SKYFLIX

Great find. Thank you. They have them.

But I don't know if I need the L, S or SS sizes for the plugs. So I think I'm just gonna solder everything up and call it a day. Probably easier than crimping 26 connectors anyway. LOL.

I found out what it is. It's a Sumimoto TS-series sealed 13-way connector 6189-1092(F) and 6188-4914 (M) . Unfortunately it looks like this connector isn't readily available stateside with the terminals and plugs, etc. So it looks like I'll be breaking out the old soldering iron.

I'm installing an STS safe turn system in my Tracer. I can't bring myself to hack up the factory harness though, so I'd like to make my own plug-and-play harness. I need help identifying this connector so I can order a male and a female and the terminals and seals. I've ordered from cycleterminal in the past for the MT .090 connectors, but I can't seem to find this one on their site. Any help would be greatly appreciated. BTW, if anyone is interested what the inside of the GT switch gear looks like, enjoy. LOL

Any additional gear that one would mount there doesn't compare in the slightest to the forces being applied by the screen itself.

I put about 800 miles on my new GT before swapping out the shock for a Penske. Would I love to get some money back by selling my GT shock? Absolutely. Would I ever do anyone a disservice by suggesting they replace their shock with this one? Not a chance. Honestly, don't even consider it. Just my $0.02. I'm keeping it just so I can put it back on the bike when and if I ever sell it.

Definitely not with Ivan's.

55 minutes ago, quaxum said:

Has anyone adjusted the gear lever position?

Is it possible to adjust since the GT comes with a quickshifter installed?

Has anyone done it yet?

Looking to adjust the gear shifter lever lower by a tad bit.

Easy peasy. I lowered mine down as soon as I got it home.

Indeed. I went with the 8983 as well. Other than mounting the remote reservoir, the installation was a breeze. Removing the gas tank wasn't nearly as involved as I initially thought it was going to be. Mine was setup spot on by Traxxion. Haven't adjusted it at all. I did the AK20 cartridge installs a few weeks prior, and if I'm honest I didn't find that as much of an upgrade over the stock GT KYB gear. But the rear? Absolutely a great investment.

How is your remote reservoir mounted? I couldn't do anything at all with the z bracket provided by Penske, and ended up using the stock preload bracket and a piece of aluminum.

If I may be so bold, I believe you're leaving off a very good option for a "single" bike, and that's the latest generation Gold Wing. Of course, I'm a bit biased myself, owning both the Tracer and the 'Wing. But it checks all your criteria. Good Wind Protection, Shaft drive, more than 2 cylinders (no finer engine than a Flat-6), DCT transmission should you choose (I did, and LOVE it). 2018, non-tour model DCT 'wings are going for less than 19k now, NEW. And I'm certain you could get used models for even cheaper.

The one thing to watch for when purchasing turn signals from other parts of the world is how many wires it uses. US bikes use a third wire for daytime running lamp on the front signals, whereas EURO bikes only use two wires. I don't know what all local laws are with regards to DRL on motorcycles (my state has no such requirement), but it might be a requirement in your area. I know every motorcycle I've purchased in the last 10 years has had it.

No issues here with my MX+. Perhaps a bad cable? Have you had your ECU flashed? FWIW, I'm on a 2020 GT.

@mbassani, how do you feel about the GIVI side mounts? I've been thinking about putting a pair of 36L on my bike to complement my 46L top box. Do the racks feel pretty solid?

@texscottyd Indeed, both of them have been DCT. I was initially going to get the manual, but I read where the DCT's were outselling the manual something like 10-to-1. I'm glad I made that decision. It takes some getting used to; you have to drag the rear brake in low speed maneuvering since you can't feather the clutch. But it's just so effortless otherwise.

4 minutes ago, keithu said:

I guess I should stop complaining that it takes nearly an hour to remove the FJ-09 tank. 😆

Interesting comment about the wheels. I was under the impression that removing the rear wheel was a huge PITA on older Gold Wings. Do the saddlebags come off easily for that?

I was really surprised by your comments about the Gold Wing luggage.

 

No need to pull off the saddle bags. It slides right out the rear with the removal of only a tail bracket, and a piece of the left exhaust shield. I can have it off in less than 5 minutes.

35 minutes ago, texscottyd said:

@SKYFLIX - Thanks for the insight on the Africa Twin.   Since you’re in the bike review business now, what are your thoughts on the new Gold Wing?   I test rode one briefly, and I was impressed with the ‘leaner & meaner’ feeling of this new generation.   I think I liked it, but curious what it’s like to live with for an extended period.    Thanks in advance! 

Oh boy. Where do I even begin other than to say the current generation Gold Wing is the finest motorcycle I've ever owned. I will NEVER replace it. I can't give it higher praise than that. It's not without it's flaws, but IMHO, it's about as close to a perfect motorcycle as can be for me. I put just over 14k miles on my '18 bagger before realizing that I needed the trunk and trading it for the 2020 Tour model. Perhaps it would be helpful if I compared it to our triples.. The Yamaha is faster, lighter, has better lean, and overall a much more spirited bike to ride. And believe it or not can carry more cargo when equipped with better luggage. The stock saddle bags on the Tracer are more useful than the ones on the Gold Wing, and my GIVI Top Box is more useful than the trunk on the Gold Wing. BUT, and this is a HUGE BUT (giggity), I would choose the Wing over the Tracer for any trip longer than about 200 miles. It is immensely more comfortable, and smooth as silk no matter how fast you're going. You just can't beat a flat-6.

