StealthAu

1 hour ago, upshift said:

I recently got a new chain put on (among other things) by a local dealer and noticed on the ride home that the chain slack was set too tight. I also noticed that much of the annoying chain lash that I have disliked since purchasing the bike was gone, too, making on/off throttle action much smoother and more confidence-inspiring. 

My question is, if I choose to keep the chain this tight (it's at about 1" slack, I'd say), do I risk doing any damage?

I'm assuming it'll stretch out a bit the more I ride it and eventually end up closer to the revamped specs (2.5-3.5").

Thoughts? 

Yes, you will wear out your chain quicker, increase chances of breaking it too. 

As your shock compresses, chain tightens. I had my rear shock off recently and can confirm the manual specs are what you want. 

It seems too soon for a revamped model, new paint schemes is all I would expect.

4 hours ago, Dodgy Knees said:

Most bikes I've had will upshift without QS from 3 up with a quick shut off.

From 2 up any bike will do this. The idea behind electronic quick shift is that it does it quicker. 

6 hours ago, wordsmith said:

Not so!   'My' tyre guy doesn't stock them, and I'm not bothered about saving a few cents, just gotta make sure they fit.

That is surprising. Every bike I've owned has had them fitted with the first tyre change.

I would have thought all the shops carry them. 

They're  11.3mm. Get some right angles ones. 

Tyre shops will have various sizes on hand. Just have them supply and install. Buying your own won't save you bugger all. 

On 9/1/2019 at 11:47 PM, bikerdup said:

I bought a hard copy factory GT service manual (carries a Yamaha part #) off of eBay for $55.00.  Money well spent.

I bought a digital copy off Ebay. Can't CTL+F a hard copy 

You can get lowering links, they would work with the stock, or any shock.

Don't let any of this talk you out of getting a new shock though. There are plenty of options out there that would be better than stock.

It is just sounding like yours is not ideally setup. If you're not completely eager on spending some money, setup what you have first. 

I'd be hesitant to consider lowering the tracer. The ground clearance is ordinary to begin with. 

1 minute ago, betoney said:

Very true.  I figured that since the GT has 2 active legs as well as compression adjustment, it "should" be much easier than the older FJ to get a reasonably acceptable ride - with proper springs.  $100 for springs and a bottle of oil will get you close, the same cant be said for the stock shock.

Surprisingly, the valving in the shock seems adequate for a 10.5kg/mm spring. 

I'm only a couple clicks out on rebound, without a doubt the service life of the shock oil is going to be limited, but it should be good for long enough to find a cheap stock shock to revalve.

7 minutes ago, betoney said:

In my experience, the shock needs more attention than the forks, since the oem shock has no compression adjustment, you can only do so much to get it set correctly. 

While probably applicable for Larz, this varies depending on weight. For myself at 100kg, the forks couldn't do their job stock. Preload at max and compression damping dialed in to the point that the ride sucked, I was still bottoming out the forks regularly. 

You'll be fine on stock suspension. No need for a new spring.

I've posted in another thread on here a detailed guide to setting up suspension, how to get an understanding of what stuff does and what you want it to do. 

If you feel it has become bouncy in the rear due to weight reductions, try adding a couple clicks of rebound damping in the shock. 

I think the stock spring is around 8.5 or 9. What do you weigh? 

Have you adjusted your rebound? 

Living in the tropics, we get a horrible summer, constant, unbearable wet heat for half the year. I ride all year round, don't own a car. But in summer seldom go for a ride for enjoyment. It's just a means of getting where I need to be. Loading up on water to survive the 10 minute ride to or from work. 

The other half of the year is great, never a day too cold to ride. Downside, the good riding weather is also the part of the year working on bikes is bearable. Do I install  my new cams in my ducati this weekend, or take it out for a ride..

Riding usually wins out until the heat starts creeping back in, then it is a frantic rush to get all the jobs done before the garage becomes the sauna. 

24 minutes ago, mike said:

Try 303. It is a UV protection product I believe was developed for the military and works great. Not cheep though.

Come to think on it, this product will keep things from sun damage but I don't know if it will restore the color.

Agreed. 303 is great stuff. Armoural and other brands I've tried tend to leave a greasy film, this stuff not so much. 

It will make sun damaged plastic look better than it did, but not like new. Will prevent further degrade. 

Good to hear you got it sorted. 

Now I can return to my conundrum of the day. Going out for a ride, do I take the yamaha, ducati or honda. decisions decisions. 

It isn't a strength thing mate. 

Brute force rarely wins. Shock does. 

Always better off using a fixed spanner than an adjustable wrench. But either way, gently push in the direction it needs to go with one hand, tap the end of the wrench with the other. 

Also worth noting for those who might not know, when using an adjustable wrench, the adjustable part should be on the inside of the direction you are turning it. You want the fixed part of the wrench doing the bulk of the work. 

Just checked. Definitely reverse thread. Clockwise to undo. 17mm spanner, tap the handle and loosened with ease.  

You need a thin walled 10mm socket. You should be able to find a tool outlet that stocks them. 

Otherwise, you can grind one down to fit. 

That seems to be the reason behind it.

Unless manufacturers just like messing with their customers, as both mirrors are more prone to coming loose at speed with this design. 

Easy way to remember, push the mirrors back and they loosen. 

Some manufactures do this so that if you clip a mirror in traffic, stuff is less likely to break. 

Right is reverse. 

Do you guys get much movement in your madstad screens? 

3 hours ago, wordsmith said:

Don't want to start a 'mine is better than yours', but I like the fact that the ones I have on order, and have used several times in the past, move the OE mirror stems outboard a little as well as raising the stems.   Anyone here younger than about 50 won't recall the Berlei bra ads of the past (or, indeed, what a 'bra' is), but these items 'lift and separate' as the ad said, giving, IMHO, the best of both worlds.   Cheap, too, at only AUD$19.88, and from past experience beautifully made and powder-coated.

With the mirrors coming out at an aprox 45 degree angle, either of the two would give much the same result, I would think.

One benefit with the ones you are getting, you would be able to raise the mirrors and move them forward, rather than increasing overall width of the bike.

525 isn't an odd size. 520, 525, 530. All common, most stores will stock all three. 

R1's don't come with a 520 stock. I know a bunch of R1 models that came with 525, maybe all?

520 is lighter. Not by much and you wont notice any drastic difference. They are cheaper typically.

525 will generally cost more for equal quality, 525 will generally last longer. 

Which do you pick for an fj/tracer? Pros and cons don't really swing much either way, whatever your preference. 

1 minute ago, nigel5 said:

Can't confirm 10mm thread without measuring but a 10mm socket fits the bolt and the left mirror has a right hand thread, the right mirror a left-hand thread!

If it has a 10mm socket, clearly it isn't a 10mm thread.