What did you do to your FJ-tracer-gt today?

[bobdog]

Removed tinted film headlight covers and got my state inspection sticker. Probably have to park it for a few days for snow/crappy weather.

[BBB]

Thanks to bruceintucson and piotrek for the instructions on raising the forks in the triple trees.

[bruceintucson]

Thanks to bruceintucson and piotrek for the instructions on raising the forks in the triple trees.

...can't take any credit here, it's all @bruceintucson ... all his fault.

Sounds like a comment from Mary (the wife & the FJ rider)....it's [em]always[/em] my fault. :-) 

[betoney]

...with the wheel off, no it wasn't difficult at all because I wasn't fighting any weight/load (twist the fork up/down to suit and clamp it up). I am not sure how I'd do that with the wheel on, but certainly there must be a safe procedure/way. I used the stem on the Vanier caliper to get the rise measurement (from the top of the triple tree to the top cap surface). My only concern is that my posture will bias forward a bit... thus the 5mm for now. Different risers and bars can offset that a bit... we shall see how things work and take it from there. I also ride with the top case a lot, and the front end can get a bit light at times.

Here's an easy way to do it with the wheel/brakes on. First, remove the ABS sensor from the right side of the wheel (there will be times when the wheel/axle are not straight and the clearance to the ABS sensor is very tight & you don't want to damage it). Second, loosen right axle pinch bolt & axle nut, fender mounting bolts; you don't have to remove the axle. Third, take weight off front wheel (jack with towel under exhaust headers works fine). Fourth, completely loosen lower triple clamp pinch bolts. Take a business card and make markings on how much you want to raise the forks. Slightly loosen one upper triple clamp pinch bolt, grasp the fork, loosen the bolt enough to where it moves, and move the fork upward as far as it will go; it probably won't be 5mm. Snug the upper pinch bolt. Go to the other fork, loosen the upper pinch bolt & while grasping the fork & using your business card,  slide this fork up to 5mm or whatever. Snug pinch bolt. Go back to first fork, grasp the fork tube, loosen that pinch bolt and using the marks on the business card make it the same as the other fork; and snug the pinch bolt. Torque the upper & lower pinch bolts to spec, tighten the front axle, remove jack, push the FJ off the centerstand [em]without using the front brake and pump the front end up and down several times to align the right fork tube. Torque the right axle pinch bolt, snug the fender bolts, re-install the ABS sensor, pump the brake lever. [strong]You're done.[/strong][/em]

To do this procedure, there is NO reason to either elevate the front wheel off the ground or loosen/fiddle with ANYTHING below the triple clamps.  You simply adjust one fork leg at a time, I always do it with the bike on the center stand.  Loosen one leg and make height adjustments to your choosing (the other leg will hold the bike up) then tighten the pinch bolts and adjust the other leg to the same height.  The entire process takes about 3 minutes, I use this procedure on all of my bikes and have even done it on the side of the road before.  I have never had the front end out of alignment or had fork binding. 

[clint]

Can't ride or do things to my bike... so I'm buying things instead... it's therapy (doctor's orders)  
 

Because "VENOM" sounds so cool! No other reason needed!

[bruceintucson]

Here's an easy way to do it with the wheel/brakes on. First, remove the ABS sensor from the right side of the wheel (there will be times when the wheel/axle are not straight and the clearance to the ABS sensor is very tight & you don't want to damage it). Second, loosen right axle pinch bolt & axle nut, fender mounting bolts; you don't have to remove the axle. Third, take weight off front wheel (jack with towel under exhaust headers works fine). Fourth, completely loosen lower triple clamp pinch bolts. Take a business card and make markings on how much you want to raise the forks. Slightly loosen one upper triple clamp pinch bolt, grasp the fork, loosen the bolt enough to where it moves, and move the fork upward as far as it will go; it probably won't be 5mm. Snug the upper pinch bolt. Go to the other fork, loosen the upper pinch bolt & while grasping the fork & using your business card,  slide this fork up to 5mm or whatever. Snug pinch bolt. Go back to first fork, grasp the fork tube, loosen that pinch bolt and using the marks on the business card make it the same as the other fork; and snug the pinch bolt. Torque the upper & lower pinch bolts to spec, tighten the front axle, remove jack, push the FJ off the centerstand [em]without using the front brake and pump the front end up and down several times to align the right fork tube. Torque the right axle pinch bolt, snug the fender bolts, re-install the ABS sensor, pump the brake lever. [strong]You're done.[/strong][/em]

To do this procedure, there is NO reason to either elevate the front wheel off the ground or loosen/fiddle with ANYTHING below the triple clamps.  You simply adjust one fork leg at a time, I always do it with the bike on the center stand.  Loosen one leg and make height adjustments to your choosing (the other leg will hold the bike up) then tighten the pinch bolts and adjust the other leg to the same height.  The entire process takes about 3 minutes, I use this procedure on all of my bikes and have even done it on the side of the road before.  I have never had the front end out of alignment or had fork binding.

