texscottyd

Agreed that an OBD code scanner could be very helpful here.  But if I had to guess, that sounds like an intermittent electrical ground problem to me.   Check the battery terminals for tightness, then chase the black ground terminal wiring as far as you can and check that it’s tight at the frame and/or engine ends.    

Hi @stringman - I’m not seeing any photos of the wheel, but as long as the flat machined mating surfaces of the wheel onto the back of the rotors isn’t damaged, I’m sure you’re fine.   This is one of those projects that isn’t hard when it goes right, but often gets complicated due to hard-to-remove rotor bolts.  

As for the brake feel, assuming you pushed the pistons back into the calipers to fit the new pads, they should pump back up once everything is reattached.   Don’t pump on them with the calipers disconnected (not on the rotors) or you can push the pistons all the way out of the caliper. 

Good luck finishing up… sounds like you’re almost there. 

Hi @Danny81- The YA535 on my FJ does not have any clicks or detents on the remote spring preload adjuster, just a continuous smooth movement up or down.   The compression and rebound damping adjusters do have defined clicks in the setting steps. 

Not a great photo, but there’s a story here:  This one corner on a favorite little backroad has been under some form of construction for what seriously seems like 20+ years.   But every time I come through here, the gravel and missing pavement is in a different location.   

I thought it must be my imagination, but I’ve recently had several friends mention exactly the same thing to me.   It remains a mystery… 

With the intersection of 'Bangkok Ladyboy pounding' and 'Lucky Foot Trimming' all in one semi-cohesive thread, I feel like I've been teleported to a VERY specific dark corner of the internet...

That IS a nice seat, however.  😀

@peteinpa - If you like the ZRX, spend a few minutes looking around here:  

https://jamescomptoncustoms.com

Fair warning:  Impure thoughts are highly likely 

1 hour ago, Convair77 said:

Now to find a way to limit myself to buying ALL the accessories and toys....

Good luck with that! 

A sincere congratulations!  I've had a thing for the FLH HDs ever since I rented a Road King in Honolulu, and spent a couple of days riding all over the island...  it was a really fun, surprisingly competent motorcycle.   I totally see the appeal of the bike, although I'm not exactly 'The Lifestyle' kind of guy.  

Hi @Jimthevagabond - Take a look at this post, and then scroll down to see install photos & updates over the next page or so:  

They are Rizoma 60mm risers, part number AZ403B. 

I’ve had them on the bike now for a couple of years, and have been very happy with the results.   

57 minutes ago, 1moreroad said:

I sometimes think about going to a narrower Tracer bar and rotating it slightly forward. 

I rotated the stock bar on my FJ forward several degrees when I installed the lower Rizoma risers, and that dropped the angle of the levers down from stock.   This layout works really well for me, although I'm still considering cutting down the bar width by about 3/4 inch on both sides.    It's nice that there is room to adjust the ergonomics on these bikes. 

@stringman - Really sorry to hear about the damage, but thankful the bike wasn’t stolen.  

Just to clarify, the rotors do just unbolt from the front wheel.   But you can’t slide them out with the bike assembled; you will need to remove the front wheel and get it flat on a solid work surface.   I did mine on the garage floor, with an old tire underneath to protect  the wheel & rotor.  

The stock rotor bolts will be tight, as they have a lot of threadlock compound on them from the factory.   As others have said, a heat gun will be extremely helpful before attempting to remove the bolts.   Apply steady, constant pressure with a long-handled wrench or breaker bar, and be careful to not round out the hex drive rotor bolt heads.    

It’s not difficult, but you’ll want to be careful and take your time.  Good luck!  

2 hours ago, petshark said:

And are the Ducatisti on the forums as nice as us? 

As a former Ducati (and current Aprilia) owner, I can say with unwavering and arrogantly condescending certainty:  Nope!   

1 hour ago, peteinpa said:

I don't even get 10k miles on fronts.

What????  You don’t always replace your tires in matched pairs??    

How do you sleep at night???  😉

2 hours ago, peteinpa said:

just mlssed an 85 April 4th

Tempting, and oh so close, but not quite ‘The One’   

Mine was an E instead of an ES, so the unfaired naked bike version.   And a different paint scheme on the 1986 models….  If it had been that specific combination, I would likely be trying to explain an unplanned $8k+ expense to my wife right now.  

Only $400 on that 650 Nighthawk…. You should register to bid, just in case. 

23 minutes ago, peteinpa said:

What IS a good price today?

That’s a very personal ‘what are you comfortable paying’ question for any given bike.  If two people REALLY want that (typically for sentimental reasons), it could get very pricey.  But if you’re the only serious buyer, you might luck out and get it comparatively cheap.   BaT has such a large reach now that non-competitive auctions are rare.  

