nhchris

What? The skid plate was damaged in shipping??? Not a good sign for its usefulness under the oil pan! WTF?

Agreed the sixth gear whine (and third) are annoying. But don't look to an undamped front sprocket to help. I am running an undamped 17 and it makes its own additional noise without any effect on the whine in sixth. This ain't no Honda we're dealing with here!!

I prefer B for twisty riding. When trail braking into corners while also downshifting precise throttle management is impossible for me in A. And if there’s no HP difference between A and B, what’s the advantage of A? Smooth is always faster in my experience .

Forget about lighting to improve daytime visibility. It is a marginal fix at best. wearing hi-viz clothing is much more effective way to be seen. BILT Techno Hi-Viz Jacket | 22% ($40.00) Off! Tackle hot weather riding in a mesh jacket that provides both... You literally pop out of the background a long way off. Sadly it is not cool image wise.

I demo'd a Pan America today at Laconia bike week and really enjoyed it. Very poised on the asphalt and well composed on gravel and dirt. Lots of power and cool suspension action. It's a great ride! The demo was fun because there was no leader to slow things down. Just a marked 5 mile road route. Very different from Americade.

Hey @Heli ATP, Thanks for the offer. The OEM part # is: 2PP-26143-00-P1 and the thing is called, "Cover Handle Upper 1" It looks like this: Let me know if you have one and we'll work something out.

No worries. Ya Gotta look at motorcycles as you do any other consumable. Use it. It gets a bit beat. Then you get another one. I had my first damage to the FJ last week when I put the side stand "almost" all the way down and it collapsed as I got off the bike. Engine cover dings, side bag scuffs and chewed up hand guard outer cover. Wouldn't you know I had an R&G case cover on the other side of the engine!! Ordered the OEM hand guard cover from Partzilla but they can't ship it until August. Must be in a container on that ship in the Suez Canal.

Wonderful three day wander for you both. And I give you lots of credit for staying AGAT despite the heat. Not an easy think to do. Next????

I guess I did. I ran 42 rear. Way too stiff!

Nope. Was headed ti Danbury so took 84 through Hartford (also SCARY!). I grew up in Fairfield and rode the parkway a lot as a kid. Back then it was a really nice ride.

I just let some air outta my Road 5s. I just returned from a 550 mile ride to a visit friend in CT. After watching the Dave Moss tire pressure video I thought I'd experiment a bit. I had full luggage and so pumped up to 42/40. I felt every bump, expansion joint, tar snake and pebble on the highway. When I checked the "hot" pressure and it was 48 (on a 90 degree day.) Back to 38/36 for me, even with a load.

Not for me. I'm a bird watcher!!

Yup, the riding is the important thing. At the mileage I ride a year (5-6K miles) an oil change is an annual event. So I live it up with expensive full synth Yamalube n filter and a new crush washer every time. I read about folks buying less expensive oil and third-party filters, but I spring for the OEM stuff. So far I've never had a seep, weep, leak, drip or drop under the bike. May it always be so!! @NormR-- My drain is on the bottom-front of the oil pan. When FJ is up on center stand all the juice flows in that direction. No leaning required.

To me my FJ is an unrefined ride. By that I mean it is not tuned or designed for the Sedate road experience that a large touring bike provides. Noise, vibration and discomfort are the costs incurred by the bid to lighten and compact the machine. I accept the trade off and wear earplugs over 50 mph and padded leather riding pants under 80 degrees ambient!

I drain the quart till the flow stops and it begins the drip drip drip. At $15 a quart I figure it's good to the (almost) last drop!

Way too high. I bought my 2016 FJ w only 3,300 miles on it three years ago for $7,300. I suppose in the era of Covid, like houses, it's worth what some fool will pay for it. But with the mileage and price quoted it's a poor value IMHO. Look for an owner sale if possible.

What about riding position? Is the XR comfortable enough for super looooong hauls? Wind screen big enough? Bars at comfy height? Leg room adequate! Seat plush? Did you re-gear it for sustained speed at lower RPMs? Rock ON!!!

Did an oil change on the FJ and for the first time I let the oil drain overnight instead of for 15 minutes. Filled to the top of the sight glass, ran motor for a few minutes and oil light came on. Added more oil to top of sight glass until I completely drained the third quart container dry. First time she took that much. Thirsty girl with that overnight drain!

I find it interesting that he just assumes the same pressure is run front and rear.

I was riding my ST 1300 from NH to the Dragon in TN and stopped in a rest area somewhere in PA. I pulled into a parking spot and a little kid in a car was all google eyed lookin at my big silver bird. His dad said to me he loves motorcycles so I gave him a tour of the bike. When I was ready to hit the road again he was still hanging around the ST so I asked hi if he like to help me start it. I turned on the key and showed him how to press the start switch, which he did . The V4 came alive and he jumped five feet backwards. Then a huge smile covered his face. I bet he’ll be one of us someday.

Airhawk Question: I tried an Airhawk but could not tune it to feel good. How do you inflate it so it provides comfort but does feel like a bouncy seat?? I never found the sweet spot!!

I think that sprocket looks OK, with normal wear for the (low) mileage. No need to replace at this time IMHO. I replaced my front at 12k miles but only because I switched to a 17-tooth front sprocket for highway use. Had I not made that change, I would have just replaced the chain. In the world of unlimited motorcycle love and excess spending, replacing both sprockets and chain each time is ideal, even if not really necessary.

You cover the brake at intersections and are alert for left turning vehicles....... ... when driving your CAR!

IMHO a new chain and sprockets is a very cheap fix to a MAJOR system of this motorcycle. As Nike says, "Just do it!!" I spent a few extra $ on the Gold DIS chain and it makes me smile when I see it

WAIT!!! Hold that ADD and put that drill down!!! The Case closing mechanism is very crudely designed on the FJ. They NEVER close easily or flush with the cases. Check the sliding vertical arm behind the case that locks it to the mount. It probably needs cleaning as it collects crud from read wheel. Then check the rotating the lock tab to be sure it is not bent.