nhchris

Let sleeping Tracers lie!

If you could afford to modify ONLY the front OR the rear suspension, which would you do? (200 lb rider)

I found the Dragon provides a very small margin of error. The road is narrow to begin with. Slightly too far right and you are quickly in the weeds. No breakdown lane, shoulder or fog line in most stretches. Slightly too far left and double yellow line is instantly under your front wheel. (And there is lots of head on traffic most of the time.) It's no race track, more like the Isle of Man! Stay sane and you'll do fine.

For off-road run add a front Fenda Extenda and a radiator guard to the list of required equipment on that FJ.

Keep in mind that the Dragon often has LEOs running radar to control the madness, especially on weekends. Big fines result from being well over the (sensible) 20-25 mph speed limit. On my first few passes I got “corner fatigue” from the constant and unrelenting need to set up cornering entry and exit points. After a few miles it was quite difficult for me to maintain the concentration required to go fast and stay in my lane. I was on my St 1300. We stayed in the “Resort” at the east end of the Dragon and that was a fun scene with inexpensive accommodations and a bike wash. Another really nice place close by is Fontana Lodge where you are eligible for the “Dragon Slayer” discount! :)

I saw a Dave Moss video in which he recommends 10 weight in general and 15W in a fork leg that controls damping. I searched the topic here and did not come up with any info. Have any of you folks experimented with different weight fork oil in stock FJ legs? If so, what worked for you? (I am 200 lbs w kit and ride sportingly:)

Thanks. I ended up taking bike to Moms in Manchester NH. I’ll post here how things turn out. estimate is $1k minus 20% ($800) for valve adj, TB sync, new NGK plugs and OEM air filter. I asked tech to provide a before and after valve measurement table.

Thanks, Couple of questions: 1 Do you break the chain during arm removal? 2 Do you strip off rear brake assembly pieces? 3 Do bearings tend to spill out when bolt is pulled ? 4 Any recommendations on grease to use? Tnx

Hi all, My FJ rolled past 20k and I wonder if the swing arm needs a regrease. I searched the site and did not see any info on swing arm maintenance. Is it difficult to repack the bearings? Your wisdom and help appreciated.

Anyone know of a reliable independent or dealer service shop to do a valve adjust on my FJ 09? I am in Portsmouth NH and local options do not inspire confidence. Thanks, cb

All good. I think the thermostat location makes it very sensitive to temp changes. My FJ heats up quickly at a stop light to over 200 and once the fans come on drops quickly also. And 100 f over ambient seems about normal when running 45mph or more. The FJ has a BIG radiator for its displacement and all three cylinders out in the wind.

Do you use a track bike or your everyday ride? On track I’d be tempted to push my envelope and sooner or later crash my one n only motorcycle.

Most accidents I read about are caused by rider error, not the failure (or absence) of some onboard safety system. Excess speed, lack of situational awareness and aggressive riding seem to play some role in most crashes. If you get to the point of activating ABS, I'd suggest you missed some important visual input and got too close to the hazard. Crap on the road, that left turner, the puller-outer from the right, the quick stopper all should have set off mental alarm bells before a handful of front brake was required. I believe your awareness will save you more often than your machine's rider aids. Thus I am 100% responsible for my own safety.

My mileage always drops when the weather turns cold, especially with E10 fuel.

Looked at a 2022 9 GT and liked what I saw. Then we talked price… …and I was shocked ! MSRP plus $1600. No November deals, minimal for my FJ 09 trade and take it or leave it attitude. Hummm. I also found it really hard to get the GT up on the center stand!

Anyone know at what the temp the FJ 09 thermostat opens? Riding yesterday in 42 deg F temps my bike never indicated more than 158 deg while moving. That ride was some “cool running!”

Hi guys n thanks for suggestions. I pulled calipers and gave them a nice bath in CRC Brake cleaner. Used Q tips n tooth brush to work over pistons surfaces I could get to. Reassembled and pumped brakes and no drag. Wheel spins about 3/4 to 1 revolution with easy push. I have 20k on those calipers w a pad change @ 12k but no cleaning until now.

While you’re at it demo an Indian FTR. Very FJ-like and a hoot of a bike with 120 hp and mucho torque. Big ass V twin power profile, great brakes and comfortable riding position. Worth a look.

The odd thing is a new oil pan costs less than a quality skid plate. Go figure!

Hey gang, I pulled the front wheel to get a new tire mounted and reinstalled everything. On my test ride I smelled brakes and the rotors were quite hot to the touch. ABS light went off once I was rolling. On center stand front wheel spins with a slight bit of drag but really not that much. What did I miss?

I believe it is called “indexing” the plugs and yields very marginal HP gain. the plugs above look well used but clean burning. @texscottyd how hard were they to break loose?

The exhaust is probably worth $2k! Flat trackers are kool.

On my FJ... I made an educated guess and decided a front fenda extenda provided adequate protection from a rock into the radiator. For the oil pan I swapped to a Mazda headless drain bolt and shaved off the raised part of the oil pan, gaining about 1/2 inch of additional ground clearance. So far no gushers....

Well the bike likes to rev wicked high but maybe the rider doesn't. It just ain't a relaxing way to tour. I replaced the stock 16-tooth front sprocket with a 17. Same chain length. That helped a bit. 75mph = 5,000 rpm

You don’t mention what has been done to the bike. Is it bone stock or is it modified with a flash, lower gearing , custom exhaust, cut up intake path, etc? All of which will effect mileage. A stock FJ should. Get 50 mpg no problem. Forget the gas gauge. Use the trip odo.