Tech Day XXVI - August 26, 2023 in Marysville, OH

[BikerGeek99]

After skipping our usual spring Tech Day this year (life and ****, ya know?), it's time once again for the best-damned midwest FJR Tech Day EVER!

Edition #26 will be in sunny, beautiful, Marysville, Ohio, and will be hosted by me and Sooze, which means that I'll open the garage doors and Sooze will make sure everyone is well fed.

Plan on Saturday, August 26, 2023, for this soiree. For folks who cannot make this a day ride, or have serious stuff to do on their bikes and want / need to stay the night Friday and / or Saturday, we have plenty of floor space and a few inflatable mattresses. And cats. We have cats. Plenty of cats. We also have plenty of back yard for anyone who wants to throw down a tent. There are also hotels in Marysville that are much less "memorable" than the place TimDOG stayed at in Owosso. I'll open the doors on Friday afternoon-ish.

Post up if you are coming. Please include:
1. When you plan on arriving and if you are staying overnight. That helps the innkeepers to plan and stuff.
B. What you're looking to do to your bike. Plan on wrenching on your own bike with folks nearby who have already either broken what you're working on or have completely screwed the pooch on what you're working on. If you're not sure what parts you will need for whatever you wanna do to your bike (say, a valve check or a fork rebuild), the sooner you speak up, the sooner you can get parts advice.

The Brain Trust usually brings most tools needed to get most jobs done. I have these things in the garage called 'tools' that ... well, other than the metric screwdrivers, I'm not really sure what they are or how to use them, but other people have used them and their bikes (mostly) ran, so that's good.

If you need tires, speak up so that we can try to have a tire changer there. Otherwise, there may not be one. One thing we learned at a prior Tech Day, thanks to FJRPittsburgh, is that Cycle Gear on the west side of Columbus is The Place if you have a sudden, unplanned need for a new tire.

As a reminder, if you wanna do a valve check, plan on getting there Friday or trailering your bike. The engine has to be stone cold to do a valve check. If you don't have a shim kit, we'll try to have one available.

If you wanna ship parts there ahead of time, speak up so we can get ya the shipping address. And if you haven't been to this little patch of Ohio, let me know so I can get you the address.


If you want a hotel, here are some options:
Hampton Inn - I've had family stay here and they said it was nice.

GrayRay has stayed at this Super 8 and did not have a TimDOG experience.

JWilly and his better half stayed at this Holiday Inn Express.

There is also a Quality Inn.

There is a fairly new Fairfield Inn.

And there is a new-ish Home2 Suites that's nice. Sooze and I have stayed there a couple of times and it was pretty nice.

Looks like there is an airbnb in town as well. I know nothing of this other than what's in the link.

There is also another airbnb at a winery / brewery aboot 5 minutes from the house, but it doesn't look like they have availability. I have been in this place, we have had family stay there, and we know the owners. If anyone is interested, I can ask the owners aboot availability / see if you can be put on a wait list or something. FYI - their parking is all gravel.

We do have plenty of yard space for tents. If huron52 wants to bring his big-*** RV trailer down, we have plenty of room in the driveway. Also, speaking of RVs, if anyone has an RV and is a member of Harvest Hosts, the folks at the winery / brewery are a member of that as well.

 

[Dan Cotter]

After skipping our usual spring Tech Day this year (life and ****, ya know?), it's time once again for the best-damned midwest FJR Tech Day EVER!

Edition #26 will be in sunny, beautiful, Marysville, Ohio, and will be hosted by me and Sooze, which means that I'll open the garage doors and Sooze will make sure everyone is well fed.

Plan on Saturday, August 26, 2023, for this soiree. For folks who cannot make this a day ride, or have serious stuff to do on their bikes and want / need to stay the night Friday and / or Saturday, we have plenty of floor space and a few inflatable mattresses. And cats. We have cats. Plenty of cats. We also have plenty of back yard for anyone who wants to throw down a tent. There are also hotels in Marysville that are much less "memorable" than the place TimDOG stayed at in Owosso. I'll open the doors on Friday afternoon-ish.

