kaia

Last update. So, my predictions were right... I didn't get the bike back until early January. Again, when I went to pick it up there were still issues. This time, it turned out that the top-case that they had ordered to replace the one that they had damaged was completely the wrong one (not even close, they put a $120 case on to replace my $300 one, the only thing that was the same was the brand name) and in frustration I took the bike anyways and asked them to order the right one and deliver it to me when they had it. It took them until the beginning of Feb to get it to me, per their normal inability to order parts, and finally - A year from the original accident... it's finally back to where it should be, and is listed for sale. I'll never go do that shop ever again. I'll never recommend it to anyone. Overall, the service was adequate - but they failed so many times along the way, delayed so many times... that it was honestly the worst experience I've ever had with any company, ever.

I have a similar pair of summer gloves, the KLIM induction gloves. After dozens of gloves over the years, I think the key to both pairs (the OP's Rev'it Sand gloves, and the KLIM induction) is that the stitching is on the outside. It makes for so much more comfort over the traditional stitching.

Gore-tex gear is where it's at. Jacket, Pants, Boots, gloves... all of it. It's worth every penny. Gore-tex gear is breathable, keeps you dry, and I've never had any leaking issues with gore-tex, save one. My last pants (KLIM badlands pro) were gore-tex, and where the water pools at your crotch area in a deluge, it would sometimes soak through the seams in the pants; not a failure of the fabric, but of the seams. this only happened twice, both times stuck in torrential downpour for over two hours in stop and go traffic. I've tried the other ways of protecting from water, and each has issues. Water proof liners work (i rode with a kit that had liners for two years), but the outerwear gets SOAKED, and it's like riding in a trash bag when the liners are in. You're dry... but sweat stays in and soaks your undergarments, making you colder. You don't want to wear the liners all the time for the same reason - so you only put them in when it's actually raining - which sometimes meant changing into the liners on the side of the road at the first sign of rain. no bueno. Drystar (as a fabric) has the benefit of no liners, but has the same garbage bag feeling. I rode with a Drystar jacket and pants for 2 monts, and it was the most miserable 2 months of my riding career.

On the helmet OP topic, I've been riding with the AGV Sport Modular for 2 years now (and replaced it with the exact same helmet once due to an accident), with a AGV AX-8 Dual Sport helmet before that. The Sport Modular is super lightweight and super comfortable. Before getting it I had not considered a modular helmet before, but I'll never go back. The internal sun visor is key, and i've upgraded mine to have a smoke shield on the outside. Only downside is the cost, which is hard to stomach for most. Personally... out of all my gear, i'll spend the money to get the best of the best for a helmet to protect my noggin.

I recently switched to the Alpinestars Tech Air Street airbag system, and with that switched to two different jackets one for Hot weather, and one for Not-hot weather. The airbag is what it is... it's expensive, but when you need it, it's there and it'll save your bacon. It's already saved mine once. For the summer months, it's the Alpinestars Tailwind. Enough venting for the crazy CA summer months, which is comfortable enough (while moving) even with the airbag. When it gets colder (really - when it's colder in the morning / evening, during commute hours), I switch to the Alpinestars Revenant, which is full Gore-tex, has tons of pockets and features, and full CE2 armor. I was "lucky" enough to go down in my last set of gear, and Insurance paid for me to upgrade to this one. It's good by itself from 40 to 80 or so, and can go colder as long as you add a layer or two. I did have a simliar non-goretex version of this jacket in the past (the Andes Pro), which was made with Drystar. If you like riding wearing a trash bag - go with that jacket. I hated it, and was happy to upgrade to the Revenant when i crashed in it. Before going all in on the airbag system, I used a Klim Badlands Pro (the first version) for about 3 years, which I wore all year long. Best jacket / pants set that i've ever owned, and it was in such good condition after 3 years of use that I was able to sell it for over half of what I paid for it. The venting and features on this jacket are second to none, and I had no complaints at all. The last summer before switching to airbags, I wore the Rev'it Cayenne Pro jacket (and pants) for the summer/fall seasons, before going down in it. It was a great warmer weather jacket, and i'd buy it again if i didn't want to stick with the airbags.

