draco_1967

Honestly, I haven't balanced my new tires in a few years. I balanced my wheels when I added T-valve stems and TPMS sensors, but that's it. I haven't noticed any issues with vibrations as a result. Ultimately, heat, lube, and technique are all important to a successful tire-changing session. (insert crude jokes here 😂)

That's interesting. I just had the opposite problem. I was removing a Dunlop RS2 rear that was stupid stiff. It took about an hour to get that beast off. The new Bridgstone T32 went on like butter. I need to pick up some beat helper tools, like this one, to keep the bead in the drop center. On the rear, it is much harder to do with those wide tires.

It becomes a lot more useful out West, where you can go hundreds of miles without traffic issues, cruising along at 80+mph for hours at a time. It's not fun riding, but sometimes necessary to get to the good stuff out here.

Thanks! Yes, the engine produces a lovely music. It definitely isn't a sleeper when running. You can tell there are a few extra ponies under the hood!

Thanks! I bought some Ammo Frothe waterless wash. We are going to be hit with some heavy water restrictions this year, so waterless will be the way for a while. I really like how it works, and it makes the garage smell pretty 😄 I mounted the new tires yesterday - Bridgestone T32s. The old Dunlop RS2 rear was a beast to get off. I did get 12k miles out of the RS2s, which is a record for me. Usually my tires are toast after 8-9k miles. The Mustang is a '67 fastback GT with an all aluminum 427 stroked to 482. My dad and I bought it in 2001, when I was in high school, and we started working on it together. Then I went off to college, and it sat for a lot of years. He sent it off to a shop in Carlsbad, CA, called AVS Fabrication. The owner, Al, is a freaking artist! The car looks better than new, and drives wonderfully with the new suspension, brakes, and mods.

I put the Tracer ip on the lift to pull the wheels for new rubber, and to give the bottom half a good scrubbing. It was pretty scuzzy!

I would still be using T6 if I could find any. It has become very hard to find anywhere. Fortunately, I still have 3 gallons, which should get me through the next year of riding between two bikes.

Based on my experience with a Trailtech Vapor on a project bike I have, I would not want to have to do the same to my Tracer (non-GT, so same setup as the FJ). I don't think any of the aftermarket clocks are going to be able to read the speed, tach, etc. information from the ECU. It will require a lot of wiring work, plus some additional sensors for temp, speed, and RMP for the replacement unit. I would save up for a stock replacement or just live with the current setup if I were in the same position. The nice thing about the Trailtech, is I was able to adjust the odometer to reflect the bikes actual miles. I do like the Trailtech for the application I am using it for, but it was a complex setup.

I did this on my FJR also. I was able to swap around many of the shims to get the proper clearance, but I needed to sand 3 of them to get the right clearance. And I second the recommendation for a decent micrometer. Calipers aren't going to be accurate enough.

All of those bolts should be the same between the MT09 and the Tracer.

I bought a set of the Tenere pegs on fleabay, and they require a little modification to fit. They are ~2mm wider than the Tracer's foot peg mount, so a little grinding to remove the material made them fit. The torsion springs need to be bent and trimmed a bit to work as well. For the cost, those AliExpress pegs look like a good option.

Nice! Yeah the RS3 is a stiff tire! The last one I installed received much cursing 🤬

The aftermarket shocks don't list a separate option for 19+ Tracers vs. 15-17 FJ-09 (or the MT-09, XSR), so I would assume the linkage distances are the same. I think they just added length to the wheel end of the swingarm.

I bet some Airtech fiberglass could be fitted with some work...

I have those same signals. They are decently bright, and I'm happy with them. Ditch the resistors and get an LED flasher instead (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073J82PNF/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1). That will save you wiring work and time. To wire mine in, I bought some Yamaha connectors from cycleterminal.com and put them on the new blinkers (following the wiring diagram, especially for the front). In the rear, I made a sub-harness, that plugs into the stock blinkers and tail light plugs. Then the new blinkers plug into that harness (along with my flashing brake light on the license plate frame). So it goes: stock plugs -> new harness -> new blinkers + tail light + 3rd brake light. It would be easy to unplug everything and return it to stock condition.

As long as the oil meets the proper JASO MA/MA2 label, and it meets the proper weight specs, you can use whatever oil you want. The main issue is the additives in auto oils to reduce friction will cause issues with the clutch plates in a motorcycle engine. JASO oils don't have these additives. Unfortunately, like most other motorcycle things, companies charge more just because it is for motorcycles. I have been using Shell Rotella T6 (synthetic) in my bikes for several years, and 10's of thousands of miles with no adverse affects. The main issue is the additives in auto oils to reduce friction will cause issues with the clutch plates in a motorcycle engine. Sometimes O'reily, Pep Boys, etc. have Castrol brand motorcycle oil that is reasonably priced.

I installed that rack on mine in September. It is a royal PITA to install. I used a steel punch (similar to this) in the security lock hole on the passenger peg mount to pry the quick connect into place. These racks are in no way quick install or release! I did find that having them installed for a while seemed to make it easier to remove and install them, but I still have to use the punch to convince that mount into place.

That's a good looking machine. This has me contemplating if I should modify my Harbor Freight changer to be more like this, or just buy this and sell the HF... I just finished a welding class, so I'm leaning toward modifying just for the experience.

You have to remove the whole black panel. The silver pieces are attached to the black with little washers with teeth on them that are pressed onto plastic posts. Use a small screwdriver to gently pry the washers up off the post to remove them.

The only way to adjust the flow on the Nemo and clones is to use heavier oil. It wasn't worth it to me to play around with something that has a marginal benefit at best. I know a lot of people complain about chain maintenance, but with a modern X-ring chain, a little lube every 500-1000 miles is plenty to keep the rust on the plates away. I guess I'm too cheap to spend more than $35 on an auto oiler, when oiling the chain is a simple, quick job that gives me time to inspect the condition of the chain, sprockets, wheel, and swingarm.

Yeah, I tried an oil (Nemo knockoff) after my OEM chain went to crap at 12k miles. I ripped the oiler off after a couple thousand miles. I couldn't stand all the mess on the wheel and bike. Some of the oil was creeping onto the tire tread, and it affected my confidence in turns. It takes me 3-5 minutes to brush some Chain Saver on (less messy than spraying - I spray it into a cup, and use a cheap chip brush to apply it to the chain) when I feel like it, or when it gets dirty/salty.

That rattling is the normal clutch sound. My Tracer has it, and my FJR before it had it as well. I just keep the clutch in and bike in gear at stop lights (mostly for safety, but also to avoid that noise)

It's funny how different parallel twins can feel. I have ridden an NC700X, own a Ninja 650R, ridden an MT07 and a Super Tenere. The NC and Tenere are both very linear, unexciting engines. The 650R and MT07 like to rev and add some spunk to the ride when in the upper RPM range. I haven't ridden the AT yet, but I imagine it isn't far off from the Super Tenere in that "tractor" feel. I will stick with the Tracer triple for now

Not in the US. It is in a lot of places, but we 'Murricans like to live dangerously! 😄 The bike has ABS, just not lean-sensitive ABS. So, much like the Tracer/FJ, it's just the basic ABS/TC.

I have the SWM rack, and run a Givi topcase. SWM sell adapter kits for several different manufactures. I also prefer their hardware to Givi's.