What did you do to your FJR today?

[wheatonFJR]

I ordered a few parts to bring my bike back up to snuff after a stupid painful spill that almost took me out of the game a month ago.

Decided I was gonna take that big out west trip to California with Griff. It will be later than the earlier plans, but we'll get it done in July/August.

[bungie4]

Just as bad as sodium chloride and calcium chloride is they way bikes are washed and dried.
Bad: Pressure washers and high pressure sprayers.
Bad: Leaf blower drying, high pressure air drying.

These things will drive water (and soap) past seals...

...I have used a small blower...I just use it sparingly...

Of course going through afternoon thunder showers at 70mph is probably not great for it either.

That's the problem with high pressure and high velocity blowers, they exceed the pressure normally experienced at legal speeds and especially in directions that the designer hadn't expected.

I think you just lack commitment.

[ionbeam]

I ordered a few parts to bring my bike back up to snuff after a stupid painful spill that almost took me out of the game a month ago.

Decided I was gonna take that big out west trip to California with Griff. It will be later than the earlier plans, but we'll get it done in July/August.

Gosh darn, I'm holding my finger over the LIKE button....

[wheatonFJR]

I ordered a few parts to bring my bike back up to snuff after a stupid painful spill that almost took me out of the game a month ago.

Decided I was gonna take that big out west trip to California with Griff. It will be later than the earlier plans, but we'll get it done in July/August.

Gosh darn, I'm holding my finger over the LIKE button....

Noticed you have not committed yet. Did I need to expound on the pain more? What do I need to do to get an AMEN?

[raYzerman]

I'm a hoser, maybe under pressure, EH!... You just can't go stupid, jes sayin'... If you look at your FJR from all angles you can't see any electrical connectors and there's only one wheel axle seal exposed on the right side. The rated power of a pressure washer is only within a very short distance of the nozzle... no don't use a jet nozzle, a nice fan spray works great. The fairings are all overlapped to shed water, and there's only a few non-waterproof connectors but they are places you can't stick a nozzle into anyway. Wouldn't recommend cleaning the rad from the front side, you're just blowing it in deeper. So let's just say, you can stick your hand in front of a pressure washer nozzle where you won't hurt yerself. Keep that distance and you'll be good, don't go sticking the nozzle into fairing openings. Same for the leaf blower. I don't know how anyone can blow water into wheel bearings... that would be some pressure washer at extremely close range, and even then....
Now you could just go watch BikerGeek he's got it the whole thing down pat and he spends very little time on it. I don't use a pressure washer often, just a microfiber towel in cheap car wash detergent (claims to have wax in it), who cares about the rest of the dirt where I can't see it. Mostly that's because the water here has a higher calcium content that dries with white spots, so I wipe it down with a damp microfiber cloth, then maybe a dry one.

[steveg]

Replaced the clutch and brake fluid.

Going to try and make time for spark plugs this weekend.

[FJRoss]

Replaced the clutch and brake fluid.

Going to try and make time for spark plugs this weekend.

I know it exceeds Yamaha recommended change interval but I usually change sparkplugs when I do a valve check. Coolant at the same time. Plugs last a lot longer than Yamaha says - especially if you have a Gen I or II and can use iridium plugs.

[Hppants]

I’m riding my FJR tomorrow. With friends.

Hell yeah!!

[Cav47]

Okay guys, here is what I got.









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hppants]

In my unsolicited expert opinion, it should work much better installed in the wheel.

Just sayin....

[Hppants]

...Pants, the bearings won't see salt, they are sealed both sides. The grease seal serves to keep salt off the axle shaft, and let the wheel spacer see the environmental stuff. Next tar change, you just put some grease between the seal and the bearing and you're good. ...

Ray - to confirm, you are NOT referring to the "seal" that is built into the bearing, but the seal that exist between the bearing and the wheel spacer?

I may have seen it on the other sandbox, or somewhere else, but I seem to remember somebody that had a syringe that was used to insert a little grease into the wheel bearing. The needle was small enough such that you could gently pry the bearing seal a little without distorting it, and yet large enough to deliver wheel bearing grease. I thought that was pretty cool, and would likely extend the wheel bearing life significantly, but can't find it (with a rudimentary search).

