Install G2 Throttle Tamer

[scholgs]

Anyone have experience with g2ergo.com? 
There are testimonials from FJR owners etc.
 
To me, my bike is snatchy..

I've just got back from a half hour ride having installed the G2 throttle tamer and I think it's brilliant. I was able to go down some pretty bumpy and greasy country lanes in A mode without constantly thinking about micro adjustments to the throttle. The uneven road surface isn't transferred to the throttle to the same degree when you hit a bump. Standard mode is also much smoother. It's just a more relaxing riding experience when you can concentrate on speed and position instead of battling with the throttle control. If you want responsiveness and agility it's still there, but it's more controllable. Installation is a breeze - just make sure you install the metal routing for the end of the throttle in the same position on the bar - I didn't pay attention to that and had it further down the bar to begin with and when retightening the bolts it was pinching something so the throttle wouldn't snap back when released. I nearly gave up on it until I realised my error.

[johan]

Anyone have experience with g2ergo.com? 
There are testimonials from FJR owners etc.
 
To me, my bike is snatchy..

I've just got back from a half hour ride having installed the G2 throttle tamer and I think it's brilliant. I was able to go down some pretty bumpy and greasy country lanes in A mode without constantly thinking about micro adjustments to the throttle. The uneven road surface isn't transferred to the throttle to the same degree when you hit a bump. Standard mode is also much smoother. It's just a more relaxing riding experience when you can concentrate on speed and position instead of battling with the throttle control. If you want responsiveness and agility it's still there, but it's more controllable. Installation is a breeze - just make sure you install the metal routing for the end of the throttle in the same position on the bar - I didn't pay attention to that and had it further down the bar to begin with and when retightening the bolts it was pinching something so the throttle wouldn't snap back when released. I nearly gave up on it until I realised my error.

I'd very much like to hear more about this. Did you fit the original grips and do you still have the hand guards? Would it work with heated grips? Can you post a how to with pictures, or can the next person please do that?

[scholgs]

I took only a few pictures but should be enough for anyone interested in the G2 Throttle Tamer installation.
 
Step 1 - Remove the hand guard on the right hand side. You need to do this to remove the throttle tube. You need allen keys for this - if you have any of the usual sets up to 10mm you'll have the right size.
 
 

 
Step 2 Pull back the rubber cover on the metal throttle cable routing thing as shown in the picture above.
 
Step 3 - remove the retaining bolt at the end of the bar end as shown in the pic below. You need a 12mm allen key here - it's pretty big.
 
 

 
Step 4 remove the 2 bolts from the throttle housing here - note the position of this with respect to the switch gear on the left of it. I think there's a little hole at the bottom which line up with a hole in the handlebar, but I simply reinstalled it in the same position by making a little mark on a post it and placing that next to the top bolt. You don't need to worry about pieces coming out when you remove the two bolts. The housing comes apart into 2 pieces. This simply creates 2 channels for the pull and return throttle cables and holds the end of the throttle tube in place while allowing it to turn.

 
Step 5 You'll now see the end of the throttle tube and the two cables attached. The top one is the pull cable - this is in the circular hole of the end of the throttle tube. The bottom one is the return cable and the hole is slightly oval shaped. Take the ends of the cables out of their holes.

Step6 - you can now take the throttle tube off the handlebar with the grip attached. To remove the grip, I placed it under some hot water and ran a long skewer carefully between the rubber grip and the plastic tube. WIth a little Fairy it then slips right off. Clean and rinse it to make sure there's no soap left on it.
 
You can see the original grip and tube, with the G2 throttle here:

 
Notice the G2 throttle is a little shorter. The grip is a little longer than the G2 tube, but this doesn't make any difference to the operation once fitted. The G2 guys pointed me to the FZ-09 grip as labelled on their website - there's no FJ-09 labelled grip there when I bought it. 
 
*** UPDATE - G2's Gary has got in touch and they do have a tube that is 142mm - the same length as the stock tube so I will see about swapping this out. I would get in touch with them to make sure you order the right one if you're interested in the purchase. The FZ-09 is 130mm.
***
 
Step 7 put the grip on the G2 throttle, I included the plastic washer/guard that was on the original as well - not pictured above. Don't push it all the way to the end - you need a little space for the metal housing when you put that back on. The grip will be a little tight - I had it under hot water again and just pushed it against the table top.
 