After a pretty bad accident last year, I've switched to the Alpinestars Tech-Air Airbag system as an extra level of protection. I've gone through a few jackets now, settling on two jackets for the two seasons we get in the SF bay area - one for the "might rain, sorta cold" season, and another for the "why is it so hot" season. For the "hot" months (April - September or so), I'm using the Alpinestars new Tailwind for TechAir jacket. It has a rain liner, which went promptly back into the box, and is vented everywhere (except it could have more venting on the arms, which is only there when the zippers are open). Since i don't have to worry about rain (this is CA, right?) I've never even put the rain liner on. It's vented enough to get through the summer months where it's 110 outside, enough at least to get to and from work. It only really works when you're moving though... stop and go is still uncomfortable; thank god for CA lane-splitting. This is an Airbag-ready jacket, and unfortunately, the airbag system is like wearing a race back protector that happens to weigh 5-10 lbs. You don't really feel the weight when riding, except that it's a big piece of non-breathable plastic riding on your back. When moving, the venting around the back is good, but when stopped it's a bit uncomfortable. I'll take the discomfort over the value that it provides. I've already been down with the airbag system, and it's honestly worth 2-3x what it costs. Riding the KLIM Switchback pants, which are super comfy (they fit like a pair of lightweight jeans), and after upgrading the armor in the knees / hips to CE2 I'm good to go. The don't have as good venting as some previous pants (Rev'it Cayenne Pro had better upper leg venting), but they make up for it by being roomy with a light weight fabric. The KLIM Induction gloves are honestly the most comfortable gloves i've ever put on my hands. They have great venting, and the idea to put the seams on the outside of the gloves a game-changer. If you haven't tried these - just try them on in the store. You'll be amazed. If I wasn't rocking the Tech Air system, I'd probably have gotten another set of the Rev'it Cayenne Pro Jacket & Pants, which I had for the 2018 summer. They are super comfy, super vented, and CE2 armor all around. With all that venting, they are also amazingly protective. I was sideswiped by a car last fall going about 50 mph, after which I tumbled like a rag doll into a gravel lot. The carnage (or lack thereof) of these pants speaks for the quality & protection. I'd buy the set again in a heartbeat if I wasn't now tied to the Tech Air system. I walked away with a few minor scratches and a totaled bike.

I keep a Moto Pumps Air Shot under the seat. It's super small, more than powerful enough for any flat - and comes with all the cables needed. Personally, I install the pigtail off of the battery and tuck under the seat. Then, i can trim down the Air Shot kit to just the other end of the pigtail, nixing the cheesy alligator clips & the 12v adapter. Non-affiliated link: Air Shot — MotoPumps - The Best 12v Inflators on the Planet The MotoPumps Air Shot Inflator is the smallest, lightest, full performance...

In the San Francisco Bay area - when I really want to ride and not be annoyed... I have to get "goaty". This one I do to / from work if I feel the need (and to avoid traffic headaches) If look up the same road on the map - it's super goaty as it goes through morgan territory regional preserve, and sometimes the road isn't even a single lane wide. it's my test-ride road, every bike i've owned or ridden in the past three years has been on this road: (excuse the ducati / ktm photos, and no Yamaha - i had my last bike serviced at a ktm/ducati dealership, and while they had it for 3 months, they gave me a few loaners) Unfortunately, i don't have any photos of the FJ on these roads due to some servicing issues. My all time favorite "all day ride" in the South Bay (it's somewhat long, and there is so many beautiful spots to stop to take photos that it doubles the time) combines a few of my South bay favorites into a day of epic riding. When I lived in San Jose, the Sierra Rd loop was a weekly standby (it's best in the morning when there is fog - you ride up high enough to rise above the fog), and the Caleveras end of the road takes "goat roads" to it's best. the arm pump after this entire ride can only be counteracted by the continuous ear to ear face melting grin. For the CA130 / Mines Rd section, I'd only recommend to do this when you're playing hooky from work during the week; on the weekends it's ridable - but there is always traffic, and crazy people riding up and down the hills back there on bicycles. by pedaling!

Seconded. Northern CA, as far as you can get from 101 or I5, it's all gold. One of my favorites is Cave Junction, OR -> Happy Camp, CA, along the Klamath river -> Willow Creek, CA -> Eureka, CA for some of the smoothest twisties in the middle of nowhere. If you like "goat" roads - check out the loop from Ferndale, CA -> Petrolia, CA -> Honeydew, CA, to 101... and if you want to extend it, go down 101 for a short jaunt through the redwoods, then out to Shelter Cove. You might not have any arms left - (we're talking super goaty, and super twisty), but you'll be grinning for weeks.

I have the PUIG one, and it's great for that extra little bit of height for us tall folk. Beautiful bike, the addons don't overwhelm... mostly. The LED light bar seems a bit big, but it's better to be seen, right?