My kryptonite would be a nice, original, red & black 1986 Suzuki GS1150E.  First bike I ever bought new, and the one I still regret ever parting with.   I would pay foolish money to own one again… 

@peteinpa - Keep an eye on this auction… might be a chance to semi-steal one.  That said, BaT auctions have been pulling stupefying money of late, so who knows.  The earlier CB-F models (750, 900, and especially 1100) have been on fire recently, but it seems to me like these Nighthawks haven’t generated as much collector interest. Yet.  The exception being the 700 Nighthawk S, which I feel was one of the best bikes of the era.   

Cool bike.  Will be interesting to see what it brings…. 

4 hours ago, stringman said:

does any one know of any lower bar risers available?

I used Rizoma 60mm risers on my 2015 FJ, and am really happy with the results.  The stock bars are now about 1.25” lower, and really suits my preferences for comfort and riding position.   

Some details here: 

9 minutes ago, Mark Trottier said:

Wow, i am at at least 11 000 miles and just at the end of my road 5's

 

Mine were toast in less than half that many miles.   Weather, road surface, and riding style seem to yield wildly different lifespans from the same tires.  

3 hours ago, 1moreroad said:

The FJ on a small town main Street or square. 

I like it!  If someone else doesn’t come up with one first, I’ll go looking later this week…  there’s always a good excuse to get out for a ride   

3 years on, and the HD electric bike momentum seems to be picking up.  I will commend them for seeing it through over several years (unlike the Bronx that I still really want…) 

https://www.rideapart.com/news/585541/livewire-del-mar-sold-out/

On 4/22/2022 at 3:41 PM, GeeAndTea said:

The stock screen and whomever designed and approved it can burn for eternity in hell.

I still have to laugh at the history of the screens on these bikes:   They went from truly horrendous (2015-2017) to really awful (2018-2020) to not quite mediocre (2021+, although the jury is still out on this... need more data).  {edited for model years… thanks @petshark}

Yamaha's engineers are generally pretty talented, so I think this has to be one of those situations where the overall design parameters have forced a compromise that just doesn't really work for anyone.   At least the aftermarket has a wide range of options to let you tailor to your own needs.  

On 5/7/2022 at 6:22 PM, Dpl900 said:

some time ago I bought a final exhaust akrapovic and I decided to make handmade headers

The exhaust needed repair so I did everything in the workshop 

That is impressive work!   I will need to fabricate a new exhaust system for my Interceptor/Raptor hybrid build project, and have been wondering the best way to go about that.  

Did you weld all the stainless yourself?   I don't think I have the equipment or the skills to do that on my own... 

Hi @Smuzzle - I haven't actually seen it done, but I suppose with enough time & effort it would be possible.   I believe the early FJ and MT/FZ9 frames are the same, so the subframe from either will bolt on.   But, there is a ton of other stuff to sort out, since there are a lot of components densely packed into the FJ subframe...  the ABS pump and related plumbing being the most obvious that doesn't exist on the same year MT/FZ.   I'm sure the seat shape is different, and you would have to sort out the tank junction fit and mounting points.   Just a lot of effort involved.   

Let us know if you give it a try; I'll be interested to see how it turns out. 

2 hours ago, betoney said:

So, its a definite maybe... 🤷‍♀️

That is almost comical in its non-commitment:  There’s a lot of ‘might, maybe, potentially’ in that article… 😃

At this point, my concern with HD ‘refocusing on the core customer base’ is that the Bronx becomes a half-hearted attempt to launch something that’s only a little outside of their comfort zone.   It could be THE Harley I would actually go spend my own money on, if it is truly something new (Revolutionary?) from The Motor Company.    Time will tell… 

6 hours ago, petshark said:

All I can do is demonstrate with the video what I saw with my own eyes: that BMW's cornering ABS works as well as regular ABS. I understand the sentiment that triggering it is dangerous but let's agree to disagree on that. <snip>  But I don't think we will be able to convince each other in this thread and that is ok.

Actually, I'm 100% in agreement with you.  ABS (and especially cornering ABS) can be a literal lifesaver:  It's there to help you when all hell is breaking loose, and you've stepped over the line of being in control of your current situation.   Arguably the more experienced riders are less likely to find themselves in that position, but it's still a fantastic safety advancement...  you only need it once to TOTALLY justify having it on board.   

My statement is more of a personal reflection of how my own experiences, based on the equipment & technology I had available at the time, has formed all of those automatic muscle-memory split-second reactions.   That's actually a problem:   Experience is valuable, but technology advancements can make your experience less relevant.   I've learned to balance brakes combined with a lot of lean angle, but it also has created this "NOOOO!!!!" encoding to just grabbing the front brake when I'm already scratching for edge grip in a corner.  

Do I want cornering ABS?  Absolutely!   Do I think I'll ever be comfortable intentionally triggering it just to see how it works?   Probably not...     Your mileage may vary. 

Great discussion thread!

I’ll be interested in how this works out.  For whatever it’s worth, I didn’t get any lights or codes when 2WDW did the flash on my 2015 FJ, and the bike ran great immediately after installing the updated ECU.