Step 8 put the new tube and grip on the handlebar and reattach the throttle cables. There's no need for any lubricant or oil on the throttle tube. The white plastic at each end on the inside is 'self lubricating'.
Step 9 put the 2 pieces of the metal housing back together around the end of the throttle tube - enclosing the 'cam' (the circular end with the cables now attached). The two bits should not quite close. There are plastic guides at the top of the 2 throttle cables which fit in sections of the metal housing at the top.
Step 10 reposition the metal housing in the original position and screw the bolts back on 
Step 11 make sure the throttle twists and snaps back into position - THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT! You don't want to find your throttle is sticking when you go for a ride.
Step 12 put the bar end bolt back in, reattach the handguard
Step 13 put the rubber cover back over the end of the metal housing
Step 14 CHECK AGAIN the throttle snaps back and is free moving. Check the metal housing is secure and doesn't move on the handlebar.
Step 15 Turn on the engine and check for any throttle cable tightness by turning the handlebars from full lock to full lock on each side. Adjust any throttle slack on the pull cable with the adjuster (along the cable a little from the throttle - there's a lock wheel and an adjuster wheel). You shouldn't have to make any adjustments - mine didn't need any...
Step 16 Go for a ride!
 
There's a youtube video here by the G2 guys on a different bike
 

 
 
Note - the instructions that come with the throttle advise you get it installed by a professional mechanic. It's pretty easy and I'm no mechanic, but you should do whatever you're comfortable with and at your own risk.
 
after all that typing I think I should have just posted the instructions that came with it - doh! (though it's always nice to have pictures of the tracer with the instructions I suppose).

 
 

[panooch]

Nice write up. Thank you. Now I'd love to hear a ride review and the effect it has on A mode.

[wessie]

Nice write up. Thank you. Now I'd love to hear a ride review and the effect it has on A mode.

 
select from the multiple choice answers
 
A) misses the point
B) defeats the purpose
C) A and B

[scholgs]

In all modes the effect is the same - the characteristics of the mode at all rpm is unchanged, it just take a little more turn of the grip to get to the revs you want. The fact you have to turn a little more translates into greater control in the first half or so of the full turn. You don't lose any power anywhere in the rev range. A mode still has more torque in the mid range than standard, as before, but it's easier to set the revs you want. I found I was having to slip the clutch less and the throttle wasn't getting upset by bumpy roads to the same degree. Where I wouldn't have chosen A mode unless the road was smooth and fast, I was happy to pretty much stay in A mode with the extra control I got.
 
Each to their own at the end of the day - some people obviously like very quick throttles and Yamaha designed it that way. I liked the A map, but not the overly sensitive way it delivered the power and this easy install has done a lot to fix that for me.
 
Note - by default it comes with a 400 cam. I gather you can also choose 300 or 200 if you want different rates of throttle pickup. Mine's the 400.
 
From G2:
 
The Throttle Cam System incorporates a non-linear ratio between hand throttle rotation and carburetor or throttle body opening. The “pulley”, or as we call it, “cam” pulls the throttle cable as the rider rotates the grip/tube. By altering the conventional, circular shaped cam, a vast improvement in control is achieved.
 
The Throttle Cam System has cam options with reduced radius for the first ½ of throttle rotation, which requires a slightly farther turn to achieve the same carburetor or throttle body opening position as a stock throttle. This slightly longer pull makes a HUGE difference in rider control as the power is rolled on. The system comes with a “100CAM” – same as stock, “200CAM” – starts out 10% smaller than stock and “400CAM” – starts out 20% smaller than stock. The radius of the 200CAM and 400CAM increases or “ramps up” to stock size at ½ throttle to keep overall rotation required to reach full throttle at or near stock rotation.

[wessie]

In all modes the effect is the same - the characteristics of the mode at all rpm is unchanged, it just take a little more turn of the grip to get to the revs you want. The fact you have to turn a little more translates into greater control in the first half or so of the full turn. You don't lose any power anywhere in the rev range. A mode still has more torque in the mid range than standard, as before, but it's easier to set the revs you want. I found I was having to slip the clutch less and the throttle wasn't getting upset by bumpy roads to the same degree. Where I wouldn't have chosen A mode unless the road was smooth and fast, I was happy to pretty much stay in A mode with the extra control I got. 
Each to their own at the end of the day - some people obviously like very quick throttles and Yamaha designed it that way. I liked the A map, but not the overly sensitive way it was delivered and this easy install has done a lot to fix that for me.

 
 
Your last paragraph is very pertinent. If you feel this gives you better throttle control then it will improve your confidence which will make you a safer and maybe better rider.
 
