What did you do to your FJR today?

[Spininprop]

Delivered food items (for real) to my mother and of course everything fit in both side cases. Felt great to be riding the bike again.

[BkerChuck]

Today I rode to work.

Saturday I managed to turn a 15 minute job into an almost all day affair. Friday afternoon UPS delivered my color matching side covers I had ordered so Saturday morning I figured i could swap them out quick. After removing the silver covers I noticed just how nasty the brake fluid looked in the rear reservoir and realized I hadn't flushed the hydraulics yet on this bike. No problem, there's a full bottle of DOT4 brake fluid on the shelf, I'll just grab some tools and do that before I put on the new red side covers. That goes easily enough and the side covers are now on. I'd recently installed a dash shelf I got off Griff but I hadn't actually mounted anything on it yet beyond my heated gear controller. It's still early maybe I'll move my GPS mount up there, after all that's what I wanted it for. Using some duct tape to mock up where I want it I put the seat back on the bike and sitting in my riding position move the mount around some until I determine where I want the GPS. Taped down in position I now have a choice, remove the shelf to drill the mounting holes or pull the windscreen so I have room to drill. I opt for removing the windscreen. I mark the locations for the holes and remove the taped down mounting bracket then drill my holes. Everything bolted up I next realize, "Hey, there's enough room I should just move my phone mount up here too". I find a RAM ball on a 2 hole plate and mock it up then drill and install that. This is coming together nicely and I like how it's looking. Put the windscreen back on and go to install the 2 trim pieces. Right side goes on easy peasy. Left side, not so well. I cannot get the screw to start in that damned little u-nut piece. Okay, just take the whole trim piece back off and chase the threads in the u-nut. Here's when it all goes sideways.

As I'm removing the button head screw that holds the trim piece in place it falls off the end of my Allen wrench and drops right down the slot for the windscreen travel of the front fairing! F**k! I don't hear it hit anything and don't see it on the ground under the bike. Pull down my trouble light and try to see if I can see it inside the front fairing down that slot. Can't see anything. Not sure if those screws are stainless or not I remove the right side and verify that at least it is magnetic. Get out my handy little magnetic wand tool and begin fishing into the dark recesses of the windscreen area.Nothing.Hop on the bike and take it off the center stand and wiggle side to side a little before putting it on the side stand. Nothing. No noises of the offending screw rattling it's way to freedom or even into a deeper recess of bodywork. Great. I begin pulling body work in the hopes of finding this little bastard. Pull dash panels, loosen front fairing panels somewhat but don't fully remove them. My fear is the screw might have gotten into the windscreen mechanisms or track where it could bind something up or cause damage.No sign of the offending piece anywhere.I am not about to totally strip all the tupperware over one bolt. Take the remaining bolt and run to the local hardware store where amazingly they have the correct size to replace my now absent screw. Return home and button everything back up and run the screen up and down to verify safe operation. Take a short test ride to determine that once in full gear and properly seated the GPS really should be angled just a touch. Decide that's a job that can wait for Sunday!

[gixxerjasen]

I hate that sickening feeling of hearing the clicks of metal on metal and metal and metal on plastic and then the silence of never hearing metal on concrete.

[FJRoss]

You will find the screw - conveniently wedged in the front tire about 200 miles from home on a rainy evening. Screw is probably just long enough to make it to the air if picked up in a sipe.

[raYzerman]

The screw is likely sitting in the wiring under that nose cover, darn, you were almost there, another 5 minutes.... if it went sideways, there's a nice little pocket that catches stuff like that right behind the LED signals..... remove inner panels to find it, DAMHIK. IF it made it past that, it may be down in the chin area and could fall out later.... it's gonna be rear tire not front.

[fontanaman]

...and could fall out later.... it's gonna be rear tire not front.

That is evil, but I like it.

We could set up a poll on what BkerChuck will be doing today to his FJR.

[Cav47]

Pants has a story about a key he lost in Suches Georgia. He pretty much knew where it was, but couldn't get to it. I will let him tell the story, it is a funny one.

[gixxerjasen]

...and could fall out later.... it's gonna be rear tire not front.

That is evil, but I like it.

We could set up a poll on what BkerChuck will be doing today to his FJR.

Evil would be to tell him it could have fallen into the header.

[bill lumberg]

Not today, but recently, rode to another state for a couple of days. Slabbed it back.

Because I’ve been working from home and because I live in the foothills of paradise, I haven’t done much interstate in quite a while. Particularly in good weather. Man, that’s a comfortable, fun bike on the interstate. I had almost forgotten.

[BkerChuck]

Results of poll are that I came home and pulled that black inner panel. No joy. That bolt has either fallen out now while riding or has found a really good hiding spot. Not inside the header Jasen. Don't you have a set of forks somewhere that need ruined? Checked area around front marker light, snaked my hand around everywhere I could reach, ran a magnet around and no luck. If it's still there maybe it'll show up when I strip stuff off for a valve check but at only 15k miles that might be a while.

[gixxerjasen]

Don't you have a set of forks somewhere that need ruined?

I'm ruining brakes this week.

[Cav47]

Don't you have a set of forks somewhere that need ruined?

I'm ruining brakes this week.

Nope, that’s my area to screw up.

[rbentnail]

Okay. Heated the bolts up and it did the trick. Just something wrong about taking a propane torch to your bike. Used the vice grip and socket method. I pounded a 5.5mm Allen head bit in there since it slipped the 5mm one a little. I definitely need new bolts and pins now.

