nhchris

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?

5 minutes ago, betoney said:

A cheap option would be to only change the front to a 17T for $25 and see how you like it, then know that also changing the rear to a 43T would almost double that effect.  Best of luck.

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

1 hour ago, betoney said:

Boggy isn't a huge downside???  His gearing change is about the same as -5 teeth on the rear sprocket, that would make it feel like taking off in 3rd every time you take off from a start, - HUGE effect on the way the bike rides in day to day traffic. 

I didn't look at the Driven site, but Sprocket Center has the gearing you are looking for.

We'll see what he thinks of the reworked ratio in the next installment. Lensch is no lightweight when it comes to high performance riding, so his observations are to be taken seriously.

The FJ / Tracer is a of a Rorschach test. When you look at it you see what you want.

Some see a canyon carver, some a touring platform, some an everyday commute.

Me, I see a touring rig. In that role my FJ's high RPM at highway speeds and close ratio trans gearing are literally a buzzkill for me.

I assume the speedo accuracy is also affected throughout. No big deal for me.

I am tempted to try this mod as I find my FJ too revvy at speed. And as far as boggy, unless your main concern is launching at the drag strip that does not seem to be a huge downside.

 A new R1 I rode had a VERY tall first gear.

I did not see FJ Tracer parts on the  Driven website. You?

cb

Nice collection of bikes in the lot too.

Installed a BlasterX tail light ($139) to replace the stock unit on my 2016 09.

Also used a pair of CustomLED's Y-cables to activate tail light turn signals in unison with pumpkin signals. Nice option and no relay change required as long as pumpkins are in the circuit.

Then programed brake flash pattern to non-default setting.

Install was all plug-n-play and very easy. Programming a snap.

Would like to see a more robust sheath around wires where they exit Blaster tail light module.  Definitely not as rugged as OEM Yami sheath.  We'll see how the wire bundle survives the coming miles.

cb

Hey  @chesterburnet,

Which Blaster did you buy?  The 2014-2016 FZ 09 version?

I did not see a listing for an FJ 09.

cb

I came to the FJ from an ST 1300 and was used to a BIG screen that offered lots of protection. When I first rode the FJ at highway speeds (70 mph +) with the stock screen I was surprised how hard I had to hang on!  The wind blast was unacceptable for me.

I knew then I wanted a tall and protective screen to replace the stock fly screen .

The Parabellum was attractive cause no hand guard mods were required. Got 4k miles on it so far I'm a happy camper. Top of screen at eye level, air over top of my helmet, calm air at my chest.

Works for me!!

cb

I was just at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham AL USA and they prominently feature a Niken as the (potential) design landmark bike of the future.

The first bike you see after taking the elevator to the top level where the display starts is a Niken. The write up on it notes that over the years  there have been certain motorcycles designs that revolutionized the motorcycle industry (e.g. Honda 750 four) and they speculate the  Niken might be one.

They also describe it as a Tracer GT with dual-fork front end.

Great to finally see a Niken close up and personal!  Can't wait to ride one.

cb

I've read that abrasives thin the chrome plating a bit each time they are used on a header. Eventually removing it all together.

True or not?  I dunno!

cb

Hey @nigel5

That rear fender extender looks great.

Let me know when you are going to take orders for some !!

Best, cb

For touring I (6'1") run a Parabellm tall (26") screen.  Love it.

No way I could do 8 hour days with no screen.

And it fits without any mods to stock hand guards.

cb

Ant idea of why they failed due to over current?

cb

Hey Captain, good work. I think you have the hands of a brain surgeon!

Do you think that new (red) shock is as  robust than the old. It seems to have lighter mounting flanges and  the spring seems to be wound of thinner stock.  Is the center arm seems smaller in diameter?

What do you think having hefted them both?

CB

16 hours ago, Butcher said:

Have noticed that unless it's hotter than 75 degrees out there bike temp when running down the road it won't warm up past 160 unless it's just idling. Once i start moving again the temp comes back down to 160. Is this normal?

You're in the normal zone with those readings.

Stop and go driving at 80 deg ambient will have you close to 200 before you know it. And summertime stoplights will fire the fans at 221 on a regular basis.

FJ has big radiator and cools well when moving. Heats up quickly at a standstill.

cb

Today I rode to the  Atlantic to see if I could spy England in the distance. I could not.

But I successfully tested out my two new farkels:  Splash guard and mirror extenders.  Both a huge success.

And the Temp was a mild 35 F!

4 hours ago, BBB said:

No comments about liking or not from me. I am curious however whether this type of guard actually works. I’ve seen, but now can’t find, a video of a bike fitted with this type, viewed from the side in the rain. It looked like all the spray was directed even more strongly to the underside of the tail of the bike. I’m also curious how the replacement adjusters hold up, as I had to replace the OEM versions as they were too soft and deformed when torqueing up the axle nut. So, please follow up when you get a chance to see how it works 👍🏻

I too am curious about how it will perform in the real world. I hope it will not make the mess worse, but I guess that's possible.

This style guard seems to be standard equipment on most dual-sport biles, so I thought I'd give it a try.

It costs $69 USD with free shipping on Amazon. If it does not work I'll toss it on the shelf and not feel too bad.

The replacement adjuster seems more robust than stock, probably because it is part of the arm that the guard supports mount to. We'll see.

I'll post a review after the first wet ride.

cb

On 1/10/2019 at 11:38 PM, wordsmith said:

As many here have done, I added a pin-stripe of coloured tape along the shadow-line under the tank.   Visually it breaks-up the rather dark area there, and also seems to elongate the bike, unifying the red-painted tank and rear panels.  

The colour-match isn’t exact, but the tape - and indeed the bike's paintwork - is much less orange in colour than the pic below suggests: I’m happy with the effect.

A 9.8 metre roll of 6mm tape cost me $9.30 delivered, with heaps left over for other applications…

What a great look!  Where did you source the skinny colored tape? (I am north of the equator :!)

cb