FJRiders.com

A few weeks ago I saw a news story about Roy's Motel and Cafe in Amboy CA. The owner restored the neon-lit sign and fired it up for the first time since the '80s. I've passed through Amboy numerous times on various road trips...usually during the day, but also a couple times at night. I've always wondered what the sign would look like when it was lit up.

This afternoon around 2:45pm I fired up the FJR and headed for Amboy. I arrived there just as the sun was setting; perfect timing.


I bought a root beer and a snack and waited for the sky to get just a bit darker. While paying for the beverage, I mentioned to the attendant that I'd heard about the sign being restored and that I had ridden up from Palm Springs to see it. He said he was headed out in a moment to flip the switch. He did, and it was really cool to see...note the full moon rising just above the ridge line to the east.


I waited around a bit longer and got this shot with the glow on the horizon:


Having seen what I came to see, I saddled up and headed back south. The full moon really throws a lot of light when you're out in the middle of nowhere on Amboy Road. Instead on taking 62 through Yucca Valley and down to I10, I entered Joshua Tree NP from the northeast entrance. I turned south on Pinto Basin Road towards the south Park exit. I stopped a couple of times and shut off the lights to take in the utter silence and desolation. But the desert was brightly lit under the full moon. I saw two other vehicles the whole time I was in the Park. I passed the south exit, joined I10 and slabbed it back towards Palm Springs, pulling into the garage just after 8pm. It was only a 250 mile ride, but I got to see a really cool neon sign!

Rode mine to work this morning at 24 degrees outside. Heated gear is the shizzle!

Rode it to work and back. Planning on doing the 32K mile oil change, and cleaning and lubing levers and pegs tomorrow. For once, I remembered to bring the gallon of yamalube into a heated area tonight, so an oil change tomorrow won’t take twice as long while cold oil pours ever so slowly into the bike. I have to figure out where and when I’m going to get my first valve check/adj done soon.

bill lumberg wrote: ↑Thu Dec 12, 2019 7:30 pm Rode it to work and back. Planning on doing the 32K mile oil change, and cleaning and lubing levers and pegs tomorrow. For once, I remembered to bring the gallon of yamalube into a heated area tonight, so an oil change tomorrow won’t take twice as long while cold oil pours ever so slowly into the bike. I have to figure out where and when I’m going to get my first valve check/adj done soon.

Does jwilly do his own valve checks? I lean on griff alot for this, but it doesn't seem hard...just need a mechanical mind or a step by step procedure after seeing griff do it...cuz I forgot in between valve checks.

wheatonFJR wrote: ↑Thu Dec 12, 2019 8:34 pm

bill lumberg wrote: ↑Thu Dec 12, 2019 7:30 pm Rode it to work and back. Planning on doing the 32K mile oil change, and cleaning and lubing levers and pegs tomorrow. For once, I remembered to bring the gallon of yamalube into a heated area tonight, so an oil change tomorrow won’t take twice as long while cold oil pours ever so slowly into the bike. I have to figure out where and when I’m going to get my first valve check/adj done soon.

Does jwilly do his own valve checks? I lean on griff alot for this, but it doesn't seem hard...just need a mechanical mind or a step by step procedure after seeing griff do it...cuz I forgot in between valve checks.

Bring it up here Bill. I'm in the process of doing my relay arm and gettin pretty good at rounding off bolt heads and generally screwing shit up right now!!

Don’t tempt me.

griff wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 12:31 am

wheatonFJR wrote: ↑Thu Dec 12, 2019 8:34 pm

bill lumberg wrote: ↑Thu Dec 12, 2019 7:30 pm Rode it to work and back. Planning on doing the 32K mile oil change, and cleaning and lubing levers and pegs tomorrow. For once, I remembered to bring the gallon of yamalube into a heated area tonight, so an oil change tomorrow won’t take twice as long while cold oil pours ever so slowly into the bike. I have to figure out where and when I’m going to get my first valve check/adj done soon.

Does jwilly do his own valve checks? I lean on griff alot for this, but it doesn't seem hard...just need a mechanical mind or a step by step procedure after seeing griff do it...cuz I forgot in between valve checks.

Bring it up here Bill. I'm in the process of doing my relay arm and gettin pretty good at rounding off bolt heads and generally screwing shit up right now!!

Going to a dealer is about the same. My FJR has never leaked a drop of oil. After the last valve check it started. At least the service manager was honest and admitted they caused the oil leak. Of course I had to take it back and wait two weeks for them to fix it.

What really worries me is if they can't button a bike back up properly, did the valve check get done properly?

bill lumberg wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 8:40 am Don’t tempt me.

