1 week with new FJR

[Dblhelix]

So after 1 week with the new 08 FRJ I am loving it. However need to put some real miles on it. Couple quick observations:

-Saddle bag lock screws very loose and not loctite'd. I mean finger loose. Fixed that up yesterday. Cant stress enough the importance of following the new owners check list!

- Got the Skyway sliders. Noted that the instructions indicate "Remove (x2) 12mm enginge bolts"...dont know about other years, but the '08 is a 10mm bolt (**this cost me 2 trips to hardware store as I did not have either and initially simply relied on the instructions provided.

- Did not use torque wrench...just snugged them up pretty good. How important is the torque value? Instructions read "29 ft/lb or until you feel the bolt snug down." I used loctite and made them pretty tight, dont think I stripped them or anything like that! but is the torque really all that important? If so I'll go buy a torque wrench (may be good to have anyways).

- The bike is a lot heavier than what I have been riding so I am trying to avoid situations that could result in a slow speed tip. I suppose it may be inevitable eventually but doing my best to be careful. Also takes some getting used to regarding concern for parking lot angles etc. Dont want to get stuck!!

- First bike with center stand and have that down now no probs. At first its a bit intimidating but once you undstand how it works and the proper technique goes up w/o much effort.

Anyways, now I'll be off to put a few miles on the bike. Plan to ride up PCH to Mailbu and then hit some of the canyons....Appreciate the feedback. Love this bike and the forum!

 

[Bigbeavk]

WOOOOOOOHHHOOOOOOO Congrats on your new baby. I hope you enjoy the heck out of it. Keep an eye on the forum classifieds too. Always some great deals to be had. Farkle on my bro :yahoo:

 

[Braenen]

The slider bolts are also the engine mount and the engine is a fully stressed part of the frame for this bike. I STRONGLY recommend you get someone to check the torque of those bolts.

 

[hecpilot]

Sears makes a great torque wrench for about 80.00. Worth every penny. I got the one that has a range of something like 10-75lbs, which covers 90% of the bolts on the bike. What I like most, is that I set the wrench to the value needed, tighten the nut/bolt until I feel and hear a click, and then I am done. I walk away confident that I have maintained my bike properly, and as you know, it is the only way to do things safely. Safety first, right?

 

[Beamer Reamer]

I just had 6 hours of practice in slow speed maneuvering - it's very do-able. I took the MSF Intermediate Riders Course and was able to do all the slow speed cone courses, u-turns in the box, etc. The nice thing about the course is that you can practice by turning wider than you need to and then work on tightening your turns until as you get comfortable. It really is all about moving your weight outside the turn and looking all the way through the turn. You can do the same with marking off a parking lot. The course wants two u-turns (one right and one left) in a 60x24 box. This is a stress free way to learn without putting you bike at risk to a drop.

Enjoy!! It is a great bike and this forum has mountains of info. Your off to a good start if you have already been to the "bin-o-facts" and new bike check list.

 

[painman]

The slider bolts are also the engine mount and the engine is a fully stressed part of the frame for this bike. I STRONGLY recommend you get someone to check the torque of those bolts.

And, I'm not an expert on this, but pretty sure the "left" side is torqued first. Maybe someone with more know on this could expound? There are tightening sequences and torque specs in the service manual starting on pg. 5-8 under engine installation. PM. <><

 

[madjackdog]

Well I was going to tell Dblhelix tht it was OK to just cinch them up, but after reading Braenen's remarks, I suppose I'll have to go out to Sears and buy a #@#$&%$ torque wrench. Thanks Braenen, thanks a lot.

 

[Dblhelix]

Thanks all. Yep, ran to Sears, got the torque wrench, cinched em down this morning (with Loctite) at 32.5 lbs ( I have seen some specs at 29 and some at 34 so I figured somewhere in between must be fine... and then went riding! :yahoo: Did 150 miles today, went up to canyons in Malibu, Mulhulland, Encinal cnyn and then just cruising PCH here in So Cal. Beautiful riding day here, sunny but crisp air temp no wind not much traffic up in the BU and the roads were clear (no silt, rocks etc). The bike is great in the canyons...I mean I am no canyon carver but this thing handles like a dream and I really feel in control. Loving it!!

