nhchris

Hey @betoney,  nice work.

 But don’t  forget to index those spark plugs!  

58 minutes ago, koth442 said:

I hope with time and money they step away from their V-twin only philosophy. I look forward to their future!

This bit from the press release hints at a broader approach to the market than they previously took:

Buell Motorcycle upcoming models will include variants for dirt, dual-sport, touring, and cruisers while expanding the line up to include medium and small displacement motors.

Let's hope!

From the press release...

"Buell will be present at Daytona Bike Week 2021 at J&P Cycles Destination Daytona Mega Store. "

Anyone going to Daytona in March? 

That's the spirit!!  Well done my friend.

I'd say you met the seller more than half way!!

Did you roll the 500 in a single push?

Very helpful.  Thank you.

5 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

 FYI  You can access the spark plugs without removing any bodywork or the fuel tank and air Box

 By removing the screws on either side of the top of the radiator and then tipping forward the radiator AFTER putting a towel on the Fender and disconnecting the Coolant overflow hoses.  the spark plugs are then readily accessible

Really??  Do you have any pics of the bike showing the plugs with the radiator dropped?

Maybe I WILL change the plugs this winter!

Thanks

For this occasional mechanic...

Changing spark plugs on the FJ is another maintenance ordeal requiring disassembly of much of the upper part of the engine as one digs down to the level of the plugs and then wrestles the coil packs off to get a socket on the little devils.

A project not to be taken lightly or done on a whim!

14 hours ago, Lone Wolf said:

I still have a 750 Nighthawk with hydraulic valve adjustment.

This article mentions "The Nighthawk gave up some performance in favor of reduced maintenance."

Why do so many bikes use shim-under-bucket valve adjusters? - RevZilla

---

Why do modern motorcycles have shim-over-bucket valves...

Great article.  Thanks!!

Local Home Depot sells TRUFUEL.   I've used it in lawn equipment and it runs great. Have not tried it the FJ and not sure I would.

Anybody ever try running your bike on TRUFEUL???

Got any  TALL wind screens.  Looking for 26-inch sized barn doors.

It seems to me absurd that you need to remove an entire camshaft to simply adjust a valve that is marginally out of spec.  Who decided this?

After wrenching on cars and other engines all my life I really want hydraulic lifters that NEVER need adjustment.  Is that too much to ask in 2021?

We long ago sent men to the moon. Why can't we come up with a better and more practical valve mechanism than shim under bucket?  It is a positively medieval way to make a motorcycle valve train!

(Maybe air lifters like in F1?)

22 hours ago, betoney said:

Yes, they measure equal.  Funny thing, I go the extra step when making sure the wheel is square in the swingarm but am much more carefree with measuring chain slack.

Got it @betoney.

I must admit that I see chain and sprockets as consumables and, like oil, nice to replace on a regular basis... maybe every two years.  They are really cheap money compared to lots of other items and easy to work on.

I used to feel that way about spark plugs also,  before bought the FJ!

Here's a Covid-boredom question:

Is that front brake lever strength rated?  Looks stylish but a bit thin in the air gap.

I'd hate to have a lever snap under hard / emergency braking.

Maybe I'm a worrier! 

Looks from here like Scotland has gone bloody Arctic this week.

Great for the ice climbing hard men but bad for the motoboys!

This got me thinking @betoney...

Did you every caliper each axle block to insure they are exactly the same dimension?

Hey, a mm here a mm there. It adds up! 

Wow, you guys are exacting in your chain settings.  I get by using the motion pro tool with the sliding bar fully extended forward for maximum accuracy.  Sighting down the length of the bar is pretty telling if the wheel isn’t perfectly aligned.

My supposition is the chain running over the sprockets has several mm of side-to-side free play and will track out of absolute center much of the time.

It is obviously good to get it as centered as possible, but not sure digital caliper accuracy is necessary.  Then again, I don’t own a digital caliper!

On 2/5/2021 at 12:36 PM, Zookie said:

Hi guys, please read well!

