texscottyd

Just a few random photos from around Houston, Texas. NRG Stadium, which now towers over the old historic Astrodome: Murals and urban artwork are everywhere throughout Houston... I could spend a full day just exploring & finding more: The grave of Howard Hughes, in Glenwood cemetery just northwest of downtown. For all the people that have profited from his legacy, it’s sad that I’ve never seen fresh flowers or other signs of recognition at his gravesite: And finally, Antioch Baptist Church, still standing proudly in the shadows of the Enron Tower. The neon ‘Jesus Saves’ sign always strikes me as such an ironic contrast to the symbol of corporate greed and corruption that Enron ultimately became:

"No sweetheart... that AmEx charge isn't more gun parts. It's just some routine vehicle maintenance tools."

Your ‘case hardened swiss cheese’ comment elicited a chuckle... Functionally, the Gilles Tooling adjusters work very well. The initial install is a bit tedious as you screw the threaded adjusters into the swing arm, but once in place minor adjustments are quick & easy. The machined recess for the axle head is a perfect fit, so no more concerns with the axle rotating and damaging the OEM swiss cheese spacer block. The visuals are obviously a personal preference thing. The FJ is a pretty simple bike, so the more subtle look of the Gilles adjusters seems like a good match in my opinion.

Hey @keithu - I have the Gilles Tooling chain adjusters on my 2015 FJ. They're beautifully made, easy to use, and (totally subjective) a bit more subtle than the Lightech design. I highly recommend them. You said no eBay links, but how about an Amazon vendor? You can google "Gilles Tooling FJ09 chain adjuster" and find several other supplier options. Amazon.com: YAMAHA FZ-09 & FJ-09 XSR900 CHAIN ADJUSTERS BY GILLES TOOLING 1RCF21D0V000: Automotive ...

Absolutely unique enough... is that a counter-balanced pivoting drawbridge? Very cool. Nice submissions by @bowlin01 and @bigorangecntry07 as well. @Rogier - You get to pick. What's the next photo challenge?

And???

I honestly don't think the TCS would have impacted anything today other than keeping the corner exit wheelies in check... It's not like I'm talking about crazy tire-smoking wheel spin. One of my favorite local roads has a nice flow to it with slow to medium speed turns that open up on exit... perfect opportunity to spend a lot of on-throttle time while leaned over and digging hard on acceleration. I was playing around a bit today with less mid-corner speed, but more throttle to toy with the adhesion limits accelerating out. The TCS might have helped me save a high-side if I had done something really ham-fisted with the throttle, but I wasn't about to test that intentionally. When the TCS kicks in to control serious wheel spin, you will instantly recognize it... Just as it starts to really spin up the rear (like in sand or an oil patch) the motor just lays flat until traction is restored. You'll feel it instantly, and the TCS lights will flash at you like 'pay attention you dipshit' My opinion: The TCS is probably great in low-traction scenarios like rain or dirty roads, but counting on it in serious cornering is a bad idea.

That's heartbreaking to read the sequence of the updates. Certainly hoping for a positive outcome, but that doesn't sound encouraging at all.

I turned the TCS off, and spent some time playing around with adhesion on corner exits... maybe not the fast way around, but certainly entertaining.

Ok, next challenge: Your Tracer/FJ with a unique bridge or trestle. I know it's been done before, but I'm still fascinated with interesting bridge engineering and design. So find something cool and post a picture or two...

@duhg - It took awhile, but today I decided to go get some pictures of obsolete businesses in Houston’s east end: Believe it or not, that typewriter shop is still in business. A neighbor wandered over to see what I was up to, and filled me in on the story: The proprietor is a gentleman named Smitty, who has run the store for decades. It was already a struggling business when it flooded during Hurricane Harvey, but (and this is what I love about my city) the community pitched in to help clean up & repair as best they could, and Smitty is back open for business. Hours are limited and apparently not consistent nor predictable, but you have to respect the determination & resilience.

So I gather you are really enjoying the new GT, @Larz?

Welcome @XYZTracerGT & congrats on the new GT! It’s a terrific motorcycle, and the forum here is friendly and informative.

Well, I absolutely found the right target, but unfortunately was in the truck and not on the FJ. I’ll have to go back on the bike at some point for a photo...

Welcome @tojjer! Enjoy the new GT. Let us know your thoughts, especially how it compares to your old F800.