FJRiders.com

danh600 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 26, 2021 6:02 pm ... Once I retire I really need to become a better mechanic...

I'm more of a parts changer, but I can help you with valve checks and the like. My house or yours?

Hppants wrote: ↑Sun Jun 27, 2021 9:50 am

danh600 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 26, 2021 6:02 pm ... Once I retire I really need to become a better mechanic...

I'm more of a parts changer, but I can help you with valve checks and the like. My house or yours?

Yours. I am sure you have better tools.
Plus I need a good dose of Cajun food and culture.

danh600 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 26, 2021 6:02 pm Rode my wife's Gold wing valkyire. To pick up the battery. Took the scenic route back. Hit a bunch of rain. Cruiser tires suck in the rain. Couple of oh crap moments. So I slowed down to cruiser speeds.

Makes me appreciate PR4GTs.

As a former Goldwing rider, I'm gonna solve your problem. Never put a Dunlop Elite or Metzeler ME880 or any bias ply on a GL or Valk. You will get killed in the wet stuff, all of them have too hard a compound, especially Dunflop.
Get yourself some nice Avon Cobras that come in GL size. Note later models may have changed from the 16" rear..... but if a 16" rear, go with the 70 series profile the original Valk used, not a 60. The Cobras are what I call more of a real sport touring tire, much like your T30/31/32 type, and not softie sidewalls like the Michelins for a heavy pig like that...
If your Valk has 17" wheels, go with the Bridgestones (stiffer sidewalls, sport touring tread).

On the other forum I replied to a cam tensioner survey this isn't a today but still at it today reply:

Thought I'd post up on this Cam Chain Tensioner Survey, don't know that I responded when I replaced it the first time and not going to look.

2007 FJR A Model

In January of 2012 at 55,660 I replaced the first one just as a precaution with a blue dot tensioner as there had been a lot of talk on the issue for a few years.

6/2021

Our friend escapefjrtist (George) was over helping me re set the O2 setting per Ivan's instructions for the Gen II re flash of the ECU that Ivan has done. Once we got done and before installing the hand me down PNW ECU we fired the bike up to insure we hadn't messed anything up. While waiting for the bike to cycle the cooling fans George blipped the throttle and then a couple more times and said listen to this, that is your cam chain rattling! So at 118,650 I ordered a new tensioner (green dot this time) and yesterday it got installed.

Kind of the wrong time of year to be working on your ride here in the PNW but not really a big deal as I have my Tenere to ride, It was also do for lots of other thing's so while waiting for the parts it got it's fourth valve check (motor has been rock steady with no movement), brake and clutch bleed, replaced some Wheatie Thins PR4's, cleaned the K & N air cleaner, adding the Smart Turn auto cancel for the blinkers, greasing the relay arm, cleaning and lubing the lever's.

Best part was George and Dave the Pie tart came over and spent six hours helping me out!

Holy shite, that was a tech day!! Git 'er done when it needs it, good catch on the CCT!!!

Absolutely great report with lots of great inside info. However you fokked up when you didn't post up a photo of Dave and George. Are you embarrassed about having them as your friends or what? I know you know how to work a camera so that aint it! Kudos to George for admitting that your ole girl is loose and sloppy.

Just joshin from yonder this away.

Haven't heard of an incipient failure of the "improved" CCT - either blue or green dot. Something to listen for, I guess. (Although I don't know if I would notice it with my crappy hearing and the fact that I always wear earplugs.) Are you liking the Ivan flash?

Panman's '07 is old, loose and sloppy...still puts out though! IIRC last dyno run (in the recent past) was 127 RWHP. Not too bad for 100K+ miles!

~G

escapefjrtist wrote: ↑Sun Jun 27, 2021 9:42 pm Panman's '07 is old, loose and sloppy...still puts out though! IIRC last dyno run (in the recent past) was 127 RWHP. Not too bad for 100K+ miles!

~G

My '07 with 295,000 km (184,000 mi) still worked great when I sold it three years ago. CCT had been replaced at around 30,000 miles "just because". Only 133,000 km (83,000 mi) on the 2011 (bought it with 36,000 mi). Haven't done much with it other than valve adjust and fork bushings/seals. Might have to get someone with better hearing have a listen for CCT noises...