Seriously, take Griff up on his offer. You will learn a lot and have piece of mind seeing it done before your very own eyes.

Plus he has a nice black lab that needs attention.

Great forecast for the next few days. Sunshine and high pressure - lows in the 50s, highs in the lower 70s. Waiting on my Dad to show up. We're going fishing today.

Think I'll stretch the FJR's legs tomorrow.

Bill - take Griff up on his offer. Or try it yourself. You really don't need any special tools. I was scared shitless the first time I did it - that was 6 or 8 times ago. The mechanical guru's here can walk you through it easily.

Giving the old bitch a colonoscopy

Is that a sawzall?

bill lumberg wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 12:13 pm Is that a sawzall?

Yeah, I am having an issue on how to cut off those two inner center stand bolts. I borrowed a cut off wheel, but just can't get it close enough to those frickin bolts. The sawzall was working, but the POS blade I had wasn't cuttin it. Hate to ask for any tips on dog pile, Friday the 13th, but why not. If not progress soon, there's always beer in the fridge

bill lumberg wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 12:13 pm Is that a sawzall?

Oh, and I am using the sawzall for those bolts that just won't loose easily. Worked great on the swing arm pivot

And I should say that so far all bushings and bearings look good. Still have to get the relay arm one that attaches to the engine. Kind of surprising after 135K miles.

The sawzall was the giveaway that it was more than a colonoscopy, LOL... yep, just loosen those bolts a bit and have at it with a metal cutting blade, shouldn't take more than a coupla minutes each.

About an erl leak after a valve check... shop mechanics are on the clock, but us old farts can afford to take more time to make sure that valve cover gasket is actually seated properly... half moons in right, etc. One trick is to ensure the gasket is stuck to the valve cover before trying to put it in. If the gasket isn't stuck to the valve cover, I will remove it, clean both the cover groove and gasket with alcohol, put in a little RTV in the groove, install gasket and wait an hour before putting it back in (RTV is then partially cured). Wipe any squeezeout off the inside of course (alcohol). Once installed you can feel all across the front edge to ensure the gasket is uniformly seated, use a mirror if you like, and gunsight those half moons.

More than a colonoscopy - Ray is a funny guy.

Regarding the relay arm if two out of three are ok the odds the other one is too.

Valve cover gasket. A couple of years ago I foolishly decided to change my valve cover gasket with 85k miles or something like that. What a bother. I used some Permatex blue gasket spooge - not good - the gasket fell each time installation was attempted despite a 24 hour cure at room temperatures. Cleanup of the blue shite was no fun.

Looked the FSM where I found a recommendation for Three Bond 1215 which I promptly ordered online. That stuff worked great. The gasket stayed in place while installing the valve cover - amazing since putting the cover on is not easy on the installer or the damn gasket.

When I checked the valves last week - Three Bond was doing a good job holding the gasket in place. It appeared the Three Bond would be an easy clean up if I ever choose to replace the gasket again unlike the Blue spooge I use before. And like Ray said I took my time to ensure the half moons are properly seated.

Maybe a better saw blade? Pants he did this job - and a write up on the Forum.

danh600 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 9:43 am What really worries me is if they can't button a bike back up properly, did the valve check get done properly?

Gotta say, there's some things that can just happen sometimes. First time I did a valve check on my old gixxer, the seal got pinched when I put the cover back on. Took it for a ride, stopped at a gas station and saw the drip and freaked out that I'd done something to destroy my bike. Got it home and found that there's a spot where it's really hard to see and it got pinched and at speed would get a little oil out. I could see something like that happening in a place where time is money. Granted, we don't want those kinds of things to happen but they do from time to time. I can accept that and the true measure of them for me is whether they own up to it or not. I'd say yours is good, just inconvenient when it happens to you.

Rode through Port Dover today. There wasn't much activity for PD13, maybe 50 bikes. 80 percent cruisers, a couple of K1600s, a ST1300 and a gen 1 FJR.

fontanaman wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 2:12 pm Maybe a better saw blade? Pants he did this job - and a write up on the Forum.

Yup, got a better saw blade and cut those bad boys quick. Should have ordered the bolts earlier - now I am waiting for them. Actually - the big issue with the frickin center stand is that engine mount bolt on the relay arm. I have seen where a guy actually cut part of the center stand mount out so he can pull that bolt out without taking off the center stand. Not what I would do.

John d wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 6:44 pm Rode through Port Dover today. There wasn't much activity for PD13, maybe 50 bikes. 80 percent cruisers, a couple of K1600s, a ST1300 and a gen 1 FJR.

Red (burgundy-ish) ST1300 would be my buddy Anthony from Cambridge. He had a feed of perch at the Erie Beach Hotel.