Respectively have to disagree on a couple of points. Yes, you can do it without the front wheel off the ground & just on the centerstand. The problem is the ABS wheel sensor & rotor sensor. The specified gap is .9-1.5mm approx. the thickness of a matchbook cover doubled over. It would be easy to make contact with the sensor/rotor damaging one or both when moving the right fork up or down (and the 2 parts on partzilla.com are about $114!) Take an extra 2 minutes & remove two allen bolts to get the wheel sensor safely out of the way.The front fender is pretty stiff & rigid even if it's just "plastic". Loosen the fender bolts, also makes it easier to move the forks. Tighten the fender last. Once you've decided on your fork height & tightened the pinch bolts, take the bike off the centerstand & pump the forks up and down a few times to align the forks [em]before[/em] you tighten the axle pinch bolt on the left fork. If aligning wasn't important, the pinch bolt wouldn't be there. So take 5 minutes rather than 3 to potentially save money & have proper fork alignment. :-) 

[betoney]

Respectively have to disagree on a couple of points. Yes, you can do it without the front wheel off the ground & just on the centerstand. The problem is the ABS wheel sensor & rotor sensor. The specified gap is .9-1.5mm approx. the thickness of a matchbook cover doubled over. It would be easy to make contact with the sensor/rotor damaging one or both when moving the right fork up or down (and the 2 parts on partzilla.com are about $114!) Take an extra 2 minutes & remove two allen bolts to get the wheel sensor safely out of the way.The front fender is pretty stiff & rigid even if it's just "plastic". Loosen the fender bolts, also makes it easier to move the forks. Tighten the fender last. Once you've decided on your fork height & tightened the pinch bolts, take the bike off the centerstand & pump the forks up and down a few times to align the forks [em]before[/em] you tighten the axle pinch bolt on the left fork. If aligning wasn't important, the pinch bolt wouldn't be there. So take 5 minutes rather than 3 to potentially save money & have proper fork alignment. :-)

Bruce I guess I am completely missing the point.  When I am adjusting the height of the fork in the triple clamps, I am moving the gold section only which doesn't touch the fender, the front wheel or the ABS sensor.  With the bike on the center stand and the front wheel firmly on the ground, nothing is getting canted side to side as the axle is still in place, the only thing that is moving is the upper tube.
 

[spiritwalker2222]

Bruce I guess I am completely missing the point.  When I am adjusting the height of the fork in the triple clamps, I am moving the gold section only which doesn't touch the fender, the front wheel or the ABS sensor.  With the bike on the center stand and the front wheel firmly on the ground, nothing is getting canted side to side as the axle is still in place, the only thing that is moving is the upper tube.

After that is complete. I would then loosen the axle pinch bolts and "bounce" the front end to ensure there is no binding in the forks.
 

[betoney]

Bruce I guess I am completely missing the point.  When I am adjusting the height of the fork in the triple clamps, I am moving the gold section only which doesn't touch the fender, the front wheel or the ABS sensor.  With the bike on the center stand and the front wheel firmly on the ground, nothing is getting canted side to side as the axle is still in place, the only thing that is moving is the upper tube.

After that is complete. I would then loosen the axle pinch bolts and "bounce" the front end to ensure there is no binding in the forks.

That is the part that I am confused about.  When I do this procedure, I don't remove or even loosen the axle, therefore it would be impossible to alter the wheel/ABS sensor alignment.  All I am doing is effectively extending or compressing each fork leg by a few millimeters. Now, if I remove the wheel for any reason, I always use the procedure that Bruce described.
 

[norcal616]

Went out to the garage, pulled the blanket off the bike to break the news I'm gonna be pulling the ECU for a labotomy and giving her a new set of vocal cords by Graves... the bike didn't even care, just sat there in total silence while we listened to the city snow plow trucks run around the neighborhood...

[cbr600]

It's not that she don't care. She was already depressed by the lack of exercise and snow. And when she thought it could not get worst...

[pattonme]

Of all my effin sparkles I am least satisfied with the Andreani cartridges and keep thinking of something better.

The Andreani's can be fixed.

[treybrad]

Relocated my Sparkbright LED voltage monitor. Initially had it panel mounted, in the trim around the gas tank:
 

 
That was fine, but in sunlight at that angle I couldn't tell what color the LED was, it was too washed out. Needed to find a place that was more of a direct line of sight... turns out the diameter of what should be the cruise control button is exactly right for the bezel supplied with the Sparkbright:
 

 

 
Voila! Works great, looks good, no drilling required! Just disassemble the switch gear a bit and pop out the false button -- too easy!
 
Need to order a new trim piece to replace the one I drilled into... Only about a $15 part, so that's one of my cheaper mistakes 
 
trey

[martyl]

Ordered spark plugs, new drive chain,( mine has a slight kink in it @16k), and a new clutch cable. Replacing cable because I want to be ahead of the curve. Question; What's the consensus on replacing just the chain or replacing sprockets as well? Rear sprocket looks fine to me.

[clint]

Ordered spark plugs, new drive chain,( mine has a slight kink in it @16k), and a new clutch cable. Replacing cable because I want to be ahead of the curve. Question; What's the consensus on replacing just the chain or replacing sprockets as well? Rear sprocket looks fine to me.

Sprockets looked good on mine too, so I just replaced the chain. No issues.