscrew the bolt, one on each side. Removed screws holding wiring harness, was planning to disconnect the plug, but it was not giving up easy, so unscrewed the O2 sensor, there was enough slack in the harness that it didn't twist the wires too much. I used high temp anti seize compound on the threads during the reinstall. Remember to put 5 of 6 twist counterclockwise before reinstalling so you don't end up with twisted wires. Other than the header bolts, exhaust has two bolts at the rear, one on each side. nut is welded, so just unscrew the bolts. Be sure to replace the 3 crush washers and step torque to 14 foot lbs., way too much work to take a chance on a leak. I used two, 2X4 Boards, one flat and one edge ways under the muffler to support it while removing. Putting the spring back on the center stand was a challenge also, here is what I came up with that worked, in retrospect, this would have been a better way to remove the spring. End Product, Photos of cracked pan, In the photo below, you can tell the contact was just high enough to give it a bump, Did not strike the leading edge of the deflector This was posted in the General Discussion section, below are some tips posted by other member, hopefully I can copy the information over so it will give the member credit for their suggestions. micah2074 These also work well for springs. https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/performance-tools-brake-spring-pliers-w175/11505733-p betoney For anyone needing to remove and replace springs, a Spring Puller Tool is worth its weight in gold, it makes it a 2 second job. As a life long 2-Stroke dirt bike rider, I have always had one in my tool box for the expansion chamber springs. chitown Might add that If you have access to a rear stand you don't need to remove the center stand. The headers only need to be rotated out of the way, which can be done without pulling the cat through the center stand. When dealing with springs and no spring tool there's the penny trick too. Coins/washers/etc inserted between coils. This leads to a question, was looking ay skid pans. Anyone have any suggestions? chitown Higdonion Cages... 2 or 3 different styles of lower cages and an upper cage option... He just released a newer update design also... fddriver2 https://www.motea.com/en/catalog/product/view/id/103062/s/motor-schutz-yamaha-mt-09-tracer-15-18-schwarz-inkl-montageset-importiert-70000241100/ Cruizin The @higdonion model is the way to go. His revised guard is rock solid, gets the job done and looks great. Plus, he supports this forum in many ways. Link to General Discussion

Sane here,

Excellent, thanks for sharing,

I have a interest in this too, but what I am after is a camera that can record all day incase of a accident. if it is a 3 hour loop or something like that, that would not matter. I would prefer to mount on the bike. the other problem would be the power supply, most have a charging connection, but it is not accessible when mounted in the weather proof case. Guess what I am after is a camera that can be powered to record all the time on a 300 mile ride and retain the past few hours of video. Good video bowlin01

Learned a few things during the install, Parts list, As you know, there is a revised part # for the pan with the side drain, it also showed a revised part # for the 15 screws that attach it. I purchased just in case there was a length difference. End up the only difference was the color of the head of the screw, it was black, so I'll be returning these. Also, someone mention that the drain plug was included with the pan, and that was correct. The pan replacement is fairly straight forward, I did take a few photos of the process. It can be done with bike on side stand if you don't mind laying on the floor for a few hours. I used a couple on exercise mats to lay on. Picture of new pan. Center stand needs to be removed, the spring was a bit of a challenge to get off. Used a block of wood to brace up the brake lever and used a screwdriver to remove. The nut for the bolt on the center stand is welded on the back side, so just unscrew the bolt, one on each side. Removed screws holding wiring harness, was planning to disconnect the plug, but it was not giving up easy, so unscrewed the O2 sensor, there was enough slack in the harness that it didn't twist the wires too much. I used high temp anti seize compound on the threads during the reinstall. Remember to put 5 of 6 twist counterclockwise before reinstalling so you don't end up with twisted wires. Other than the header bolts, exhaust has two bolts at the rear, one on each side. nut is welded, so just unscrew the bolts. Be sure to replace the 3 crush washers and step torque to 14 foot lbs., way too much work to take a chance on a leak. Putting the spring back on the center stand was a challenge also, here is what I came up with that worked, in retrospect, this would have been a better way to remove the spring. End Product, Photos of cracked pan,

I agree with you nhchris, the FJ sits very low and has fragile expose parts. I change the pan today and will post some pictures a little later. The bottom drain should have been a recall. As long as Yamaha has been producing bikes, the bottom drain was extremely poor design. I also agree with GV550, I don't want to add a large cage under the bike, too heavy, reduced ground clearance, and aesthetics. My first bike was a 1970 DT 250 that I converted to a MX bike, race it a few time and later purchased an 1972 MX 250. Won a lot of trophies back in the day, had a successful amateur racing career for about 6 years. Continued to ride off road after that and didn't purchase a bike with a license plate until a few yeas ago. That was a DR 650 and used as a on road bike, those are bullet proof. So not riding off road like I use to, decide the FJ would be a great bike to used for performance and touring. I guess I need to be more careful with it or switch to a adventure bike.

