Warchild

This advice seems a little suspect to me... "leave a paper thin gap" - wut? 🤨 A 'thin gap' could be open to interpretation between any two given mechanics. Seems a bit odd; have never heard of this technique before, frankly. Okay, now I have even less confidence in this dealer's counsel. As others have correctly observed, you don't re-use bearing that you have hammered out. They just need to be replaced. Good man... correct thought process. 👍

Also note those substantially beefy fork sliders, dayumn. 😲

Yep yep... the Galfer Wave rotors. Turns out the Euro dudes do take to these quite a bit. Some go for the 320mm Braking Wave rotors, apparently:

Since the front wheel was off while forks are gone for overhaul, I took the opportunity to bolt up some Galfers. Thinking of posting this to the Tracer FB groups, so the social media engineers can have something to argue about. 😃 I know, I shouldn't be an instigator... but it's like free entertainment to watch these clowns argue endlessly. 😁

That topic was among my discussions with my suspension doctor. He indicates that for pure solo runs with no extra gear, I will be backing off pre-load on both ends to a pretty minimal setting, and re-set compression and rebound as well. We'll go over all the settings once the components are install. It may likely still be a fairly stiff ride even with the light settings, but the main thing is to have the bike performing well with both of us on it. If I feel the need to get jiggy on a solo run, that's actually the job for the S1000XR. 👍

😆 The front stand is admittedly pretty swanky, but I think we can all agree that Pit Bull doesn't play games. Admittedly, I already had this swanky stand from a few years ago when I sent off the Hayabusa forks for a similar full-blown Race Tech treatment. Glad I did - I wasn't keen on trying the old standby "wood black with scissors-jack under the downtubes" trick. Not with these three curvy headers, anyway. 😵

MOVEMENT! It is sad that I will be without the Tracer for the best part of 2 weeks, but this needs to happen regardless. And right now, too. I am ~ 6 weeks away from the first big run this summer with the bike loaded with gear and Warchild-wife, so the folks are off to be sent to my Suspension Doctor for the Ohlins NIX 30 Cartridge rebirth. The forks get shipped in a gun case (!), so I am off to the UPS Store after work today. 🔥

I can't explain it. And like I say, it has been quite a while - 10 years? - since I've ordered any, so it's not like I have a high-sales history with them. I think so... the anodizing finish is spectacular, and they feel amazing.

I dunno, Tom, I am really hard pressed to think those wires are 16-gauge. Perhaps in your 2017 model - they definitely were not on my 2020 GT version. They actually look pretty small - possibly 20-gauge, maybe 18 gauge. Not sure I would risk it, myself. Were I in your shoes, I'd run a dedicated circuit for the heated clothing, and then you would *know* the wire gauge is 16ga (assuming you use that), and then leave that existing factory port for more lightweight duties - cell charger, etc. In fact, that is what I am doing in this picture: the coiled, zip-tied 16-gauge red wire I have left near (above) my relay for the Aux Lamps will be powering my Warm-n-Safe liner socket, when I get to that point in my electrical mods:

I'll be doing this same procedure before the end of the month.... I am ready! 👍 👍 👍

Follow-up on @Waldo Jeffers solution to frozen fingers... I tested hese last night out on the High Plains, and they really do work as advertised. They did an extraordinary job at keeping my hands warm. Extra benefit is that can be installed/removed in seconds, and a pliable enough to be folded up/stashed away when not needed. Highly recommended. 👍 Wish I would had had these on the cold-ass SS1K run. They have created a discount code for this forum. OBR-TRACER900-10 ... 10% off ! 👍 OBR ADV Gear Enduro Grip Mitts Get OBR Grip Mitts for warm and dry hands! Our ¾ open design...

Addendum to this thread.... my Tracer lighting after the Aux Driving lamps installed. Also a serious high-beam adjustment. While I really can't see for diddly at night anymore, it's due to age, not the Tracer light output. The LED headlight is superb, and really does give us an excellent low-beam: Once I jacked down the high-beam headlight aim (thank you, Yamaha, for separating the adjustments!) and no longer light up owls in high trees, I think our high-beam is also excellent: But nothing beats the combo of high & low beam married to purpose-built Aux Driving lamps - the entire countryside is well-illuminated! Needless to say, you are not using these lamps in the presence of oncoming traffic - you would just set them on fire. 🔥 🔥 🔥

SW-Motech finally sent the SHAD40-specific adapter kit for their Adventure Rack - special order from Germany - and I will admit it's a nice bit of kit. Bike is now almost set for 2-up touring - only have the Ohlins insanity to finish up, then we are on the road.

