betoney

The only time I ride in rain is if I get caught in it by surprise, reduced visibility, less traction, minimal lean angle etc. I just dont enjoy it. With heated gear I definitely will ride in the cold though.

I took a ride up Spirit Lake Highway to Mt. St. Helens today. The temperature started dropping and I noticed snow on the tree branches. I kept gaining altitude and the temperature kept dropping until I hit snow! By this time it was already 33 degrees. Right after this photo was taken it started snowing at a good rate, I made it around the next corner and it was almost white-out conditions. I am SO thankful for my heated grips and heated vest! I quickly turned around and made my way back down to town.

When you are adjusting the APS, you are looking at the display to see the values change, this can only be done with the ignition "on". Factory settings are usually around 17, I initially lowered mine to 14 and then a few weeks later lowered it again to 12. Loosen the screws on the APS and make slight adjustment, maybe 2mm at a time, you will see the values change on the display. When you get the value to where you want, then snug the screws down.

FWIW, it is much easier to work on the linkage with the swing arm removed. (Extremely easy on this bike, just takes a few minutes). I wish I knew that when I was replacing the shock, I was cursing just like you, had I removed the swing arm the shock remove and replacement would have been a breeze.

I have never heard of any manufacturer giving out service manuals (digital or hard copy) for free. I have a YZ250 and had to pay for my service manual.

I hate to sound like the morality police but @Cruizin owns and pays for this website. Using his website to post a link to copyrighted material for everyone to freely download (STEAL) might not go over too well.

Up in the left corner of the text box you are typing in is a blue button that says "Add Image to Post".

No reason to kick yourself. If its spent on the bike, its money well spent! - ENJOY!!

I have a friend helping me who has done it before so it hopefully won’t be that bad. He said it should make a difference in the long run since they are the braided brake lines and tend not to get “squishy” over time...we shall see!! The only reason I mention it is because I have heard the process can be a pain in the @ss. Gaining access, as well as removing the hard lines isn't exactly a simple "remove the old and replace with new" like it is on a non-ABS bike.

@trambo Thanks for the write-up. It sounds like you are gonna love it. For the money it looks to be very high quality, I am curious if you will feel any performance gain?

I will be interested to hear your experience replacing the brake lines, both in level of difficulty and any improvement in lever feel or braking.

Does it actually come with a baffle insert? Nice looking product, be sure to write up your impressions once you get a ride with it.

I was just thinking about doing that this morning, I still haven't found ones that I love the looks of. Lets see some photos once installed.

I removed the grab handles and the side carriers for the oem bags, I like the more streamlined look. Of course when I start doing multi-day road trips the racks for the Shad bags will go back on. Luckily we dont have to deal with salt on the roads but certain areas will get a light coating of sand if the conditions get bad enough. Anytime there is a clear, semi-decent day in winter, I'll take it. I was able to get 400 miles in over the weekend.

Is it plastic? If so I'd imagine one decent speed bump would rip it right off. Every cosmetic belly pan ever made is plastic. You can't see it well from the angle in the photo but it is higher than the bottom of the engine, it goes around the sides and front of the engine, not underneath. There is enough room to change the oil filter without removal. The only reason I have ever had to remove it was to flush the coolant, where I drained the catch tank and all hoses.

Ermax Belly Pan The build quality is top notch and the paint match to OEM factory colors is perfect.

We had a rare January day with no rain or snow, so I took advantage of it and rode some twisty back roads down to Longview on the Washington - Oregon border.

Love that photo. It reminds me of my dog staring out the window, wanting to play on a rainy day.

P/N for 2016 They are about $10 -$11 each side 2SC-28391-10-00 GRAPHIC 1 | Use for Color Black Metallic X ( SMX / 0903 ) - Left 2SC-28392-10-00 GRAPHIC 2 | Use for Color Black Metallic X ( SMX / 0903 ) - Right

I have to agree. After 12 months of ownership, I recently pulled the swingarm and shock linkage for a visual check and re-coat with grease. There was very little grease anywhere and the forward pivot bolt that attaches the linkage to the frame was rusted in the sleeve that rides on the needle bearings. And its just habit, but I pry off the dust seals on the wheel bearings and check the grease anytime the wheels are removed for any reason. Overkill? maybe.

To convert to tapered roller bearings you would need to replace the races in the steering stem. The kit should come with bearings and races and in some cases, depending on bike, seals as well. I had them installed on my previous FZ1. To replace the races correctly, you need some specific tools.

I hope I'm still at it when I'm your age. Good for you, keep on riding!

Thanks for the write up and photos. Its reassuring to know that all was good when you tore it down.

In my opinion there is nothing like getting a custom seat fitted just for you. Built specifically to your dimensions and seating position, they literally fit like a glove!

While you are inspecting the bearings, any thoughts on changing from ball to tapered roller bearings? I think there was a post recently where someone posted a link for roller bearings at around $35.