TomTracer

How many of us follow that schedule on cars? Most I'd guess are more anal about our bikes.

Jusr asking in case there is a problem. I do the slow fill as betoney did, no problem. My dl650 Wee Strom, with fully mt coolant system was a pita. And burp burp was necessary. 

No "burping" of the radiator required? That is always a pita.

On 1/31/2023 at 6:56 AM, johnmark101 said:

Add the fuel stabilizer, for peace of mind if nothing else.  It will do absolutely no harm and will ensure the fuel is good come riding season.  I have been doing this for decades.  It does not degrade the fuel in any way if you use only as much as is needed and then fill the tank after to help mix it into the fuel.

Agree. It's not expensive, easy to add, and it does protect. There is no reason to not do it.

50 minutes ago, Robby89n said:

Just got me a new '22 GT9, "only" $14,700 out the door.  Now I just need some warmer weather.

Frozen in Oklahoma

You'll be warmer soon. Do you know if that bike museum is still open in Grove? The Green Parrot at the marina? Think Spring!

Not sure your licatiin, but Cycle Gear has some.

Once in awhile I'd get lazy and not use a funnel when pouring oil into my R1100, K75, and F800. Invariably some oil got somewhere on exhaust or cat. Of course the funnel would save time but "this time" I'll not spill. SURE, RIGHT. Good luck solving the stink. I know it gets irritating.

Stop smelling when you get home. Or, whiff a clove of garlic. After awhile we obsess about tiny things. This may be one of those.

39 minutes ago, 1moreroad said:

I can still fit in my 2003 leathers but I'm not sure how far out I could swing my hip to get a knee down. And forget about the chest pad. 

My in tent pee cup from 2003 is now woefully inadequate. You sir are a justified braggard!

7 hours ago, bwringer said:

You touch on something important here -- I think a plastic or fiberglass pan protector of some sort would actually work just fine as a "debris deflector" for street riders, and would probably look a lot better than the SW-Motech "skidplate". 

There were links earlier in the thread to form-fitting plastic protectors for the engine cases, and I think it's a little odd that there's nothing similar for the oil pan. Some of the no-name Chinese defectors fit closer to the oil pan, and might be fill the bill.

As far as ground clearance, with properly set up suspension sag and a rider aboard, it is indeed quite low, on par with other streetbikes or sportbikes. These things are NOT "Adventure" bikes in any way, shape, or form.

I've seen FJ-09s set up that way, with very heavy-duty engine guards and skidplates from Higdonion, knobby tires, etc. but you're still fundamentally limited by ground clearance.

However, there's a demented genius over on ADVrider who has swapped in longer forks, different wheels, and reworked and raised the rear end to create a true dual-sport FJ-09... it's extremely cool, to be honest.

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/fj09-adventure-rally-build.1500098/

This photo is from partway through... he's still monkeying with it, and yes, there's a skidplate and more protection. It's odd... he seems to hate everything about the bike aside from the engine, so pretty much everything is getting altered or removed.

Some sort of fairly close mesh material likely would be good, and durable for most non off road conditions.

2 hours ago, Ride365 said:

My 20GT is the most accurate speedo I've ever owned, only 1 mph off per my GPS over 50 MPH.

Mine too.

I've had bikes with heavy duty al pans, and a couple with abs or fiber glass pans. The latter was the least $$ and worked just fine at deflecting what kicked up on or off pavement. Anything that slows the force of a projectile most likely will prevent oil pan damage. In most cases, and in my opinion, riding trails unless technical, does not require heavy duty material.

Something to keep in mind as we age is that generally we take increasing amounts of medicine for various afflictions. In some cases the side effects of the treatment compound the problems the affliction causes! All of us should be aware of the side effects of the meds we take. Some cause edema, some dizziness/lightheadedness, some fatigue and drowsiness, insomnia, etc. If a couple of our meds have the same identified side effect, such as drowsiness we need to keep that keenly in mind. A long-time riding buddy had his BP med changed. After a campout we often attended I headed home and he rode on with some other guys. Not too long after the group took off he fell asleep on the bike which left the road before a bridge over a creek. The bike hit a retaining wall and he was catapulted onto a grassy area, had barely a scratch. Lesson learned by him. Hope this helps someone.

23 minutes ago, 2and3cylinders said:

 It's not entirely clear but it looks like in order to install this one you need to remove the protective cover for the coolant recovery bottle.

Good observation. Thx! While the base price is reasonable shipping adds quite alot. 

6 minutes ago, oregonian said:

Anybody using this one from Zieger in Germany?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193699895068?hash=item2d1969d71c:g:mjsAAOSwONBZDGJD

Thats a good $. 

