johnmark101

My 2019 does not have any annoying vibration from the engine and runs quite smoothly. Maybe even a little more so after getting the ECU reflashed. When cruising at speeds between 55 and 90 mph it almost disappears beneath me. The only time I feel any vibrations is if I open throttle wide at low rpm, (when I probably should have gone down a gear anyway) and even them it is more of a mild chugging feeling that disappears as soon as the engine rpms rise a bit. Like many here I am really pleased with the CP3 motor.

On a good twisty road, being in the right gear makes a lot of difference. Like you described, I prefer to be in a gear that lets me roll on and off the throttle while rarely, if ever, having to use the brakes, and still carry a good bit of corner speed. This is what is described in Nick Ienatsch's article "The Pace".

Interesting seeing the kangaroos in the wild. Are they a threat to motorcyclists? Around here we have deer that run across the road. They are easily startled and not too smart. I have friends who have hit them on bikes and I have had one or two close calls over the years.

First of all you will be missed if you leave the forum. I have enjoyed reading your posts sir. The rest of us can only hope that we can continue to ride up to the age of 82. The fact that you were able to do so was a blessing as most of us will probably reach the point you have some years earlier in life. I personally know of only one other rider who continued riding up to the age of 81 before he could no longer do so. Best of luck to you in managing the health issues you mentioned. Keep moving, keep challenging your mind as much as you can. I have often though that when the day comes that I give up motorcycles I might turn to karting. It looks like a lot of fun. Best of luck to you in finding something to fill the void. Best regards.........John.

I have a 19 GT also. I can not say enough good things about my Terry Adcox seat. He has you take photos of you sitting on the bike so he can build the seat to fit you. He also will discuss with you what concerns you have with the stock seat to help him understand what you are looking for in the way of comfort. Turn around for me was six days and worth the wait!! When riding I completely forget about the seat and just enjoy the ride. On one particular trip I had to make time getting home so on the last day I had to use the interstate toward the end. I did 150 miles non stop sitting in one spot on the seat. No squirming or "hot spots" to speak of. The forward slope is gone as well.

They way you put it, the MT-09 SP sounds like the better value proposition if you don't do a lot of touring. If you only tour a few times a year and have your own luggage that you can mount to the SP for the occasional trip, I say go for it.

Jealous of you San Diego people. My uncle had a nice place in Del Mar many years ago. Upon my first visit there I did not want to leave. Would love to live in the land of endless summer as I despise winter.

Looking at their website, they have more than one type of De-Oxit spray. Can you share which one you used or post a photo of the can please. Thanks in advance.

Good suspension is the best upgrade you can do for this bike, or most any bike for that matter. Yes it can be expensive but it makes such a big difference!! Quality suspension done right provides much better bump absorption and more confidence in handling. You don't have to spend for top shelf components to get noticeable improvements. I have a Kawasaki Ninja 1000 for which I had Traxxion Dynamics rebuild the stock shock and forks with new springs and valving set up for my weight and riding style. It was a little more than half what it would cost for a Penske shock and AK-20's. Very good bang for the buck!! For the Tracer I went with the Penske 8983 and AK-20's which was almost twice the price of a rebuild of stock components. While it is definitely better than just doing springs and valves, the basic rebuild was, in my opinion, better bang for the buck. So, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get better suspension. There upside to spending more for the good stuff verses a rebuild is that you can remove it and reinstall your stock bits when selling the bike. The AK-20's, in many cases can be used again on your next bike, as they are somewhat universal cartridges!! Then you can sell your rear shock and use the money for a new one for your next bike!!

Yes, I probably would like them. In fact, since wearing out the OEM tires I have not yet tried what I would consider a sport oriented tire. I ran a set of Roadsmart 3, which I liked pretty well but never felt good about pushing them hard in the corners. They performed their intended purpose very well and were good in all sorts of conditions, while still allowing me a bit of fun in the twisties without going bald inside of 3000 miles. After the Roadsmart 3 I started running Metzeler M7RR because I was getting them for a very good price and they had decent reviews on line. They are a bit slow to warm up but grip better than the Roadsmart 3 and are still decent in the wet. Still not a proper sport tire but seems to fall between sport and sport touring......a nice compromise. Now I am ready for something with more feel and grip, and will try a proper sport oriented tire next. Should be fun!!!

First of all welcome to the forum!! Sounds like you have an epic trip planned. So much to see out west. I hope you have and epic journey, good weather and a safe return home. Jackson Hole in Wyoming and Glacier Park in Montana are two of my favorite National Parks. If you make it out to California, Yosemite is absolutely stunning but the traffic can be bad if you do not get there very early in the day.

I wired a Powerlet directly to the battery and it is mounted to the front attachment point for the passenger foot peg. It is fused 15 amps. I have an SAE plug for it so I can connect my portable air compressor. I also have a dual USB plug for charging my phone.

I had my brand new Tracer GT for about two months before I pulled the ECU and sent it off to Ivan. No problems and no worries. Much better fueling and smoother throttle response. My bike starts up in whatever mode it was in when I shut it off.

Never had any desire to do a burnout or a wheelie. To each their own. Just be careful.......if the back tire should suddenly hook up it will be expensive, embarrassing, and possibly painful.

The OEM tires seem to be an issue for some. I am a former track day junkie and ride a pretty aggressive pace at times. I have never been impressed with any OEM tire and have owned about eight new bikes. The Dunlop D222 were actually decent for OEM and I pushed them to some pretty deep lean angles at speed and they worked plenty good enough for the street. Once the rear was down to the wear bars I got rid of them. Any tire you replace them with from any of the major brands will be a lot better, but I did not think they were bad enough to throw away before using them up. Seems a waste of money to do so.

I have seen some riders really rail the twisties on tires that you would think are not suitable for doing so. If this thing provides decent grip it might just be worth looking into for those who ride in all types of weather.

Interesting........I never heard of this issue and have owned Kawasaki motorcycles. Currently have a Ninja 1000 with 34,000 miles. Damn thing has been bulletproof and not a drip of any fluids.

Congrats on getting the new bike. I love sport bikes and like you owned a few and used to do track days. The new liter bikes are amazing machines. The power they make is ridiculous!!! There is a big part of me at 59 years old that still wants one. For me, those days are over because I have no self control on those things. I know you are going to have too much fun with that bike. It's really nice looking as well.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on getting the FJ. It really is a great all around road bike.

Same here. Sent my ECU to Ivan and no check engine light. I think a lot of places just use Woolich or some other available software. Ivan develops his own software from what I understand.

Some really great roads in north central Kentucky.

What year is your bike? FJ-09 or Tracer GT?

Yes. If you come off Wolf Pen Gap you turn south. But it is best coming from Turners Corner up the south side where it becomes two lanes going up. Cars are no problem and become rolling chicanes. 😁

Looks like a great trip. The Barber museum is a must see for all motorcycle enthusiasts!!! Next time you are in north Georgia, be sure to ride the south side of Blood Mountain from the bottom up.

Definitely the shock length causing this. Had the exact same issue when I did a shock swap on my VFR years ago. When I wanted to do service that required being on the center stand with the rear wheel off the ground I placed a piece of wood ( 1x6 I think it was ) under the bike and put it on the stand. Problem solved.