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Satsteve

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Everything posted by Satsteve

  1. I'm looking for some feedback from Power Vision 3 users. I've got a 2019 GT & mostly want to stop that annoying engine braking when rolling off the throttle. This is my first fuel injected bike & that behavior threw me right from the start. I've got three seasons on the bike & I still don't like the roll-off behavior. A little smoother throttle, especially in A would be nice as well. Also the other ECU stuff like turning the fan on at a decent temp would also be good. Maybe other things that I don't know about? I'm a little leery of sending off my ECU cross border & this part of Ontario doesn't have a whole lot of local tuners that can do it. So I'm looking into the DIY route. I've read up on the PV3, I can't see details on the canned tunes that are available, like pipes that are used, etc. I'm also not 100% clear on just what can be fiddled with the desktop software. Also it seems like it has a sort of "learn & re-flash" feature, but description are a little vague on that. I'll also probably put a pipe or slip-on at some point, so it would be nice to be able to re-flash for that. Any usage info you've got for me would be appreciated.
  2. I like the idea of getting a pipe with the cat. The Akro is really nice, but in Canada it's $2.5k taxes in with the cat! Then another $500 for the ECU tune. I'm sure I'd like it, but I can think of a lot I like for $3k.
  3. What about the fuel cut off causing huge engine braking? I've also got the 2019 GT & find the throttle pretty smooth especially in B mode. This is my first fuel injected bike & I find the engine braking is way too much when I roll off the throttle. I'm considering a flash as well & been looking into pipe options, but preferably on the more quiet side.
  4. Extending the riding season with heated chaps & vest. I got the vest in spring, but blew out the 2A fuse by connecting to the left plug. After that I used the direct battery connect cable with 15A fuse that came with the vest. I routed & attached the cable to the left frame tube below the seat. I was first using the vest with a coiled cable & on-off switch. The vest would get too hot, so I kept having to turn it off, then on. This was too fiddly for my liking. I added heated chaps & a dual channel thermostat controller. This setup is very comfortable down to 8° C with the grip heaters at max. I love that autumn riding, no bug smears, clear skies & great fall leaves.
  5. I've never tried the balancing beads. I've used the stick-on weights on a few bikes & never lost one yet. I first clean the spots really well & try to put them on in strips rather than singles, with about half on one side & half on the other. I used to balance with the axle setup between jack stands & that worked pretty good. I noticed there's a center rib on the wheels that would work with clip-on weights, but I never tried those.
  6. I used zip tie method to mount Michelin Road 5 tires. This was my first time using zip ties to mount tires & I am a convert. Front & back tires slipped on without using any tools! So easy! First thing I did was heat up the tires by putting them in the sauna for about 10 minutes. I think heating the rubber helps a lot, they definitely felt more supple. Once heated I put 8 zip ties around the tires, just tight enough to squeeze the beads together. The tires looked like donuts & were not distorted. I used tire mounting lube that I got at Princess Auto; it' a gel consistency & very slippery. With a foam brush I applied the lube to the rim edge & the tire bead. I had my rims mounted on a BikeMaster tire change stand. Then to put the tire on the rim, simply hold one side in the rim's valley then work the other side with both hands; both tires slipped on with very minimal force. Amazing! I also discovered that medium sized zip ties are good enough, just put 2 together to get the length. Once the tire is on, cut 1 zip & reuse the other. I had started with the jumbo sized zips, but ran out after cutting them when I did tire removal. And on tire removal, the best way for me was to put 2-3 zips fairly close together on one side. That held the bead in the valley & made it much easier to pop out the first bead with spoons. Then I cut the zips & got the first bead off, then just spooned off the second bead. I used tire lube & Windex to help the bead slip over the rim. I balanced them on a stand as best I could using stick-on weights. I'm going from Dunlop Roadsport II to Michelin Road 5. The Roadsport's were a big improvement over the stock D222's and I'm hoping the Road 5's are even better.
