hawkeye

19 hours ago, texscottyd said:

I know this is off-topic, but do tell:  What do you think?  I’ve been really tempted by a 660 Tuono or a 890 Duke R 

No problem! I wanted something sporty & close to 400 lbs for solo rides, especially since moving to the N GA/TN/W NC area. The Duke 890R was on my radar, but 2 riding buddies had bad experiences with KTM recently and the local dealer didn't exactly give the warm fuzzies either. The closest Aprilia dealer is 2 hours away, but it hasn't been an issue.

I've put about 4000 miles on it so far, and the it's been a fantastic machine. The only nit-pick was a known issue where the shift linkage worked loose; it was covered by warranty when the redesigned part came in. Very good fit & finish, upgraded suspension and Brembo radial MC on the Factory version made it a no-brainer for me. The electronics package is probably overkill for a 600, but that's ok. I really need to get it down to Barber and see what it'll do. 

Took me awhile to put 20K more miles on since last posting on this thread (5 years). I don't commute as far, or ride every Saturday with a group like I used to, and adding an Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory to my garage hasn't helped. But I still enjoy this bike immensely; that CP3 is such a good motor. 

Thanks for the fantastic write-up, I enjoyed it from start to finish. I've got so much in common with you on what appeals to me in a bike and my approach to riding; I lean toward bikes that can fulfill a few roles well, since I too am restricted to a wife-approved budget and N+1 is more likely a retirement pursuit. But dammit, man...now I want an S1000RR! Great find, enjoy your new brand of crazy 😎 

On ‎6‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 12:04 PM, nhchris said:

Wheels back on sporting new Road 5s.

I had my local KTM shop mount and bal the tires ($55 each) and the rims look perfect.

All went well and ABS light went out after a short roll.

Thanks for the advice and suggestions.

BTW: I bought the Road 5s on Amazon even cheaper than Cycle Gear had them. $200 for the rear and $145 for the front w free Prime shipping.

The Road 5s are great, I think you'll be very happy with your choice 😎Glad to hear the dealer didn't scuff your rims, others haven't been so lucky.

2 hours ago, johnmark101 said:

Scroll up this page and look at my post from three months ago.  I mentioned Racer Gloves and even posted a link.  Best gloves I have ever worn.

Thanks for bringing these to my attention. Currently in the market for a pair to replace my aging AStars Celer gloves and I think their Grip gloves would fit the bill nicely. Going to pull the trigger on a pair soon.

Joined the 30,000 mile club on the way home from work today, just shy of 4 years since I brought her home. Thanks to Cruizin for the amazing forum and all the members here who have been a wealth of information along the way. Ride safe gang.

Just had mine done at 23xxx, all valves were within spec. Original spark plugs were replaced. Been running VCyclenut tune since 2500 mile mark.

Most recent change was to remove the factory hand guards and add bar ends. Summer change. I also got tired of the transformer look to the bike.

I'm thinking of finally doing this as well. What bar ends did you go with? 

Finally replaced the clutch cable with the updated version.. mine never showed any signs of fatigue, fraying, or excessive stretching, but I have a 600 mile ride coming up and didn't want to find out it was failing when I was out of state.

 
How many miles didja get out of it? I'm at 22,225 on the OEM. I've got a backup ready to go when the time comes, feels like it's getting close.
 

That setup looks good! Kinda wish I'd gone with the black sprocket, but the steel one is growing on me.
 
I took your suggestion and ordered those axle blocks too after the cheap Chinese adjusters failed on me. The ones you have really look the business, can't wait to get them on the bike this weekend. Thanks for the lead on those. Love all the good intel on this forum.
BTW, was your rear sprocket hard to remove? The nuts on mine were nearly impossible to break loose.

My sprocket replacement was a piece of cake, the nuts came off like normal. 
I got those axle blocks on Ebay about a year ago and cant find them online anymore.  A buddy with an FJ wants a set but we are coming up empty, where did you order yours from?

 
I purchased mine from eBay 2 weeks ago, the seller was dude0_15. Shipped from the UK.
https://m.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-MT-09-Tracer-900-Sport-Tracker-Street-Rally-XSR900-Chain-Adjusters/232712117141?hash=item362eb91b95:g:Q3sAAOSwj85YRvxZ

The original chain was toast after 20K miles, so I threw on the D.I.D. chain and sprockets I bought here. The bike shifts like butter now. Bled the brakes and deglazed the rotors while I was at it. Still loving this bike after 3 years!

I ordered from Sprocket Center as well, I just got the DID VX chain and the RS7 sprocket.  I originally had 15/45 gearing but switched to 16/47 (almost same gear ratio).  Great company and great product. OEM chain was toast at 18k maybe because of smaller front sprocket? (tighter turn radius?)
 
 
 

That setup looks good! Kinda wish I'd gone with the black sprocket, but the steel one is growing on me.
 
I took your suggestion and ordered those axle blocks too after the cheap Chinese adjusters failed on me. The ones you have really look the business, can't wait to get them on the bike this weekend. Thanks for the lead on those. Love all the good intel on this forum.
BTW, was your rear sprocket hard to remove? The nuts on mine were nearly impossible to break loose.