I got this mat from Amazon for about $90, as a barrier from water / oil / whatnot soaking into the concrete. It's lasted awesome for over three years. Better Life Technology G Floor 5 x 10 Motorcycle Mat Black https://amzn.to/2PLL7mz (bike is in the shop, but this photo was taken today)

I usually rode in B mode, not for any other reason than I would suddenly find myself going 60 on the other side of the intersection from a stop light, with a huge grin on my face... but our friends in blue don't really accept the "grin" factor as a good excuse for going 60 in a 25. That said - B always had enough to get around on a commute without getting into too much trouble. In the hills away from everyone else, A reigns supreme, speed limits be damned.

I didn't realize until now that you could set the temp... awesome. I used the stock settings, and the grips got so hot at 2 bars that i didn't go to 3 very often.

I've got a photo of many of my bikes at that same outlook. great ride to get there. I see that you did go with the seat - great choice. a little bit cushier than the stock seat, huh? A friend has a similar corbin on his bike - when i rode it i found it to be a little slippy in the corners where i felt like i was about to slide off. do you get tha feeling?

I have the grey one (which i bought used), but i would have loved to paint it matte black. never got the chance. One of the new 900 GT's in matte black with the blue wheels would be primo!

I would, and usually prefer to do that kind of work myself (avoiding insurance) also - but this accident I was not at fault, the other guy got minor injuries, the cops and ambulance showed up... the whole 9 yards. It was $2500 damage to my bike, of which was 1200 in parts - including replacing one of the engine covers and the radiator - both things i'm not comfortable working on. Insurance also covered my medical expenses from the accident, which was well over $4k. In this instance, insurance was worth the hassle. The shop? maybe not so much.

We're now into November, and it's still there. They're hopeful that it'll be done by the end of the week, but I'm not holding my breath. If I actually see the bike in my driveway before Christmas, i'll be surprised. That said, and if you've read this far, thank you for reading. I've needed to get that off my chest for a while, and talking about the bike or talking about riding makes the pain of not being able to ride anymore a little bit more bearable. it doesn't make the carpal tunnel pain in my wrist any better, but it does get my post count higher so i can sell a few FJ-09 parts to the community here who might value that. I don't really think there's a moral to the story. Don't go to that shop? Maybe... but part of the issue was not really their fault, it was shipping and how long it takes to get things shipped from Japan. Trying to see the good in things, I think a lot of it boiled down to a few communication issues. Parts talking to Service. Service actually checking the work that the techs are doing before assuming that it's done. The service department (or the manager for that matter) could have taken a more active role and called me to give me updates, or to at least tell me that one of the parts was having a shipping problem coming all the way from Japan. multiple times. Communication between departments is something that every company, large or small deals with. Proper customer service is also a struggle for lots of small or family run businesses. I understand that, and truly hope that they can see what happened in my case, learn from it as a company, and hopefully do better for the next guy. In the end (well... it's not completely over yet, they still have the bike), the shop did right by me, didn't charge me for any of the work done over the past few months, only for what i had paid ahead of time for the parts, and the tires. They're going to replace the top case on their own dime, and I'm not going to have to pay labor for any of the work that has been (or will be) done. Once it's back - it'll be back to stock (visually), but with all the upgrades I've done to it. If you're in the NorCal area, and are looking for a good condition '17 FJ-09 that had a few minor bruises that have all been fixed to factory spec... but with a ton of goodies, send me a PM. I've also got a set of the DZell hand guard LED turn signals, and an unopened Higdonion Urban Cage and Skid Plate (black) that I'll be listing for sale (separately) very soon. PM me if you are interested in either.

