pilninggas

Yep, used the original screws - i just removed them and used that to find out how much thread there was to play with. The brackets are spaced off by 5mm so nothing rubs. The mirrors are unaffected and dont vibrate more. I am not totally sold on the colour - but i bought it second hand and it was hobson's choice. This sort of flat primer grey (gray for you colonials) is one of those colours (colors!) that Volkswagen Audi seem to have pioneered and it's now very fashionable. I do filter on mine - every done it on the Motorway at speed - it's interesting...

thanks for this. if i am honest i dont want to order anything from the US during this pandemic. It may well get delayed on route - particularly here in the UK if they decide i needs to have duties paid. im probably going to make some cones or centre plates to support the wheels.

Funny that you should post this, as i was thinking that i will need to machine a plate/special cone for balancing the front wheels. I am an engineering teacher so have access to the kit needed to make one. I really want to ditch those hard A41 Bridgestones, they ruin the handling. Regarding jacking, im gonna fab up a frame up that will lift using the engine bars. just some mild steel box welded up.

The Yamaha cradle for lifting the front end is a listed special tool. I'm sure if they sell them, then they will have it for doing tyre changes. I couldn't justify it for my own tyre changes and services (i service myself and have a shared ownership of a tyre machine which is kept in my workshop). I do have engine bars, so might fab-up something in mild steel that can transfer weight from them to the jack head.

just make sure they are H or V rated so good for the top speed of the Niken. thought id had that i have the Gt model, which has a centrestand (mainstand) - i assume the North America model has one also. Having the bike on the centrestand with a jack on under the downpipes or similar seems reasonable, but i wouldnt be considering it if the rear was on something like a paddock stand (i tried my oxford paddock stand on mine, out of interest, the niken started to bend it!)

The LED lights use 250mA each (i measured this) so they are run from the same circuit as the auxilliary plug. The cables are run as hidden as i could be, with the junction under the 'nose' shroud.

I also have a second high-mount tail brake light, as the first long day i did (a 500 miler), was with a mate on his Strom 1000 and he remarked that as we rode back to Wales that tail lights are quite small and quite hard to see in dusk/twilight.

I'll probably knock up a plywood cradle that sits on the jack. I do have an electric hoist, so could use that to lift the front. Using the downpipes to lift the front or lifting by other ways should be fine. The actual weight of the front end is about 160kg, so not a huge amount. Im in the UK. The Niken is limited to 130mph, so i will get 120/70 15 56H tyres and likely Michelin Pilots (about £75 each) - these are way stickier than the rubbish it comes with. Will also put the same make on the back - the OEM rear is also naff.

Driving lights. Switch Engine Bars (MT09 bars)

I've just joined and have Niken GT. I've got SW Motech engine bars (technically mine are for an MT09, I got them cheap £55 and just made up spacers and got bolts). My daily driver (an NC700) has driving lights on the engine bars, but on the Niken it would have been even wider (and I do filter on it). As said they cant be mounted on the fork tubes due to the likely collision with bodywork or the mechanism. So I mounted some small lights on the mirror mounts. Pretty happy with it.

I plan to put some Michelin Pilot Road or Sport on mine (the OE tyre is rock hard and slides too easily - their crap). I'm just gonna put it on the centre stand and jack up using the downpipes. As long as the wheel bolts are loosened a little whilst on the floor I dont see a problem with this approach, as although the front end is heavy, jacking is not a dynamic load.

Hi, New member in the UK. Bought a Niken GT a few months ago. This is my 11th Yamaha. It's certainly different and a whole lot of fun.