johnmark101

Stock chain has a history of premature o-ring failure. Get a D.I.D ZVM-X 525. Might consider getting new sprockets as well.

I have not run the Road 5 yet and may try those next. I had good results with the Dunlop Roadsmart sport touring tires. Excellent dry grip and good handling characteristics. Very good in the wet as well. Of all the sport touring tires I have tried so far, they offered the most sporting feel. They did not last quite as long as I had hoped. For a tire that provides amazing levels of grip and feedback the Pirelli Rosso Corsa 2 is unmatched for a street tire. Superb performance but the rear was gone in 2000 miles.

Everyone should have a set of these in their tool box! I found a cheap set on Ebay years ago and they work very well.

Glad to see some folks out riding. Here in the northern hemisphere, we are waiting on decent riding weather to arrive.

Sport tires offer incredible levels of grip and improved handling over sport touring tires. However to access the level of performance they offer on the street means taking some serious risks. To tell the truth, modern sport touring tires offer all the performance you need for corner carving on public roads. I have 20 years of street riding plus a few years of track experience. If you really want to see how you like a good sport tire, the Pirelli Rosso Corsa 2 is as good as it gets. More than just loads of grip, they also provide a better level of feel and feedback. The front tire inspires a ton of confidence on corner entry and the rear allows you to get back on the throttle earlier and get great drive off the corner. My second choice would be the Dunlop Q3 Plus which is less expensive and probably the best bang for the buck in a sport tire. If ridden hard, neither will last beyond 2000 miles. You might get more from the front but the rear will be toast. Personally, I would stick with a sport touring tire for the mileage, and versatility. Any of the major brands will work just fine.

According to the service manual, 33 foot pounds.

This bike seems very sensitive to the oil level. If it is around the middle between the minimum and maximum marks it is not unusual for the oil light to come on under hard acceleration. The owners manual calls for 2.8 quarts of oil when the filter is changed. When I change the oil and put in this amount it is never up to the maximum mark, so I just pour in three quarts and call it good. No problems in 20,000 miles.

What type of gloves do you wear? That seems like very premature wear on the throttle grip. Mine has over 19,000 miles with no appreciable wear. My Kawasaki has 37,000 miles on the original grips with no issues.

If the catalytic converter will still be in place I don't see why you would need to flash the ECU.

Bravo! Well done. I know this is a problem for many and I also find the push function of the scroll wheel to be less than ideal but have managed to get used to it.

Sorry about your accident. I learned last fall that losing a bike is not a big deal. Your health is what matters and I am glad that you came out of this mostly unscathed. I hope you will not be too sore and it's just some bruises. Don't sweat the bike being a total loss. On October 8th mine sustained just 3000 dollars of damage and I would have gladly had it totaled in exchange for not having this leg injury. Hope you heal and are 100% back to normal very soon. Let us know what you decide to do about a replacement for your bike.

Barnacle Bill has been in the business of repairing motorcycle leathers for longer than I have been riding. He does great work. I have seen some of the suits he has made, and they are as good as or better than brand name products. Having him put brass zippers in my one piece leather suit next week. You can find him on Facebook. He is a friendly fellow and likes to chat.

I also have thought about the Tracer 9. But I spent too much money on an Akropovic exhaust, ECU flash and new suspension, so I will be keeping this one a while longer. The new 9 makes me wish I had not spent so much for the upgrades.

Going to replace the alternator cover due to an accident. Looks like I will need to drain the coolant as the water pump cover has to come off as well. Do I need to drain the oil as well for this?? It appears not but I don't want to make a big mess of things.

I am a wimp when it comes to cold weather and deeply despise winter. Once the temperatures are regularly below 55 degrees I am done until the arrival of Spring.

NIck Ienatsch has an excellent book called "Performance Riding Techniques". Well worth the read. "Twist Of The Wrist 2" by Keith Code is a good read as well.

My one experience with a DCT was in a Porsche 911 GT3. I could write a book about what an amazing machine it is and much of the conversation would center around the brilliant PDK dual clutch gearbox. It's incredible. I do understand the desire to row your own gears but if I were buying a Porsche I would choose the PDK over the manual with zero hesitation!!!

Interesting article. Thanks for sharing. Yes, I live right in the middle of thoroughbred country. It's beautiful here but winter sucks in Kentucky. One of my best riding buddies owns horses. I would imagine where you are winter is not so bad.

Hey Betoney..........checking with the local dealer service department is a great idea!! I would do this but I already ordered from Cycle Terminal. I also ordered a terminal pick tool as those are very handy to have in the tool box. I had a nasty crash October 8th due to the local road crew leaving a load of crap in the road. It happened so fast I was on the ground in an instant. Did a good bit of damage to the left side of the bike including ripping out the turn signal and breaking the male connector coming off the wire harness, thus the need for a connector. Six broken ribs from hitting the pavement pretty hard and a severe hematoma on my left leg where the bike landed on me. Also had some minor damage to the left lung but that was the first thing to fully recover. Still cannot bend my knee much and I am walking with a limp. A couple ribs still sore and sneezing hurts like heck!!! Insurance estimated damage at 3500 bucks and I have a 1000 deductible. They gave me a check for 2500 and I was able to source all the parts for 1100 and will do the work myself. If a part got so much as a scratch ordered a replacement so the bike should be fine when I am done.

Thanks for the replies. It appears both of those companies have what I need. 👍

I have a broken turn signal connector on the main wire harness. Does anyone know of a source for this part? Also, where can I get the tiny pin tool used to remove the wires from the broken connector? Thanks in advance for any replies.

I think Barber is the only U.S. track that was designed primarily for motorcycles. It's a fantastic facility and the museum alone is worth the trip. The track layout is fantastic with lots of elevation changes. Yes, track days there are a bit expensive but well worth the price. I did my last one there in 2013.

Some owners had premature chain failure due to o-rings failing. Yamaha is aware and many have been covered under warranty. Just keep an eye on the chain and as soon as you see any o-ring shedding contact your dealer. It appears they got a bad batch of chains from their supplier.

Having owned Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki I find them all to be so close in fit and finish, quality and reliability that I would not let any one of the Japanese brands reputation influence my decision much. Which ever of them builds the bike that best suits my riding needs gets my money. But I will say my Kawasaki NInja 1000 is impressive. At 36,000 miles it still feels as solid as it did on day one and I have yet to have a part on that bike fail. I even skipped the first valve adjust interval since most owners reported no valves out of specification at the first scheduled inspection. At 32,000 miles only four were out by the slightest of margins.

Ivan's works is peerless. I sent him my Tracer ECU shortly after purchasing the bike. I have a 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 which has to be among his best work. Not only is the throttle response perfectly smooth but there was a noticeable increase in torque and horsepower. An iron fist in a velvet glove. With the full Akropovic 4/2/1 and a modded airbox the improvement was drastic.