Common complaints and my solutions to them

[ULEWZ]

I have owned this bike since December of 2014 and absolutely love it. It is the best bike I have ever owned hands down and I have owned a bunch from a VFR to an FJR1300 with a CBR954rr and R1 thrown in for good measure. I have modified every bike I have ever bought, so modifying this bike is no different (there is no perfect bike for every rider without making modifications!).
I read with interest the complaints about this bike which I mostly agree with. I will list those issues and what I have done to address those issues and cost to help those who want to make this bike perfect (for me anyhow).
 
1. Wind noise.
Lots of options here. I chose the Cal Science medium screen ($175) (the large wasn't available when I bought mine). Being 6 foot with a 32 inch inseam, I needed something better than stock. Stock was noisy, with a little helmet buffeting, but not ungodly IMO. The Cal Sci reduces the noise (not quiet by any means, but I wear earplugs, don't you?), and eliminates the helmet buffeting which is most important to me. The screen does flex abit, but not to the point that it bothers me. I will probably buy a Puig or taller screen in the future.
 
2. Snatchy fueling.
This is a big complaint, but frankly, it is a minor annoyance, not a show stopper. But still, lets fix that. A flash of the ECU is the answer. I like to tinker, so I bought a flashtune harness and download the free software ($405 to $450 depending on where you buy it). There are great companies that will do the flashing for you and will do their custom touches that make it better, but not significantly better IMO, which is why I chose the DIY option.
Having a company flash your ECU will cost from a low of ($180, to a high of $350).
Here is my review of what options to ask for:
I have some suggestions for you guys contemplating having a flash done. Think twice about turning off the decel cut option. It does make things very smooth, but the engine braking is gone, almost completely, which I hated. Plus the fuel mileage went down about 4 mpg (no one talks about that!). Lets say you are approaching a turn at 70mph at over 6,000 rpm, if you roll off the throttle preparing for the entry to the turn, it is like the throttle is still on which can be unnerving (at least to me). Having the harness and software, I turned it back on (will cut fueling on decel) and that is the way I have it now. Another option, turning the AIS off, does decrease the engine braking a little and does also smooth things out, so that is what I have done. Keeps the popping down also when using an aftermarket exhaust or if you modified your stock exhaust. If you are a racer or are use to no engine braking, turning off the decel cut is probably the way to go. It will also require you to cover and use the brake more which isn't a bad thing, just not intuitive for me. There will be those pundits that will say, you should learn to ride with no engine braking, but I prefer it there, so don't waste your finger strokes. YMMV.
I used a fuel map for an M4 slipon available from the Powercommander website and it works very good. Power is fantastic and the fueling is very nice, not snatchy.
 
3. Uncomfortable seat.
I found the stock seat to be crappy initially, but later found it wasn't so bad as my bottom never complained after a full day of riding.
Still, I upgraded the foam and cover to a seat comforts seat and this helped about 10% and cost about $225. I ride all day without fidgeting, but others prefer the Corbin which is about $455.
 
4. Rough suspension on sharp bumps.
This can be broken down to forks and shock.
First the forks:
The progressive springs are a one size, fits all solution, that works marginal at best. Buying straight springs for your weight is normally better YMMV.
There is no compression adjustment available, and I prefer this adjustment due to going on the track, touring, and just riding the canyons. My solution was the Andreani fork cartridges. About perfect for me and costs about $400 due to the great exchange rate with Italy right now. This is a DIY mod that is not for everybody, so some will send their forks in to be modified. Axxion Ak20s and Ohlins make nice cartridges, but expect to pay about $1,200 plus installation.
My cartridges are very compliant over sharp edges bumps, and the high speed wooble is gone, at least so far and I have ridden thousands of miles since installing them.
I would recommend upgrading the springs as the stock Andreani springs are a tad light for my 180 lbs. I might buy 9.0mm springs in the future for my weight as my full extension sag vs unladen sag is 20mm and should be 10mm approx.
Shock:
I chose the Penske ($850 to $900, I paid less as I got 20% off when first introduced). Great shock and fully adjustable. Best mod to date, but expensive.
 
5. Steering wobble at speed. I found I had wobbling issues when I had a crosswind or passed an 18 wheeler at freeway speed. I removed the hand guards and did not notice the problem anymore. The problem was also addressed above with fork cartridge and shock. I feel there is no need for a steering damper now unless you want to ride on the track at a racer pace. In that case, buy one. About $505 from GPR.
 
6. Speed limited at 114/115 mph indicated. Flash that ECU, see above.
 
7. Handlebar vibration. This issue is minor at worst, but I found after I removed the handguards and installed FZ1 bar end weights ($20), the problem was greatly diminished. Others have added shot inside the handlebars with silicone, and others have used very heavy bar ends ($75), all are good options.
 
So, if you are doing the math, I spent $2,075 to make my bike perfect for me, YMMV. Add $240 for my heated grips and that brings me to $2,315. Worth it to me.
 

[Buggy Nate]

Awesome stuff mate, good comprehensive list there. Nothing unusual that I haven't seen with every other manufacturer either. Where did you buy there flash software/lead from, I am definitely in the diy camp. I bought the computer to tune my tenere which also spits out the fault codes as well. Just need to decide If I can be a good boy on a 09 or if I'll be buying a 07 Tracer instead! I am a bit undecided after riding my mates mt/fz 09

[ULEWZ]

Awesome stuff mate, good comprehensive list there. Nothing unusual that I haven't seen with every other manufacturer either. Where did you buy there flash software/lead from, I am definitely in the diy camp. I bought the computer to tune my tenere which also spits out the fault codes as well. Just need to decide If I can be a good boy on a 09 or if I'll be buying a 07 Tracer instead! I am a bit undecided after riding my mates mt/fz 09

Anybody that does flashtune flashes can sell the flashtune hardware. The software is free to download. Flashtune themselves, Graves Motorsports, and vcyclenut specifically sell the hardware. Keep in mind, you don't get special fueling maps (I use powercommander maps) or special throttle fly by wire settings, but you can get it close.  

[Buggy Nate]

Awesome stuff mate, good comprehensive list there. Nothing unusual that I haven't seen with every other manufacturer either. Where did you buy there flash software/lead from, I am definitely in the diy camp. I bought the computer to tune my tenere which also spits out the fault codes as well. Just need to decide If I can be a good boy on a 09 or if I'll be buying a 07 Tracer instead! I am a bit undecided after riding my mates mt/fz 09

Anybody that does flashtune flashes can sell the flashtune hardware. The software is free to download. Flashtune themselves, Graves Motorsports, and vcyclenut specifically sell the hardware. Keep in mind, you don't get special fueling maps (I use powercommander maps) or special throttle fly by wire settings, but you can get it close.

I've got a dyno at work I get to play with! So I can throw a few of my own maps on, I can always use the power commander maps as a baseline. I usually tweak them anyway. Sweet I'll definitely do that when the time comes around. Thanks mate. 

[badkernel]

Thank you for taking the time to write this, lots of useful info here.

[grayhawkglen]

Nice post. Thanks for the bar end tip. I just ordered some black extra heavy for my 2015 FJ-09. I can't make that front end heavy enough for my speedy ass!
Glen