Just now, 2and3cylinders said:

They don't know but 300 miles on a 200 Kw battery is possible?

Looks sharp in this view.

 

I saw white, and eange was under 200. Your posted pic looks better.

6 minutes ago, 2and3cylinders said:

No, let us keep our ice bikes and go green with a new 2024 Hummer

Only 1/3 $ of the caddy and 830 ponies and 11,500 pound-feet

https://www.caranddriver.com/gmc/hummer-ev-suv

https://www.gmc.com/electric/hummer-ev

I saw those at a local Buuck dealer. Fugly, $$$$$, think range was around 150 mi. Being wealthy and dumb enough to buy any of such stuff makes fir a sucker.

5 minutes ago, texscottyd said:

Expensive EVs are all the rage, it seems.  

But God bless them, Cadillac just brought us this distinctly anti-green swan-song statement:  682-hp worth of premium-swilling, in-your-face Escalade-V.    The sheer audacity and absurdity of it really appeals to me...  

 

Maybe we could get a group buy!?

8 minutes ago, 2and3cylinders said:

https://www.visordown.com/news/industry/ev-switch-when-combustion-banned-cost-£15000-household

 The whole idea is totally Idiotic !!!

 They now have scrubbers for every step of the manufacturing process for internal combustion engines.  Meaning the manufacturing process from start to finish, excluding including the automobile it's put in, Is highly efficient both in energy consption and Low pollutant output.

 Batteries and rare Earth electric motors are highly energy and raw material greedy. Then there's their pollution side and young children in Africa mining for the rare materials needed for them.

 Cold fusion and hydrogen fuels are the only answer.

 It's just all the electric garbage gets all the press but Honda Yamaha Kawasaki Suzuki maybe Polaris.  Who knows what BMW is doing they're so cloistered.

 Whatever it turns out to be, it's certainly gonna be a cluster f***

Heard Cadillac has special order all EV. Cheap at $300,000.00 starting point. Idiotic morons.

Super super ridiculous $$$! But, always good stuff from SW.

At 120 miles my 2020 tracer fuel guage makes its first drop. It then drops and I know I will get 180+-. If you know that, Yamaha has nothing to explain. IMO.

I dont think its hoidover thinking. All bikes are made for "average" riders. Trouble is  one 5'10" guy can have a 28" inseam while another can have a 31" inseam. Totally different riding position requirements. Foot peg position being a significant one. The  best bikes for me have been a K75 and R100RT BMW, a KLR650, and a DL650 VStrom. The absolute worst is a F800GT BMW.  That was torture to rode locally or on a 5000 mi trip to Hells Canyon. PhotoAl loved his. I likd my 2020 Tracer 909GT, but its not the best tourer. Thats my opinion.

7 hours ago, Magnum099 said:

I just moved from my 2015 FJ-09 to a 2017 Africa Twin for the exact same reasons, and I must say, the AT is much, much better 2-up and I am happy with my choice. I don't think you would regret swapping bikes to something a bit larger/heavier for 2-up riding. 

While I thought it might be possible to make the FJ tolerable 2-up, the amount of money spent to get it there would not be with it (to me). The stock suspension and size of the bike make it much less suited to multi-day trips 2-up. I have met a couple of other riders who ride 2-up long distance on the FJ/Tracer, but it is not for me. Also, I feel the engine character is a little too exciting/exhilarating/nervous for relaxed touring, whereas the AT feels comfortable cruising around at a more relaxed pace. Even though the CP3 engine is awesome, I have found that I like 2 cylinder or 4 cylinder engines better for 2-up riding. 

I was also considering the Versys 1000LT and Vstrom 1000, and I think they would have been good choices as well if I didn't find the Africa Twin. 

Good luck with whatever decision you make!

Many of us see what we want to see in a different bike. Then fall prey to the "I can make it work" by spending $$$ on mods. Our individual circumstances and priorities affect what we can afford vs the usual what we're willing to pay. Decent 2-up bikes will be bigger and heavier. Then ?? where do we pack all our stuff? Saddle bags, hard bags/trunk, strap on duffle? We chase our tails because we bought the wrong bike to begin with. 

I just googled motorcycle rentals. Eaglerider came up. Harleys mainly. Bet there are some Hill Country tours though, maybe closer to Kerrville or Boerne. Really like the Hill Country.

I hit the decel when it appears I'm gaining on a vehicle ahead where it may put me too close. I use my eyes to judge when I've slowed enough.  The speed change is not instantaneous, and I dont care what the UM states.