thewrenchbender

Thanks for sharing the pics/info. I’ve got an ‘08 R1 down the road that needs the flywheel changed, forks refreshed-told the owner I would really like to have their center maint stand on hand before I dug in…

Got new Mutant shoes and Evotech axle bobbins fitted.

Over the winter added Heed bunker bars.

Looking forward to trying the tires. Were sorta like Warchilds paddock hooks-because I wanted them…

pix in pix

4 minutes ago, Jfundo said:

I can't tell if that color is horrendously ugly or awesomely ugly.  Either way, rock on. 

With regard to the original Copper Red I 100% agree, the almost red and the fact that it wasn’t an FJR is the only thing I couldn’t get around. 
 

was actually a little pumped to get back to a chain tho. 

I hope I like them-too late now…

Just got new tires and axle “bobbins” installed. Been parked since last spring. Have throttle arm/shoulder issues and keep getting older. Also added flo yellow/green aerosol dip, Heed bars & Evo sliders, when (not if) I drop it again just gonna pick it up and ride on…

5 hours ago, kilo3 said:

Just an option, I have no qualms with the current thumbwheel 🤷‍♂️

The main issue I have with it is that the extremely similar “menu” functions (plus windshield height) were provided with the exact switchgear present on the LH grip on my ‘15 FJR-and was accomplished effortlessly.

I am not comfortable using my right thumb to manipulate a marginal (at best) interface. It did get a lot easier after I looked at the pic of the internals and saw exactly which direction to shove the wheel to “click” it-but is still too complicated to manipulate on the fly for me…

3 hours ago, st1100pilot said:

Sounds to me as if that would complicate things.  You'd still be adding a switch (except now you'd need a DPDT?) and would be cutting into two circuits instead of one.

You wanna get really complicated, swap the switching harness side-to-side. So the wheel/click does throttle mode & ABS mode and the toggle & switch do menu select and scroll-which is how the menus/switchgear work on an FJR.

I very seldom (never) change the throttle mode/ABS mode…

On 9/16/2021 at 11:21 AM, peteinpa said:

Got mine too, except mine is on a metal plate back ground.

Oooo that evil mercury...  Can't let the public have anything dangerous today.

I'll keep my plugs in for at least 16K miles.  When in there for the valves I'll change them then.

If memory serves my 83 650 Nighthawk wanted new plugs every 4k miles. 😵

Zero clue how a modern COP bike works, but old school bike plugs sparked every crank rotation-erosion wear would be sorta similar to 2x car plugs for the same miles.

My first Grand Marquis had coil blocks, 2 plugs fired ground-to-center 2 fired center-to-ground…

Would like to tell ya I’ve never played with mercury-can say with confidence I’ve never had the urge to ingest it.

38 minutes ago, Warchild said:

All true enough... had just forgotten that the 8K maint has the more tasks involved. Since I am confident my ancient mercury sticks were lost long ago, gotta wait for the new CarbTune to arrive anyway, before I start yanking panels. We'll ride the bike till then.

 

 

Still have the budget set I got in the mid-80’s. Piece of fiberboard, four glass tubes stuck in a plastic reservoir w/an o-ring around the top holding it all together…

37 minutes ago, texscottyd said:

Be careful… these jealous CP3s can become sneaky and vengeful.  Every time I leave my FJ in the shop unattended with my Aprilia, something ends up mysteriously broken or inoperable on the Italian mistress.   I’m thinking a Dateline episode may be in the near future:  The Curious Case of the Murdered Mille is the current working title.  

Of course it can’t POSSIBLY be that a 20 year old Italian sport bike is just inherently volatile and unreliable…  😉

Heh. Already had a buddy tell me that if I find the SMAX tipped over, well…what did ya think was gonna happen?

with its new garage mate. ‘06 Vino got recently swapped for a ‘15 SMAX w/1400 miles on it.

26 minutes ago, Wintersdark said:

I've found MUCH better results from just lubing, never cleaning.  The closest to cleaning I ever get is to just run a rag over the side plates to buff them up.  

The theory is that when you're cleaning - particularly with something like WD40 - is that it penetrates and de-lubes the o-rings.  WD40 in and of itself is an extremely bad lubricant; it's immediately slippery, but quickly dries to be sticky.  But it penetrates and removes grease and oil extremely quickly.  And that's exactly what you don't want to do with a chain.  Add lubricant, wipe off the outside surface to look nice if you like, and you're golden. 

Lube keeps it clean anyways.

Don’t know squat about o-ring chains, is my first non-shafty since the 80s. 

Day job has been wrenching on things with wings for coming up on 38 years. 

Based on these other experiences however, me wiping the crud off my chain with generic mineral spirits on a rag followed by applying chain wax and turning the wheel to get it distributed should really not affect much…

Am just over 7k miles on my ‘20. Saw my first black tail hanging out @ 7k..mineral spirits and chain wax every 500-ish…

My scooter fleet just lost one of the Vino’s and gained a ‘15 Smax.

Was struggling for a reflective graphic-ended up with this (same 3M black/lights up white)…

27 minutes ago, rlambke19 said:

The available accessories in Europe is incredible. I use the term "available" loosely as a lot is on Covid back order etc.

Currently we can't even order the saddle bag/pannier liners. 😞

Rob

 

Was showing a bike brother the euro version of the MamaYama online accessory “showroom” last summer after I got my Tracer goo…

AIS typically allows ambient air from the airbox into the exhaust before it exits the head. On the FJR is a reed-type valve that lets the air enter into the port on the head when the AIS valve is commanded open.