Post up if you are coming. Please include:
1. When you plan on arriving and if you are staying overnight. That helps the innkeepers to plan and stuff.
B. What you're looking to do to your bike. Plan on wrenching on your own bike with folks nearby who have already either broken what you're working on or have completely screwed the pooch on what you're working on. If you're not sure what parts you will need for whatever you wanna do to your bike (say, a valve check or a fork rebuild), the sooner you speak up, the sooner you can get parts advice.

The Brain Trust usually brings most tools needed to get most jobs done. I have these things in the garage called 'tools' that ... well, other than the metric screwdrivers, I'm not really sure what they are or how to use them, but other people have used them and their bikes (mostly) ran, so that's good.

If you need tires, speak up so that we can try to have a tire changer there. Otherwise, there may not be one. One thing we learned at a prior Tech Day, thanks to FJRPittsburgh, is that Cycle Gear on the west side of Columbus is The Place if you have a sudden, unplanned need for a new tire.

As a reminder, if you wanna do a valve check, plan on getting there Friday or trailering your bike. The engine has to be stone cold to do a valve check. If you don't have a shim kit, we'll try to have one available.

If you wanna ship parts there ahead of time, speak up so we can get ya the shipping address. And if you haven't been to this little patch of Ohio, let me know so I can get you the address.


If you want a hotel, here are some options:
Hampton Inn - I've had family stay here and they said it was nice.

GrayRay has stayed at this Super 8 and did not have a TimDOG experience.

JWilly and his better half stayed at this Holiday Inn Express.

There is also a Quality Inn.

There is a fairly new Fairfield Inn.

And there is a new-ish Home2 Suites that's nice. Sooze and I have stayed there a couple of times and it was pretty nice.

Looks like there is an airbnb in town as well. I know nothing of this other than what's in the link.

There is also another airbnb at a winery / brewery aboot 5 minutes from the house, but it doesn't look like they have availability. I have been in this place, we have had family stay there, and we know the owners. If anyone is interested, I can ask the owners aboot availability / see if you can be put on a wait list or something. FYI - their parking is all gravel.

We do have plenty of yard space for tents. If huron52 wants to bring his big-*** RV trailer down, we have plenty of room in the driveway. Also, speaking of RVs, if anyone has an RV and is a member of Harvest Hosts, the folks at the winery / brewery are a member of that as well.

I just learned of this tech day, is it to late to try to get parts and get some help replacing my fork seals and fluids on my gen1 (2003)?

 

[escapefjrtist]

...one of these days 'geek!

~G

 

[Dan Cotter]

After skipping our usual spring Tech Day this year (life and ****, ya know?), it's time once again for the best-damned midwest FJR Tech Day EVER!

Edition #26 will be in sunny, beautiful, Marysville, Ohio, and will be hosted by me and Sooze, which means that I'll open the garage doors and Sooze will make sure everyone is well fed.

Plan on Saturday, August 26, 2023, for this soiree. For folks who cannot make this a day ride, or have serious stuff to do on their bikes and want / need to stay the night Friday and / or Saturday, we have plenty of floor space and a few inflatable mattresses. And cats. We have cats. Plenty of cats. We also have plenty of back yard for anyone who wants to throw down a tent. There are also hotels in Marysville that are much less "memorable" than the place TimDOG stayed at in Owosso. I'll open the doors on Friday afternoon-ish.

Post up if you are coming. Please include:
1. When you plan on arriving and if you are staying overnight. That helps the innkeepers to plan and stuff.
B. What you're looking to do to your bike. Plan on wrenching on your own bike with folks nearby who have already either broken what you're working on or have completely screwed the pooch on what you're working on. If you're not sure what parts you will need for whatever you wanna do to your bike (say, a valve check or a fork rebuild), the sooner you speak up, the sooner you can get parts advice.

