FARKLING MY NEW AUSTRALIAN 2019 TRACER GT

[texscottyd]

Looking good @wordsmith!   Not to get off-topic, but when did the new FJ morph into a new GT?   I thought you had just picked up a Gen 1 a matter of weeks ago...  

Regardless,  congratulations and keep up the good work.  I just chuckle that you’ve apparently had three bikes in less time than I’ve had one set of tires...    

[wordsmith]

I plead guilty as charged, tex!   But I strolled into my garage one morning less than a week ago and lo! - there was this new GT standing there!   I've heard of the tooth fairy, but...

[wordsmith]

The quest for some 'blurple' - or as near as possible - self-stick PVC film or sheet to create some matching 'swoosh' tank-decals for my pannier lids has become a bit of an obsession!   I have on order a roll of Royal Purple PVC film, which looks a pretty good approximation as far as E Bay ads are concerned, and is recommended for outdoor use.  We shall see when it arrives! 

I've decided now to paint gloss black the larger part of the pannier lids - the roughly elliptical-shaped portion that sits inside the upper and lower horizontal ridges of each lid.   This eliminates the probability/ inevitability of my kicking to death the upper unpainted part of the rhs lid.   I did a similar job on an earlier Tracer with Gunmetal paintwork on the tank (see pic below), and was able to get what by my standards was a good match in terms of both colour and glossiness - hoping for similar success this time.  I bought a rattle-can of Rust-Oleum brand aerosol paint on recommendation.   

I'm hopeful that if the Royal Purple PVC film is a good colour-match the 'swoosh' decals will suit it (on the black gloss tank, however, they are all but invisible in some light!).   If not, at least the gloss black inserts in the pannier lids will lift them a little.   Did someone mention obsessive?

I'm still smarting that Yamaha doesn't import the GT with painted lids as elsewhere.

Edited July 8, 2019 by wordsmith

[wordsmith]

Farkle #11 – July 10^th.   Fitted the headlight protectors – a fiddly rather than difficult task, again one I’ve done many times before.   They are not especially attractive, although that fades once you've walked round the bike half-a-dozen time, but they may have their benefits. 

BTW – I still have for Oz riders the brand-new pair of headlight protectors for Gen1 Tracers – my mistake in buying them for the GT, which they don’t fit!  GT headlights are whisker smaller than Gen1 Tracer.

Edited July 10, 2019 by wordsmith

[wordsmith]

Farkle #12 – July 11^th.   Yet another farkle that’s become a habit of mine to install on any new bike is a pair of front-facing DRL (Daytime Running Lights) LEDs.   These can be incredibly cheap, or unbelievably expensive.   All my installations have used cheaper variants, with no failures whatsoever – these cost me $24.24 for the pair and were delivered within 7 days of ordering.  

Common wisdom has it that these DRLs are most effective if placed as high up and as far apart as possible on the bike – within reason – ideally creating a triangle of sorts with the bike’s headlights.

On my other Tracers I have put the LEDs on a DIY light-bar to achieve the desired ‘high up and far apart’ outcome.   Not quite so easy on the GT, as there seem to be fewer fastening options on the nose of the bike for a light-bar.   In fact, I struggled with a few ideas before giving up and taking a member’s approach, which was still pretty fiddly.   The DRLs are certainly bright enough, but I’d still prefer to have then up and out, but that can wait for another rainy day – my patience is about out on this job for now!  

Accessing the aux wiring plugs behind the screen is another matter, more fiddly on the GT than I recall it being on Gen1 Tracers.   The wiring is hidden behind multiple layers of other elements of the bike – the windscreen, then a heavy steel plate carrying the screen lowering mechanism, then a complex moulded plastic plate secured by those clever little plastic push-pins, then another small steel plate immediately in front of the wires and plugs.   Getting there was tedious: I felt like a young Bloke undressing his first girlfriend for the first time, removing layer after layer, wondering when on earth he was going to reach the business end of things!  

Anyway, wiring done, connecting the two wires from the LEDs to the input wires of the aux plug via two PosiTaps, red to brown, black to black, and I switched on – nothing!   But I was prepared for that, having been there, done that on previous installations.  A quick tightening of the PosiTaps and lo! – there was light, much light, brighter than a thousand suns in fact.   Pix below.    

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by wordsmith

[betoney]

7 hours ago, wordsmith said:

Common wisdom has it that these DRLs are most effective if placed as high up and as far apart as possible on the bike – within reason – ideally creating a triangle of sorts with the bike’s headlights.

 

 

 

 

 

@wordsmith - I like this positioning and fitment much better than your previous idea, personal preference of course. 

The final installation looks great, like it could be OE on the bike.  Good job!

[Buggy Nate]

Hey Wordy, do you have a link for these? Think they’d make some good reversing lights for the buggy. What wattage are they rated at? 

[wordsmith]

2 hours ago, Buggy Nate said:

Hey Wordy, do you have a link for these? Think they’d make some good reversing lights for the buggy. What wattage are they rated at? 