[FJRoss]

I may have seen it on the other sandbox, or somewhere else, but I seem to remember somebody that had a syringe that was used to insert a little grease into the wheel bearing. The needle was small enough such that you could gently pry the bearing seal a little without distorting it, and yet large enough to deliver wheel bearing grease. I thought that was pretty cool, and would likely extend the wheel bearing life significantly, but can't find it (with a rudimentary search).

Search is working quite well over there (syringe grease (use all terms)).
Anyway, I managed well over 100,000 miles on the front before replacement, without additional grease. Bearings are considered to be sealed and permanently greased. I don't know whether more greasing would help or not - unless you could open them up and flush any debris out. Particulates from wearing bearings/races are the killer, not the lack of grease.

On my current 2011, I might proactively change bearings when I hit the 100,000 mile (160,000 km) mark. Not too difficult and not terribly expensive if you can do it on your own terms.

[ericboutin]

I rode to work! A bit nippy at 47 degrees at 0530 but oh so worth it! I got heated gloves for a reason! I don't know why I refuse to believe I should plug them in!! Doh!!

[Cav47]

Brake bolt issue last night when starting to clean up the brakes in preparation for new pads and reassembly.

Cannot get the two bottom pins out. My efforts of PB blaster, gently hitting the bolt with a punch, and using a small electric impact drill have not yielded freedom. The 5mm bit started to strip in there. Now what??? Please help.


Pants, New bearings will be in soon. These brake pins/bolts are gonna be the death of me.

[raYzerman]

If you take a sharp Exacto knife, just pop the whole seal off the bearing. Note not all greases are compatable, so technically one should wash out what's in there.. new bearings are greased about 30% fill, you can apparently put too much in and it will just pop the seals when the grease heats up, so I'd go only 50% if I were doing it. I just trust the original grease is formulated specially to give long wear, stay fluid, etc., would only use a good wheel bearing grease for that. My experience with synthetic greases is they don't flow the same, so would stay away from that.
As Ross says, no real reason to do so, they'll go forever, check at every tar change and you'll be good. IF you feel it gritty or notchy, replace it.
Yes the grease seal is the second seal which the axle spacer fits into (or ABS housing). Grease it and it will keep water out of the axle area.

CAV, install caliper, use a manual impact driver. Brand new unworn 5mm if you have one. Pins are seized where there is a chamfer on the threaded portion against the housing and you have a touch of bi-metal corrosion. You can heat the caliper part and it may help. Replace with Honda pins where you can use a 8mm socket. Way cheaper than Yammy wants...

[BkerChuck]

FWIW, the wheel seals you might as well just go OEM. Searched through 7-8 catalogs and some of our online seal suppliers with no luck. Looks like it's yet another one of those proprietary items and at the current price on Partshark.com it likely wouldn't have been any cheaper if I could find a source. Fork seals are the same story.

Got a UPS tracking number from Partshark last night, my color matching red side covers should arrive today. Sweet!

[Red]

Brake bolt issue last night when starting to clean up the brakes in preparation for new pads and reassembly.
Cannot get the two bottom pins out. My efforts of PB blaster, gently hitting the bolt with a punch, and using a small electric impact drill have not yielded freedom. The 5mm bit started to strip in there. Now what??? Please help.

Cav47,

I'm going to put in a plug for genuine Apex bits here. They fit better and last longer than the common variety.

As for the caliper pins, you can grab them between the caliper holes, near the rotor, with HEAVY Vice-Grip pliers (also a Brand Name item). Rotate the pin with the Vice-Grips, as you apply force to the Apex bit. I doubt that you will need it, but some heating the caliper at the bolt head with a propane torch may be needed. Once the pin comes out, discard it. Invest in the correct flavor of Anti-Seize compound (read the labels), when replacing the old pins with new.

HTH.

[Spininprop]

I thought about uncovering and riding but hitting the wiskey instead. Tomorrow shoudl be even warmer. I'll ride.

[Spininprop]

Matching side covers will really look great. I thought TWO really changed the looks when he did his.

FWIW, the wheel seals you might as well just go OEM. Searched through 7-8 catalogs and some of our online seal suppliers with no luck. Looks like it's yet another one of those proprietary items and at the current price on Partshark.com it likely wouldn't have been any cheaper if I could find a source. Fork seals are the same story.

Got a UPS tracking number from Partshark last night, my color matching red side covers should arrive today. Sweet!

[fontanaman]

Cav47 has done a heck of a lot more to his FJR over the last two days than I have done to mine!

Hope it is going well Josh.