carey

I'm a fan of Givi bags. Buy them once and only have to get the correct mounting hardware for each bike.

I bought a set of extender brackets from a member here. I don't know the brand, but they were easy to install. Mine look very similar to these; https://goo.gl/images/TJ3PhY I've used similar brackets on other bikes. The down side to this type of extender is the passengers foot tends to hit me in the back of the calf. On my bike, I usuaully leave them off and only install when my wife goes for a ride, which isn't very often.

I've had this problem in the past. When I use Powerlet/BMW style plugs and sockets, the problem was solved. When I first got my FJ, I used some cheap adapter in the OEM socket to power my GPS. For whatever reason, the fuse kept blowing. Since installing a Powerlet socket in the OEM position, I haven't had a problem.

+1 I don't know how I missed this, but I echo what texscottyd said.

Today, I changed the fuel in my gas tank. The old gas was a few weeks old, so I decided it was time for a change. First, I had to run the old gas out with a few hundred mile ride in the mountains near my home. On the return trip, I switched to A mode to stay in front of the pending rain clouds

I installed a Sargent Touring seat pad and cover. After an hour, I was squirming. I could last longer on the OEM seat. I did like the foam density of the Sargent seat, but the shape did not work for me, so I decided to modify it. First, I want to state my needs are probably different than most. I have arthritis in my hips that limits my range of motion. Most bucket shaped seats don't work for me. What does work for me is a skinny seat, like a dirt bike where my weight is supported in the narrow area under my private parts, and my hips are allowed to "hang" off to the sides. I have no problem riding a bicycle for hours with a thinly padded seat. Here's the Sargent seat I started with I want to make the seat narrower, so I started with this and a little more trimming This was a big improvement for me, but I found some pieces of memory foam leftover from other projects and decided to do a major overhaul. I added a strip of medium density foam in the center, and a small piece of firmer foam at the tail. I topped it all off with another layer of light density memory foam I used my wife's electric carving knife and my 4" grinder with 80 grit wheel to blend things together. Final product looks like this

There was a common problem on the original FJ's (FJ1100/1200) where the rubber vent valves in the gas would malfunction. The malfunction would create a vacuum in the gas tank and not allow gas to flow.

Some people have successfully used this type of lock https://www.ebay.com/p/gun-lock-9-cable-length-trigger-pistol-shotgun-rifle-childsafe-steel/1929948055

I had the opposite problem. I adjusted my rear brake pedal and forgot to check the brake light switch. My brake was on all the time.

I recommend the OES sliders over Shogun brand. OES has a metal insert that doesn't compress when you tighten them up. I bought a set of Shogun for my FZ1 and after some time, I started getting vibration. The engine mount/slider mount bolts were loose because the plastic compressed. I could keep them tight so I removed them.

So inquiring minds wonder... where does one get these $6 rim stickers? I went the hi dollar route and got mine for $20 http://www.ebay.com/itm/280724395768?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Its to prevent an object from unintentionally unlatching the seat...Thanks, I think I'll take my chances, and keep the block in my tool box.

Could you explain? I put mine in my toolbox, what is the function of the plug?

xlxr, I think you nailed it. There are many charts, graphs, and studies that show ABS is better or worse, but they are usually done by professional riders under controlled conditions. Everyday joes, like us, can maximize their braking by a little practice with their own bike. Years ago I took the MSF Advanced course, and a lot of our field work was braking under different situations. Each new bike I own, and every spring at the beginning of riding season, I practice my braking technique. I'm no Valentino Rossi, but I feel comfortable that I can use my brakes correctly in a panic situation.