The Brain Trust usually brings most tools needed to get most jobs done. I have these things in the garage called 'tools' that ... well, other than the metric screwdrivers, I'm not really sure what they are or how to use them, but other people have used them and their bikes (mostly) ran, so that's good.

If you need tires, speak up so that we can try to have a tire changer there. Otherwise, there may not be one. One thing we learned at a prior Tech Day, thanks to FJRPittsburgh, is that Cycle Gear on the west side of Columbus is The Place if you have a sudden, unplanned need for a new tire.

As a reminder, if you wanna do a valve check, plan on getting there Friday or trailering your bike. The engine has to be stone cold to do a valve check. If you don't have a shim kit, we'll try to have one available.

If you wanna ship parts there ahead of time, speak up so we can get ya the shipping address. And if you haven't been to this little patch of Ohio, let me know so I can get you the address.


If you want a hotel, here are some options:
Hampton Inn - I've had family stay here and they said it was nice.

GrayRay has stayed at this Super 8 and did not have a TimDOG experience.

JWilly and his better half stayed at this Holiday Inn Express.

There is also a Quality Inn.

There is a fairly new Fairfield Inn.

And there is a new-ish Home2 Suites that's nice. Sooze and I have stayed there a couple of times and it was pretty nice.

Looks like there is an airbnb in town as well. I know nothing of this other than what's in the link.

There is also another airbnb at a winery / brewery aboot 5 minutes from the house, but it doesn't look like they have availability. I have been in this place, we have had family stay there, and we know the owners. If anyone is interested, I can ask the owners aboot availability / see if you can be put on a wait list or something. FYI - their parking is all gravel.

We do have plenty of yard space for tents. If huron52 wants to bring his big-*** RV trailer down, we have plenty of room in the driveway. Also, speaking of RVs, if anyone has an RV and is a member of Harvest Hosts, the folks at the winery / brewery are a member of that as well.

I think I would like to come Saturday and bring my tent if that's cool? Could someone help me with a parts list that I would need for replacing my fork seals on a 2003?

 

[BikerGeek99]

I think I would like to come Saturday and bring my tent if that's cool? Could someone help me with a parts list that I would need for replacing my fork seals on a 2003?

Hi, Dan! I see you're in Central Ohio - welcome!

Forks are no big deal - we've done many of 'em. I'll ask one of the Brain Trust to pop in and help with the list 'O seals you'll need. I don't know if the Iron Pony will have them in stock or not but you can definitely get your fork oil from there (or wherever you choose, of course).

It's looking like we'll be doing a couple of valve checks. Those will get started Friday night (getting plastic outta the way, draining coolant, etc.) and fun stuff will start Saturday morning. The original creator of the spreadsheet you mentioned will be here, so I'm sure he can share it with you and you can see it in action.

In your intro thread, you mentioned working on your suspension - were you just referring to servicing the forks?

Yes - we have plenty of room for a tent in the yard, so no worries there.

I'll PM you my address and number - see you on the 26th!

 

[Dan Cotter]

Hi, Dan! I see you're in Central Ohio - welcome!

Forks are no big deal - we've done many of 'em. I'll ask one of the Brain Trust to pop in and help with the list 'O seals you'll need. I don't know if the Iron Pony will have them in stock or not but you can definitely get your fork oil from there (or wherever you choose, of course).

It's looking like we'll be doing a couple of valve checks. Those will get started Friday night (getting plastic outta the way, draining coolant, etc.) and fun stuff will start Saturday morning. The original creator of the spreadsheet you mentioned will be here, so I'm sure he can share it with you and you can see it in action.

In your intro thread, you mentioned working on your suspension - were you just referring to servicing the forks?

Yes - we have plenty of room for a tent in the yard, so no worries there.

I'll PM you my address and number - see you on the 26th!

I would eventually like to service my rear linkage and maybe upgrade the rear shock but I will be happy just to get my leaky fork seals done right now.

