runnerhiker

I have had a similar experience with the seat on my BMW S1000 XR. It slopes forward, it's not comfortable, it's always on my mind while I am riding. I purchased three aftermarket seats, all were better than OEM, none were "ride and not think about the seat". So I took one of the seat to a seat customizer in the Denver area and he shaped it to my liking. I recommend you try something like that, there's gotta be somebody in the Houston area that does this.

I went with the Yamaha Comfort seat. I found it to be an improvement over the OEM seat but not a final solution since it still leaned forward towards the tank.

The black and the grey colored connectors are spare. The white one is connected to the 12V plug just left of the TFT display.

I used the info and pictures on this thread to find a harness connector for my GPS, this forum is great. I have one more piece of information I can add so here it goes. I moved the rubber boot back to have better access to the DC connectors and found my GT has three connectors. In the picture below, the white connector is used for the OEM installed cigarette lighter connector to the left of the TFT, it has a 2 amp fuse. The black connector is identical to the white one (the same type of connector, also has a 2 amp fuse). The gray connector is covered with a dummy end, I don't know what amp fuse it has, and the physical appearance of the connector is different from the other two. All three connectors are wired to the ignition, they are off when the bike is off, they are on when the bike is on. I ordered a second cigarette lighter connector part number 2SC-8254B-00-00 and will use it to connect the GPS leads. I haven't decided whether to clip the wires and just attach the connector to the GPS wires, or use crimp connectors to this new cigarette lighter. Either way, I am leaving the OEM connector undisturbed.

I never understood this comment, isn't the pump always taking suction from the same point as close to the bottom of the tank as possible? I would have thought that if there was water and sediment in the tank, it would get sucked up like right now, not when the tank is near empty.

"Nobody goes to Coney Island anymore, it's too crowded". Yogi

I have three bikes with QS and they all seem to have the same quirkinesses. They work best in the higher gears than in the lower gears. They work best when accelerating hard. And they work smoother the smaller the cylinder bore on the particular bike. I have a BMW R1200, a KTM 1290 Super Duke, and the GT. The BMW and the KTM have big cylinders with a lot of bang per stroke and that shows in the QS. I have test ridden several 1000cc four cylinder bikes and the QS shifter are a lot smoother. The GT is somewhere in between those two, and in general, not bad, I like it and I use it a lot.

Larz, thanks, I ordered one.

Larz. I like the windshield on your GT, which one is that?

Too much blue (purple) for my taste. I would have preferred painting the wheels silver. But you now have a unique bike and it looks like you did a fine job.

Good report, very similar to my findings, except: I love the quick shift and use it a lot, and heated grips sure come in handy in Colorado. The only negative I would add is that the I think the thumb wheel should be in the left hand cluster, I use it everytime I ride. The traction control, which is on the left and I never use, would be better on the right.

The purple wheels was what I liked least when I first got my bike, but they have grown on me also.

Do not walk, RUN to the nearest Yamaha dealer and sit on the Tracer GT, the seat is high at over 32". If you are still ok with that, then continue with the discussion here. I think the Versys 1000 will be more similar to your Gold Wing than the Tracer GT. For the additional $5k you get a few more things: electronic suspension, higher load capacity (are you going to be solo?), a few more electronics like up and down quick shifter. The Tracer is a great bike, but it is not buttery smooth like a gold wing. The seating position is great for touring, upright and plenty of leg room (probably more leg room than the gold wing). I also have a BMW R1200RS and it is a fantastic sport/touring bike, 540 lbs, shaft drive, and all the electronics. But the ergonomics are a little sporty, although there are bar risers available. The BMW RT would be the closest to your gold wing and probably 200 lbs lighter. If you plan to travel on the Tracer in a similar fashion as you did on the Wing, you must take one for a test ride to see if the comfort and ergonomics are what you want. My guess is that there are many people that can ride the Tracer for 800 miles in one day. But they are not going to do it with the comfort of a Gold Wing. So where and how much are you willing to compromise?

Some bikes just don't fit some people, but what you mention seems extreme to me. Do you have arthritis? or other medical problems? I had surgery on my left wrist and (I have three bikes) different bikes give me different "problems" on my wrist, but nothing like what you mentioned.

I also vote for Dunlop Roadsmart 3 with similar experience to Kingfisher. I've had two sets of Michelin PR's with excellent results but they are more expensive than the Dunlops.