  7. Great post @foxtrot722 ; it's a perfect reference. Last time I changed tires was about 18 months ago, so this was a great refresher.
  8. Removed Soupy’s lowering links. TLDR; seat is 5 cm higher, bike steers faster. I purchase my 2019 Tracer GT new, but I was a little concerned with the seat height which was quite tall for me. At the dealer’s suggestion I had them install the Soupy’s lowering links & adjustable stand before I picked it up. This definitely made a noticeable difference in seat height, but I didn’t have the before/after feeling since I never rode it at stock height. There have been 2 issues with the lowering links. First thing is that the bike is MUCH harder to put on the center stand; I had to develop a left foot technique that works every time. Second is when 2-up riding the center stand often hits hard on less than perfect roadways. This happens at highway speeds going straight or in curves. This is first bike that’s ever done that to me. When I was younger I would drag pegs & whatever, but that was under control. I never had a bike bottom-out just going over a dip in a straight line. Okay so I’m third season in, pretty comfortable with the bike & tried tuning my stock suspension as best I could. I’m eyeing-up aftermarket shocks. But as a first step I decided to replace the Soupy’s lowering links with the stock Yamaha links. Here’s the wheel lifted with Soupy’s links: Here’s with the stock Yamaha links: Soupy’s link about 5.5 cm on centers: Yamaha stock link about 6.5 cm on centers: The Soupy’s stand, about 5 cm shorter than stock at its longest setting. A few notes on the job: The top link nut is more difficult to get at; I used a 17 mm crowfoot with u-joint to get about 1/8 turn at a time. The bottom nut is easy with the hole in the swing-arm & it’s a 14 mm nut. I wedged the back wheel up with an angled board. I replaced the links doing the bottom bolt first then slowly lowered the wheel by tapping the board with a hammer until the top bolt lined-up. The chain had a bit more slack when done. First ride noticed the steering is faster. I could not flat-foot even when it was lowered & I’m nearly on toes now. I’m used to putting my left foot down flat, slide off left & lean the bike a bit depending on the grade of the road.
  9. I tuned the stock suspension on my 2019 GT. TLDR; cranked up the preload & cranked down the damping - good result. It's my 3rd season with the bike & I never really took the time to try setting it up. I've only played around with the rear shock preload for 2-up riding. Most bikes that I've owned didn't offer a lot of adjustments, so I don't have a lot of experience with suspension tuning. Another issue is that I don't have a garage or help with setting the sag. Anyway despite all of this, it wasn't hard to make considerable improvements. First of all I am mostly a commuter & I do a lot of straight-line running. I'll do moderately curvy roads outside the city; like curves at 60-90 kph with no pegs dragging or hanging off required. When I was young I would hit the curves faster, drag pegs & all that, but not anymore. I did front sag first with the help of a twist-tie to mark the lowest point; basically used standard procedures from online . I've got nobody to hold the bike & measure. So I just did my best to get on lightly, balance with no stand for a moment then get off. I was very surprised to realize that I needed to bump-up the preload to end up with only 2 of the graded lines showing. Wow I started with 16mm now it's down to about 7mm. Sag is 43mm. I weigh about 160lbs; I didn't bother putting my gear on. I did basically the same at the back. To help take measurements on my own, I put the left side pannier into the top box. I used a ruler between the axle ledge on the swing-arm & the edge of the hand rail right above. Again I was surprised that I had to add a lot or preload to get a proper sag. So my end sag was 42mm with the preload on 20 clicks (max is 24). Next damping on the front. I used a mirror set to see the front wheel while sitting on the bike. The stock setting for compression & rebound are both 7 clicks. I got on & hobby-horsed the front & watched the forks slide in the mirror. I noticed it was very hard for me to get much movement. I set them both to 10 clicks (1 is hardest, 11 softest); much easier to compress the forks & they come back up with barely any bounce. The back only offers rebound. Again I found the stock setting at 7 to be very firm, barely moves for me. I softened it to 15 clicks (18 is softest). The test ride was amazing. The forks soaked-up bad pavement like never before; huge improvement. The back shock also gave a much improved ride. I did 100 km on my usual commuter roads & I am very pleased. I'll head to twisties on the weekend to see how that goes.
