fddriver2

On 10/24/2021 at 4:57 PM, koth442 said:

@fddriver2, you're in south Florida ain't ya?

Yes. If @propr'one is still around and needs help.  I literally just got home from NC. Just pm me.

Some will know my VFR adventure. Seen here. 

Here is a casual side by side comparison.

Power. There is no comparison.

The VFR is much larger CC wise. The "book" says 170hp. I'm not sure about that, but I am sure about the 100ft/lbs of torque. Yes it does have it. Turn the throttle anywhere in the rpm range and off it goes, in whatever gear it's in. Just under 5,000 rpm's is where it gets serious and it pulls like a diesel truck right to 10,000 rpms.

The FJ doesn't have a chance.

Hydraulic clutch took some getting used to, but now it's a plus.

Much tighter than cable. YMMV

Handling. Even at almost 12 years old, but under 15,000 miles. It goes exactly where you point it. Oversteer was a problem for me for a bit. Lines that worked for the FJ, the VFR undercut. Adjusting outward happened a lot early on.  

I have the VFR at the softest settings and the FJ in middle of the road. So to speak. The FJ has 59,000+ miles, So a refreshing is in order. But the VFR is still tense suspension wise. 

The FJ is softer and more vague in every way. That said. On any long multi-day trip. The FJ rules. Rider position, a less sport oriented ride position and suspension means a more comfortable long day. 

Comfort. I am 6'1" 200lbs 34" inseam. It has an "aggressive" rider position IMO. I am also 62 years old.  Seat to pegs is tight for me. Haven't measured it, but it seems short. Distance to grips. short, not sportbike short but it is forward. Even with "helibars".

All that said. I will be in NC over the coming week. On the VFR.

Stay tuned

For the record.

The Dragon Is a fine road to ride. On a Wednesday afternoon. At 2:30 or 3:00pm. Weekends are a shitshow.

Here are the reasons.

Busy. Lots of people are off on the weekends. So, it's busy.

It's been hyped to the max. So. everyone knows about about it and feels the need to do it. On the weekends.

It is dangerous. 

The reasons.

Inexperienced riders. Going slow, Experienced riders. Going too fast. On the same two lanes.

While not all that challenging.  It is tight and technical.  Mistakes hurt.

There's a reason a rescue truck sits there all weekend long. 

It ain't because they're bored and have nothing else to do. 

3 hours ago, sabre85 said:

When I go there now I kind of treat it like the big roller coaster at the amusement park. If the line is not too long...I take the ride. There are so many good roads in the area (NC SR 28 all the way into GA, Warwomen RD, Wayah Rd, NC SR 281, 215, 209,107, US 276, 64 when there is no traffic. ect) that the Gap is no longer the focus. Don't get me wrong, if your a sporty rider it needs to be done, but get a good map and find some of the real gems in the area.

☝️ This!

While I have ended up on the Dragon a few times now. (Friends new to riding the area) I feel no pressing need to go back, I will if someone wants to.

A couple of good resources for paper maps of the area is Wayne & Jackie Busch (America Rides Maps) and (Maps | wildrides.info) most of the time you can find the wild mountain ones for free in a bike shop or local gathering spot.

Well. Everything is home. Thank goodness. 

1 hour ago, knyte said:

Personally I think this is simply the wrong time to buy - there's just nothing out there.  Demand is crazy high, and supply / production is low.

It's not just motorcycles. It's cars, trucks RV's and parts for all of them.

Just before covid hit. I could buy a new , middle of the road Ford F250 diesel for ~$65,000. Now a 5 year old one is ~$65,000 . Rv's specifically travel trailers have doubled in price and a decent used one is impossible to find.  Same with cars. My BIL had a Ford Escape on lease for his wife. Lease was up, but nothing for them to lease, so they had to buy it.

My 2016 Ford F150 had a differential failure back in the beginning of August. It is still sitting 980 miles away waiting parts. By the time the parts show up and it's fixed it will have been around 6 weeks. And I still have to fly back to Nashville and get it and drive it home.

Bike dealers here in SOFLA that used to be full of bikes are mostly empty and what they have is way over priced.

With all that said. I agree with @knyte This is not a good time to be looking for anything. YMMV

1 hour ago, dazzler24 said:

Thanks all for the sage advice and suggestions.  After sleeping on it and now reading this general concensus, the part is too important to attempt a 'fix' so I will just part with the cash and get the new one or decent 2nd hander if available.

Getting plenty of practice removing the plastics and tank lately!

Cheers everyone.

Sounds like a good call. Good luck!!!!

☝️ All of the above.

On my 58,000+ mile FJ-09 while on an extended trip I have only had 1 problem and it was self inflicted. When locking the handlebar I went to the acc position, and it killed the battery.

In all of those miles I have only had 2 serious problems. 1 that stopped me in my tracks.  The one that stopped me in my tracks was a flat tire. Not a nail or screw but something that I never saw or felt sliced my rear tire open. I did feel it go flat at ~75 mph or so.  No fixing that.