I really love the Tracer and have the opportunity to buy an immaculate 2016 model (2200 miles) with upgrades (see pics for list) or for 2000 more I can have a 2018 model, same miles but no upgrades.

OR spend DOUBLE to get the new 2021 Tracer 9.

I do NOT tour. I just love the bike. 

I might do a road trip twice a year for 5 days.

Which is the right bike for me?

Thank you for your advice!

That looks like a great bike for your needs.

 I have a 2016 FJ and it does everything I want and was a great value for the money. I bought it with 3200 miles and love it.

I have a good throttle lock and use it on longer tours so I really don’t miss cruise control.  I’ve put 14k mikes on the bike and love it.  Going with a gently used well-maintained bike is a wise move in my opinion.

A Commonly seen item on $23k motorcycles!

Let us know how you like it.  I had a Chinese knock off on my FJ for a while but it did not kill the slop very well.  So I replaced w a Pyramid rear extenda which also did not kill the slop. Then I bought a hose at Home Depot and that really worked well! 

On 1/31/2021 at 11:16 PM, howie333 said:

Thanks for replies; I didn't brake before or after incident and rarely do in turns , but accelerated, probably too hard, not gradual enough. 

       Thanks again ! Howie...

Yup, that will do it when leaned over for sure.

Even in STD mode my FJ throttle hits hard with just a 1/4 turn of the wrist.  This makes brake-to- throttle transitions more difficult than on other bikes I've ridden.  But with practice you can adjust to it.  I have actually grown to like it because once you stand the bike up on corner exit you can really blast out of the corner.  Just don't dial up the power too soon.

As in all racing and riding, smooth is fast.

Here in New England US of A there is a new craze in road maintenance:   Extensive use of gooey tar to fill road cracks.

Rather than incur the cost of repaving, road crews are spreading tar into any and all cracks they can find.  The crap remains pliable at normal (not hot) temps and is a real PIA.

I can't tell you how many time I've been leaned over and my Mich Road 5 rear slips over one or more of these tar snakes and then regains traction.  I'm running out of tidy whities on longer rides!

Is this half-assed road maintenance technique used in your area?

I think it is a hazard for us motorcycle riders and should be viewed as such.

23 hours ago, howie333 said:

17 FJ-09;

.... Should I need to use B mode or change riding style if any water is suspect in my rides ? Thank God it wasn't my front tire !  

You obviously have good mechanical skills since you saved the bike and yourself from a high side.  Good work!

You don't mention if you were braking, accelerating or leaning hard.  All of which impact traction.  I don't think you were trail braking since that would effect front wheel behavior.  So let's assume you were rear braking with either the brake itself or more likely using engine braking.

My FJ exhibits A LOT of engine brake force when the throttle is quickly closed. I'm not sure if this is a triple thing or not, but my heavier ST V4 did nor engine brake nearly as much as the FJ.

So, if you trail-braked into the corner semi-hot, leaned over and chopped the throttle shut, it is possible that you exceeded the traction available to the the rear tire.

Here's a short article and pie chart that describes the forces at work during cornering.

Finally, there is always a risk in cornering posed by the road ahead that you can't see. I often remember this in corner when I am overdriving my sight lines. Then I think, "Gee, I hope there ain't a school bus or trucked stopped around this bend!"  So far, been lucky. 

My 16 FJ is quieter after an oil change and then progressively noisier approaching the next oil change on full synth Yamalube.

But you're correct, the bike was inexpensive (as opposed to cheap)!! 

Big benefit of my shaft drive ST was it was QUIET at speed.  FJ chain, sprocket and xmission noise not good!

I've bent my FJ key by leaving it in the seat release lock and then brushing against the side of the bike. Opps!

I just squirted some graphite into each lock and things are turning easier. But the Yami side bags are always hard to lock/unlock due to poor design. Just the right amount of force needs to be applied to the latches for the key to turn easily.  PITA.