(We're almost done with story time, or at least i hope so..) This time, i get smart. I call the dealership two weeks in advance, and send them pictures of all the parts that they need to order to complete the work. They confirm my photos and talk to the parts department. Here's a list of the final parts, all from a previous owner's minor low side drop: Left side cowling, grey with Yamaha logo Left side upper cowling, mock carbon-fiber Left side engine cover Two bolts to attach gas tank to frame Two panel bolts for mock CF panels between gas tank and seat New tires, whatever they have in stock I drop the bike off, confirm the list of parts that match the parts list that I found online, confirm that the order is already placed (they got most of it ordered ahead of time, except for the left side cowling), and confirmed the tires. I stressed to them that this was a commuter bike and I needed it back asap. (I was still riding at this point, contrary to doctor's orders... the wrist brace fit inside my gloves, barely) ... if you've been reading so far, you can probably guess most of what happened. I started calling them every Friday, to get an update. I got the same message for weeks that they were waiting for parts, which I eventually just started to laugh at because it was so ridiculous. After a month, I canceled the insurance on the bike (which was a crazy amount, glad to not be paying that anymore) and submitted a DMV non-op to keep it legal without having insurance on it. A month after that, tired of borrowing other people's cars, I bought a truck. Last week, (Oct 25th) to my surprise, they said they were done. I was doubtful, but I drove over anyways, ready to load it into the truck and be done with the dealership forever. NOPE. not done yet. That days' list of items missing / forgotten: The hand grips were still not epoxied on. The left side control cluster was still not attached The gas tank (WHICH WAS #1 on the list) still didn't have any bolts on it. It turns out that most of the delay this time was because Yamaha Japan sent over the wrong part for the left side cowling TWICE. the first time, they sent the right side, not the left. the second time they sent a red one, not grey. the third time, they expressed over the right part... but the "express" was only added to the last shipment, after the bike had been there for two months. why not sooner? AND... there was new damage. WTF? The plastic under-seat bracket (that allows you to adjust the seat height) was cracked all the way through The top case was all scratched to hell on the back side. It turns out that when they bring the bikes in and out of the fenced in bay each night, they back the bikes up to the side of the driveway behind the shop. This side that they back it into happens to have a hedge. Since the top case hangs off the back of the bike by about 4-6", they were (probably unknowingly) jamming the top case into the hedge every day... for three months. Add in a month of pretty bad wind in that area... and you've got a top case that looks like it was attacked by a herd of feral cats.

The accident was the beginning of Feb, and we're now into May. It's northern CA, so it's now hot as hell. Riding is on an as needed basis, and I'm starting to notice some pain in my wrist that wasn't there before, a result of the accident. When i'm on the throttle (going up a hill or whatnot) my right hand was going numb. pins-and-needles shake your hand to get it to wake up kind of numb. I start to see doctors and specialists, get lots of X-rays and MRI's, a nerve conduction test (that was TONS of fun) and find out... that I can't ride anymore. Something is up with my wrist (exacerbated carpal tunnel with a pinched median nerve or something, i forget the exact words) that is causing the numbness, I have to wear a wrist brace almost 24/7, and the kicker... it's no longer safe to ride. Saddest day ever. 😡😭😤 So I do the only thing I can think of -- take the bike into the shop to get the stuff they didn't do the first time done right, get the bike all fixed up to sell. I need to move on, and buy something with 4 wheels to be able get to work. I brought the bike back to them on July 31, 2019.

I understand the wait time to a degree, but more than 2 weeks for a simple plastic part that can be fedex'd? 5-6 weeks seems insane to me, when I can (as a consumer, mind you) order something online that get shipped from Japan and see it on my doorstep a week later. From talking to them over the time they had the bike - the majority of the parts were there in 3-4 weeks, and there was one part that was taking a while (one of the small fairings, foreshadowing a later issue) that they were waiting on. why not do the hard stuff (replace the radiator, replace the engine side case cover that was damaged, wet & oily work) while waiting for a simple plastic part that is held on by two screws? I think the part that irked me about the insurance repair job was not being kept up to date about it, then having them either not do things that should be done (like torque'ing bolts to factory spec), or mess up half the work they were supposed to do? There also seemed to be a lack of communication between the different departments - service seemed to thing the timeline was one thing, parts another, and the actual tech who was doing (or not) the work was on a whole different communication channel. I had only had a bad (long) shop experience like this once before, (with a previous bike) but that was due to personnel, not shipping.

(sorry for the lack of photos in this silly story - I was so fed up at this point that I stopped taking photos of the bike at all) When I called the shop to figure out what had happened, and why they had sone such shotty work, they had no explanation. They said that the next time I came in for a oil change, they'd order and fix the things that they missed the first time, and not charge me for the labor. It took me almost two hours just to fix what i could of the things they missed just to get to work the next day. I did stop by the next day to get the mirror extenders, which were just sitting on the mechanic's workbench, ignored. I didn't like the idea of bringing it in again when they had botched it up the first time, but I was willing to let them try to fix the situation. I had medium-high hopes that they could recover from such a bad service experience (maybe the tech that did the work was new or something). I was so so very wrong.