The original chain was toast after 20K miles, so I threw on the D.I.D. chain and sprockets I bought here. The bike shifts like butter now. Bled the brakes and deglazed the rotors while I was at it. Still loving this bike after 3 years!

 

 
 
@hawkeye have you had anyone you ride with mention your turn signals? I noticed you have the same ones I have installed. 
 
 

 
@rhpowell , nobody has mentioned the front turn signals to me. I had some concerns when I put them on, for all the reasons mentioned previously, but so far have had no issues (no more than usual) with cagers in the ~2 years I've been running them. I've also been using the MotoDynamics integrated rear turn signal (clear, not smoked) and will say that it's a piece of gear that HAS gotten positive remarks with regard to visibility from my riding buddies as well as random road users.
 
Like others have mentioned, wear the gear, ride like you're invisible, and expect the unexpected.
 

 
 
Changed oil with Shell Rotella T6. Washed her down, then gave the chain a thorough deep-cleaning with kerosene and PB Blaster before lubing.
 
And then went for a ride. This time of year is about the only time I'm glad I live in FL

 
What did you use to cover the gold on the forks?

 
Something similar to
 
Couldn't get it to lay flat along the angled bit at the bottom of the forks, so I left it exposed.

 

 
 
Changed oil with Shell Rotella T6. Washed her down, then gave the chain a thorough deep-cleaning with kerosene and PB Blaster before lubing.
 
And then went for a ride. This time of year is about the only time I'm glad I live in FL

Pentosin A3??? What the hell is that and where would one find it?

I got it at my local NAPA for $16 a gallon. Also available at Advance Auto Parts. If your local store doesn't have it in stock they can certainly get it within 24 hours typically. Its blue, and its used in new Honda's. The reason I love Pentosin is they are completely transparent about what ingredients are in each formulation of their coolants. 
Advance Auto Link
 
Pentosin A3 Product Data Sheet

Thanks for this thread and video @nsmiller, getting ready to change the coolant in my '15 and found both helpful. 
 

 

 

What a tremendously moving and inspiring story, thanks for sharing this. Sorry for your loss, hope I could be as strong given the same circumstances. Respect for you, sir.

Dropped my bike off at the dealer to replace a leaky fork seal just before Thanksgiving, only to find out a couple weeks later they had decided to do the CCT replacement while it was there. They referred to it as a "recall". Funny, because I never got a notice like I did with the shift cam recall. The ETA for the revised CCT kits keeps getting bumped, now looking at beginning of Feb.  Best time of the year to ride here in FL and I'm grounded. Wishing I had gone the APE route when I was considering it awhile back. Sigh.

Yeah, not a recall. Go get the bike, ride it home and install the APE. Your bike, your terms...bug off (st)ealer.

Thanks for the advice, Clint (and Bruce). Thinking I might just go ahead and order that APE unit. "Set it and forget it", as they say.
 

Dropped my bike off at the dealer to replace a leaky fork seal just before Thanksgiving, only to find out a couple weeks later they had decided to do the CCT replacement while it was there. They referred to it as a "recall".
Funny, because I never got a notice like I did with the shift cam recall. The ETA for the revised CCT kits keeps getting bumped, now looking at beginning of Feb.  Best time of the year to ride here in FL and I'm grounded. Wishing I had gone the APE route when I was considering it awhile back. Sigh.

Just passed the one year mark, so I bled the brakes, cleaned the rotors, and decided to install EBC Double-H sintered pads up front. Zip-tied the front lever overnight. After bed-in, the initial bite is improved; better (firmer) feel at lever, so I'm happy with the results. Still considering the R6 master cylinder upgrade, but it can wait.

Hey @smiley , look what I got! Did yours show up yet?This screen seems to be about 30% thicker than the OEM screen, and the lines really compliment the lines of the bike. Can't wait to get some seat time behind it this weekend and check it out.

Very nice! I'm loving mine in the lowest position. 

 
 
Good to hear. Since Ive had the FJ, I don't think I've ridden more than 5 miles with the stock windscreen in any position other than low.

Thanks hawkeye...

Hey @smiley , look what I got! Did yours show up yet?[attachment id=572" thumbnail="1][attachment id=573" thumbnail="1]This screen seems to be about 30% thicker than the OEM screen, and the lines really compliment the lines of the bike. Can't wait to get some seat time behind it this weekend and check it out.[attachment id=574" thumbnail="1][attachment id=575" thumbnail="1]

Thanks hawkeye...

 
No problem. I'm guessing our windshields are in the same batch of shipments that were filled by Givi as my estimated delivery date was Jan.15-Jan.20.

Just got the updated total and paid for mine. And thus begins the waiting....

Hey Hawkeye, did you get yours yet? My estimated delivery date has came and went. Just wondering. It was supposed to be here Jan, 19.

 
 
No, I think the expected delivery date was arbitrary based on when the order was accepted. I got an email from the seller 4 days ago with a tracking number for Spedizione Internazionale espressa. On their website it shows that the package went through the gateway for shipment to the US on Friday. I'm guessing I'll see it at the end of this week if all goes well.