draco_1967

Thanks, Y'all! @dazzler24 I am finding the Cricut fairly easy to use with vinyl. I prefer a vector design program over their Design Space program, though you have to go through Design Space to send items to the cutter. Its not quite as useful as a 3d printer, but I'm sure I'll enjoy having it when I need custom decals. I bought it used at a significant discount, because I wasn't sure how much I'd actually use it.

The little used Cricut machine I bought is turning out to be a good purchase! I like how this turned out. It was a little tricky figuring out how to do the dual color decal with everything staying parallel, but it worked out. I still need to do the other side. I am curious to see how much lifting I get on the edges of the blocks.

I moved all mine as close to the high end of spec as I could, based on the shims I could order. Rockymountain ATV/MC sells individual shims in .025 increments, which is nicer than ordering a giant set of shims with a bunch of sizes I'd probably never use. Plus I needed 4 in one size, and all the sets I saw had 3 of each size. The cost was $30 shipped to my door. DIYing stuff is fun for me, and I always learn new things. Plus, I am less likely (or at least just as likely) to screw something up as the dealer "techs." I've not had good experiences with dealer service techs...

That does seem to be rare! I just finished mine a few weeks ago, and at 25k miles, all valves were out of spec. Definitely time for a lottery ticket!

Thanks! I am thinking of changing it up to do some Yamaha speedblock in red now that I have a vinyl cutter. I don't know if I have enough white wrap left to fix those panels if removing the current stripe damages it...

She's all back together, and purrs beautifully. I redid the vinyl on the tank, but I don't have enough left to redo the other panels. I think I'll figure out what color I want and just paint everything next year... Time to get out and ride, if this rain/ice/snow stuff ever stops. ...it's ok, we are suffering from a drought...we need it... Nope, still don't like it!

Today, I buttoned up the engine after valve check/adjust. All were out of spec, but now they are happily at the high end of spec. I had a little scare putting the cam caps back on and though the timing was off. Fortunately all was well! I had quite the list of things to do, with just a few left... Done: Brake fluid change Air filter Spark plugs Valve check & adjust Heated grip install Replace coolant To Do: TB sync Change wrap

I just finished my installation as well. I have the bike mostly apart for valves, air filter, etc... So it seemed a good time to finally do this. Thanks, all for the writeup and testing. I am waiting on valve shims, so it will be a little bit before I can test them out. The menu is activated though!

Yes, in Europe, you can buy a fork sensor that pairs with the vest. According to Helite, it cuts detection time in half. And it works at low speeds, where the vest may not on its own. https://en.helite.com/airbag-technologies/electronic-airbag-system/motorcycle-electronic-systems/

I like the eTurtle also. I hope they make the fork sensor available in the US soon. It drastically improves deployment, especially at lower speeds.

That MT-10 motor is sooooo sweet. I was tempted to get one before getting the Tracer, but I knew I would get myself in trouble with it, and/or always have fuel range anxiety.

I like the dash much more. I hope the adaptive cruise doesn't suck. I rented a Camry a couple months ago, and it was awful. A car cutting in front 3-4 car lengths ahead resulted in the car slamming on the brakes on the highway. I have heard the Ducati adaptive cruise is actually very good and smooth. Hopefully Yamaha's is decent (and the adaptive part can be deactivated if desired...). I wish the color options were better. I really don't get Yamaha's fascination with the silver/black/blurple combination. At least it doesn't have orange or teal wheels like some of the MTs.

When I installed the T-stems, I balanced the wheel without the tire. So far, I haven't needed to add weight to my wheels when changing tires. I think only one tire I have put on in the last 6-7 years has had a paint dot on it for the light or heavy spot.

My first bike was an '82 CB650SC...the red-headed stepchild nighthawk, but it sounded so good with that 4-4 exhaust! It started needing a lot maintenance, and parts were scarce, so I upgraded to an '03 Nighthawk 750. I loved that bike, but as usual, I started lusting after other bikes...I wish I still had it. The Targa fairing looked great on it!

