nhchris

Wheels back on sporting new Road 5s. I had my local KTM shop mount and bal the tires ($55 each) and the rims look perfect. All went well and ABS light went out after a short roll. Thanks for the advice and suggestions. BTW: I bought the Road 5s on Amazon even cheaper than Cycle Gear had them. $200 for the rear and $145 for the front w free Prime shipping.

@betoney At a given speed, what RPM change is caused by a 1 tooth change on the primary? For example, my 09 turns about 5200 RPM (indicated) at 70 MPH. If go 1-tooth larger primary sprocket what will the resulting RPM be at 70 mph? (Is a spedo error introduced in the process also?) nhc

I stand the bike up once the pump triggers off and sloooowly fill to slightly above the baffle. Helps insure I get 200 miles on the tank. cb

And I wanna start the car with the foot switch. Now that's OLD!

You can always work the race to get an insider's view of it. There is a story about doing that in my blog, if you have not seen it. Two weeks of amazing experiences plus a great party at the Marshal's dinner!

As a former technical writer of (computer) manuals that no one ever read, I say RTFM !

The chain of causality is at work here... If the batt was installed correctly from the git-go, he would not have had needed to futz with it and induce the short. I mean, we are talking about a Yamaha DEALER after all. Shortly after buying my bike from its orig owner rolled into my local Yami dealer for an oil filter. Some salesman came out to look at my 2016 09. They had never seen one in the flesh before! I was astounded and then became uneasy with getting service done there. It's not good to be "the first!"

Jesus, what kind of dealer installs the battery backwards? God forbid they work on the actual engine. cb

I tried my Garmin on the bike but could not read it in normal daylight. I spent way too much time looking at it rather than the road ahead. Was a real distraction. To me the ideal rig would be iPhone Nav with blue tooth audio to a head set. No visual access required at all. In the car the latest iPhone Nav is better than my Garmin. cb

I ran out of gas the first week I had my FJ. I ignored the flashing fuel gage just a bit too long. My new attitude is as soon as it begins to flash, find a gas station fast!! To maximize range I stand the bike up straight when refueling and fill to above the baffle in the filler neck. On a good day I might see 200 miles before doing it all again. On an extended tour in unfamiliar areas this is one touring bike that I can see carrying a liter bottle of extra fuel. cb

Unfortunate there is no centerline painted on that street. Looks like a residential loop with a narrower than normal width. He is well over on your side for sure. Was he trying to avoid a kitten or something? I have some sympathy for UPS guys who's bosses work them like Mexican mules until 8 PM in many cases. Bad job! You got the plate number. cb

Any of you Brits or Euro riders plan on heading to the IOM TT next month? Wish I was there!! cb

Thanks all, this is very helpful. (I'm also gonna take a few pics before i turn wrenches so I can put everything back where it belongs!) And with tire mounting prices nearing $!00 per wheel for a ride in, absolutely necessary! cb

Hey you wrenches, I am pulling the wheels off my FJ to get some new Road 5s mounted. Do you folks know of any gotchas or best practices for doing this? Will parts fly in all directions once axels are removed? OMG and what about the ABS? Any magic getting it working again when wheels are replaced? All advice appreciated and no offense taken for snarky responses;) Also, what's the deal with the pinch bolt on the front fork? cb

That sealing washer looks a bit trick. Where do you get another one at next oil replacement? Ebay? cb

I think what the Niken needs is an AMA racing class of its own. Once folks see that rig all leaned over and sliding the myth of the "bike for the disabled" will be blown. However, if this board is a microcosm of the overall motorcycling public, Yamaha gets a major FAIL in setting expectations and providing perspective for the Niken. Why should we have to figure it out? Like many of Honda's motorcycle initiatives over the years, it leaves one shaking their head in confusion. Good recent Niken article by Kevin Cameron here. Watch a Niken knee-dragger shred in the alps (jump to the 3 minute point unless you speak Italian) cb

Question -- I thought that the Angel "GT" was designed for heavy touring bikes, like my old ST 1300. I ran em and loved em on that bike. But... Does the 465 pound FJ "require" the GT version of this tire? cb

As we say here in the colonies... LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES... (though probably not yours;)

What's the easiest and safest way to cut off the fin?

I actually thought of gluing shoulder or elbow armor bit round the leading edge of the pan. The things we will do to compensate for Yami's phuckup! OMG

Nice work @foxtrot722 and good write up (I hope I never need it;) From the photo it looks like the new pan is about 1/2 inch less deep than the muffler. That should really help. I've got dents in my muffler that could have easily been the pan if I was going slower. I can't imagine riding this bike two up on a bumpy road!

Did not mean to offend our cracked pan guy. Sorry if I did. His scenario is a strange one but totally possible. Here's why... In an earlier post I cited clearance numbers for various bikes. Then I wondered how those numbers were measured. So into the basement I go with my measuring tape. My FJ has the advertised 5 inches of clearance at its lowest point (oil pan)... but that's sans rider!! When my lovely wife sat on the bike and took up the sag 20% of that clearance (1 inch) instantly vanished, and she weighs less than I do. I then asked her to work the suspension by bouncing up and down on the seat. Bang, there goes another inch plus of clearance from suspension travel! Now we are down to a measly 3 inches between oil pan and whatever. And this is why a simple parking lot speed bump can take out an FJ. With weight of rider, forks compress, oil pan leaks. I think the problem is not one of clearance, but rather component placement. By locating the oil pan out there in the wind, low and with absolutely no protection, Yamaha created a problem. I think all bikes should be able to occasionally hit bottom without damaging the engine. What do you folks think?

Great idea @betoney. Will 1 tooth on the primary require a chain length adjustment? cb

All this oil pan talk got me curious.... How bad is our ground clearance problem? Here are some clearance numbers I pulled off the Internet for various bikes: Goldwing 1800 4.9 inches Harley Road King 5.1 Tracer 900 5.3 ST 1300 5.3 FJ 09 5.5 Versys 1000 6.1 Vstrom 1000 6.5 BMW GS 750 7.5 I guess the real issue is what hits first. In that regard we seem to have em all beat when it comes to dangling dainty bits.

Yup, that is not a stock 2015 or early 16 pan. It has side drain. Why would he think he could drop off a 4-inch granite ledge on this bike? Major brain fart if you ask me. Good field fix however! cb