superfist

From Georgia and South Carolina summers, I'm familiar with and totally understand why someone would do this.
 
My first "premium" helmet was my Shoei RF1200 and one of the best features I use all the time is the visor-crack. I can't go back... having a visor that will click to various levels of open, and stay there at speed is so convenient.

Yes, it will wheelie in standard with TC on, but only a few inches. If you stay on the throttle you can just ride it out while the bike nods "Yes yes yes!" as the front tire repeatedly mini-wheelies.
 
 

I'm at 7,000 and also in need of a new chain. It was lubed every 500 miles, too. 

Gadzooks. Not sure what y'all doing to your chains. 10K on mine and still measures/specs/looks like new. 

 
16k on mine and the chain and sprockets still look new.   Though... I do a light spray of lube about every 200-300 miles, after weekend day rides and after anytime I ride in the rain.  I clean it when it starts to look dirty, which is rare because all the dirt and grime slings off onto my swing arm and rear wheel B-|      oops.
 
 

The only difference I notice is that I feel like I get better fuel mileage / range out of a tank of gas with zero ethanol. My butt dyno doesn't notice anything else.
 
I recently didn't ride for almost a week due to the FJ being serviced and it was a pleasant surprise in 'A' mode that this engine has plenty of power and torque.

Had 16,000 mile service done at the dealer. 
They checked the valves while they were in there because I mentioned people on the forums getting tight exhaust valves before the 24k mile maintenance and everything was in spec.

Do you always run high-octane fuel? Do you rev it high on a regular basis? I had a BMW K75S that had valve recession. I ran 87 octane fuel, and I wonder if that was the culprit. I only run high octane in the FJ, just in case - high octane fuel is cheaper than a valve job. 

 
Yep, I run only 93 Octane (US). I do ride it hard too. I daily commute and the metered on-ramps get treated like mini-drag trees.  I even did a 600 mile round trip out of state on a week day a couple weeks ago and followed a couple of sports cars cruising at low triple digits.  I'm not easy on the motorcycle, but I do all services on schedule and lube the chain every couple hundred miles.  Original chain and sprockets still look great at 16k miles.
 
The good news is the valves were all in spec with no issues.
 
 

Had 16,000 mile service done at the dealer.
 
They checked the valves while they were in there because I mentioned people on the forums getting tight exhaust valves before the 24k mile maintenance and everything was in spec.

After 14,283 miles I finally replaced my clutch cable.  During my weekly inspection I'd listen for crunchy feels or noises coming from the "kinked" area of the old part number and last weekend for the first time I heard it.  Ordered a new cable and lubed and installed the updated part number today.
 
 
It took about an hour and I carefully cut open the old cable to see how bad it was:
 
 
 
 

 

*Snip* 
What is it like in use? I've attached three screen captures. The rear camera shows a white vehicle merging behind me on the freeway. If you look closely, you can see another car to the side of it.
 
*snip picture*
 
The next picture shows the blue car rapidly gaining speed. Although there is a large open space to merge into, it is clear he is not merging there.
 
*snip picture*
 
The last picture shows the blue car cutting in front of me. BTW, the only reason he had that much space to merge into, was that I wasn't going to "fight" for my space and I backed off. Right after he moved in front of me, he cut over two more lanes in heavy traffic. If there had been an accident, the video shows a seamless capture of his actions from the rear camera to the front camera.
 
*snip picture*
 
I haven't tested this yet , but if there had been an accident, the camera has a vibration sensor that locks the video so it isn't overwritten.
 
*snip*
Chris

Interesting Review Chris / Daboo. Except for the mention of the Sena ... it appears to be worse for word the same detailed review as Diana Rypkema on Amazon who also had a blue car race up behind and cur in front of her. What's the connection?

 
I snipped out a bunch to reduce size/formatting, but he stated screen captures and that he hadn't tested it yet.  I'm guessing he clipped the screen captures from the website since they used the footage to obtain the example images.  I doubt there's a connection, just people using the stock images from the site to show examples for a review.
 
 

I'd like to see the quality as well. I was previously using a Go Pro hero 4 that captured my accident in 2016, and since then I've upgraded to the Hero 6.
 
I use the Hero 6 on the helmet chin and I toss the Hero 4 on the back as a rear facing camera. If I put the Hero 6 on 2.7k @ 60 fps, I can zoom in on license plates in my editing software and it's clear enough that if I can read a plate with my eyes on the road, I can make it out on the video.
 
