duhg

The Alpine region of Europe would be great. I would like to ride the roads of the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana, and the Giro d'Italia. The countryside looks beautiful and varied, at least on TV

I bought the bike used with GIVI side cases and a rear rack. For day rides I like the top case. When traveling I load the side cases and keep the top case empty and ready for whatever. On a previous bike I experienced the instability of a short wheelbase bike with big luggage in a bad wind. Maybe that's why Yamaha cautions against 3 bags?

Aux fuel tank.

I have since purchased a 2-bike Kendon. I don't have the garage sorted just yet, but It will stand in front of the car this winter. It takes up the same amount of floor space as one motorcycle. I've used it twice. Love it.

Welcome, Mehmet! I look forward to learning of your riding adventures and hope you can post some photos of the great scenery where you ride.

EFFING HOOF RATS!!! 😉 I found a fender on Ebay last year.

According to Wikipedia: "The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered wooden bridges typically have a lifespan of only 20 years because of the effects of rain and sun, but a covered bridge could last over 100 years." Now it is a nostalgic fashion choice. I enjoy riding over actual old covered bridges just as a novel experience like riding through a tunnel. There are just enough of them left that they can make a destination/excuse to ride when all else fails or a good place to stop for a break.

Retro is In. From today's ride.

Bite half your tongue! 😉

Welcome, Oddjob! The MC Cruise is a great addition to the FJ. I love having it on mine. Their customer service is helpful if you hit a snag, but I found their instructions and illustrations to be so good that the install was easy. Slow and meticulous, but easy. This forum is a great resource, too.

Weather permitting, we'll ride! Destination - the Fern Picnic Area of Clear Creek Metro Park near Rockbridge, OH in the Hocking Hills region. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5884301,-82.5948879,62m/data=!3m1!1e3 Central Ohio riders can meet at 9 am at the Duke and Duchess Station at I-70 and OH 310/Etna exit south of the freeway. We will take a scenic route.

Ran across this pic from STAR in Bristol, VA last year. That's a great region for twisty pavement. Good times!

I know a place. I just have to get over there. 😉

Welcome Danielblue. There are several of us in Ohio and a couple even meet for a ride now and then. Your Tracer will be a fine sport touring ride. I came off a BMW GS and it only took a short time of riding the FJ exclusively for the GS to feel huge and tractor-like. For the first time in 30 years I may replace my bike with the same model when that time comes.

I guess I forgot that the plastic only covers the front of the FJ tank.

I currently own 3 motorcycles and none of them would accommodate magnetic tank pads or bags. They all have plastic tanks or tank covers.

Stew, I was just guessing.

WTF You Talkin' 'Bout?

I've run out of fuel twice with the FJ-09 at approx. 190 miles. At 150 I start looking for fuel.

The balance between two bikes - the one I want to ride TO the mountains and the one I want to ride IN the mountains - has always been the object of my search. Nothing is perfect, but this bike does pretty well at both. In the off season I'll address seat and bars to improve comfort.

Brought it home from it's first valve adjustment. The exhaust valves were tight, they tell me.

There are businesses that do wheel straightening. I had one straightened and welded several years ago. Worked great after that. It was much cheaper than a new wheel, but it took a few weeks with shipping and lead time, etc...

Nice! A very handy thing to have. We are down-sizing soon and I'll have nowhere to park my aluminum utility trailer. I've used it to haul my bike to Colorado with a Honda CR-V. I want to replace it with a folding stand-up trailer like a Kendon, which will fit in the garage.

On a recent ride near Caldwell, Ohio I discovered a small park by accident. The historical marker tells an interesting tale.

The weather forecast for NEOH wasn't the best and reality turned out to be worse. High on a ridge northeast of Coshocton my intrepid group of 4 saw rain in the valley that stretched to the horizon. We turned around and wandered under a blue sky with fluffy clouds in east-central and southeast Ohio. We got in roughly 400 winding miles, depending on where each rider began the day. At lunch time we found a picnic shelter alongside the Muskingum River. It was a great day.