 

[HilltownDave]

Greetings!
I have just upgraded from an ‘07 to a ‘14 so I’d like to do a valve check on the ‘07 with 70k miles before my son takes over riding it. I bought it used with about 60k and have no idea if/when it may have been done by the previous owner. I need to learn how to do it anyway so…
I’m also thinking I should at least observe a throttle body sync being performed. I have no performance issues that I’m aware of (the motorcycle, that is ), but would be happy to use my bike as the patient if there are no others on the itinerary.

I will be trailering probably both bikes out from eastern PA (one for work, one for play) and would stay at a hotel so all I need is a place for a large pickup truck with a small trailer to park.

Two questions I have regarding the ‘07 since buying the ‘14:
1- Why does the throttle seem so much easier to twist on the ‘14 compared with the ‘07? Does the cable wear out or need some type of lubricant?
2- Why, no matter HOW long I wait after pulling in the clutch lever, does it slam into first gear from neutral? The ‘14 slips into 1st smooth as silk by comparison. Have yet to find a suitable explanation in the forum threads…

So…
I guess I need a shim kit for the valve check, new antifreeze and a new thermostat with related gasket(s).
Any other supplies or anything else I should be addressing while I’m in there?

I’m assuming all projects are expected to be completed or declared FUBAR by Sat evening and not running into Sun?

 

[RossKean]

Any other supplies or anything else I should be addressing while I’m in there?

You need o-rings for the coolant pipe. May or may not need shims - if someone has a kit and you need some, you could maybe swap your's for their's.
New thermostat? Why?
I usually change sparkplugs when I do a valve check.
If your '07 cam chain tensioner is original, you may want to swap it out for the newer blue or green dot version.
I put 185,000 miles on my '07 without replacing (or lubricating) throttle cable. Throttle spring tension may be lessened by unwinding it a turn.
Just likes to clunk into 1st from neutral. Some are worse than others...

 

[HilltownDave]

You need o-rings for the coolant pipe. May or may not need shims - if someone has a kit and you need some, you could maybe swap your's for their's.
New thermostat? Why?
I usually change sparkplugs when I do a valve check.
If your '07 cam chain tensioner is original, you may want to swap it out for the newer blue or green dot version.
I put 185,000 miles on my '07 without replacing (or lubricating) throttle cable. Throttle spring tension may be lessened by unwinding it a turn.
Just likes to clunk into 1st from neutral. Some are worse than others...

Thanks, Ross.
Thermostat because it doesn’t seem to maintain operating temp in cooler weather?
Spark plugs? Yes. Good idea.
As for the cam tensioner, I have no idea what I have. Is that something to check beforehand?

 

[BikerGeek99]

I guess I need a shim kit for the valve check, new antifreeze and a new thermostat with related gasket(s).

We will have a shim kit there, so no need to get one (unless you really want your own, of course). Coolant? Yes. Thermostat? Normally I'd say no but it sounds like you need to replace it, so, sure! Gaskets? Yes, especially the o-rings on the coolant pipe. The Brain Trust usually has some, but if you have your own, that's more betterer.

Any other supplies or anything else I should be addressing while I’m in there?

If it still has the PAIR crap in there, feel free to grab a set of PAIR block-off plates.

I’m assuming all projects are expected to be completed or declared FUBAR by Sat evening and not running into Sun?

Things typically get wrapped up Saturday. Every now and then, things run into Sunday. The only truly FUBAR Tech Day event happened to my bike way back when, but that's not important right now. Positive thoughts!

As for the cam tensioner, I have no idea what I have. Is that something to check beforehand?

Yamaha changed the design of the CCT at some point. There is information around here somewhere but I don't remember where. One thing I do remember is to look for a colored dot on the CCT housing but I don't remember what color to look for.

 

[HilltownDave]

Thanks a bunch!
Will do all the homework I can and be as prepared as possible…