It's just a bit of a pain to sync two cameras and Bluetooth audio from the Sena. I use them like a dash-cam setup while commuting and would love something easier and mounted to the motorcycle. This looks perfect.
 
Does it have any GPS overlay options? I know that's pretty common in dash cams now as well.
Edit:  I clicked the link to Amazon and it does indeed have GPS for route tracking. Awesome!

which grip heaters, or heated grips did you order?

Sorry, you are correct.  OEM style heated grips.  The head of the service department argued AGAINST OEM and said to go with Oxford.  Don't know why as everyone here sounds happy with theirs. I probably won't install mine once they come for a couple months.  Just want them on hand so if i do find the time....
 
*installed grip heaters on another bike couple years ago.  They worked awesome.  As long as the grips themselves last i think the OEM should be even better then what i used long ago.
Wow, that's really odd. I'm wondering why he argued against them because I also have the OEM ones and they've been fantastic.  As a former service manager, I wonder if he was "selling from his pocket". It's when a salesperson operated from the perspective of their own wallet and maybe he just thought it was expensive. I like the clean install without adding anything to the handlebar.
Also... because of the thread: I also re-attached my center stand.  Putting it back on was MUCH more of a pain than the removal (which was a breeze).
 

I understand, and have had that same impression when running without the screen.  
For a real revelation in mental tricks, remove the factory handguards and see how it feels. I ditched mine a few months ago, and never looked back... love the lighter & more nimble impression from the saddle.

Abso-dang-lutely!  I lost the windshield and the funky hand guards and LOVE it.  Added some air deflectors made out of flashing between the windshield mount and the headlight housing and (again just a seat-of-the-pants observation) it made a noticable difference in turbulence and noise. 
[em]***Snip for size***[/em]
 
Just cut out of some color-matched aluminum flashing I happened to have laying around and mounted with 3M double-sided foam tape.  This is the second season with them and they've (ahem...allegedly...) survived 3 digit blasts.

 
Wow!  I've been riding without windshield or hand guards for almost 2 years and love it.  I even put the hand guards back on this winter for a single day, when I realized they really don't do anything beneficial.
I love the way the flashing you attached ties that area together and it's also beneficial?  Now I'm going to have to go play with it.  Great idea!
 

Fitted a Michelin Road 5 front tire and some Shogun bar end sliders. I also neglected to reinstall those silly amber reflectors over the front forks.
 
The new front tire is amazing, and I'm sure a lot of it is coming from a worn out front. The amount of front end feel is awesome and the way it effortlessly tracks a turn now is eye opening. I was having to maintain a lot of bar pressure to track a curve with a stock front tire at 12k miles. It was definitely overdue.

Installed Yamaha heated grips which should help my fingers arrive at work with me and the Higdonian Urban Cage =)
 
 

 

I had the 8,000 mile service done. The nice thing is the small amount of handlebar shake I'd get when engine braking under 40 mph if I took my hands off the bars is gone. I complained about it at the 4k mile service and they said it was likely the front tire.
 
For the 8k mile service, they did check and re-torque the head/neck bearings and assembly. They also did a chain adjustment and alignment. It's running as smooth as ever! I'm still running on the same stock front tire.

I added some reflective tape to the wheels and had enough left over for the trim-lines on both sides.  I also mounted the new Cortech 2.0 tail bag (18L expandable to 24) and I find it perfect for my daily commute items to work.
 
 

I believe by turning the screw clockwise you are increasing rebound damping meaning there is more resistance for the suspension to return to a non-compressed state. 
More damping means suspension stays compressed longer.
 
Less damping (counter-clockwise) = "Rebound too fast"
 
 
 
...if that's any less confusing haha

Wow... this means I adjusted it a half turn in the wrong direction!  I didn't take the time to stop and think about what "too fast" meant.  Unfortunately, the owners manual is vague with the harden/soften terminology. 

Thanks for the answers, everyone.
 
Thank you Pattonme for the additional reading and the spring explanation, which makes perfect sense. I was thinking in terms of my old eibach springs from my car-guy days, which were not constant rate.
 
@norcal616 - Thanks! I'm a bit heavier and certainly more than the stock spring was set for at 230 all suited up. I'm running 36 front and rear. For most of the year I was running 36/42 and I'm hearing a lot of people run lower pressures. Dropping from 42 to 36 on the rear made a huge difference, but I've been hesitant to try less.
 
