Premium Member keithu Posted November 29, 2019 Author Premium Member Share Posted November 29, 2019 4 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said: I live at 630 or so feet ASL so not an issue for me but a little clamp on the feed line would have solve your problem, something like on an IV bag. Now obviously something like the Scott Oiler may work for higher elevations for 6 times the $. I've used a SO decades but the needle valve does wear out... I can go from 200 feet to 5000 feet without even leaving my county, so elevation changes are pretty common. Even at 6x cost it's worth it to not worry about clamping a hemostat on the Loobman or riding around with a well lubricated tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted December 15, 2019 Author Premium Member Share Posted December 15, 2019 My auxiliary lights are mounted. I found these PIAA LP550 5" LED driving lights on Craigslist for $50. Yes, they're huge, but they throw a massive amount of light down the road. I'll try to post some nighttime comparison photos when I get a chance. I bought the Adventuretech light bracket that uses the factory mounting points, but I had to adapt it. The Adventuretech bracket is for lights that hang below the mount, but the LP550s have to be mounted upright. The Craigslist lights came with an aluminum car mount bracket, so I used a hacksaw and grinder to fabricate a mount bar for my FJ-09. At first I mounted it with a single bar, but it flexed a bit and I was concerned that vibration would eventually crack the mounting bar. So I added a second bar to create a bridge that is now quite strong. I had hoped to control the light with a Skene controller, but I was having some difficulty finding voltage from the high beam so they are just controlled separately using the standard PIAA switch. I will probably just use these lights as my high beam since they easily out throw both OEM headlights. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member 2and3cylinders Posted December 16, 2019 Premium Member Share Posted December 16, 2019 Those ARE huge... My $25 eBay LEDs do a decent job at night and any brighter I'd get flashed by oncoming traffic a LOT more than I do now. IMO the OEM headlight does a PDG job. Note my switch location... I understand mounting those humongous lights to you case guuards would be problematic but it sure is a much easier may to go... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted December 16, 2019 Author Premium Member Share Posted December 16, 2019 Yes, as OEM headlights go the FJ lights are pretty good. But after riding to Gerlach a couple of years ago at 3:00am through a storm of suicidal jackrabbits, I realized that I definitely need more candlepower. I may still mount something smaller and dimmer to my crash bars to serve as DRLs, but these PIAAs are for those special times when I need sunlight in the middle of the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdavis Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 (edited) My Skene controller was wired to the Y/B wire exiting the control box on the HB side through a relay to Aux pwr. to switch the lights and used the same Pwr to the red wire. Wired as a normal Skene light setup with the yellow wire disconnected for 20% running lights. Edited December 16, 2019 by jdavis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted December 16, 2019 Author Premium Member Share Posted December 16, 2019 I read that in another thread, and I may try that later. These things are so insanely bright though that I think I'll just control them separately. I may save the Skene controller for less extreme lights. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted December 23, 2019 Author Premium Member Share Posted December 23, 2019 Concerned about strain on the subrame due to the added weight of the large aux lights and bracket, I reinforced the lower headlight stay with a 10.5" length of 3/8" all thread and some nuts. The stay is hollow and prone to cracking according to other owners, but the all thread slips through easily and significantly strengthens the mount. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted January 26, 2020 Author Premium Member Share Posted January 26, 2020 Another minor update: I installed the cheapo FJR-style footpegs from Amazon. I wouldn't call this a radical improvement, but the teensy OEM pegs got a little annoying on long rides. These new pegs are quite a big bigger and my huge feet actually fit on them. Why did Yamaha rivet the OEM peg on the left side, but use a cotter pin on the right? Puzzling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted January 26, 2020 Supporting Member Share Posted January 26, 2020 1 hour ago, keithu said: Why did Yamaha rivet the OEM peg on the left side, but use a cotter pin on the right? Puzzling. One of those ‘great mysteries of life’ questions with this bike... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draco_1967 Posted January 26, 2020 Share Posted January 26, 2020 On 12/22/2019 at 7:35 PM, keithu said: Concerned about strain on the subrame due to the added weight of the large aux lights and bracket, I reinforced the lower headlight stay with a 10.5" length of 3/8" all thread and some nuts. The stay is hollow and prone to cracking according to other owners, but the all thread slips through easily and significantly strengthens the mount. I just installed the adventuretech bracket with a pair of large, heavy lights, and I find they bounce quite a bit (probably 1/4" of deflection). Do you experience that with your light setup? I did have to modify the angle of the bracket to fit the 2019 Tracer, so I don't know if that had a significant impact, or if it was just designed for smaller lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member 2and3cylinders Posted January 27, 2020 Premium Member Share Posted January 27, 2020 On 12/22/2019 at 8:35 PM, keithu said: Concerned about strain on the subrame due to the added weight of the large aux lights and bracket, I reinforced the lower headlight stay with a 10.5" length of 3/8" all thread and some nuts. The stay is hollow and prone to cracking according to other owners, but the all thread slips through easily and significantly strengthens the mount. I may do that too but the lower, or is it the upper, whatever, the other fairing support is the one I thought cracked and which cannot be through-bolted. If you note, I have had the bigger rubber covered pegs for a couple of years. Try some highway pegs on your case guards. And the suspension and brakes should be at the top of everyone's To Do list. I've checked them off mine thankfully, so for me it's a more open can, electronic cruise control and maybe a quick shifter but money is waaay tight. Sigh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted January 28, 2020 Author Premium Member Share Posted January 28, 2020 On 1/26/2020 at 3:30 PM, draco_1967 said: I just installed the adventuretech bracket with a pair of large, heavy lights, and I find they bounce quite a bit (probably 1/4" of deflection). Do you experience that with your light setup? Yep, same deflection on mine. Hence I think the reinforcement of the lower subframe is pretty important. Flex and vibration will find the weakest point and break it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted January 28, 2020 Author Premium Member Share Posted January 28, 2020 20 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said: I may do that too but the lower, or is it the upper, whatever, the other fairing support is the one I thought cracked and which cannot be through-bolted. Correct, the lower bracket can be through-bolted, and I think it should be if the Adventuretech bracket is used. The upper bracket is prone to cracking with a large windscreen, but unfortunately the upper can't be easy reinforced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member 2and3cylinders Posted January 29, 2020 Premium Member Share Posted January 29, 2020 And I have the Givi Tour barn door screen, WITH a spoiler at its top! So I AM worried about the upper bracket! I have braced the screen frame with high durometer foam pads on each side reacting off the back of the instrument module but am I just transferring the load? I also did the bicycle AS axle through mod for the screen adjuster bolts, which should help some... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted January 30, 2020 Author Premium Member Share Posted January 30, 2020 Yes, I think you're doing the same as me and just chasing the weak point. Eventually someone will just snap off the whole front subframe at the steering head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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