phpaul

Exactly. Relax. Have a little fun.

Annnnnd..we're done. Couple of tips, one mine, one a repeat from a video: 1. A "workmate" or similar clamping table is very handy for holding the fork tube at a convenient level while you compress the spring during disassembly/reassembly. 2. If you have a skid plate (and you should!) an old fashioned scissors jack under the plate (with the bike on the center stand obviously...) is a great and very stable way to hold the front of the bike up while removing the front wheel. Another note: I was able to hold the spring compressor down by hand long enough to slip the clip under the jamb nut so I could unscrew the top cap when disassembling. Reassembling with the heavier springs is a whole new ball game. After trying various ways I finally gave up and went and got my Brother-in-Law to help. Just no way to do with two hands. There is a trick to do it using ratchet straps but I don't have any small enough and regular motorcycle tiedowns don't provide enough leverage. All in all, a fairly simple process technically, but does absolutely require a couple of special tools.

I knew I'd get it wrong (50/50 chance) @phpaul - sorry if I gave you bad advice to flip it over, like I said its been a year since I got my cartridges from Matt. No worries, mate! Just knowing where it went was a big help. I paid good money for that fork tool kit, might as well get my money's worth out if it!

Haaaaaaaaa! I do so love making Rustang drivers look bad! I think it's the stealth effect of a fat, gray-bearded old fart on what looks like a touring bike. Haven't had the chance to do that to a Ca-moo-ro yet, perhaps they just know better.

Well, poop. I'm gonna get REAL good at disassembling and reassembling FJ forks... Thanks for the correction, better now than when I had both forks back together and the wheel installed!

Ah. Thanks! Not only does that get me back to work, but it kept me from doing something REALLY stupid! I was about to put the stock cartridge back in... Somehow or another I got them confused. Fortunately, the new part won't fit on the old cartridge. Also, once my other brain cell stopped in for a visit, the oil on the cartridge was a hint... DOH! Thanks again!

Okay, so I got the drop-in kit for the forks from Matt (Thanks!). Watched a couple videos, picked up a couple hints, pulled the bike in the garage as it's supposed to rain for the next 2-3 days anyway. Got the left fork off the bike, drained and disassembled, and now I'm ready to put it back together. Except... There's this part in the kit, and I didn't see anything like it when I took the old cartridge out. I've got a PM in to Matt and I'm sure he'll point me in the right direction when he sees it, but thought I'd check and see if anyone else has done this and knows what this part is and where it goes. Thanks for any input!

Great information, thanks! So which, in your opinion, is the bigger bang for the buck: shock or fork kit? Also, what might I expect to pay for cartridge(s) and springs matched to my weight?

I've overhauled forks on older bikes, so I expect I could handle most upgrades.

Lets say a fella had $500 max to spend on a suspension upgrade for the FJ. Riding style is "exuberant" but WAY short of track-grade aggressive. Kitted-out riding weight is ~215-220. Biggest complaint at the moment is vertebrae-compressing shocks when hitting bumps/potholes. Handling is okay for my skill level but not impressive. Sag is adjusted as much as stock units (and my skill level) will allow for my weight. What's the best bang for the buck?

Dang, badballie, that's PURDY!

Well, you have to re-flash the ECU to eliminate the electronic governor...

Thorry, ph! You're forgiven, I needed the laugh!

Is your wife standing nearby?Dad Gummit Wordsmith, I just snorted hot coffee through my nose! Do you have ANY idea how uncomfortable that is?

It's time for the 8000 mile service and some new sneakers. Service included in the purchase price of the bike, so that's no big deal. Sneakers, on the other hand... Started out needing a rear, the wear bars are showing and the center is flat. Dealer wanted $320 plus tax, disposal and $55 to mount and balance a Michelin PR4. Hack, cough... There's an indy shop about 10 miles further away that I've used for the machine work on motorcycle engines. Guy specializes in stroker cranks for drag-racing Harleys, but does tires and engine work too. You could eat off any surface in his machine shop. Very professional and a nice guy to boot. Called them, he said he could do it for $277.xx out the door including tax, disposal, mounting and balancing. "I can be there in an hour!" Bad news is, while it was on the lift he showed me the cupping on the front tire. Tread depth is good, but cupping is REALLY noticeable when you take a minute to look for it. "Well, faaack. Order one up and call me when it comes in." Be about the same price for the front, but I'll have all new rubber on it and be ready to carve some corners in the Spring!

My Higdonion uppers came in today, in that GORGEOUS Yamaha Blurple. Perfect fit of course and a very nice addition to the protection package. Thanks so much for the group deal!

Say, now THERE is an excuse I haven't used yet. I'll have to add that to my repertoire.