I really like the Skyway sliders but think the instructions could be a bit better. Granted its not rocket science putting them on, but a simple diagram would be nice for some folks not all that experienced yet working on their bike and I would like to see the correct engine bolt size listed...

 

[painman]

So after 1 week with the new 08 FRJ I am loving it. However need to put some real miles on it. Couple quick observations:
- Got the Skyway sliders. Noted that the instructions indicate "Remove (x2) 12mm enginge bolts"...dont know about other years, but the '08 is a 10mm bolt (**this cost me 2 trips to hardware store as I did not have either and initially simply relied on the instructions provided.

Don't want to be the nit picker, but for future reference and other owners, was that a 10 mm size Allen bolt head/socket, or 10 mm thread size? My 06 has the 10mm Allen head.

Also of note here there has been debate on the forum on the use of loctite or thread lube/never-sieze and how it affects the torque values.

And another debate on Delrin vs. Aluminum sliders. So did you get the Delrin? And congrats on the new bike. Sorry, didn't mean to get off track. Be safe, PM. <><

 

[HotRodZilla]

Thanks all. Yep, ran to Sears, got the torque wrench, cinched em down this morning (with Loctite) at 32.5 lbs ( I have seen some specs at 29 and some at 34 so I figured somewhere in between must be fine... and then went riding! :yahoo: Did 150 miles today, went up to canyons in Malibu, Mulhulland, Encinal cnyn and then just cruising PCH here in So Cal. Beautiful riding day here, sunny but crisp air temp no wind not much traffic up in the BU and the roads were clear (no silt, rocks etc). The bike is great in the canyons...I mean I am no canyon carver but this thing handles like a dream and I really feel in control. Loving it!!

You should be just fine. Ride the crap out of that thing. If it blows up, you'll know you did something wrong. Until then, just enjoy it. It's really a great machine.

 

[Dblhelix]

Its a 10mm Allen bolt/head socket on my '08. Did I misinterpret the instructions then...that is, are the threads 12mm perhaps? I did not measure but "assumed" when the instructions said remove the 12mm bolt that meant the head size. I went with the Delrin sliders after reading up here on the pros/cons. Skyway does a nice job on the machining of the aluminum parts etc. I am happy with them, only niggle is with the instructions!

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

Good to see you got the bike. If you want to put some more miles on that baby and need some folks to ride with go to this link and join up with the SOCAL Riders.

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...c=107267&hl=

 

[DJB]

I was just having this conversation with S76 last night on the phone. The manufacturers have torque values for a reason. You will find that you need another one when you remove your front and rear tires, they are around 70 ftlbs for the front and 85 for the rear. You should go back to Sears and get one that is a1/2 inch drive that is on sale for $69.99. I help build choppers for living and the one thing I have learned is that if it says Torque it do it.

 

[RCOregon]

Welcome to the club!. This is my first week as well. I went from a much heavier bike (ST1100). Our thoughts are probably a little different.

I can't believe how easy it is to set on the center stand. The FJR corners much different than my ST, it seems to naturally go into the turns,

where my 1100 took some effort. The power difference is amazing. I also think the FJRs are a better looking bike than the other STs out there. If fact, I would say gorgeous. Can you tell I Love this bike?

 

[SilverHound]

You don't need no stinkin torque wrench...just tighten it til it snaps and then back off a half turn. :huh:

Seriously though a decent torque wrench should be one of the first tools you buy if you are going to be doing your own wrenching on the bike. Even though the fasteners with high torque value are important it is the low torque ones that will get you into trouble. I've seen a lot of posts (in other bike forums) where the people say they can feel the right torque and these posts are usually followed up with "where do I buy a set of easy-outs to remove a broken bolt?".