On-the-road maintenance on an (older?) FJR

[MajBach]

This may or may not end up in NERPT but I’ve done some searching and there’s too much to compile so starting a new thread. I am seeking advice on maintenance I should be doing so that I can decide whether to bring the bike home for a good teardown.

I just turned 75,000 miles on my ’09 and it still makes me as happy as the day I bought it; it’s really showing no signs of age. Over the past 5-6 years, I have been riding it around Canada and the US and parking it in storage rather than driving it all the way home. The area where I live got small pretty quick on the FJ and there is just so much to explore on this continent. I bought a dual sport for local off-roading last year and can’t brag enough about how this lifestyle works for me.

Anyway, because I’ve not owned a bike that has lasted this long, I get a little weary about preventative maintenance and staying on top of things since I’m basically limited to fluid and tire changes when the bike isn’t home (although once I did wheel it into my hotel room and took the entire fairing off to replace the HID ballasts).

I had the bike at home the winter of 2016-2017 at around 45,000 miles and tore it right down to inspect/clean/lube nearly every part, save the suspension and cam tensioner. For some reason I am intimidated about working on either of those things as I expect if I screw up, bad things can happen. The only concern I had once the bike was put back together was that one of the exhaust valve clearances was really close to tolerance.I’ve never serviced the valves (just inspected), the steering head bearings (one of those things where too many people have advised “don’t fix what ain’t broken”) or anything to do with the cam chain or tensioner.

So the bike is in Palm Springs right now and I am expecting to do a drive to Frisco over the winter and then head to the East coast next summer. I have aftermarket suspension from GP that now has about 30,000 miles on it so I am going to have them service it when I drive through Oxnard.

So again, the advice I am looking for is: What are the areas that I should give attention to on a bike of this age, the importance of performing the service preventatively and the complexity of the job.

Thanks again.

 

[BigOgre]

If you gave it a good servicing 30,000 miles ago I'd probably feel pretty good about it, especially as it seems it's been mostly touring miles. The only thing that jumps out at me (other than another valve check) is to service the relay arm. With the shock out that would be the time to do it but I don't suppose you could convince GP to go that far.

 

[RossKean]

Just the regular stuff - change fluids, lube pivot points etc. A 2009 should already have the updated cam chain tensioner. Clutch is probably OK if you don't beat the snot out of it.

Relay arm as mentioned by BigOgre. Watch for leaking front fork seals at this time. (Change fork oil if you haven't done so recently.)

Keep an eye on brake pads. Extend and clean the pistons when you have the calipers off for a tire or pad change (especially with a pad change - you don't want to push dirty pistons back into the seals).

Valve checks approximately according to schedule.

Exercise the ABS from time to time.

Change valve stems if you don't do so regularly (If you have aftermarket alloy stems, check to make sure they are still snug when changing tires)

Check steering stem torque every couple of years.

Check that the cooling system plastic overflow tank hasn't become brittle or cracked - has been reported on a number of older Gen II.

Tighten up hoses in cooling system and make sure they are still supple and not cracked.

Check wheel bearings every time you have a wheel off and get them replaced if they feel notchy when rotated using a finger.

I sold my '07 a few weeks ago with 295,000 km - still without issues!! Your '09 is still a baby!

 

[Fred W]

I’m with the Ogre. Since you are basically keeping up with things, there is nothing major that should be done due to inactivity. Just do all of the regular valve check / major service things to include Valve check and adjust if needed, coolant replacement (have to drain for valve check anyway). Spark plug replacement (should be removed for valve check). Brake and clutch fluid flush if it’s been well over 2 years since last. Otherwise, oil, filter and final drive fluid and ride on!

 

[Bounce]

Look at the service intervals and make sure you do them on schedule and you should be fine. This spreadsheet doesn't need to be filled out if you just want to use it as a cheater/reminder.

https://www.fjr-tips.org/maint/fjr-maintenance.xls

 

[Uncle Hud]

No advice for you; but I will extend my thanks.

What a great concept! Fly-n-ride on your own bike! Airline to wherever, taxi to storage facility, settle up the bill, ride for four days to another storage facility. Damn! GREAT idea.

 

[MajBach]

No advice for you; but I will extend my thanks.
What a great concept! Fly-n-ride on your own bike! Airline to wherever, taxi to storage facility, settle up the bill, ride for four days to another storage facility. Damn! GREAT idea.

Yea, it's actually REALLY great and extends the riding to all year if you live in a seasonal climate.

