OZVFR

I wouldn't be expecting a lot more than 5000ml on a Sportmax 3 front tyre.

My last Rosso III's (equivalent tyre to the Sportmax) lasted only 4400ml on the rear and 5200ml on the front.

From the look of your tyre you lean a bit, but not a lot. You will never wear out the middle before the sides on any front tyre, at least I never have.

Scalloping is a normal wear on that type of tread pattern, and not much you can do to stop it, but correct damping adjustments will lessen the affect.

Check front fork damping adjustment as Betony advised, it helps to have a second person while doing it.

Front is always harder to tell from just bouncing it due to stiction, but not impossible to at least get an idea of where its at.

Adreani cartridges are known for being a bit harsh, but it should never be set to zero rebound.

I usually get rid of my front tyres while they still have usable tread because I don't like riding on one that has a triangular shape.

16 hours ago, betoney said:

The Bolt and R3 arm are slightly longer and do fit on the FJ.  I posted photos when I installed the longer arm a few years ago.

I agree with @2and3cylinders - definitely get the revised clutch cable with the -02- in the part number, 2PP-26335-02-00

 

Was the arm worth replacing?

It’s definitely in the to do list 2and3, but it will have to wait. 
I still have the original sharp turn cable, not sure if the gentler bend one is any better for feel, my biggest gripe is the too small a take up gap. When doing full lock turns from standstill on crappy dirt roads there’s not enough progression from slip to grab. 
Didn’t like the Bolt one?

Has anyone found a clutch actuator arm that is a bit longer than our stock one?

If Yamaha is anything like Honda, they would use nearly the same parts on many bikes.

There must be one out there that will fit but is a little bit longer.

The stock front suspension on the 15/16 is undersprung and has practically no damping.

It was that bad that not long after I bought it I attached a GoPro to the front of the bike on slomo to see what was happening to the forks.

Any fast corner was nearly using up all the fork travel, and when bumps or ripples were hit it nearly bottomed out. The front wheel was leaving the ground on high frequency ripples and I'm only 164lbs. It explained why it would run wide as soon as you hit bumps.

Its why I did the front forks first, but adding the rear to the upgrades transformed the bike.

I still broke off the feelers though, but I replace them when I do as they're there to tell you how close you are.

5 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

My 15 reminds me of my RD 400 with 1 extra cylinder.

And the torque don't start until 5k on my twin also Above that

Only problem is even with my rev limiter and electronic Ignition. It signs off by 9 grand and then you're looking for detonation.

But up until then it holds hands with the FJ. In terms of being raw and real not a sewing machine with lots of fun noises too

I had an RD400 back in the 80's, it was all or nothing.

There seems to be two types of riders, those who track their bikes use of fuel, and those that have no effing idea. 
Im in the later camp. 
And agree that the Tracer needs to be kept above 5000rpm. 
Between 6000 and 9000 is where the magic happens. 

I lowered mine (front and back) after owning it a couple of weeks, but also upgraded the suspension. 
no difference in handling except for hitting the left peg more often. 
Not much choice when you’re only 5’6”. 

You know the old saying, if you’ve got a $150 head, but a $150 helmet. 

4 hours ago, Jayzonk said:

Does the ball hold the phone better than the regular Quad-lock?  Or is the ball there just to add adjustability to the phone orientation?  It seems to me that it's an option.  

I still used the Quadlock with the ball mount. It does offer better adjustability, I just didn’t really like it that much sitting so low. 
If you look at the Quadlock site you will find ball mounts. 
Im only 5’5” and it definitely isn’t in my field of view. That’s a very short screen on my bike, I still have to look down to read my phone. 
I already had the ball mount on the handlebars (from Fleabay) as I used it with my GoPro. Just bought the ball mount for the Quadlock. 
 

1 hour ago, Jayzonk said:

I am thinking that applying the amount in the exact center of the handlebar will work well but I will have to measure the diameter at that point.  

You can see the ball mount on my handlebar which I used beforehand to place phone at the middle of the bike, but found hard to use when using my tank bag.

Not a GT, but not a lot of difference. 
I have mine on an accessory bracket above my dash which mounts under the screen bracket (it moves up and down with screen). 
I find it easier to look at maps as I’m riding. 
 

I can’t make any sense of what he’s trying to explain either. 
Tapered bearings have 100x the surface contact compared to ball. 
All race bikes and sports bikes (as well as every other road bike) have ball bearings, I don’t think price has anything to do with it as even the most expensive sports bikes have them. 
The extra surface contact dulls movement and feel. Not that I think the majority of riders could ever tell the difference. 
Tapered last a lot longer, but need regular adjustments, ball damage easily but normally don’t need any adjustments before replacement. 
For our crap roads tapered make much more sense. 

1 hour ago, 2and3cylinders said:

A lot going on in there, positive and negative pressure waves at work, resonance frequencies reversing in the same pipe.

The best aftermarket full system only add a few hp and '#s without opening up on the intake side, so while heavy they did a good job.

I wonder if we are hurting power with this mod.  A before and after dyno run would be required. 

Wonder if a custom flash would also be a good idea.

Sound wise it's the least expensive! 

I’ve always considered myself as very intune with what’s happening with any of my bikes. 
I can pick up the slightest change in everything from a couple of psi change to my front tyre, to any new noise or feeling on the bike. 
Obviously without a dyno it’s impossible to be sure, but I can’t detect any loss of power or acceleration. So if there’s a drop, it’s not enough for me to tell. 
Sounds bloody awesome though. 