@Koth442 - I was able to set my front sag a while back with the zip tie method. I'll have to revisit the rear since I messed with it. Thank you.

I've been thinking about suspension setup recently and wanted to make a couple minor adjustments to my shock. I found this article about tire wear patterns and how they read.  My stock tire was an exact match for "Rebound too Fast" after 5500 miles on the edge tread grooves.  The center tread was gone, so it's not like I didn't get the full life of the tire.
On the FJ-09 rear shock we have preload and rebound adjustment only.  I could be wrong, but I want to think that increasing preload stiffens the spring and helps push the tire back out harder after suspension compression, so less rebound is needed.
I had my stock screw at the standard 1.5 turns out (right in the middle).  My preload was set to two clicks below maximum hardness.  Last night, I changed rebound to 2 turns from max to ease it up.  I also changed preload to 3 clicks from maximum hardness.  I didn't notice any appreciable difference in a commute ride, but I haven't pushed it in any way.
I suppose my questions is:  How does rebound and preload interact and do they affect each other? 

David, i find your maths impressive. i started to work it out but gave up, to complicated for me, i'm not that bright. 
micah, if David's maths is correct, that is indeed impressive, do tell us the full story. 

All interstate. Left a few hours before sunrise on Sunday morning and unbelievably no slowdowns for traffic or construction. SE TN to Sioux Falls SD. I got the saddlesore and the bun burner today. Went from Sioux Falls and now I'm in Billings. Im going to ride Lolo tomorrow and hopefully make it into Washington.

Holy crap that's awesome.  Congratulations on the achievements =) 

I rode 1100 miles in 15.5 hours.

Was this an IBA ride and did you get the certificate? 

Mounted a new rear tire, then torture tested it.  Also, removed the center stand.
Took a "wrong turn" on a gravel road that I thought was about 1 to 2 miles and looked well maintained. 1 hour and 15 minutes later I came out the other end and I was impressed with the FJ-09. It turned to gravel, mud and rocks. At times, the growth from either side of the 'road' was brushing my handlebars. 20-30mph on hard pack dirt and light gravel was easily controlled and predictable. I found a sign that showed it was a seasonal pass that closes for the winter, so it should really have been work for dual sport.
 
What really impressed me was the level of grip the Metzler Roadtech 01 that I mounted to the rear. It was more grip than that Michelin Anakee 80/20 dual sport tires I had mounted on my old KLR650. It could be because it's brand new and was mounted Saturday, so the tread grooves are still quite deep. It was more confidence inspiring on the road than the stock rear tire in all conditions. Turn in felt especially nice, but it might be due to the old tire being squared off. I still have the stock Dunlop on the front.
 
 

 
 
I installed the Givi Radiator guard and the Denali Soundbomb mini horn. I also ordered the Metzler Roadtech 01 rear tire but I haven't installed it yet. The stock tire still has a small amount of life left on it with 5,200 miles so far and Revzilla had a great discount on tires so I ordered in advance.

I had the same thing when I rode mine home for that first 70 miles. My right hand was going numb from it. It smoothed out over time and the dealer actually sync'd the throttle bodies on the 600 mile service which really smoothed things out. I'm not at about 1300 miles and it's quite a bit smoother. There are still some vibes, but it's what I would consider 'normal' and doesn't bother me.
Also, the shop I take my bike to will be changing the CCT since it wasn't done by the dealer who sold me the motorcycle.  The dealer told me to bring it in if it starts making noise, while the new shop (which is also a Yamaha dealer) told me they'd like to change it before I hear a noise or have an issue with it.  Great folks!

I worked as an auto mechanic for about 6 years and always noticed the metal 'fuzz' on the magnetic drain plugs. One of the above posters is correct in stating that it's all stuff that should drain out with the old oil anyhow.
 
 
In replacing transmission case covers and such, you'd be surprised how many vehicles have a big magnetic doughnut on the inside of the transmission pan. I've cleaned a good number of these and it's to keep the magnetic particulates from re-circulating in the transmission and reducing the lifespan of the friction parts.
 
 
Since our motorcycles share oil with the transmission and the oil circulates between many friction surfaces, I'll continue to use a good magnetic drain plug to remove the magnetic particulates from circulation between services.

Picked up the 2015 Red. It was the only color available, but luckily it was the color I wanted =)