New Bike Owner's:

[painman]

As the owner of an 06 FJR, I can say without a doubt I probably would not have done nearly as much wrenching on this bike if it were not for the great info from posts, the Bin-O-Facts and wisdom gained from the FJRForum. I've added farkles like a radar detector, GPS, hydration kit, forward pegs, front fender extender, luggage rack, made my own seat, different windshields, bar risers, slidders, services, throttle body syncs, plugs, brackets etc, it just keeps going on and on,...all with the added help of members and vendors and the info that is here. It really is incredable what some of the members here will do and have done to go out of their way to help out! This place does ROCK!

So, to all the new bike owners, and there has been a noticeable increase of late, that I say to you....don't be affraid to do your own work and save yourselves a ton of money!! I have pm'd folks and they have pm'd me and we have traded info and helped eachother out to make a difficult issue workout or just to get that small bit of info that was needed to get past the one thing that was holding me or them up at that time. Get the owners manual and that coupled with this great forum it is not only possible, it is "doable" to perform your own services and work and in the end you can say "I did the work", and that is a special feeling. PM. <>< :yahoo:

Two more good spots to check out: Clicky

 

[ynotride]

Thanks for the heads up. I've had mine now for about 4 hours and so far I have put on 40 miles, changed the oil and filter, and put on sliders. I wouldn't have known how or why to do any of this if it wasn't for this forum.

The service writer that went over the bike with me told me pretty much the same thing. He said do the work your self and save your money.

 

[FJRBluesman]

As the owner of an 06 FJR, I can say without a doubt I probably would not have done nearly as much wrenching on this bike if it were not for the great info from posts, the Bin-O-Facts and wisdom gained from the FJRForum. I've added farkles like a radar detector, GPS, hydration kit, forward pegs, front fender extender, luggage rack, made my own seat, different windshields, bar risers, slidders, services, throttle body syncs, plugs, brackets etc, it just keeps going on and on,...

Painman;

I'm semi-impressed with your farkles, I think you could do more.... <_<

I was reading what you've done and you really don't have the necessities like; A microwave oven, sink, port-a-potty, ottoman, etc. Now I'd say those are some farkles! I look forward to hearing when those farkles I've mentioned are complete! :construction:

:lol:

 

[MojaveFJR]

Yeah have worked on mine just a bit. More will come. Just haven't worked up the nerve to pull the fairings yet. Have a feeling that once the panels come off it is going to be a no holds bar farkling adventure.

 

[Geezer]

When I discovered that my local dealer doesn't even stock valve shims I realized that they have no more experience than I do.

 

[keithaba]

Yes, without the help of this forum, I'd probably not have an FJR any more.

The costs to repair after introducing the FJR to the concrete would have been to great without buying parts from the classifieds and doing the repair work myself.

Not only do I have a much more complete understanding of this bike, but I've saved a shit ton of cash along the way and been able to customize the bike to my liking.

GO FJRFORUM!!!!!

and

FJRTECH.com!!!!

and

Iggy's site, (sorry, forgot the name)

and

Bounce's Site (which I also can't remember the name)

 

[Duff]

It's amazing how easily the FJR can be broke down sometimes. Fairings come off with a few screws (some nicely hidden) and some gentle nudging. Don't be afraid... I had holes drilled in my 05 (for custom sliders) within the first couple hundred miles and the entire front-end off just this winter to fix a dash light.

It takes some time and patience, but NONE of it is beyond basic tools until you get into the guts of it. Since I brought my 08 home, I have had all the dash panels off, the fender off, all side panels and the entire rear fairing section with taillight assembly removed. There really isn't much to it.

TAKE PICTURES! Digital images are free and they are your friend! Take plenty so you can remember where/how parts fit together. Now if I could just follow my own advice... :blink:

 

[JimLor]

Well said Mr. Pain and I wholeheartedly agree. I've done more work on this bike then I've ever done on any other vehicle. In fact, one post here made up my mind for me that I'm going to do the valve check myself. Somehow it just seems wrong to hand Matilda over to some pimple faced punk who could give a crap whether they do a good job on not -- I know, there are plenty of competent mechs out there, I'm just sure I wouldn't find one . It just ain't right! I've also found for me that looking at a job, like the valve check, as a whole makes it seem pretty daunting. But, if you look at it task by task, there really isn't anything that most of us can't/couldn't do. I mean what the heck, what's the worse thing that can happen...never mind!