As others have stated-if you love the pops, throw on an exhaust and you will be in your happy place.

I did a plate/delete on my FJR ‘cause with Yosh slip-ons was too much popping for me-still pops with an AIS delete, just not as much…

Hope this helps. 

9 hours ago, BBB said:

I’ve had it a few times and it has been when I haven’t fastened my cuff straps tight enough. Air flows up the sleeves, but not enough for my arms to feel particularly cold, then gets trapped in the jacket and it inflates. Keeping the front vent flaps closed, but opening the rear vents works but it feels cold. The only solution I’ve found is to ensure the jacket is tight at your wrists or wear longer gloves that come over the cuff.

Figured out not too long after I got my Tracer GOO GT that the handguards put the airflow straight up my sleeves. This time of year I appreciate it. Early Spring & late fall (and moderate winter) the handguard extensions I mount take care of that little issue.

Imma skinny dude relatively and as others have posted on any bike if leaned forward a loose jacket balloons horribly on my back. So I don’t wear loose jackets…

Gilles Tooling fit perfectly/are also available through various means as the OEM upgrade lever under a MamaYama part #.

However, if you want the levers engaging just off the grips, the GT ones are out some even adjusted all the way “in”…

On 7/1/2021 at 5:46 PM, Wintersdark said:

I've often considered doing this, but never really gotten around to it.  IIRC the APS thread is about an FJ, though, right?  Different fueling, and no slipper clutch?  

This was my experience as well.  It kind of annoys me to have to do mental math to figure out air temp, but it was WAY cheaper and easier than a flash. 

I only VERY rarely use b-mode; typically just when I'm riding in actual snow.  Otherwise, my bike is in A mode virtually all the time.  And this ends up happening to me when I do - I'll forget it's in B mode, then get out riding and... Oh god, what's wrong with my bike?  ~panic till I realize it's in B mode~

  

B is fine if you're keeping it at high RPM's through the twisties, but if you end up slowing a bit too much in a corner, then it'll restrict the throttle a lot until the RPM's raise again, and that (to me) is a god-awful feeling.  Even around 4-5krpm, there is a *TREMENDOUS* difference to how much power you can put to the wheels between A and B mode.  

B doesn't restrict max power, but it DOES restrict max throttle on a curve by RPM.  There's no HP difference at peak HP/RPM, but there's a HUGE HP difference at lower RPM. 

To each their own, of course, and it's definitely something you can work around either way to not have an issue with it not being smooth in A mode, or with getting gimpy-restricted-throttle in B.   Just what works for you.

Personally, though, I absolutely hate what B mode does to launches.  *Hate* it.  

I only use B when I’m riding 2-up, typically over a weekend.

My Monday commute starts with pulling out from an intersection on a semi-limited access divided highway.

If I’ve forgotten and left it in B-at WFO throttle am like W-T-F?!!

Was messing with the traction control setting once for the helluvit. Following Monday morning trying to figure out why it’s chopping the power right about the time I am getting the best part…

13 hours ago, j-bone said:

I also believe this is attributed to the handguards. I don't necessarily feel a wobble as much as a single skew of the handlebars because if a blast of wind on a handguard. 

I could see it manifesting as wobbles if someone was holding the bars for dear life, I haven't felt that sensation, only a single little blip in the bars that is immediately self-corrected. 

If you don’t have it-you don’t have it. And if you do (and did riding it home from the dealership) then you do something about it.

It’s still there with the stabilizer but only get the extreme edges of the periodic oscillation…and only then over 100…goes away if I climb up on the tank, just like it did without the stab. 

You’ve got a water temp gage, if it seems to be an issue-yank it back out. Only time my water cooled Mamayamas run hot is with no airflow (in town), then the fan kicks on and it’s all better…

Cycle Terminal or Eastern Beaver have 99% of the connectors & pins. 

15 minutes ago, Skidood said:

How could an aircraft shop use the wrong oil?  THAT seems scary....

Short version is each engine holds 9 gallons and less than a gallon an hour is “acceptable”. And I may have mentioned to management several times that the only issue was gonna be line service dumping the wrong oil in the wrong engine (some planes were split left/right)...

On 4/29/2021 at 10:25 AM, skipperT said:

.... you’ve never seen the screens on a KTM or Husky have you? You would freak...

-Skip 

Or the screens on a “modern” Lycoming or Continental GA engine...think the worst I’ve ever seen were R-985s that had been running “non-detergent” oil that were accidentally serviced with “detergent” oil-they would collapse and have to be levered out of the housing...

My nearly new (<400 miles) FJR oil and final drive changes did have me wondering...but after the first couple, and doing periodic oil analysis, Blackstone Laboratories assured me that everything was just fine.

I’m 190ish dressed and used Dave Moss’s settings on my ‘20. Not gonna post them/links because I’m not a subscriber. Hint the rear spring needs to be almost buried on the “high” side.

Only thing I did different was dropped the front (raised the fork tubes) a little more than he did because I have to ride “straight up” due to physical limitations and the front ends up waaaay too light.

Tracer Goo GT is my first upside-down fork bike, previous bike adjustments consisted of rider sag and fine-tuning damping using my tire wear.

What I am learning is that stock suspensions like these are often too harsh and un-responsive, only solution is to spend $$$ to upgrade or run them “loose” so you don’t get beat to death riding on real roads/streets...and if you are a big boy (or girl) you are gonna have to do springs or you’ll never be happy/comfortable.  

Hope this helps.

Mark