Thanks for all your help.

Oh yeah I have an impact driver. But those are big hammers!

Cute trick- shop around for a Weller propane soldering iron. Dig deep enough and you'll find one or two kits that come with small flame nozzles. Think of it like a pencil-sized propane torch. perfect for what you needed.

Look at this one example ->
https://www.nationaltoolwarehouse.com/W ... gLOavD_BwE

on the handle is the small solder-er. Bottom right, top to bottom is large solder-er and 2 sizes of flame tips. Little cans of propane refill are available at AutoZone, Advance Auto, etc. Nothing special there.

[gixxerjasen]

Don't you have a set of forks somewhere that need ruined?

I'm ruining brakes this week.

Nope, that’s my area to screw up.

You've got me all motivated. I mean, you were screwing up complex FJR ABS brakes. I gotta prove my worth around here and screw up some dead simple bulletproof DRZ brakes. THAT, my friend, takes true talent.

[fontanaman]

I'm ruining brakes this week.

Nope, that’s my area to screw up.

You've got me all motivated. I mean, you were screwing up complex FJR ABS brakes. I gotta prove my worth around here and screw up some dead simple bulletproof DRZ brakes. THAT, my friend, takes true talent.

That you ride the DRZ enough to go through a set of brake pads is saying a lot. So if you screw up a DRZ brake job maybe we will give you a pass. Not likely but maybe.

[basicjim]

Got my shiny rebuilt shock in the mail! Looks BEAUTIFUL! I used my "phone a friend" option and did a video chat with Chuck to make sure that I remembered properly how everything went together. Got everything lubed up, got the top bolt in.

In my defense here, I have been working two jobs. 14 hour days, so I am a little tired.

I checked the torque specs... 64 NM. Cool. Got out my torque wrench, found the right socket to hold the head, got the nut snug. Set the torque wench for 64 ft. lbs. and proceeded to entirely remove the threads from the inside of the nut.

Called my local dealer... about 2 weeks wait on the the replacement so I ordered off Partzilla in hopes that it would make it quicker.

Self-inflicted wounds hurt the most. And as my Dad always says, If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough.

I shouldn't be allowed to play with tools!!

[BkerChuck]

64 Newton meters = 47 foot pounds........I think I found your problem Jim!

That sucks. FWIW, I really dislike those torque wrenches where you set them for a particular amount and pull until it "clicks". I've had a couple of bad experiences with them in my life. Where I work now we have 2 sets of them and send one set out every quarter for calibration and bring out the spare set and rotate them to make sure they're always accurate. Any local hardware stores that carry metric fasteners?

[basicjim]

64 Newton meters = 47 foot pounds........I think I found your problem Jim!

That sucks. FWIW, I really dislike those torque wrenches where you set them for a particular amount and pull until it "clicks". I've had a couple of bad experiences with them in my life. Where I work now we have 2 sets of them and send one set out every quarter for calibration and bring out the spare set and rotate them to make sure they're always accurate. Any local hardware stores that carry metric fasteners?

Yep... Exactly my problem. And my torque wrench is probably 20 years old and never seen a day of calibration in it's life, I am guessing. It's going to become my breaker bar and I am gonna get a new torque wrench.

We have a place local that I deal with for work that sells about every damn bolt and nut and washer in existence. The problem is most of the stuff is super high quality hardened stuff. I got a bolt from them for my snow blower only to find the Ariens bolt was intentionally soft. I am not going to be able to ride until Sunday anyway with both jobs, so I'll wait for the Yamaha bolt.

[Hppants]

Pants has a story about a key he lost in Suches Georgia. He pretty much knew where it was, but couldn't get to it. I will let him tell the story, it is a funny one.

Just another chapter in The Life and Times of a Dumbass:

Josh, Mark, Kurt, and I are camping at TWO in Suches, GA. It's morning and we may or may not have hit the shampoo bottle the night before. I'll let your imagine figure that one out. Anyhoo, I dropped my bike key into the abyss. After look very non-nonchalantly for it about 2 minutes, I declared the key to be unreachable, pulled out the ole spare key (an absolute MUST for any motorcycle tourer), and continued to hydrate, as I recall feeling somewhat "dry" that morning for some inexplicable reason. We all parted ways later that morning, and I stopped in Rome, GA to have a spare of my spare made to get me home. When Dumbass Pants travels, one cannot assume that lightening will only strike once in any given tour.

I had a feeling I knew what happened to the key. Around 18 months later, I was proven right. Prepping for the next valve check, I removed the gas tank to find my lost key happily sitting on top of the heat shield, where it stayed snuggly warm for at least 15,000 miles.

Another time, I lost a bike key while skinny dipping with some cold beer on the banks of the Buffalo River, but I digress.....

[gixxerjasen]

That you ride the DRZ enough to go through a set of brake pads is saying a lot. So if you screw up a DRZ brake job maybe we will give you a pass. Not likely but maybe.

I only wish I was riding it that much. I've hardly ridden it at all since getting it. It's an E model that I've been swapping S stuff onto. I got a used S MC for it to increase the amount of fluid and to add the brake light switch and mirror mount. Working out some issues post swap that have little to do with the swap but the equipment. I'm sorting it out. Maybe THEN I can start riding it again. Although, thanks to Coronavirus we've missed the riding season. Already been into the 90's here and will be over 100F before you know it. Nothing like picking up "400 pounds of carbureted shit" when it's over 100F.