15W.   Sorry, nate, I didn't keep a record of the link or vendor, but look up '15W fog spot spotlight LEDs for motorcycle' and you'll see a myriad of choices.   Cheers..

[wordsmith]

3 hours ago, Buggy Nate said:

Hey Wordy, do you have a link for these? Think they’d make some good reversing lights for the buggy. What wattage are they rated at? 

LATER - kept looking for you: these may be a better proposition for reversing lights @ 3" dia, mine (looking identical) are 2".  These are a bit cheaper too, price shown is for the PAIR.   Hope it helps...

Edited July 12, 2019 by wordsmith

[Buggy Nate]

Cheers matey, bloody hell, $20 a pair? How do they make a quid?

[wordsmith]

3 hours ago, Buggy Nate said:

Cheers matey, bloody hell, $20 a pair? How do they make a quid?

Indeed - but nothing wrong with them at all, and if anything they suit the Tracers' styling very well.  I've had many pairs of these and never an issue!   Give 'em a go!

[Bimbim18]

On 7/4/2019 at 10:33 AM, fjrpittsburgh said:

 My son who is shorter than I and weighs only 160 lbs, can put the GT on the center stand with ease.

 

I'm 150, 1/2 a year ago my son was 150 as well, but nowhere near as strong as me and he was able to do it (hes 170 now lol) I explain it this way to people.

Step on the center stand until it 'settles'.

Grab the saddlebag rack.

Standing on that center stand, just stand straight up pressing foot straight down, pulling the bike straight up. I actually have to arch my back a bit and tippy toe a little on the center stand as I'm only 5'5". I'm sure this is easier for taller riders, but still very doable lol.

As long as you imagine the pressure on the center stand going straight down while you stand on the center stand, while keeping in mind the bike needs to go straight up, it's not hard. Sometimes when I'm tired or injured I even bring it up a little, let it go down, and bring it back up (to get a rocking motion) and it's even easier. 

[wordsmith]

Farkle # 13 – July 17^th.      I have just completed the installation of one of the more satisfying safety-oriented farkles, the rear-mounted brake-operated flashing/ pulsing brake lights.    

Components comprise the tiny GS-100A Modulator, aka a ‘brake light strobe controller box’ which creates the pulsing function; a relay; an in-line 5a fuse; a single Posi-Tap into the yellow brake-light lead; and some wire.   The few joints were soldered and heat-shrink tube applied: crimp-on connectors would be as good and easier, but I enjoy soldering.   I pre-fabbed most of the wiring while awaiting the delivery of the Modulator, so the final steps took only a short amount of time.  

The satisfaction is largely because I know as much about electronological stuff as the average Neanderthal cave-dweller, but this is the latest of several such installations I’ve done on various bikes, and it gets easier every time.   The hardest part is waiting for some of the components to arrive from overseas!   

I could afford a ready-made kit, say the P3 kit from Skene Lighting (excellent stuff that I have used before) at AUD$214, but I choose not to afford it: my set-up cost about AUD$40 and works just as well.   The ‘job well-done’ is a bonus!

All the components and wiring are neatly tucked-away under the rear seat, while the LED strips are fastened to a short length of aluminium angle under the rearmost part of the luggage rack, for maximum visibility.   When either brake is engaged, the LEDs pulse five or six times in rapid succession, alerting following vehicles that I’m braking, then remain ‘on’ in steady state until the brake is released. 

If anyone here is interested in doing something similar I can post the wiring diagram.   It’s pretty easy stuff – if I can, you can!  

The last pic here shows the LEDs illuminated, but in real life believe me that they glow blindingly red!

 

 

Edited July 17, 2019 by wordsmith

[wordsmith]

On 7/12/2019 at 8:35 PM, Buggy Nate said:

Hey Wordy, do you have a link for these? Think they’d make some good reversing lights for the buggy. What wattage are they rated at? 

Just found these while looking at some recent pix in the camera - these are 'mine' and the link may help if you've not already bought.   Price shown is for the PAIR.   Cheers...

Edited July 17, 2019 by wordsmith

[Suu Kyi]

On 7/5/2019 at 8:44 AM, wordsmith said:

Farkle #5 – July 5^th.   Installed the Stebel Magnum horn in place of the squeaky-toy OE item – I have a wonderful collection of discarded OEs from this and many other bikes!

I don’t know if on a scientific loudometer the Magnum puts out more decibels: what I do know is that the deep two-tone note certainly seems more authoritative, more assertive, and definitely makes others sit-up and take notice.   A very easy installation, plug-‘n’-play as they say, just a bit fiddly in its restricted location, but well worth the effort and the $28.99 cost.

 

Been toying with the idea of fitting one of those or similar on mine too, and did look at that position. However; I'm wondering whether the mudguard is going to collide with the bottom of the horn when the front suspension compresses? Did you do a front suspension compress test before you installed the horn in that position? To see how far up the mudguard comes. Thanks.............