There are really just a few flaws that come to mind. The Seat: It's adequate only for about an hour to hour and a half of riding. I now have an aftermarket Ultimate seat. Luggage: it's a good deal smaller than previous generations, and you got what you got. There is NO replacing it for something else. But that being said, it's enough for a 4-5 day trip for me. Tupperware: My goodness is this bike a PITA to work on. You can have the fuel tank off of the Yamaha in under an hour. The Gold Wing? Hah! Better part of an afternoon (or weekend! for the first time you do it), and better not lose the 100 or so screws and plastic pushpins. Normal maintenance is easier, however. No chain maintenance, of course, and the oil changes are as simple as any other bike. Easy to get the wheels off, too.

Having both bikes is the perfect combination. (And now I have Android Auto on the 'Wing. Yeah!)

1 hour ago, betoney said:

I like those 2018 red/maroon Honda's.  I have been considering a possible future adventure touring bike, how did you like the Africa Twin? 

Meh, I guess it was OK. Allow me to explain. You'll notice there's an 10 year gap in the years of my bikes. That's because I stopped riding after my youngest was born. Only got going again about three years ago with the Africa Twin. I misspoke about the year. That was actually a 2017 AT with Honda's dual clutch automatic. I was a little nervous about my clutch ability, but wanted to get riding again so I went with one of the few bikes that served an "all-around" need: commuting, sportiness, adventure, etc. I loved it at first, but once I got my groove back, I quickly realized how inadequate it really is. It's FAR down on power compared to similar displacement adventure touring rides, and the front dove like Greg Louganis at the '88 Olympics. But I can say one thing very positive about it. It was immensely comfortable for me. Like all adventure bikes, it's tall, but at 6'3" and a 34" inseam, I could flat foot it without issue. TBH, now that the T7 is starting to roll into the states, I wouldn't give the Africa Twin another thought.

All of my bikes to date, in order:

2007 FJR1300
2007 Burgman 650 (initially for the Mrs, but I loved it too)
2018 Africa Twin
2018 Gold Wing
2020 Gold Wing Tour
2020 Tracer GT

My back hasn't allowed me to throw my leg over in almost 2 years. I actually mount from the right side. Right foot on the peg and step through. Only way I can get on the darned thing. My first ride with the pole showed that a friction fit for the two halves isn't sufficient. The pole separated and the only thing holding the camera on was the USB extension. Phew! Close call. So now I've pinned the two halves with a set screw. I'll upload a quick sample to youtube and share the link tomorrow.

#UPDATE: Here's a video:

I'm not sure if this is really in line with the theme of this thread, but since I installed it ON the bike, then I figured I'd share. I wanted a secure way to mount my 360 camera which would give a nice view all around - front, rear and sides. Not only for aesthetics and artistic reasons, but also to serve as a sort of "dashcam". The only way to do that was to get it up high enough. I tried using the Insta360 collapsible stick, but it did a better job of collapsing than being a stick. So, I came up with this solution. A 1" thin walled PVC pipe is mounted to my givi top box using conduit straps, bolts and some silicone sealant. To which is inserted a two-part pole made of 3/4" and 1/2" pvc, joined in the middle with a simple coupler (not glued). The top of the pole has a threaded plug which I've slotted to allow a USB cable to run down the entire length of the pole, and out the bottom. This then runs to an SAE USB power plug under the seat. This allows me to keep the camera powered and recording for FAR longer than the built-in battery could ever hope to. The whole assembly breaks down and can be stored in the top box. With some simple PVC pipe fabrication, the camera could be mounted off to the side, or down low. Really just as creative as you want to get.

This is how tight I have mine. I've never had one pull through.

A 10Ah, 360 cranking amp lithium battery weighs a touch over 1Kg (about 2.3lbs). Compare that to a traditional SLA which is almost 3Kg (roughly 6 lbs). So the weight saving is not insignificant, and as other have touched on, if your climate allows for it, it can be a nice alternative. But would I be willing to drop THAT kind of coin to save 4 lbs? Not likely. Fortnine did an excellent comparison of SLA, GEL and Lithium. You owe it to yourself to check that video out.

Yeah, that's what it was. You didn't have them tight enough. I don't know why Madstad is so adamant about over tightening them. Make sure you tighten them enough to "crush" the rubber, so they won't pull through. I'm sorry to hear about your problems. I've had three different Madstads and I never had the brackets assembled backward. Somebody must have been having a bad day when they built yours. My adjustment knobs have worked loose on the Tracer, too. Like you, once I found where I wanted them to be, a little touch of blue threadlocker solved it. Also don't forget to tighten the lower nuts on each side, too. This will significantly stiffen up the assembly.

Sweet mother of tarmac....My goodness it that rear axle nut on TIGHT from the factory (dealer?). I went to install my new Gilles adjusters and axle nut and it took darn near 15 minutes of wrenching, pleading, praying and cursing to get that blasted nut off. Even my 1/2" impact wrench at 90psi couldn't get that thing off. Took several rounds of penetrating fluid, a breaker bar, and an, uh, "extension". There's no way in H.E double hockey stick that thing was torqued down right. At any rate, I finally prevailed and was able to get my new bling on. People were right. These 2020s need a bit of gold. Oh, and before you say anything, I took this picture before I tightened or torqued down anything, so I'm perfectly aware the nut isn't tightened up to the swingarm. I put a big "NO" stickie on the dash to remind me not to go anywhere until I'm done. But it's blasted HOT out there today in SC.

I've got a CAD of the GT seat block if anyone has access to a 3D printer and would like to print one. I don't know if it applies to the FJ-09, though.