Finally, SEVEN WEEKS after dropping my bike off from the accident, I finally get the call (the first outgoing call from them) that the bike is ready for pickup. AMAZING. I get a uber over to the shop with all my new moto gear (also replaced by insurance, which i'd already had for 5 weeks) and see how they've done. first off i notice that the handlebars aren't straight, like not at all. when i try to "bump" them back into straight, they adjust by 30 degrees or more - the triple clamp bolts are not even tight. I get a mechanic over and they fix it, test ride it to make sure (didn't they do that before?), and i do a quick once-over noticing all the new parts and making sure they didn't miss anything. Paid and leaving, I start to head home in the 110 degree heat, just trying to get home before i melt. Mirrors don't look right, or stay in place as if they're not tightened - hmm. Brake and clutch feel a bit off, but I can't tell why. Then i get onto the highway - and realize that the hand-guards are flopping in the wind! The entire left side isn't even tightened down! Both mirrors are swinging towards me, the left handgrip isn't glued / epoxied to the new handlebar, the seat feels loose... and i'm just trying to get home at this point. At home, the following list is taken down of stuff that was either not done, or done improperly: The hand-guards were not mounted properly, at odd angles, and not tightened to spec The left hand grip (heated) was not expoxied The mirrors were not tightened to spec The left control cluster (horn, lights, etc) was not attached to the handlebar at all and was free floating The rider (not passenger) seat was not put onto the bike properly, and fell off when the rear seat was popped off (not hooked in the front) The CF body panels near the seat had only 1 bolt (of two) The gas tank was missing the ONLY TWO BOLTS THAT ATTACH IT TO THE FRAME. I had installed aftermarket mirror extenders - which were not on the bike now. None of the wiring on the handlebars (or as it gets routed in / near the headstock) was managed in any way - all free floating (not even the factory rubber ties), and it was all twisted around each other in not positive ways. Three parts that I had asked to be replaced (which I thought I had paid for) that were not part of this accident were not replaced or repaired. The hand-guard LED blinkers were removed and not reinstalled, even though the shop guaranteed that they'd have the time to do it. I was handed them in a tangle of wires.

Two more weeks go by, and nothing. No word from the shop. I called a few times but never got a definite answer as to when it would be done. At this point, I'm begging and borrowing cars from family and friends just to get to work so i don't lose my job. Three weeks later - I call again, asking to talk to the manager. I get the word that the last of the parts finally came in, and they'd start working on my bike now. WHAT? you're just starting now? They had the bike sitting in their shop for 5 weeks, and hadn't done a single thing? I said goodbye and hung up before i exploded on them.

Now, don't get me wrong, the cost of the parts was not the issue - being a Yamaha, the parts were only about $1200, with about the same amount of labor. I had been in a similar accident a few years back on a KTM 950, and the insurance scrapped the bike because (among other very high priced parts) the fuel tank had a scratch and it was almost a grand for a new one. The work was to replace the two right front fairings, the headlight lens, radiator, radiator hoses handlebars, hand guards, and a few other misc parts. Seems like a lot, but the accident was a high-side at about 25-30 mph, and i walked away with barely a scratch. mostly cosmetic damage and light scratching. I paid the up-front parts cost, and was told it would be max two weeks, mostly due to shipping speed. Two weeks came and went, during which I had to rent a car to get to and from work. The insurance company covered two weeks of rental, and as I was expecting to get the bike back on time I returned the rental at the end of the two week period. The shop hadn't called me for updates, so I called them - only to find out that they parts order hadn't gone out until a few days before, and some of the parts had to come from Japan, so it might be another two weeks. uhhh what? I figured that mixups happen, and didn't get too angry. I stressed to them that this bike was primarily a commuter bike and I needed it back as soon as possible.

(a bit of story time, venting, confusion) I've had my FJ-09 for just over a year now, and unfortunately, been through the ringer with an accident. I love the bike - it does everything I want from it, and fixing / upgrading it myself has been a pleasure compared to other (less fun to work on) motorcycles in the past. Over the first month or so that I had it, I replaced the tail-light with a nice LED one, got rid of the crazy huge license plate / turn signal hanging off bracket, replaced grips (with factory heated ones), added a topcase, added a new windshield, re-covered / upholsetered the seats with SeatConcepts, and even added the DZell handguard LED lights. Then an accident on Feb 6, 2019, where I was hit by another motorcycle. That's another story - except for part where the bike had to go into the local shop for insurance covered repairs, which is where this diatribe starts. The local shop to me (which I'll leave unnamed) is a authorized Yamaha dealer (as well as Honda, Zero & Kawasaki). They took in the bike for the insurance workup, and gave me estimates that were reasonable. The insurance company agreed to the work within a few days, but the shop had a strange policy - they required met to pre-pay for the parts that were to be ordered. I should have known then that something was up.