The other was a complete failure of the front master cylinder. Worked just fine at one stoplight, absolutely nothing at the next. Ain't fixing that right away. It was close to home and under warranty, but almost screwed up a road trip.   

Zip ties, good 100 mph tape, fuses, a tire repair kit and now a tiny jumper pack. AAA with motorcycle. YMMV

I agree with  @kilo3 & @johnmark101 parts as critical as that need to be intact. I'd buy new. 

3 hours ago, CRFan250 said:

How is the Seat Concepts??

I've been running a seat concepts for a couple years now. I like it just fine. That said. I rarely do more than  ~160 miles in one run. and 450 miles in a day is about it. So. YMMV

1 hour ago, Wintersdark said:

I rarely worry about things being stolen off my bike, but my rule of thumb is storage comes into the hotel - I'm not risking having my clothes stolen by someone hoping to get something good from grabbing bags; kind of a fear that bike + bags at a hotel is increasing risk to someone stealing the whole works, or just the bags, either way.  Also, it's handy to have your stuff with you.  

Ditto. I leave stuff on my bike all the time. Especially at places where bikers hang out and nothing has ever been touched. Forgot my phone on the seat (back when samsung S10+ was the $hit) came back 40 minutes later and it was still there.

Quite a few hotels here in the USA will let you park a motorcycle or 2 up under or close to the entry overhang where they can keep an eye on it as long as you don't block anything. 

It has been my experience that Hampton Inn has been very accepting of this. It's usually just me or me and one other. If you show with half a dozen of your friends, maybe not. 🤷‍♂️ 

Next let's talk oil and then seats. 😀

FTR. Dunlop RoadSmart 3's and 4's for me. Solid mileage, good grip, wet and/or cold.  I like the feedback. They give plenty of warning before getting loose. 

I'm old and likely slow compared to many of you. I don't do track days, (I would like to) and live in flat, straight, hot and boring SOFLA.  

So. YMMV

5 hours ago, texscottyd said:

Fly ‘n Ride?   Sounds like the perfect long weekend to me… 

Earlier or later in the year? Yes it does. The heat index in the southeast right now says otherwise. August and September in the southeast are the hottest. And my truck and trailer are still in Murfreesboro TN. 

@showmeriderIf I can ever get the damn thing home. 😳

@knytethank you 🙂

There is so much broken stuff waiting for parts they had nothing left to loan.

Loaded for the road.  Tank bag has odds and ends that are constantly changing. Side cases have maintenance stuff and extra clothes (for an anticipated changes hot or cold)  they are pretty lightly packed.

Dry bag has a couple changes of clothes and sometimes a tablet.

Tiny lockable camera style box on the back is for paper maps (I've had gps fail, paper maps are always there) and I leave enough room to lock up the gps in it.

Unless I'm in a sketchy area I leave the box and side cases on the bike and and take the drybag and tank bag into where I'm staying overnight. If I'm going to be somewhere for a couple nights/days I will take the side cases off.   YMMV

On 8/10/2021 at 8:16 AM, koth442 said:

Very cool! Did you fly up to Nashville and intend to ride the VFR home?

No. It was part of a larger road trip. So I brought my trailer. Then the differential on my truck had a catastrophic failure. So. Being under warranty I took it to a dealer. A day later they called and told me. Yes we would be happy to replace it. However, the parts are backordered and we have no idea when they will be available. 😱

I contemplated riding the VFR. But I had Items with me that I wasn't comfortable leaving behind for an extended time and could not be transported on the bike.

So I rented a car and drove home without my truck, my trailer or my VFR.. 😭

Came up to Nashville for the Grand Prix. And to visit my son and pick up my new to me VFR1200F and bring it home.

What @Kenny A. said. I pretty much wave or at least nod at all bikers. I almost always get a wave or nod back....👋

Having driven in Seattle. I agree it's bad. But I believe the the nod goes to the dumbasses in Miami

YMMV 

4 minutes ago, keithu said:

Having spent time in Miami recently, I'd say the traffic there is no worse than Portland or Seattle.

Welcome from SOFLA

AJ's was a hootenanny. A beer and a snack and out. Not to mention it was in the mid 90's with humidity in 70 - 80% range.  I was wilting and still had an hour and a half of Miami traffic to fight through.... 🥵 

7 hours ago, keithu said:

I spent three of the last four weeks in south Florida for work, where the biggest elevation change I experienced was riding an elevator to the fourth floor. And it rained, ALL THE DAMNED TIME. I never even took my sunglasses out of their case last week. No offense meant to Floridians, but your "Sunshine State" moniker is questionable. 😁 

Now that I'm back home in Oregon, I felt the need to get out and experience some actual sunshine and get up above sea level. I did a quick little 200 mile Sunday morning loop out to some local high points. My first stop was Mary's Peak:

 

Holy moly! Look at those mirror stems!!!!!!  😱😱