texscottyd

@wordsmith - I don’t typically go for that kind of thing, but gotta admit I really like the rim decals in this case. I have a spare set of wheels, so may look into doing something similar with a pair.

In the wind and bug-splattered, exploring Texas history on a gorgeous Sunday morning.

11/12/2017. San Felipe, Texas

And I'm glad I waited until now to upgrade the forks and shocks...

 
Oh? Do tell...
Suspension is unquestionably the best investment I’ve made in the FJ.

Lets be real. You were going to spend more money on your bike anyway.

Truer words have never been spoken... 

@wordsmith - It’s not your imagination... new tires always feel better than a well worn set, especially when you’re upgrading the quality of tire being mounted.
 
Good choice on the PR4s... I’m a big fan.
 

I'm still drooling over that ZRX!!  I love that paint scheme even more than the more traditional Kawasaki green you usually see.

 
A bit off-topic, but a friend of mine runs a custom shop that specializes in high-end ZRX builds and parts. If you’re a ZRX fan, it’s worth spending a few minutes drooling over some of the goodies...
 
http://jamescomptoncustoms.com/
 
#RollingArt
 

The Doobie Brothers lied to me!
 
They got the ‘sleepy little town’ part right, but man, this is nowhere near San Antonio!
 

 

I bought one!

That's about as good as it gets!    
Enjoy, and welcome to the club...
 

@pcwizz - I know you said you want to avoid hardwiring a USB feed into the bike, but that's exactly what I did to power my bar-mounted iPhone, and I am really happy with how it worked out.
 
I put a USB outlet near the toolkit under the rear seat, which plugs into the Battery Tender wiring. Then routed a six foot right-angle USB to Apple Lightning cable along the left side wiring harness and out under the front of the tank. It's clean, simple, and has worked flawlessly so far.
 

 

...go for it B-| .

 
 
It's only about six miles to the other side. I would have gone for it on my YZ250...

9-4-2017. Brookshire, Texas
 
Post-Hurricane Harvey flooding.
 

@piotrek - What do you think of the Stomp Grip on the FJ? I've used it on my 636 track bike, and am a huge advocate for track use. But I'm not sure about the application for the FJ on the street. Very interested in your opinion...

@rockinsv - I somehow missed this when you first posted. Thanks so much for sharing your story... it is both inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. It sounds like you have known a love that very few will ever experience. Cherish and live in the happy memories.

Grand Rapids, MI

Man, that is NOT what your screen name would suggest. Sounds like you're a CA transplant as well.

 
Too funny... I always assumed you were somewhere in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
 
For what it's worth, I am in Texas...

@micah2074 - Very impressive! You are a better man than I...

I rode 1100 miles in 15.5 hours.

 
Let's see: Carry the one, and... a hair under 71 mph average.
Would you care to elaborate?

Unfortunately I went out of town the day after install so I haven't had a proper ride. What surprised me was the brakes felt better because my front end isn't diving anymore 

I noticed the exact same thing...  With the chassis pitch under control, the brakes are actually pretty good. 
 

Got my Ohlins shock and Andreani cartridge kit installed. Just riding home from the shop it felt surprisingly better. Can't wait for a real ride

 
So what's the verdict? The Ohlins & fork work on my FJ totally transformed the way it handled... anxious to hear your opinion.

... In the spirit of experimentation, took the windshield completely off the bike.  Again, a short test drive indicates a YUGE reduction in wind noise!  No buffeting either at 50+ with a couple of short bursts up to 80-ish...

I did the same thing this weekend, and was amused to confirm the same results over the course of 100 miles or so.   I ran it up to somewhere near 110, and it actually felt more stable than it does with the stock screen.   It's amazing that Yamaha managed to engineer a windscreen that consistently performs worse than nothing at all.    

How embarrassing...  at a hair over 7,000 miles in about 18 months, I haven't even hit the 'You must be this tall to ride the attraction' hurdle.  
 
I'm working on it most weekends, 200 miles at a time.
 

I went exploring, got lost on a gravel road my GPS knew nothing about, and found this cool old wooden bridge over an irrigation canal... fun day.

Added SAE Socket. Made the mount from left over ABS plastic.

 
That's nicely done. I assume this is your plug for a Battery Tender? I have mine wired to plug in under the rear seat section, but really like the way you've approached this.

Nice write up thank you! 
How much did it cost?

 
 
I figure it's right around $300 all in, based on some quick online shopping research.
 
http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/oemparts/a/yam/5626462987a86602c84a316a/flasher-light
 
Front signals around $50 each
Rear signals around $75 each
Two pairs of connectors at $15 total
Flasher relay is about $20
 
That's about $285, plus shipping and/or taxes. Not a cheap upgrade, but it looks great and I think I'm going to do it.

...Tenere turn signals front and rear...

Oh, I really like that...  I've been following discussions on this for awhile, but think now it's time to actually do it.    
Did you cut the connectors off the stock signals, or wire them in some other way?  
 

@aeg - That's from the EatSleepRIDE smartphone app, which I run on my iPhone 6. I'm fairly certain they have an Android version as well.
 
For a free app, I really like the route tracing and detailed data capture. The only caveat is that for the lean angle readings to be accurate, you need to have the phone solidly mounted to the bike, with the top edge of the phone parallel to the ground. I use a RokForm mount square between the handlebar risers, and it works great.
 
-Scott