There was some concern about all the plugs and wires behind the front fairing. Really all the plugs only go in one spot and they are close to the corresponding sockets. You have the headlights, the storage box relay (I thought of disabling, but did not) and the power plug in said storage bin. All have unique plugs and are easy to connect either before or after installation (if the lowers are off that is).
When installing the mirrors, the clutch lever side was a little wobbly. So I took it apart. I'm not sure if this is "normal" but there was a slew of washers on each holding the mirror to the mounting bracket.
Underneath, there is a metal piece that has small dimples that little ball bearings slip onto.
Again, focusing challenged but here's the bearings.
The wobbly may have been partly caused by a missing bearing.
I tried a standard BB but it was a bit too big.
This guy needed a bit of cleaning up.
As did the area underneath that part.
How they fit together.
My answer to the wobbly was to drill out another washer and add it to the mix. The post only has so much thread. The threads don't go all the way up the post so the spacers were needed.
With that taken care of I moved my attention to the plastic dash parts. It seems (sarcastic news flash!!) that the head lights are adjustable! The cables are just like old school speedometer cables and just screw into the adjusters. The trick is to get the plastic situated "just so" as to get the two mated! Not a real easy task for this first timer! But I managed after moving all around the bike and ouch! Separating some skin from my finger and finger nail. I HATE IT when that happens!!
More blood and Yamaha dirt/grease mix and the bond between bike and owner solidifies even more! Now the left side of the dash is shaping up.
Rinse and repeat on the right side. The cable went in much better on this side. That could have been from my experience on the other side or just the design and clearance on this side being a bit better.
As a "Streetfighter" FJR would not only look odd, but is totally undesirable on my part. I want a windshield! And there's a happy little motor to run this one up and down too!! More on that later. Let's get the bracket and shield mated up here. I started by mounting the cross bar to the two lower adjusters.
Then the larger part (keep up with my technical terms here please) gets mounted to the cross bar.
Connecting the mounts is quite easy even for the uninitiated. They line right up.
BAM! (POP! confetti ... yay!) A-hem... moving on!
Paul was generous enough (Very!) to supply a larger V-Stream windshield with the stock screen. The stock screen was a little stained and cruddy from use. I have a friend of 20+ years who owns a Detailing shop nearby. So I asked him what he might have to clean up the plastic of the screen. He offers headlight cleaning on cars and most headlights are plastic now too so I consulted "Dr. Detail" (the name of his shop - his name is Joe). The screen was in a condition while not that bad, I was willing to write off in the name of experimentation. Joe is a very considerate and meticulous person. He consulted one of his chemical Dudes (salesman more like) and he had a product that seemed to do a decent job. Joe didn't want to get too aggressive and risk scratching the plastic. Still the results were better than when he started! I couldn't get acceptable before and after pics with my camera however. I should invest in a nicer Digital SLR....
All that as an FYI. I installed the larger screen on the bike for now and will attempt the same treatment this summer when the stock shield goes on. Here's a comparison of the two for size.
Seven well placed screws later and Voila!
Fully functional? Yes! Sharp, Way Cool and Awesome Looks? - um............................... no!
This little color matched cover helps in that department!
It hooks on and slides into place very easily. THEN, make sure you secure it with two screws underneath!
Now we have some functionality AND good looks!
And raise it up for more coverage!
(ok I'm not the first to lament, but who at Yamaha thought it was a good idea to return the screen to the lower position when the key is shut off? Rhetorical Question)
I was about to put on the lowers when I discovered this little part that hides behind the front wheel AND gets smacked with pretty much whatever the tires throws at it! I wiped it down then thought... I wonder how well I clean this up?
Fully distracted from assembly, I put the Olympics on the TV and had a seat at my bench and got to cleaning. I used a Tar and Bug remover I have. After an undisclosed amount of time.... and a bit of wax.
60,000 miles can not be reversed on this poor guy! So I'm happy.
That's all I have for now! Hopefully more by Monday. I'm off to a shower, then the lowers go on, followed by the side plastics. THEN, a top box mount..... I still need to purchase a GPS mount and possibly bar risers. All in good time!
Thanks for hanging out for a bit.
Closing theme music!