Not so amazing. They achieved the same thing with the factory seat - it feels as if it's been left off and the rider is sitting on the tool-kit!Hah! Ain't that the truth? Fortunately (if expensively) Corbin has a solution. First big-dollar mod I made to the bike.

Couple things: 1. Installed the Go Cruise mechanical cruise control. Couple of people posted very good reviews on it, and after a short test drive, I concur. 5 second installation, held the setting nicely on the washboards that pass for roads around here. Have a long-ish (100 miles one way) ride planned for the weekend, I think it'll be a handy addition. 2. 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'll make a final decision after the weekend trip, but I'm thinking I'll leave it off at least until colder weather. There are as many opinions and recommendations as there are posters here, but perhaps the money for an after-market windshield is worth it after all...

Thanks, koth. Where can I find the wiring diagram please? Not trying to be a jerk here, and what koth said will certainly work, but there are better products out there. I've been working with electricity and electronics since 1969 and have picked up on one or two tips. First, the WalMart (and even NAPA) crimp on connectors are less than optimal as are all the nylon sleeve type. In general, and especially on exposed wiring like a motorcycle, spend the money for the good stuff with heat shrinkable sleeves. The mechanical connection is more secure and it's water proof. Amazon has them. Second, the crimpers that come in the $8.99 kits are junk. Very difficult for a pro to get a decent crimp with them, darn near impossible for a DIYer. If you expect to do this sort of thing more than once, spend the money on a set of ratcheting crimpers with interchangeable dies. It double-crimps the connection and ensures a solid crimp as the ratchet won't release until the crimp is complete. Again with the Amazon Finally, be VERY careful stripping the wire. It's incredibly easy to cut off a few strands along with the insulation and that reduces the current-carrying capacity of the wire AND affects the integrity of the crimp as the wire diameter is reduced. There are thousands, if not millions of crimps out there done with just the tools and supplies that koth recommended, but why not do it right the first time? JMHO, YMMV

Installed the handlebar risers I got from @piotrek in our swap. I think we're both happy! I didn't need to raise mine so much as pull them back towards the rider.

In this installment of The Further Adventures of the Cheapskate Fabricator, I installed this tail tidy on my FJ. With my home-made soft bag mounts there's no room for the stock turn signals OR the smallest after-market LED signals I could find. Plus, I didn't want to mess with snipping and wiring on new connectors. So, I made up some new mounts for the stock signals and attached them to the bag mounts. This is at or near original height and separation and clears the bags when they're mounted. The plate mount tucks up nicely under the rear and eliminates what I call "the hemorrhoid" hanging off the back of the bike, just asking to get whacked. There was no way to mount the original license plate light so I did have to butcher the wiring harness and graft the connector onto the LED unit that came with the tail tidy. The repositioned stock taillights required drilling a couple of holes up through the plastic bottom of the tail for the wiring. This was both due to length of the pigtails on the signals and the fact that the wiring notch in the tail tidy doesn't quite line up with the hole in the tail and I was afraid of the wires chafing. Plenty of room for the tiny wires on the LED plate light, but too tight for all of them. While the bags are not attractive, they ARE practical, easy on and off, and mostly, CHEAP! I'm a happy guy.

Made an appointment for the 4000 mile service. It's a bit early mileage-wise, but I wanted to get the oil change done before riding season opens up. Looking at the weather for the day of the appointment, it looks like I'll be trailering it up... ... 29°F for a high. While I was at the dealer, I wandered through the showroom mainly to check and see if they ever got that SCR950 in that they had on order. Nope. That's the bike I originally had the hots for but they kept slipping the date and Summer was getting away from me, so I threw a leg over an FJ and the rest is history. They DID have a new XSR900 on the floor. I resisted the urge to throw a leg over that, but DAMN! Not a huge fan of the Transformer looks of the FJ and the XSR is just plain SEXY! I may wind up giving in to my urge to take the hand guards off...

I'm not really a fan of wheelies just for the sake of wheelies. Hard on the equipment if nothing else. I turned TC off and grabbed a handful on the FJ just to see what would happen, did a wheelie, said "kewl" and turned TC back on. I'm good. Back in the early 80's I had a Honda XL500 that was a major wheelie monster and I DID love to loft the front wheel on that thing. I was stationed in Pensacola, lived aboard NAS and worked at Corry Station. About a 5 mile ride back and forth to work via Navy Boulevard. The intersection with Lillian Highway was raised above Navy Blvd. just enough that a good handful of throttle would pick 'er up and carry it all the way across the intersection. Got the stink-eye from the Escambia County Sheriff's Deputy more than once... 8D

Nah that won't work, the old 650's had the good vibesTrue...