FJRiders.com

Barber should be on any true motorcycle enthusiasts bucket list. Be sure to plan on at least 5 or more hours to really see it. I'd love to go back during their Vintage Days weekend when they have vintage racing and a swap meet with camping right on the grounds. While you're in Birmingham go see the Sloss Furnace historic landmark site. Incredible history there, well worth the time to go tour.

I spent 2 days there and still didn't see everything!

fontanaman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:53 pm I looked at my FJR today. Damn shame.

Two weeks ago my FJR camshafts were out due to a botched valve adjustment and the entire west coast was in a warm spell meaning I could have been in California somewhere. (yes ask why a lack of team work ended up with a camshaft removal)

OK, I'll bite... what the heck happened?

raYzerman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2018 5:50 pm

fontanaman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:53 pm I looked at my FJR today. Damn shame.

Two weeks ago my FJR camshafts were out due to a botched valve adjustment and the entire west coast was in a warm spell meaning I could have been in California somewhere. (yes ask why a lack of team work ended up with a camshaft removal)

OK, I'll bite... what the heck happened?

I did the work with a friend. We released the cam chain tension then we to turned the crank to bring the engine to top dead center. It was all downhill after that. Further we didn't read the FSM well enough to know it is easy to bring the camshaft back into time by setting the #1 one lobes to oppose each other along with #4 cylinder alignment holes on the camshaft. The upside is I got a lot of practice so I can do this job myself next time and the bike runs very well.

Ah yes, never turn the crank with the CCT undone.... there are timing marks on the cam sprockets also, a little tough to see sometimes, but careful relying on those 'dots' unless you're dead straight on. But now you're an expert..... an ex is a has-been, and a spert is a drip under pressure.

I walked past it this morning at 1am after finally getting home due to weather flight delays. I spent the past four days in Florida where they are having record setting heat, with no bike, and am now back in Dallas where it's going to be cold, windy and rainy till the end of the week. Sigh. Current forecast says "Extremely Sunny" next Tuesday so I'm planning on pulling the FJR out and commuting to work on it, will make the trip tolerable for sure.

The bike turned 290,000 kilometers today. Great day for a ride a couple of like mined people. Great roads.

huron52 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2018 12:00 am The bike turned 290,000 kilometers today. Great day for a ride a couple of like mined people. Great roads.

Tom, congrats...for not going anywhere...you've sure been around.

Yesterday, headed west to NGA and TWO in Suches. Since I had to be back in TR in the early evening that was as far west as I got. I would have liked to have headed northwest from Suches on 60, but ended up heading SE on 60. That section of road was the only section of road that needs work. It has been "fixed" with tar snakes and is a bit bumpy...but the scenery as you look to the right down into the lowlands is impressive. Plus the road is curvy as hell...but it is a connector so plenty of car traffic. It will be awesome again whenever it is repaved. I thought I would be taking the straighter, plainer roads back to make it home, but as I got to Turners Corner...I looked at the GPS and says to myself, " I got this"! So I headed north up Blood Mountain for the best run, void of traffic I've ever had. " yee haw"! Is all I gotta say about that! As I turned right on 180, I looked at my gps and clock and said, " I got this", and turned right on the Richard Russell...devoid of traffic..yee haw! The RR Scenic Byway is absolutely one of my favorites with series of 20mph marked curves, crossing the App Trail and beautiful scenery.

Quite frankly, it was an awesome day. Only could have been made better with a riding partner...even one practicing how to say "The rain in Spain falls mainly in the Plain" for some highfalutin party, and other stuff.

Picked up oil, final drive lube, and a used Givi SR357 mount yesterday in preparation for some maintenance later this week. Went out this morning for a quick ride in the rain. Came home to a confirmation email that my new tires should be delivered on Monday. Day 343 in the books and most of the stuff I need to get some service work on the bike done this week and spoon on new tires next weekend in preparation for April 1 and the opening of Tour of Honor. Need to get hardware for the Givi rack but hopefully we'll have everything I need at work tomorrow.

We have enjoyed mixed rain and snow in Seattle for a week now. Last time I looked my FJR was still in the garage. Yesterday I bought RAM hardware to mount my phone on the clutch reservoir cover plate. As if I need another gadget to fiddle with.

Swapped shields. Pulled levers and lubed pivots. Lubed brake/shifter linkages, peg pivots. Been riding in lots of rain. Going to be a wet month ahead. Having only been full on, all year wet weather riding with BMW and Yamaha, it makes me wonder how other bikes fare in frequent and prolonged wet weather use. Like how a HD or maybe a Kawasaki nomad fares. The FJR has been amazingly trouble free.

Rain? What rain?

We've gotten very little in TR.

Talked to the FJR when I walked by.

"But you know it was just 75 out and you didn't ride me"
I'm sorry.

Damn sinus and ear infections!

Opened the FJR side bag up to change to my tinted shield. Then took the GSX-S1000 out for a rip around the local back roads to see how overflowing the rivers are. Looks like a great day tomorrow, the FJR will be called up for street combat duty, er, commuting duty.

wheatonFJR wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2018 6:19 pm Rain? What rain?

We've gotten very little in TR.

Don't ride with me then. For the third straight weekend, rode in pouring rain for a while. Don't need to wash the red hussy, just take er out on the weekend and I'll find a thunderstorm.

griff wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:14 am

wheatonFJR wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2018 6:19 pm Rain? What rain?

We've gotten very little in TR.

Don't ride with me then. For the third straight weekend, rode in pouring rain for a while. Don't need to wash the red hussy, just take er out on the weekend and I'll find a thunderstorm.

You're doing it wrong.

rode it to work...Woohoo!!!

wheatonFJR wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 7:29 am

griff wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:14 am

wheatonFJR wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2018 6:19 pm Rain? What rain?

We've gotten very little in TR.

Don't ride with me then. For the third straight weekend, rode in pouring rain for a while. Don't need to wash the red hussy, just take er out on the weekend and I'll find a thunderstorm.

You're doing it wrong.

Do I need to take an umbrella with me?

Rode it to work, again. Day 344 consecutive riding. Raided our parts room for some of the hardware I need to mount my recently acquired Givi SR357. Looks like a trip to the hardware store will be in order. Most of our shop is still standard fasteners so only a few pieces were available here. Probably get one of our machinists to fabricate the spacers I need. We have a few guys short on work and they don't mind side projects.

Chatted on FB with Blaine Paulus over the weekend. February 21 marked 6,575 consecutive days for him now. 18 years without missing a day. Truly incredible.