  10. How hard was it to get those bolts in there? Did you have to do much disassembly of the latch mechanism?
  11. I'm also new to the Tracer & all the new safety gizmos. I at first didn't realize I had to turn off TC at a standstill, also had to RTFM to figure out how to do it! I've found the sweet spot is 6-7K for lifting the front on acceleration only. In 1st or 2nd I'll accelerate to 6K, momentary blip down to load the fork then throttle open & up it goes; I don't even need WOT. In TC1 it cuts the power with a small'ish lift. With no TC I better be covering the rear brake. With the GF onboard it'll do the same in 3rd.
  12. Well my bike is perma-outside... I'd do it if I had a garage. I'm pretty sure I can actually hear it swing down, my passenger says the same. Sounds like "toinnng"! I'm not usually moving that fast when it happens. I'm thinking of giving it a test with the center-stand secured up with a zip-strip.
  13. I'm also getting this on my 2019 GT when I hit a sharp edge, like a badly repaired roadwork asphalt cutout. I'm pretty sure my center-stand swings down causing it to hit the road. I looked at the spring, which is a double spring-in-spring & it seems pretty strong. I have lowering links on mine which reduces the ground clearance. Do you have the same?
  14. Hey thanks! Hope you're enjoying your new bike. I also discovered that the right footwear help quite a bit. I picked-up some boots that have a pretty thick & rugged sole. They have a heel which I'm not used to; I usually ride with flat soles because they don't lock my foot to the pegs. But in this case it's just been a getting used to thing. Another way I've adapted to the Tracer is with a butt shuffle technique. So basically when coming to a stop, I'm always ready to shift my left butt off the seat so I can more easily reach the ground. My right foot is always on the brake when I do this. I keep an eye on the roadway where I might come to a stop. The worst case is when the road slopes to the left making my reach the the ground that much further. If I must stop there, then it's left cheek right off the seat & boot firmly planted while I keep the bike up with as little lean as possible. The other thing I do differently with the Tracer is use my LEFT foot to bring it up on the center-stand. Doing this puts me closer to the passenger hand rail for better leverage with a little up pressure. This technique works every time & it's effortless.
  15. I did the Soupy's lowering links that come with adjustable side stand. I also got Yamaha's lower seat. Here's a tip for center stand: use your LEFT foot to stand on the lever arm, full weight, stand on it. Pull up on the passenger handhold at the same time. No blocks required!
  16. Here's the description of the Yamaha adventure pegs I received: "These foot pegs feature forged aluminum construction for strength and durability, replacing the stock foot pegs." NOPE!!! The pegs I received do not appear to be forged at all. They have all the marks of items that were cast in a mold. So apart from being somewhat beefy, I'm not sure they are more sturdy than any other Chinese castings.
  17. I've had the center-stand swing down & hit the road on hard bumps. Does it for sure if I'm going a little fast over an unexpected bump. I'm 150 lbs & my side cases + top box are usually empty, so I doubt I'm taxing the suspension. The culprit here is probably the lowering links. I noticed when I first got the bike it was particularly difficult for me to get it up on the center-stand. When it is up on a level surface, the back tire is uncommonly high off the ground; way more than other bikes I've had. In fact I had to use the left foot technique to get the bike up, never had to do that before on other bikes. Never the less, having the center-stand swing down at all is a new thing for me. Don't think I recall another bike doing that, certainly not consistently. So I'm wondering if the spring is strong enough to do it's job; there probably shouldn't be any swing-down at all.
