FJRiders.com

LKLD wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 6:09 pm Washed her this afternoon, with wifey and daughter washing their own bikes. We’ll ride Cherohala tomorrow.

I am NOT impressed. If wifey and daughter would have washed your FJR too, THEN I would have been impressed.

fontanaman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 10, 2025 7:49 pm Installed XPEL Gloss Surface Protection Film on the new right side fairing panel. I bought a roll of XPEL so I had to make templates using engineering paper, you know the stuff with lots of lines.

Got pictures of you installing?

I plan do to the same in 50 days...

LKLD wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 6:09 pm We’ll ride Cherohala tomorrow.

extrememarine wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 8:19 pm I plan do to the same in 50 days...

LKLD wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 6:09 pm We’ll ride Cherohala tomorrow.

I wish I could.

Toter wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 6:43 pm

fontanaman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 10, 2025 7:49 pm Installed XPEL Gloss Surface Protection Film on the new right side fairing panel. I bought a roll of XPEL so I had to make templates using engineering paper, you know the stuff with lots of lines.

Got pictures of you installing?

Today I cleaned up areas normally not accessible. There was a lot of dust and crud in there. The battery terminals were cleaned, dialectic grease applied and reattached. The fairing beak/tunnel was removed and cleaned. I also cleaned the windscreen sliders.

Here are a few photos.

Half naked!



Beak/Tunnel removed. It reminds me of the Borge.



The new right side fairing panel with ZPEL installed in a few places.



Tomorrow I may get the fairing reinstalled, then the air filter will be replaced and on to inspect the suspension pivots.

rode to work again this morning...30 degrees, but it should be much nicer for the ride home.

After Wayne’s unfortunate spark plug issue, I examined the NGK link against some OEM plugs I bought to replace on my fjr when I check the valves (still gonna wait until I get to 40k miles or so). I bought the plugs fairly cheap on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09RBZ75 ... asin_title

That led me to get concerned that maybe I bought fake plugs. Using the UK webpage to identify counterfeits, all issues checked out except number 5 (shape of the electrode). So I contacted NGK (US site) and was pleased to receive a reply almost immediately. I sent them some pictures of the plugs I bought and they told me they were legitimate.

NGK also advised NOT to use anti seize or lubricant when installing the plug, and to torque to spec. On an aluminum head, I won’t go that tight. Compress the gasket and go maybe 1/8th turn more - that’s all.

Just thought I’d share.

Hppants wrote: ↑Wed Mar 12, 2025 11:01 am Compress the gasket and go maybe 1/8th turn more - that’s all.

Perfect. It may have been one of the first mechanic things I learned when I first started riding 57 years ago.

When I use anti-seize it is to fill the bottom two-three threads only and coat them to help prevent the combustion carbon from wicking up those first coupla threads.... that's it. Anti-seize on plugs should be minimal, you want lots of contact for grounding to the head. Not that you should worry about that too much, there should be plenty.

As for torque, just install according to NGK's guideline, printed on the box. Turn in until crush washer seats, then I go 1/4 turn more. This is proper torque and leaves you room to check and re-install later if need be, little bit of crush in the crush washer remaining. You can follow this for any plug with crush washers.

Finished the handguard installation on the Brian Bike. My friend machined slots in the bar weights to accept the VSTROM hand guards outer clip style ends






New shoes for her arrive tomorrow. Time to go for a ride.

Almost took her out today, but the 21 GS was in the way, so took out the 22 GSA for a nice ride. Gorgeous, and 75 degrees. Going across 136, saw a big ploom of smoke down off the mountains. Worked my way over toward it and went through a prescribed burn area. Dealt with some heavy smoke, but then got to a spot where the left side of the road was burning. The heat coming off that as I went by was pretty intense. I can't imagine what the heat of an actual forest fire is like. Hope I never find out. Fun ride today.

Installed the right side fairing panel on my 2017ES today. More work to do tomorrow. Riding season is near. Raining out the rest of this week and into early next week but the temps are warming up enough for a ride.

Started pulling parts of the old 07 to put on my new to me 13A model.

This is going to take some time as I've had the 07 since 07 but 11,000 mile VS 135,000.

Picked up the 13 in Hamilton MT.


Glade George came over as I've had three different configurations of fork innards to pick from.

George also rode/drove over to Hamilton to pick it up, a little over 1,000 miles, thanks George.

Congrats on trading up to a newer FJR.

Took it out of "storage". In other words, pulled it out from the corner of the garage, put the 10yr old battery back in, aired up the tires back to 41F and 42R, took it to the car wash and washed the dust off of it from being neglected for the last 4 months.

Aired up the tires on David's bike, been sitting here since December.... weather's warming, so he's gonna ride it home soon. Today is sorting and cleaning up the shop day.

Congrats on the new '13, Panman!! I'm curious what's up with all the fork parts.... only the right side fork has damping adjustments, the left side is a dummy cartridge/no compression adjuster. I see OEM springs on the bench... you can keep the originals in the '13 if you wind in the preload most or all of the way, however, I'd upgrade to aftermarket if it was me. OR, if you've got money in the '07 forks, swap them both in.

Aired up tires. Front good, rear down to 20 psi. No nail. Breaking out the soapy water this weekend to try and track leak.
Tires installed last year, rear seemed to always be down a little, but nothing too alarming. I guess sitting all Winter told the tale.

raYzerman wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 9:11 am Congrats on the new '13, Panman!! I'm curious what's up with all the fork parts.... only the right side fork has damping adjustments, the left side is a dummy cartridge/no compression adjuster. I see OEM springs on the bench... you can keep the originals in the '13 if you wind in the preload most or all of the way, however, I'd upgrade to aftermarket if it was me. OR, if you've got money in the '07 forks, swap them both in.

Let's see Ray this could be a bit long. I rode the 07 from new with the stock parts for the first season or two. There was a lot of talk about Claus at Hyper Pro so then tried their stuff for a season or two. The Hyper Pro rear didn't last long as I went with Ohlins, G man figured out how to rebuild the Penske out went the Ohlins five years ago. Then I had meet Jeff Ashe after the first Nakusp and he wanted to work some of his magic on the forks so more springs. In 13 one of the locals got a set of GP Cartridge kits designed for the 13's with one side being compression and the other side being rebound and I haven't looked back. So my task was to figure out what stock was and return the 07 back and will put the GP in the 13.

So, Penske and GP on the '13 sounds great. You got a plan!!

Those loose springs in the pic look like could be original '07.