Ran 615 miles home and let the poor girl rest. 4046.2 miles on the FJR over my 10day vacation while seeing the sights around Spearfish, SD and that included two days of no riding. Used 93.2 gallons of fuel. I had a great vacation with good weather while in SD. No rain on the last day of travel with low 90s temps.

rbentnail wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 11:03 pm

N4HHE wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 3:10 pm There are times I am tempted to solder the 595's battery connector. No amount of tweaking the pins has been a permanent fix. DeOxIt plus spreading the pins lasts longer than just one or the other.

This will be my next farkle. I'm fed up with having my 595 in the powered cradle for 8-10 hrs, taking it out and it telling me the battery is dead. What a crap connector.

I finally got fed up enough to disassemble my 595 to check out this crap connector and I now see why there's always a temporary fix. The pins of the battery side connector half slide down between two tiny tines that make contact on either side of the pin. So spreading the pin works for a little while until the tines flex open a little, then spreading the pins works again for a little while. I've ordered a new battery just to get the connector from it so I can solder the pins and tines together and install a connector external to the circuit board.

raYzerman wrote: ↑Sun Jun 27, 2021 1:37 pm

danh600 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 26, 2021 6:02 pm Rode my wife's Gold wing valkyire. To pick up the battery. Took the scenic route back. Hit a bunch of rain. Cruiser tires suck in the rain. Couple of oh crap moments. So I slowed down to cruiser speeds.

Makes me appreciate PR4GTs.

As a former Goldwing rider, I'm gonna solve your problem. Never put a Dunlop Elite or Metzeler ME880 or any bias ply on a GL or Valk. You will get killed in the wet stuff, all of them have too hard a compound, especially Dunflop.
Get yourself some nice Avon Cobras that come in GL size. Note later models may have changed from the 16" rear..... but if a 16" rear, go with the 70 series profile the original Valk used, not a 60. The Cobras are what I call more of a real sport touring tire, much like your T30/31/32 type, and not softie sidewalls like the Michelins for a heavy pig like that...
If your Valk has 17" wheels, go with the Bridgestones (stiffer sidewalls, sport touring tread).

The slick back tire is some type of Dunlop. However, to be somewhat fair it's about worn out. So it was probably better in the rain when new.

That Gold Wing Valkyrie is hard to find tires for. It's like no one makes a matching set. If you find a front one you like the company doesn't make a back tire. You find a back tire and there is no matching front.

130/60 R - 19 Front
180/55 R - 17 Rear

The rear is pretty common.

I am going to check into the tires you mention. It's going to need tires before we go on another long trip.

I woke up early today and decided that the real world was going to have to wait.



100 miles later, I felt better.

danh600 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 28, 2021 1:54 pm

raYzerman wrote: ↑Sun Jun 27, 2021 1:37 pm

danh600 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 26, 2021 6:02 pm Rode my wife's Gold wing valkyire. To pick up the battery. Took the scenic route back. Hit a bunch of rain. Cruiser tires suck in the rain. Couple of oh crap moments. So I slowed down to cruiser speeds.

Makes me appreciate PR4GTs.

As a former Goldwing rider, I'm gonna solve your problem. Never put a Dunlop Elite or Metzeler ME880 or any bias ply on a GL or Valk. You will get killed in the wet stuff, all of them have too hard a compound, especially Dunflop.
Get yourself some nice Avon Cobras that come in GL size. Note later models may have changed from the 16" rear..... but if a 16" rear, go with the 70 series profile the original Valk used, not a 60. The Cobras are what I call more of a real sport touring tire, much like your T30/31/32 type, and not softie sidewalls like the Michelins for a heavy pig like that...
If your Valk has 17" wheels, go with the Bridgestones (stiffer sidewalls, sport touring tread).

The slick back tire is some type of Dunlop. However, to be somewhat fair it's about worn out. So it was probably better in the rain when new.