I have the T-stems, and I love them. I only have to remove the sensors to change the battery. I can check air pressure with or top off a tire any time.

I did two 750 mile days last week on the stock seat with the seat mod. I still love it!

Perfect! I've been loving my T32s. And I love the AX41s for my ADV bike. I like that Bridgestone seems to do rebates 2x per year. They line up nicely with when I need to replace tires for one or both bikes...

The Klim airbag vest is user-resettable with replacement cartridges. You can buy it outright, or pay a low cost + monthly subscription. I don't like the idea of having it under my gear, because I don't always have the same gear on. Throwing something over the gear is much easier for me. The Helite eTurtle is untethered, and has an optional fork-mounted sensor to improve deployment speed in certain scenarios. Unfortunately, the eTurtle isn't in the US yet. I keep hearing the dates pushed back for the US launch. Several have purchased eTurtles from European vendors and had them shipped to the US. A far as I know, no planes have crashed as a result The only issue there is, there is no warranty support for a non-US vest.

MC Cruise is an awesome company. I installed it on my 2019 Tracer (non-GT). Although the installation is complicated, the instructions are very clear, with great pictures and explanations. It does take time. I am pretty mechanically and electrically inclined, and it took me 4 hours total to disassemble the bike (body panels and tank removed), install the system, do initial system diagnostics, and button up. I had an issue being (I think) the first 2019 bike. Yamaha changed the ECU enough that the 2015-2017 control module from MCC is not compatible. I talked with them on the phone (they called me on their dime!), and they shipped out an updated control module that worked with my 2019 bike. The owners, Frank and Tony, are awesome guys, and their customer service is top-notch. I bought an '07 FJR with an MC Cruise installed, and they helped me troubleshoot an issue I was having, even though I hadn't spent a dime on their product. I was happy to spend a bit to get their product and support for the Tracer. FYI, the MCC on a bike with modern electronics (including throttle-by-wire) is much easier to install than one without. The FJR had a vacuum canister and servo motor to control the throttle, and a magnetic speed sensor. The Tracer is all plug-n-play, with only the control unit computer to install. My buddies want cruise on their Honda VTXs, but there isn't a lot of space to stick the vacuum canister and servo on those bikes...

Figure out what size you will need first. The bags I like are the kind that have the roll closure that open on the top, not the end. Some of the bags that are marketed as "waterproof" but have a zipper opening will not be waterproof in a heavy rain. The roll-closure type will be. I have a few different bags, ranging from 20L to 40L. My first bag was 70L, and was just way too big. Here is the 70L: Here is a 40L zip closure...not waterproof, but the size is good for me: This is a 20L bag:

I've been getting the Tracer ready for a trip to the Black Hills area of South Dakota. Fresh oil, new tires, and bags packed! Now I need to wait until Thursday morning

When splicing the 4 wires together (1 from the bike plug, 1 from the tail light, 1 from left signal, 1 from right signal, you can either use a quality connector or solder them together. Make sure you use good technique, whichever you do. You don't want those connections failing. I used one of these bullet connectors:

The turn signal relay is under the seat, I think along the right frame rail if I recall. Here is a quick and dirty sketch of the wiring diagram. This diagram shows the running light wire spliced together for the turn signals, but it could be done for brake light as well. It would depend on how you want them to function.

The flasher relay just plugs in where the existing flasher relay is. It keeps the LEDs from flashing too fast. I don't know about the colors for your year, but a wiring diagram should be easy to find. The rear has two wires that are constantly on with the key: the running light and the license plate light. Either could be used to power the running lights on the turn signals.

That's a little nuts. The first street bike I rode was my newphew's (my much older brother's kid, only a few years younger than I) clapped out '83 Nighthawk 650. I loved it so much, I hunted down something similar. I ended up with an '82, which is a completely different bike (chain, SOHC, etc.), but it had a round headlight and 4-4 exhaust. It sounded brilliant screaming at 9k rpm, even if it wasn't going fast. I really wish I would have picked up a 700SC instead. The only other bike I want more is a ZRX1100/1200 🥺