betoney

I have never used Givi bags so I have no clue as to how stiff the locks turn but something doesn't sound right. It cant hurt to use a dry lube in the lock and then turn it both ways several times to see if it loosens up.

Around the 8 year mark is about as far as I am willing to press my luck with batteries. As far as I know my 2017 VFR is still on its original battery, still works perfectly but will get replaced next season unless it fails before then. Hopefully your new replacement battery will be the fix and you wont need to look any further as suggested by @dazzler24

@texscottyd Is that a buddy's CB1000R? Did you swap bikes and get any seat time? Impressions? I sat on one at the dealership, ergonomics seemed a bit compact to me but the fit and finish was very nice.

The Denali DRL are expensive (and have gone up considerably since I bought mine) but are extremely durable, 100% waterproof and VERY BRIGHT. One nice thing about them is their stealth design; small and unobtrusive. I have mine mounted as shown in the photos in the link above.

How could a helmet manufacturer account for every shape and style of bike ever made? every size of rider? or every make, shape and size of screen ever made to possibly make a helmet that will offer low wind noise and correct ventilation for even one rider let alone the majority? The number of variables would be in the trillions.

Have you tried looking at new left over 2022 models? Yamaha had a supply issue and had a hard time delivering bikes until late in the year when all of a sudden they were offloading a LOT of Tracer9 GT's to dealers who couldn't get rid of them. There were a few reports on here of guys (my buddy was one of them) getting new 2022 models for $12,000usd out the door. They were so late to the game and dealers had such an overstock that they didn't even bother releasing a 2023 model in North America. Your dealer can check stock with other dealers and see if there are any bikes still in the crate sitting in storage, they might even be able to arrange shipping. Yamaha did something similar with the 2019 Tracer, buyers wanted the GT so the base model didn't sell well, finally Yamaha marked them down to $8,700 to clearance them out and never offered a base model in NA again.

I'm 6'-1" with a 32-33" inseam, for me the most immediate change needed was more relaxed knee position so I had a taller seat built which added about an inch to the height. You can find foot peg lowering adapters but the brake and shift pedals only have so much adjustment range. The handlebar risers are reversible to move them slightly further away if needed, you could then get bolt-on bar risers or taller bars, though you can only go so far with the stock cables.

If you are looking for a switched power source, the bike comes with 3 or 4 spare aux. leads behind the gauges/dash. They are a key-on 12v power source, I have my GPS, daytime running lights and LED voltmeter wired into mine.

That is only 3,800 miles, barely broken in. Hopefully you can get it for a decent price.

Aside from electronic changes for the GT+, the 2021-2024 bikes should structurally be identical.

Yes, the power delivery is quite a bit softer. I believe it still delivers full power but the throttle doesn't feel 1:1 when you turn it if that makes sense, it feels like you are opening the throttle slower than you actually are.

I don't think the Tracer 700 was ever sold in North America.

"You don't miss what you've never had" Its funny how that happens, I said the exact same thing when I got my FJ. I had never owned a bike with ABS or traction control let alone heated grips and cruise control. Once I installed them it was a revelation and I was forever spoiled. Along with a center stand they are the 3 items I will never go without on any future bike purchase. Fortunately the base Tracer and Tracer GT are the exact same bike structurally and the add-ons can be installed relatively easily if you choose. The bikes versatility is a main selling point, sporty riding on twisty roads or pack on the bags and comfortably ride across the country.

I agree, the new red color pales in comparison to the original FJ09. I really wish Yamaha would bring that color back. I like it enough that I bought a Honda that matches. 😁

A lot of good info in that video. I have some testing to do. 👍🏻

The high pressure alarm going off had me in a panic, Ive never had that happen on the smaller FJ09. I realize high speeds and hot days will cause the pressure to rise higher but higher than 48psi isn't out of the normal or dangerous? I have heard that the difference between cold and "operating temperature" should be 10%, is this correct? My reading was closer to a 25% rise.

I use a tire pressure monitor on my bikes and notice quite a difference in pressure increase between cold and hot between the two bikes. I also have a large Honda VFR1200X which weighs over 630lbs and uses a 150 profile rear tire. On both bikes I use 36F/38R tire pressure. On the Yamaha on a hot day the pressure will rise to about 42F/44R while the heavier VFR with the skinny rear tire will rise to 45F/48R and the alarm on my TPMS will start flashing. Is this normal? This is the only bike I have owned that doesn't have a 180 profile tire, do skinnier tires pressure rise higher than wider tires? Should heavier bikes use a higher cold pressure? Forgive my lack of physics or engineering knowledge. Thanks for any insight

I would definitely contact the manufacturer or do an extensive Google search first, some polishes or coatings are made specifically for matte finishes whereas a majority will work on a typical gloss finish. If you have a scrap piece of matte plastic you could try a test coating and see how it looks.

Off topic, I was impressed that it was a 'single-take' monologue and he arrived at the spot with the back protection at precisely the right moment. Very well rehearsed.

The FJ or Tracer will definitely meet your needs and can be extremely versatile as a comfortable long distance ride as well as a very sporty machine, in fact I could argue that for just cruising around at 65-70mph it could be considered overkill as you can achieve the same relaxed ride on a smaller displacement, more economical bike. The CB500X you mentioned can get 60+mpg at freeway speeds and 70-80+mpg cruising back roads.

Thanks, that was my thought as well. Are you aware of any negative effects to engine or clutch from lugging the motor in top gear that low in the rev range? When you grab a handful of throttle and there is a slight delay before it downshifts a few gears, there can be chugging and lurching. Thankfully the other modes shift normally.

I have the DCT transmission on my VFR1200X and that default mode is the one thing I really dislike about it. I have read a lot of different forums for bikes with the DCT (Goldwing, Africa Twin, VFR1200X,NC700/750X etc) and a lot of riders find it frustrating and question WHY? Why did Honda develop a mode that is so subdued that it gets to 6th gear ASAP -my 1200X will get to 6th by 35mph! I tried it once or twice and didn't enjoy it at all. Fortunately they offer manual mode with the finger paddles or Sport mode S1/S2/S3 which is much more akin to how I would realistically shift the bike even under moderate acceleration. You are correct in that it takes a while to figure out how the bike likes to be ridden, a lot of people I have talked to think it is a twist and go like a scooter and you could do that but to ride it effectively takes some learning through trial and error. For a more relaxing experience while touring or commuting in traffic it is hard to beat but I enjoy my manual FJ09 for exhilarating sporty riding.

I have a few Dremel tools which I use on a regular basis but it can be easy to get ripples when sanding on a flat plane with such a small sanding disc. For your application, sanding a longer flat edge, it might be easier to using a sanding block with various grits. Even sanding a small area, the flat surface of the sanding block will help keep the flat surface of the screen edge even.

Have fun with the Honda, it looks like a great bike!

The next few days are forecast for 70F. I have my grandkids today and tomorrow so they take priority but I definitely plan on getting out for a bit on both bikes.