  18. Hi I'm Steve. Bit of a long intro here. I've been browsing for a while & posted a few. So here goes... I bought the bike new in January, 2019 GT grey with the white lower fairings. Not bad looking, but I chose the Tracer for the motor. It's my first triple & I love how it delivers that power! This was also my first time buying new. These days I don't have much time to tinker, so I decided to go for something new & reliable. I also decided to try & get a good deal by purchasing at the end of January. I did some research & decided on the Tracer 900 GT. I do most of my riding commuting to work, my round trip is a little over 100 kilometres. My office moved in January, changing my commute route onto side roads instead of highway parking lot. So this triggered my decision to get back to motorbike commuting. I equipped the bike with Yamaha touring windshield, fog-lights, top-box+carrier & got the lower seat. I also opted for Soupy's lowering links with adjustable side-stand as I'm 5'6". Almost forgot, also put on handlebar risers from Motopumps. I also decided to revamp my gear & went the high-vis route. I've been riding for most of my life & never was a fan of the high-vis look, but the last several years of highway commuting in a car changed my mind on that. Everybody is texting, texting, texting! Fender benders & crack-ups are a daily occurrence on my route. I figured better alive than looking cool. Anyway, maybe high-vis is the new cool. Then COVID-19 hit & I've been working from home, so no commuting. I picked up the bike in March & have been pleasure riding when I can steal the time. I'm now up to 3,500 km. A few of my thoughts on the bike: Niggles: Why the heck did Yamaha build the seat so tall? It's not like the ground clearance is amazing. The center-stand sometimes swings down & bashes the road over a bad bump; wondering if there's a fix for that. The stock windshield is not very good, lots of buffeting no matter the height setting. The touring windshield is just about perfect for me at the high setting. The Yamaha slim+low seat helped me in my first few weeks, but now I'm on the stock seat. Comfort on either seat is not exceptional, so I'll look into the gel inserts. The Soupy's adjustable side-stand looks good, but it's already dropped an adjuster screw & got loose. The dealer put in better screws & lock-tight for me. I mount on the left peg, so I'm a little concerned with the durability of the aluminum stand arm. Fog-lights are amazing at night. Headlights are not that straightforward to adjust. Seems like I turn & turn the knobs for little effect. 6th gear whining was a surprise. The forums here set me straight. My chain tension is fine, so it's just a thing with this bike. Might look at gearing change when it's chain replacement time. The pegs are pretty small. I'm replacing with the adventure pegs & ordered passenger pegs from Amazon. The bar buzzes a lot when highway droning. My right hand & brake cover fingers get numb. Never had this with any other bikes. Ordered Grip Puppies & figuring out bar weights or BBs solution. Pluses: The triple!!!! Plenty of power everywhere. Smooth delivery. Throttle modes are a great idea. Wheelie mode, I mean 'A' works great, especially after I figured out I can turn off traction control. Rain 'B' mode is also great for 2-up, don't scare the pants off her riding. Handling is very light, it goes where & when I want. Has a very good center of gravity, inspires confident low speed handling. Heated grips! OMG spring riding was a pleasure with these! Anti-lock brakes & traction control are a first for me. Amazing tech! This stuff works. I'l cut it for now. I can talk bike all day 🙂 Steve
  19. You're right about that! I went down to my Yamaha dealer, but no luck. They said nothing in stock I could use. They ordered one, but it's back ordered, so no delivery date. Anyway for now I pirated a pivot pin from one of my old bikes. I'll put that on a back peg & use the back one on the front left. I'm waiting on passenger pegs I ordered on Amazon which I believe come with pins. So I'll get there one way or another!
  20. I just received the adventure peg kit from Yamaha Canada. Part # BL3-F14D0-V0 This kit does not come with pivot pins. Installation instructions reuse the stock pivot pins. It looks like the springs that come with the kit are not quite right & may need to be modified to fit properly. Does anyone have experience installing this kit on the 2019 Tracer GT? Steve
  21. What is the fit issue on the GT? I've got a 2019 GT & looking for a good riser solution.
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