It all started when I rode the bike to Texas to visit a homesick friend under the agreement I could store the bike there for a winter. When I drove home in the late Spring, the weather was nuts...112F in Palm Springs down to low 50s by the time I was in LA then back up to high 90s in San Jose. I stopped at a McBarfBurger and logged onto this forum, hoping to find advice on a storage facility ( 'cause I just wanted to go home) and less than 15 minutes, SilentRay sent me an invite to store my bike at his place. I was on a plane and home in less than 6 hours!

After picking up the bike a few months later (with a fully charged battery and the loose mirror fixed - thanks again, Ray) and realizing I had so much I still wanted to explore State-side, I began planning ahead for the next trip. Last spring, I drove the bike east to our Nation's capital to celebrate our 150th anniversary. I have friends in Onterrible so finding a temp home was a breeze. On the return ride west a month later to view the eclipse in Wyoming, BigJohn set me up with TJ in Billings and I stored the bike in his basement for a month. I flew home, did my shift on the Coast Guard vessel then came back and started trekking south. My brother was a project manager at a ski hill in SLC so I stored the bike there until the fall then continued to Arizona, where the bike was parked less than 2miles from the airport for $50/month. They even accepted Amazon deliveries on my behalf and I did all my maintenance on site. While kept in Phoenix, I flew down twice over the winter to ride to Tucson then again to go to San Diego. Last month, I moved storage spots after spending a week in LA. The place I found in Palm Springs is so close to the runway, I don't even need a cab.

I love the going back and forth and am the envy of many of my colleagues and friends, but it works so well due to many reasons: I have two weeks off every month and 2 1/2 months off in the winter (Club Fed), no dependents or pets, a lot of reward travel miles, but mostly I have another motorcycle at home to relieve the itch as it comes. I thought about starting some type of 'club' or forum so to make it easier for others that may want to try doing the same thing. We could get recommendations on places to store the bikes or offers to store bikes at private residences and/or provide transport to/from airports and maybe even accommodations. I would really benefit from meeting up with other bikers doing the same thing because riding solo everywhere gets lonely occasionally. I never really followed through with the idea though. I can see it getting real messy if it was open to all riders, so it would need to be somewhat confined to one community (like this forum) where people know people so sh*t doesn't go south. But, if I did that, would there be enough riders that would be interested to make it worthwhile? I don't know. I'm certain it would be a ton of work to moderate a new forum dedicated to the concept and I'd rather be out riding.

I also somewhat prefer keeping my bike in storage rather than at a stranger's place. As much as Ray and TJ went above and beyond with hospitality they extended, I can't help feeling like I'm inconveniencing someone, plus if you're paying someone to store the bike, there is security and accountability on a commercial level and I don't have to worry if I decide last minute to leave the bike there for a month or a year.

Having said all that....if anyone ever needs to keep their bike on V. Island, I have tons of room and plenty of beds. I'll also be returning to Palm Springs some time between now and mid-January, riding to San Fransisco via Oxnard and storing the bike in Sacramento (storage costs double or triple from San Diego to Frisco), if anyone is interested in going for a ride.

 

[MajBach]

Just the regular stuff - change fluids, lube pivot points etc. A 2009 should already have the updated cam chain tensioner. Clutch is probably OK if you don't beat the snot out of it. Relay arm as mentioned by BigOgre. Watch for leaking front fork seals at this time. (Change fork oil if you haven't done so recently.)

Keep an eye on brake pads. Extend and clean the pistons when you have the calipers off for a tire or pad change (especially with a pad change - you don't want to push dirty pistons back into the seals).

Valve checks approximately according to schedule.

Exercise the ABS from time to time.

Change valve stems if you don't do so regularly (If you have aftermarket alloy stems, check to make sure they are still snug when changing tires)

Check steering stem torque every couple of years.

Check that the cooling system plastic overflow tank hasn't become brittle or cracked - has been reported on a number of older Gen II.

Tighten up hoses in cooling system and make sure they are still supple and not cracked.

Check wheel bearings every time you have a wheel off and get them replaced if they feel notchy when rotated using a finger.

I sold my '07 a few weeks ago with 295,000 km - still without issues!! Your '09 is still a baby!

Comforted reading this and thanks so much taking the time to post it.

Clutch has no slip whatsoever.

I did a thorough inspection and cleaning of relay arm (if I recall, I had to grind off bolts for the centerstand and replaced them reversed for easier future access).

New brake pads all around even though the ones a replaced had lots of life left.

New fork oil a couple of years ago at tech meet in WA but getting them done again at GP.

Never thought to exercise the ABS - will do.

All wheel bearings in A-1 shape.

Fresh coolant every 2 years and hoses inspected.

So, looks like I need to have steering checked and I'll double check the valve stems.

Thanks.