What a Pain in the ***!

[SacramentoMike]

If they ever do get around to making a Gen III FJR, for my money you can forget the sixth gear. Forget the OEM heated grips, or the cruise control, or the integrated GPS on the dashboard or two or more extra cylinders. Make the damn thing easier to work on! :angry2: I just spent over two freaking hours replacing a stupid pair of headlight bulbs, and that's on a Gen I that's supposed to be the EASY one to do that job on. Some jobs, you expect to be complex and need advanced training and equipment. But changing a light bulb?

I'm sure it's been discussed before; in fact I know it has, but it's fresh in my mind right now, and if I had my hooks around some weasel Yamaha motorcycle designer's neck, I'm not sure I could stop squeezing. Yes, I got it done (and it's not even the first time I've done it) but every minute of the job I was cursing that guy, who must have eyeballs at the ends of his fingertips, or think everybody else does. Please don't tell me it couldn't have been done any better. Or that they couldn't have made an access door or a way to open up the headlight lens cover and go in from the front. I'm not in much of a mood to listen to reason. And let's not even think about changing fuses by the side of the road, OK?

Thanks. I'm better now.

 

[BkrK12]

It's called Maintenance & Support Engineeering and, along with Production Engineering, it doesn't seem to take place at Yamaha.

 

[yamafitter]

[rant on]

Easy peasy. If you want real frustration try changing the jetting on an Yamaha aluminum frame WR450F. I believe that when the bike is built they start by throwing the carb on the assembly line and then build the bike around it.

If I want to change anything other than the main jet I better be ready to remove the rear wheel, rear shock, rear sub-frame and air box just to see the carb.

Don't mention changing a throttle tube with a heated grip around me either :angry2:

See G2 Throttle Tube Installation fiasco

[/rant off]

 

[tcfjr]

I'm with with SactoMike - every time I have to change a headlight bulb on my '05 I wind up with cuts on the back of my hands and swear words coming out of my mouth.

Last weekend, my son had to change the bulbs on his '09 Concours. He had never done it before, but it still took no more than two minutes to change both bulbs. Since no panels need to be removed, it required no tools, and the sockets are an easy reach. Freakin' painless.

I still love my FJR, but as you said there are some improvements to be made.

 

[Ignacio]

Please don't tell me it couldn't have been done any better.

So, it's too early to say it is or can be?

Perhaps if I say that my first time by the side of the road was an hour in the cool air of Zuzax, New Mexico for the left light. Or that's it's a whole lot easier the second time or a 15 minute operation total if you've previously removed the nose before? Having bear paws doesn't help obviously.

 

[ionbeam]

... Make the damn thing easier to work on! I just spent over two freaking hours replacing a stupid pair of headlight bulbs, and that's on a Gen I that's supposed to be the EASY one to do that job on...Thanks. I'm better now.

Good luck replacing a Meter Assembly illumination bulb -- y'all have a good day! :lol:

 

[Geezer]

C'mon, it's only a couple of light bulbs. Sheesh.

I've replaced mine twice and a few for other riders. Sometimes they go easy and sometimes they don't. :dntknw:

 

[puppychow]

Switch to a quality HID bulb. You would only have to do this once, maybe twice (if you are unlucky or the bike lasts that long) for the entire life of the bike.

You are welcome!

 

[FJReady]

I've done it a couple times and while I wouldn't call it easy, I wouldn't say its difficult either. One time I took the right side dash panels off (near the battery) and that helped a bit. Only adds a couple minutes. I find most other routine maintenace fairly easy (oil, filters, driveshaft&u-joint lube, etc.) Bulb replacements aren't that often. Did you ever change the oil and filter on a C10 Concours? Now thats a pain in the ***.

 

[SkooterG]

Where's the Waaaaaaambulance?

Left is a 2 minute dealio. Right is bit tougher and will take me 5-10 minutes. No panels have to be removed.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Please don't tell me it couldn't have been done any better.

So, it's too early to say it is or can be?

I TOLD you I was in no mood to listen to reason, didn't I? :glare:

And by the way, I'm sure it would be easier the second time (really the third for me). . . If I was going to be doing it again tomorrow!

 

[puppychow]

Are you looking for the Amber Lamps?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3yhfW8Kpp4

 

[RaYzerman19]

Just thank your lucky stars you aren't working on a Beemer K bike.... I can't remember exactly how I did it, but my FJR headlight bulbs didn't seem to take all that long. But, now to get those ABCD panels off I have to undo the dash shelf and the Baker air wings...... not that hard, just more inconvenience if you want at the battery or fuse panel.

 

[Fairlaner]

Question.......

How many Northern Californians does it take to change a light bulb?

R

 

[Dudewado]

Motorcyclist magazine has a long-term test on the Honda NT700V,(Why? Who knows), and this month they changed headlight bulb.

ALL of the bodywork except the front fender has to come off, plus the windshield and instruments.

I would put out a contract on that engineer.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Mike - Should have just bought another bike.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Mike - Should have just bought another bike.

Maybe, but I'd have to sell this one, and who'd buy an FJR with only ONE HEADLIGHT? ...

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Mike - Should have just bought another bike.

Maybe, but I'd have to sell this one, and who'd buy an FJR with only ONE HEADLIGHT? ...

It's not so bad...

Last month I spent some time visiting with some friends (a couple) from Norway who were over here on a visit. They told me a much worse horror story of changing H/L bulbs in their Mercedes Benz. It's not a model M.B. sells here -- smaller, I think? -- but, Tor couldn't do it (and, he's always changed his headlight bulbs). It had to be taken to an M.B. dealer and, IIRC, the job consisted of removing the front-end bodywork to extract the headlight to change the bulb -- then, replace.

 

[Fred W]

It's called "Design For Serviceability" and is usually just part of the long list of items that are "critical to design quality" that a design engineer is supposed to work towards. But that's somewhere else, in a place usually known as Utopia. In the real world that we all live in, DFS cost $ just like any other design "features", which means that quite often in the rush to get a particular design to market on time and on budget, while retaining as many sexy features as possible, DFS often goes in the CFC.

It could be worse. You could be conscientiously trying to replace the air filter on a Triumph Trophy. <_<

To do that regularly scheduled maintenance item requires:

Remove seat

Remove rear luggage rack

Remove entire rear cowling

Remove fuel tank

Remove carburetors

Pull out air filter-box assembly

Replace the entire air filter-box assembly (you can't just get the filter inside, it comes only as an air-box assembly)

...and of course, "Reassembly procedure is the reverse of disassembly" Grab your spanners!