That Gold Wing Valkyrie is hard to find tires for. It's like no one makes a matching set. If you find a front one you like the company doesn't make a back tire. You find a back tire and there is no matching front.

130/60 R - 19 Front
180/55 R - 17 Rear

The rear is pretty common.

I am going to check into the tires you mention. It's going to need tires before we go on another long trip.

You do not have to have matching tires at both ends....
The rear can be any of the tires we run on FJR's and other sport touring bikes, same size. I'd pick the GT or A spec, whatever stiffer sidewall.
Avon makes a 19" front Cobra to fit. For a matching rear you'd have to put on their 180/60-17, which is a touch taller.

raYzerman wrote: ↑Mon Jun 28, 2021 10:43 pm

danh600 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 28, 2021 1:54 pm

raYzerman wrote: ↑Sun Jun 27, 2021 1:37 pm

As a former Goldwing rider, I'm gonna solve your problem. Never put a Dunlop Elite or Metzeler ME880 or any bias ply on a GL or Valk. You will get killed in the wet stuff, all of them have too hard a compound, especially Dunflop.
Get yourself some nice Avon Cobras that come in GL size. Note later models may have changed from the 16" rear..... but if a 16" rear, go with the 70 series profile the original Valk used, not a 60. The Cobras are what I call more of a real sport touring tire, much like your T30/31/32 type, and not softie sidewalls like the Michelins for a heavy pig like that...
If your Valk has 17" wheels, go with the Bridgestones (stiffer sidewalls, sport touring tread).

The slick back tire is some type of Dunlop. However, to be somewhat fair it's about worn out. So it was probably better in the rain when new.

That Gold Wing Valkyrie is hard to find tires for. It's like no one makes a matching set. If you find a front one you like the company doesn't make a back tire. You find a back tire and there is no matching front.

130/60 R - 19 Front
180/55 R - 17 Rear

The rear is pretty common.

I am going to check into the tires you mention. It's going to need tires before we go on another long trip.

You do not have to have matching tires at both ends....
The rear can be any of the tires we run on FJR's and other sport touring bikes, same size. I'd pick the GT or A spec, whatever stiffer sidewall.
Avon makes a 19" front Cobra to fit. For a matching rear you'd have to put on their 180/60-17, which is a touch taller.

Ray

I actually ordered her a PR4GT to replace the original tire. When she took the bike to the dealership they convinced her it would not work on that bike. They said the profile of the tire would cause the bike to turn in too fast and be dangerous. Also said the Valkyrie was too heavy for the PR4GT they said it might come off the rim.

Not sure if they really believed all that BS or just wanted to sell her the more expensive Dunlop cruiser tire.

I think a PR4GT would work great on that bike. The dual compound would be a good combination of handling and wear.

She has a Michelin Commander II on the front. That seems to work fine. I never see Avons sold around here, just not a popular choice. I will have to look into those.

Put FJR up on the lift and set up the tire changer. New shoes going on for our July trip to WI and U.P.

Designflaw is getting new sneakers as well, but unfortunately there are no high end lodging facilities in my neighborhood comparable to the Pines in Owosso, so I think he's sleeping on a park bench somewhere on the way over this weekend...

FIFY

extrememarine wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 9:53 am Put FJR up on the lift and set up the tire changer. New shoes going on for our July trip to WI and U.P.

Designflaw is getting new sneakers as well, but unfortunately there are no high end lodging facilities in my neighborhood comparable to the Pines Welcome Inn in Owosso, so I think he's sleeping on a park bench somewhere on the way over this weekend...

Accidentally put peg lowering brackets on for the first time in years. Slightly lowered the shifter and brake lever. Less is more. Swapped out the new Aeroflow screen for the Yamaha touring (for comparison), pulled the right passenger peg and installed my Garauld TechWorks hydration platform. Pulled the stock seat I run almost all the time and put my custom Laam on. No particular reason. Just seemed appropriate.

Felt sort of, I don’t know, patriotic. Viva la libertad.

Rode to Paris for coffee...
Engine oil and final drive oil change.
Checked brake pads... plenty of meat left.

Took it out for a little ride today