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You could very well be correct (my misunderstanding what Fred said). As I recall, the visit by the authors to the major Japanese motorcycle manufacturers was a rare (if not unprecedented) event. Up to that point, the major assembly lines were behind closed doors and not open to anyone outside...

I really don't care if you believe me or not, I know what I read. I was flabbergasted to read that this is how they treated brand new motorcycles (all of them) coming off the assembly line. I showed the article to my Dad and he was mystified as well. BTW, this was back in 1979-1980 or so, don't...

Well, when I bought my new 1979 Yamaha XS1100, there was a report in one of the moto mags about a visit by the staff to the Yamaha factory. They witnessed brand new XS1100s coming off the assembly line and the first test was to put it on a dyno and run WFO for 30 seconds. If the engine didn't...

Well said. Those of us who do (and have done) our own maintenance and repairs weren't born with this capability, we acquired this knowledge along the way. Having a mechanical genius for a father certainly didn't hurt but that shouldn't keep anyone who wants to know from gaining the necessary...

I have always done all service and repairs on all of my motorcycles since 1961. A dealer will never touch my 2014 FJR for any reason. Dan

Exactly. I sit down with the dealer/sales person and go over every detail of the invoice. If something doesn't look quite right I ask for an explanation. Not suspecting that I'm getting snookered, I just want to know what the bottom line is and how it was arrived at. The dealer I bought my new...

I'm at 24,000 miles and have not done TBS or changed spark plugs. It has not shown a need for TBS (usually there are symptoms, mine has none). I figure I'll do the spark plugs when I go into the major maintenance at 26,000 miles (pretty soon). Removing the oil filter can be a mess (oil runs...

I forgot one... My 1985 Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S had hydraulics for the valves, no need to ever remove the valve cover. The FJR would benefit from the same system (not rpm limited and worth the money). Dan

This is the major reason I bought my 2014 (another reason was because it is Candy Red). I would not have bought it without integrated cruise control. I installed an Audiovox on my previous bike (Kawasaki C10 converted to a C12) and it was golden. Oh, and the FJR is head and shoulders better...

If you got an owners manual with the bike it has a pretty good description on suspension setups. If you didn't, Yamaha has them for free on their website. Dan

I would never have an Acrylic windshield on my FJR (or any motorcycle for that matter). My super hard coated FJR Touring Windshield only has a few rock nicks in it after 2 1/2 years and 24,000 miles. Extremely easy to keep clean with no worries of scratching I can clean it on the road like I...

1) I pull up with the pump on the right. 2) Lower side stand, hold front brake, dismount. 3) Put bike on center stand. 4) Move around to right side and fill tank. I find it easier to manipulate the pump handle and hose if I have both hands free and while standing next to the bike. 5) If...

I have two Craftsman clicker torque wrenches I've had for decades (3/8", 5-75 ft.lbs. and 1/2", 10-150 ft.lbs.). The wrenches clicked very close to the settings (within a few ft.lbs. IIRC) but most important, they were consistant. They clicked at the same weight each time. I didn't run a...

You can make a quick (and cheap) test fixture like this (arm is 12" long from center): Dan

Both the Shell Rotella T (conventional) and T6 (synthetic) oils are JASO-DH2 rated for motorcycles. Just watch to make sure this rating still exists after the PC-11 adjustments and we are good to go. Dan

I've been working off and on (more off than on) on a much simpler design with far fewer parts. This one would be hinged so easy access to the rear seat would be possible (to gain acces to anything under the seat). This would also make the rear seat available for use while on a trip for short...

Oh yeah, this is a solo only installation. If my wife rides along (very rarely BTW) I have an SR357 mount that I can use (but never have so far). Dan

My choice isn't listed. I've probably shown this before but I don't like any trunk mounted on the rear "deck" area so I designed and built my own mount so the Givi hovers over the passenger seat: Dan

Same here. Now if it was Rackbook I might check it out, but not Facebook. Dan

Do you know what the suspension settings on the "A" were? If all settings are backed all the way out (softest, least damping), it can be quite smooth/soft. But lack of damping will certainly show up when cornering, especially if the road is somewhat bumpy. Dan