Take a look here, Cracked Flat Pan

Another nice looking engine guard, thanks for posting, but still leaning toward the Higdonion

Considering the $160 for the U-Haul trailer rent plus the parts, I agree the Higdonion would be the way to go. I was lucky the wives were not far away and their vehicle has a trailer hitch. If I was 200 miles from home and no one in the area, would have made this more difficult on several levels. Unless I see something better, probably look at getting the Higdonion. The only downside I see is I have forward mounted frame sliders mounted for the sole purpose of having somewhere to rest my legs and feet on a long ride, it really makes a difference.

I may have missed that the drain plug and gasket was included, if so, I'll have a extra drain plug, ordered 3 drain plug gaskets, I believe it is recommended you replace the gasket each time, however, I have been reusing them for years and haven't had a problem. The biggest thing I learned long years ago was to use a quality torque wrench to tighten the drain plug.

Thanks, I'll take a look

This is my first time experiencing this problem, but many others have. My 2015 with the bottom drain plug finely caught up with me. was getting fuel about 200 mile from home, in the pouring rain, misjudged a little step down, bottom of bike just barley touched, just enough to feel, pulled back under fuel pump area and inspect. After about 2 minutes, saw that one little drop of oil. Rented an U-Haul 5X9 trailer and trailered the bike 200 miles to home. So the good part is, caught it as soon as it happened. Call the dealer where I purchased the bike, spoke with service Manager and explained the bottom drain design error and Yamaha attempted to correct the problem with a redesigned drain that was located on the side. Taking that into consideration, would he provide a discount on the parts needed to make the repairs. After getting pricing, looks like to me the pricing they offered was retail. based that on a Yamaha Parts web site that was offering parts at a 40 % discount. When I added up the web parts cost and added about 40% to it, it was near what the dealer quoted me. Needless to say, I was a little miffed that the dealer didn't appear to offer any discount. The next time I am close by, I'll stop in and ask to speak to the Dealer Manager, only fair to let him know they have lost a customer and I won't rely on them for new bike sales, parts, or service. I was aware of the Mazda mod, but felt consider I ride solo and am cautious about clearance, I could avoid hitting something. Which was not the case. Remember, the bump was so light, I barely felt it. For those of you that might want to switch to a side drain pan, below is a part list I ordered. The online part number page showed the new part # for the pan and also a new part # for the 15 screws to mount. I was not able to tell if the screws for the new pan was longer or shorter, so I ordered them also. This leads to a question, was looking a the two skid pans Twisted Throttle offers, just don't really like the look, but not sure if there are any better choices. Anyone have any suggestions? . .Gasket Item #214-11198-01-00 $1.60 3 $4.80 Gasket, Exhaust Pipe Item #4FM-14613-00-00 $5.15 3 $15.45 Element Assy, Oil Cleaner Options: Old Sku: 5GH-13440-50-00 Item #5GH-13440-60-00 $8.08 1 $8.08 . .O-Ring Item #5VY-8A8E0-00-00 $4.42 2 $8.84 . Plug, Straight Screw Item #90340-14132-00 $5.88 1 $5.88 Bolt, Hexagon Socket Head Options: Old Sku: 91312-06025-00 Item #91317-06025-00 $1.90 15 $28.50 Strainer Cover Assy Options: Old Sku: 1RC-13400-00-00 Item #B56-13400-10-00 $131.45 1 $131.45 Gasket, Strainer Cover Options: Old Sku: 1RC-13414-00-00 Item #BD5-13414-00-00 $11.74 1 $11.74 Subtotal: $214.74 Shipping: $23.49 Salestax: $0.00 Order Total: $238.23

I try to always run at least 91, it's usually E10. Stopped by a station the other day and needed about 4 gallons to top off, notice they has 89 E Free. Filled with 4.1 gallons. Trip ahead was about 200 miles of straight road cruising at about 60 MPH. Very few stops, just getting from one place to anther. Took 4 gallons to top off at about 220 miles, so about 55 MPG. That being said, I haven't run the same test using 91-E10 to compare the difference.