Here's the E21 bags. 31" overall width Here's with the E360 bags. 36" overall width

A/F measurements with the AIS operational would be meaningless. The air enters the exhaust after the combustion chamber. It's like trying to heat the inside your car while driving with the windows down. I've ridden some bikes (not FJ's) after a remap and the AIS was still connected. The popping on decal was noticeable, and annoying. I'm not familiar with 2WDW's reflashing, but their work has a good reputation. If your bike doesn't pop on decal, I'd bet your AIS was disabled. If your bike runs well, I'd "ride more, worry less"

On the FJ1200's the oil level sensor could cause a similar issue, but never seemed to be a problem. It measures oil level and not oil pressure. With a slightly low oil level, the pressure was never a problem. My 1200 burned about 1/2 quart between changes. when my oil light came on, it meant I needed an oil change. I doubt there's a problem with your wife's bike, just a momentary glitch with the level sensor.

Nice write up and pictures. On the FZ1 forum, several members glued a penny, with JB weld to the AIS cover to block them off. I don't see me doing this mod until I replace the spark plugs. For whatever reason, I hate removing the gas tank on my bikes.

Your question was directed to another member, but I will give you my opinion on Givi panniers. I bought my first Givi's back in the 90's, including the hard to get wing rack for my FJ1200. These were the E360 monokey bags. I still use them today. They are rainproof and pretty durable. I had one of my E360's mounted as a top case on my son's Kawi 250 when he crashed. The top case acted like a frame slider and prevented a lot of body damage. I had to replace the reflective plastic "ring" and smoothed out a few scrapes on the bag, but it still works fine. Since then, I have picked up a set of E21 side bags and a 55 liter top case. I have all 5 bags keyed alike. I typically use the E21's for commuting and the 360's for trips. The 55 liter top box gets swapped between several bikes. I can fit my laptop, in padded case, and my soft sided briefcase in the E21 bags. The wing rack was good, but broken mounting brackets was a reported by several FJ1200 owner. Because of this I bought SW Motech racks for my next four bikes. The SW Motech racks are robust, but expensive. I've never had a problem, and when not mounted, the mounting brackets are not very noticeable. IMO, the Yamaha racks with color matched FJR bags have the best styling, but the racks look noticeable when bags aren't mounted. Since I already had Givi bags, my only options for the FJ09 were SWMotech quick lock racks or the new Givi rapid release racks. I bought the Givi rapid release racks because they looked slightly less noticeable when not mounted compared to SW Motech, and they were $100 cheaper. I still have the SW Motech racks from my 1050 Tiger, and briefly thought about altering them to fit my FJ 09, but then I realized don't have a welder and can't weld

This reminds me of a saying I heard years ago. There are bold riders, and there are old riders, but there are no old bold riders. I used to wheelie when I was younger, nothing special, but now I consider myself an old rider and don't want to risk an accident.

...I haven't experienced a tire puncture... the true test of my chickenness is yet to come. I've experienced a few flat tires from punctures, and none were catastrophic. The tire lost air gradually. The few occasions I used plugs, for a few hundred or a few thousand miles, I couldn't tell the difference. Having said that, what is the price of peace of mind? I can't argue with somebody that chooses to replace a tire immediately.

Matt can probably add more information, but I'm only aware of remote preload on three shocks, Ohlins, Cogent and Nitron.

OK, I'll bite. None of the dirt bikes I've owned in the past 50 years had alignment pins. So changing bars didn't matter. On the many street bikes I've owned and replaced handlebars, I've cut the alignment pins and everything worked OK. On the few times I tried to keep the alignment pins with a bar swap, the control alignment was not to my liking with the new bars, so I ended up cutting the pins anyway. You can't say keeping the pins will cause a problem, but my experience is cutting the pins hasn't been a problem.

Congrats. If you think that was hard, try fitting as ZX6 shock with the reservoir at the upper shock mount. It's a tight fit, but it goes in. The best part is that you did this yourself

The lower shock bolt was a pita, but I got mine out using the assortment of wrenches I had. I ended up using a both a box end and an open end. I could only get only get the nit to turn a very small amount, and worked from both the nut side (left) and the bolt head side (right). Installation went a lot smoother than removal. For the top shock bolt, I came in from the side through the frame as the others, but I had the benefit that my gas tank was removed to install some electrical accessories.