You could always paint your existing ones. These used to be the common 2020 orangy-metallic side panels:

Full moons can often make wild animals do some crazy things. Like... take their Tracer up in the High Plains at 3am for nightime Moon shots with their Google Pixel phone. 😃 On the camera's "Night" settings, the full moon comes across as the Night Sun: Bathing the High Plains in extraordinary light: Aux Driving Lamps vs the Full Moon - not a fair contest; the Moon takes it: Camera's night shooting can be amazing - in this overlook of Prosser, WA, you can see far-away Mt Rainier in the distance: Moonlight so intense, it mimics the dawn's light - but this shot is facing west: Full Moon Madness... is like life on fire. 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥

I just picked up on this... curious if you did any IBA rides on the Tracer?

Yes. Yeeeeeeesssssssss, you *need* new levers! Like these Pazzo Racing levers.... 😁 Helping..... 😆

No sweat... here is how it's done. Remove the left mirror and handguard. Not truly required, just makes life easier. Turn adjuster wheel until maximum clutch cable is obtained. Remove the single 8mm bolt holding the clutch perch/mirror holder in place. Rotate the clutch lever assemble *upwards* Use a 10mm deep socket to access/remove the nyloc nut holding the pivot bolt - push the wire harness out of the way as necessary. Pull out the pivot bolt. Voila, now pull clutch lever all the way out. Replace it with a god-like Pazzo Racing clutch lever! 😁

Oh, I can believe that! Since the Waldo approach seems reasonable and only $79, I have a set of those babies on order. Decent handguards that are further enhanced with additional covering have a tendency to look like ass. Here is a set of Puig handguard enhancements on my S1000XR's factory handguards.... while they look a bit humongous, there is no denying that are pretty effective. They cover both upper hands and lower fingers, and are close enough to the grips that they don't leave weird swirling dirty air that just tends to freeze up fingers:

"Finally cleared up..." 🤔 Very unusual. In fact... I have never heard anything like this before on any modern engine, regardless of brand. That's unfortunate.

Oooooooh, yes. Never travel without the 110v Warm-N-Safe liner, at any time of the year. I can't even set it on high without the possibility of leaving burn marks. And I use LDComfort long-sleeve and long johns - very warm stuff. And I have all manner of layers clothing that comes from LDRiding for 25 years. Truly, in this instance, only the fingers were the real issue - nothing else. But it was enough, apparently, to give me an attitude problem. 😕 Aren't they stunning? They came off the all-silver very first year FJR1300... 2003 (though it was a calendar year 2002). My friend had them done up in this paint in 2005. He says these bags are mine, now, and he actually told me it's fine if I want to paint them the same gloss black as I had the Tracer done. There is no possible way I could bring myself to do that. Here they are at a Rest Area in northern Nevada yesterday afternoon:

That is excellent, Waldo - these would have been a big help last night! 😕 Do they fit around the existing handguards, or...???

I admit it has been quite a few years since I've had to buy a new Pazzo Racing lever. The FJR brake lever is a direct fit, but I needed to score the clutch lever. So, DAYUMN, has Pazzo Racing ever upped their game in the swag department! 😯 👍 In addition to the clutch lever and specific model fitting instructions, they include: Brake fluid reservoir sock - tho of course it doesn't really apply for us. a hefty rubber band - I'm guessing for the reservoir sock? 12oz can koozie neck lanyard four decals a silk bandana - this feels awesome! 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

Well, nothing really earth-shattering - honestly, I knew about all these before-hand: Weather protection for riding hundreds of miles in extreme cold (less that 40 degrees F) is fairly marginal. The handguards are a cosmetic after-thought on the part of Yamaha. Handguards keeping phalanges out of the airstream would have made a huge positive impact. Gas mileage is rather poor above 80mph - would necessitate an aux cell if I continued to do LD runs on the Tracer. Which I don't plan to do, truth be told. But there were some pleasant (or at least, interesting) findings, too: Now that the Dunlop RoadSmarts are fitted, bike stability at very high speeds is quite impressive, even with the FJR1300 bags I was using. The highest recorded speed was 124mph - the bike was as planted as can be. 👍 Gas mpg can be pretty impressive - when riding below 70 mph. Slow speeds don't really happened in Nevada, tho. 🙄 The speedometer reads a very consistent 1 mph low over a wide spectrum of speeds. Factory cruise control will not operate at or above 100mph (that is to say, it behaves as expected at 99mph or below). You can't set if at 100 or above, nor can you "bump" it up past 99 using the ^ switch.

Well, made it back safe and sound, but... it wasn't a very fun ride, to be honest. 😕 I don't really blame the bike... well, maybe 10-15% or so. Mostly, it was me. That said, I did succeed to finishing the Saddlesore 1000 - just took unusually longer that what is typical. The peanut butter-chocolate shake was awesome as always: And it was a pleasant-enough day for riding through the Nevada desert - as always! 🔥 🔥 🔥 In retrospect, I should've waited for another time when I was feeling better. The ride started off pretty well - just kinda deteriorated as the miles rolled on. Oh well... there will be another day. 👍