One thing, if you were experiencing the throttle opening as you went over bumps, are your arms and grip on the bars relaxed? Your arms act like shock absorbers and if they are rigid or your grip is tight or tense then this will amplify the effect on the throttle. This was something that I developed as a relatively inexperienced rider after transferring from a large trailie to a sports bike. It took me a while to work out what was happening.
 

[scholgs]

In all modes the effect is the same - the characteristics of the mode at all rpm is unchanged, it just take a little more turn of the grip to get to the revs you want. The fact you have to turn a little more translates into greater control in the first half or so of the full turn. You don't lose any power anywhere in the rev range. A mode still has more torque in the mid range than standard, as before, but it's easier to set the revs you want. I found I was having to slip the clutch less and the throttle wasn't getting upset by bumpy roads to the same degree. Where I wouldn't have chosen A mode unless the road was smooth and fast, I was happy to pretty much stay in A mode with the extra control I got. 
Each to their own at the end of the day - some people obviously like very quick throttles and Yamaha designed it that way. I liked the A map, but not the overly sensitive way it was delivered and this easy install has done a lot to fix that for me.

Your last paragraph is very pertinent. If you feel this gives you better throttle control then it will improve your confidence which will make you a safer and maybe better rider.
 
One thing, if you were experiencing the throttle opening as you went over bumps, are your arms and grip on the bars relaxed? Your arms act like shock absorbers and if they are rigid or your grip is tight or tense then this will amplify the effect on the throttle. This was something that I developed as a relatively inexperienced rider after transferring from a large trailie to a sports bike. It took me a while to work out what was happening.
 
*************
Who knows - I generally try to stay relaxed in terms of my grip. I came from riding a BMW F800R for 5 years which wasn't as powerful and certainly didn't have the same twitchy throttle. I've ridden a bunch of bikes, from a CG125 to a K1300R which is hardly lacking in power, but I always felt like I was thinking about the fuelling and the throttle on the Tracer. Mostly because I found Standard mode was good in terms of sensitivity, but something's amiss in the lower rev range and A mode had the power I wanted but was too twitchy.... not just for bumpy roads, but filtering on my daily commute into London ... I just didn't like my control on the revs and never stayed on it long enough to get comfortably dialled in.

 

[Guest lawrenceofsuburbia]

Surely this situation is where the B mode comes into its own... L of S
 

[wessie]

Surely this situation is where the B mode comes into its own... L of S

He commutes in London - A mode is needed for the traffic light grand prix...

[scholgs]

To be honest, I don't want to be changing modes every time I hit traffic or the council forgot to fill in the huge potholes - I would rather have one nice map that offers power when I want it, low speed control when I need it and let's me forget about the throttle response

[johan]

Surely this situation is where the B mode comes into its own... L of S

He commutes in London - A mode is needed for the traffic light grand prix...

Traffic light grand prix If you are that way inclined it is something the Tracer does rather well. It never fails to surprise those Friday commuters on their Ducatis or the hard core all year rounders who commute on Daytonas, Blades or R1s. If one did want to, it would be very easy to lift the front wheel

[snowflake]

I got my first test ride Saturday on a brand new bike. after 1 mile in standard mode I switched to A mode to see what the buzz is all about. I would describe the response as more crisp, but I didn't find it snatchy or abrupt in anyway. I ride a 2005 FJR and my right wrist may be predisposed to sensitive throttle inputs.
 
Anyway, love the bike. Time to start working a deal here in MA.

[scholgs]

Update on the size of the G2 Throttle Tamer to get for an FJ-09/Tracer. The FZ-09 labelled throttle tamer is a little short as previously stated. The good people at G2ergo.com have let me know they have a 142mm tube which will match the stock tube.
Best to get in touch with them and confirm the model number before purchasing if you want to go for one. I'll post an update here as well when I've got it swapped out.

[redfjniner]

Quote

Update on the size of the G2 Throttle Tamer to get for an FJ-09/Tracer. The FZ-09 labelled throttle tamer is a little short as previously stated. The good people at G2ergo.com have let me know they have a 142mm tube which will match the stock tube. Best to get in touch with them and confirm the model number before purchasing if you want to go for one. I'll post an update here as well when I've got it swapped out.

scholgs: Good write up, photos and additional information, as well as your follow up.  I moved the G2 Throttle Tamer from the original thread and created a new thread in the How To section.  Hopefully people will be able to find it and follow your advise easier.  If you are not familiar with the How To section, you can visit it and review the Index for quick links to what others have done to custom fit, trick or just make their FJ their own.