I’ll add the obvious, you just need to remove the S bend as well. 
The original muffler has the cat exiting at the middle chamber, a short pipe connects middle chamber to rear chamber. 
Then a longer pipe connects rear chamber to front chamber, exit pipe goes through the S bend all the way to the front chamber with a pipe that varies in diameter. 
No other material inside muffler. 
It’s not light, but not as heavy as my old 1050 Sprint stock muffler and it’s carried low. 

1 hour ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Thanks very much for your input and photos.

Quick question with your last photo. I didn't realize there were 2 pipes that are short that enter the rear chamber. You don't touch either of those it seems.

And when you cut the hole from the rear chamber to the middle chamber, it appears there's about 4" (100+/- mm) from that partition (bulhead) to the next bulkhead to the front chamber and about 2.5" (64 mm) to the rear end of the cat tube, which appears to be 3.35" (80 mm) in diameter.  Is that correct?

I do see partially in your below photo the end of the cat tube you must avoid with the reciprocating saw.  Your above photo with the entire half "shell" removed is great.

My real question is you did not somehow remove the cat or weld back up your square hole??

Cheers 

I didn’t remove the cat as I prefer to leave it. No I didn’t reweld the square hole. 
iI saw no need to remove any internal pipes as the cat now dumps directly to the chamber with the exit pipe. 
You could do major surgery to remove weight, but as I said, I like to keep things simple. 
The whole job took me 30 minutes, plus picking it up from muffler shop and re installing it. 

this was the only picture I could find in the web before deciding to tackle it in a simpler way. 

4 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Thanks Oz but do you have more pics of the large hole to the upper left you cut in the partition between the rear chamber and middle chamber; and did you drill that small (size?) In the upper right?

Also any dimensions and pointers would be much appreciated.

It is stainless steel correct?

I was planning on using my Mig welder with Argon and a touch of Co2 but need to know what wire to use.  It appears you used stick (with what rod?).

You did a great job.

How's it sound?

The hole in the right I think was already there, if not than it's not needed.

I had never seen one done so it was a bit of an experiment.

They are the only pictures I took.

The left side is a square opening directly behind the cat, it's square because it was easier to cut out this way.

I just drilled four corners with a stepped drill bit, than used the reciprocating saw to cut it out.

Just be very careful to only push in the reciprocating blade just deep enough as you need to cut it, as the cat is close to the divider and can be damaged if you stick it in too far.

All stainless, I also got it mig welded at the local muffler shop which charged me AU$50.

I am more than happy with how it turned out, sounds much better and doesn't drone.

20 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Which method did you use.

I have a spare like new I'm going to cut into and am debating which tack

 

4 hours ago, 2linby said:

Being a cheap ass I couldn't justify the Akra or Yoshi systems, so I went Delkevic. About half the price. CF can with full system under $500.00 out the door, you lighten the load as yes the stock is a beast and gets exceptional hot AND you retain the center stand.  Do not buy the 9" can unless you want to go deaf!  Don't ask how I know! 

https://delkevic.com/full-system-to-fit-fj-09-2015-2017-tracer-900-2019-2020-with-stubby-14-carbon-fiber-oval-muffler-and-stainless-steel-downpipes/

Being even a bigger cheaparse I went the gutting the original route. 
I do like the look of the Akra a lot. Not a fan of the Delkevic even though I admit their value for money. 
I don’t actually mind the look of the original, and now it sounds great. All up cost of AU$70 including new crush gaskets. 

22 hours ago, bwringer said:

"Test ride?"

No comprende...

 

 

Seriously, I think the others have covered it. There really aren't many gripes. The fuel gauge thing is only a very minor annoyance, but it is a very common newbie question. The Tracer seat isn't nearly as awful as the FJ-09 seat was, so maybe you won't hate it right away? Dunno.

There's been some grumbling about the stock tires, and the stock chain is a low-rent item that never lasts long. But that's really about it.

As noted, griping about the windscreen is universal for all motorcycles. Rider heights and tastes vary widely, and there are solutions for whatever issues you perceive, including just removing the damn thing.

I think removing and/or replacing the weirdly baroque and byzantine handguards is also pretty universal. It's almost strange to see a Tracer still wearing these strange, alien confections. They're not very effective at deflecting air or drop protection, so no one quite knows why they're there. 

Oh, and only the right headlight illuminates on low beam. That puzzles a lot of people, and concerned civilians often try to alert you that one of your headlights is out.

I think you and I would get on well.

As they say, common sense is not that common.

You probably need to give a bit more information to get a somewhat accurate answer.

How many kilometres on the bike, history, where do you live?

Too many variables to decide from your very narrow description.

The more info you give, the more relevant answer you will get.

16 hours ago, dazzler24 said:

Tell her it's a safety enhancement that may save your life one day.  😉

I’ve just used up all my brownie points (and lots of money) on my week away with my mates at Phillip Island during busy work period.

It will need careful cultivating. 😇 

5 hours ago, betoney said:

I'm not sure I understand this statement, neither a standard or slipper clutch will affect the ABS. 🤷🏻‍♂️

On twisty roads I like to carry some rear brake coming into a corner until after I release front brake and start to accelerate out. 

When riding hard I like keeping revs over 6000rpm, as I go down the gears coming into corners while using the rear brake and I release clutch, ABS comes on from the extra engine braking which I find too strong for my liking on the Tracer. Never been much of a problem on any other bike, just this one .

Hold rear brake, open the throttle hard after apex, slowly release rear brake.

Back in the day it was the only way I knew to control wallowing rear ends coming out of corners while fanging it. Guess I never lost the habit. 

Thanks Daz, I don't need tempting, I just need to bypass the financial controller.