 

[SLK50]

I'd like to add: if anyone garners ANY advice from this forum, it should be this: Buy the Factory Service Manual! There is nothing better than having the right answers at your finger tips. The FSM may be the single most worth-while investment you'll ever make in terms of maintaining your FJR.

Secondly, go ahead and buy those tools you'll need to service your bike properly, don't try to make do with whatever's lying around the garage. I don't regret for a minute buying the 36mm socket for the stem nut, for example. Goes on and off without getting bunged-up.

Lastly, don't be intimidated by the task at hand. Other's have probably done it before; so can you.

Read what's involved, take you time, ( breaking it down into smaller, more managable steps helps ),

don't get ahead of yourself, and maybe most importantly, don't be afraid to ask for help if your not sure. From experience, it's much easier to answer questions before beginning than it is to fix what's gone wrong once you've started.

Every task you complete makes the next one easier.

 

[painman]

This is all great info and the process in info exchange continues. And you know in retrospec I probably wouldn't have even bought my bike if it weren't for this place! I remember one of the very first things I did, probably the second after installing slidder's was doing the middle spring mod. When I removed the heat shield and found the spring, thanks to the detailed process on the board here and the detailed pics in the thread, (hard to get that in the repair manual although the manual is required IMO), I stewed and fretted for a few days trying to decide if I should attempt to loosen the spring or not. But finally I just went out in the garage and undid it and it spun around and reatached itself and the throttle was now the cats meow. Again I wouldn't have done this or even known that this was the answer to the stiff throttle that was making riding the bike miserable for me.

One other item I might mention is if you are doing your own services and repairs, keep all the receipts for filters, oil, plugs, tires, etc. and document all work done, ie. the date, miles on the bike and one might even photo the process to keep on the computer or disc not only for your own record, but maybe to post up for others and when any warrantee work might need to be done you have further records. This is extreme with the pics but not a bad idea. I know I feel pretty good about my bike and myself when I know I did the work and I know how it was done. PM. <><

 

[Crash Cash]

When I discovered that my local dealer doesn't even stock valve shims I realized that they have no more experience than I do.

What? you come all the way down to Florida to go to my dealership? My dealership honest-to-god DOESN'T EVEN STOCK OIL, other than two dusty pint bottles of 10W-40. I kid you not.

If it wasn't for this bunch, I'd be seriously scrod.

 

[gr8eyes]

scrood

LOL

 

[rogdeb]

Good Topic Del :clapping: Thanks. Makes me realize I could do more.

 

[CRMH Eagle]

I probably wouldn't have purchased my 07 without the support, complexity, and depth of this forum and members. I've taken off the fairings and cowl so many times looking for an issue that now it's a no-brainer and can be done quickly. The farkle-ability of the FJR is incredible. Maybe my next bike will be a Harley so I'll know what it's like to wrench in order to fix something as compared to farkling.

 

[Roy Epperson]

Thanks for the heads up. I've had mine now for about 4 hours and so far I have put on 40 miles, changed the oil and filter, and put on sliders. I wouldn't have known how or why to do any of this if it wasn't for this forum.

What sliders did you get and from whom?

 

[Tim05fjr]

Ditto to what has been said.

I have been a mechanic by trade my whole life. Even with my background working on everything from house and commercial a/c refrigeration, automotive and marine gas and deisel engines, and heavy equiptment, I still always reference this forum for information before I even put the bike up on the lift.

Thanks to all that contribute!!

Tim

 

[ynotride]

Thanks for the heads up. I've had mine now for about 4 hours and so far I have put on 40 miles, changed the oil and filter, and put on sliders. I wouldn't have known how or why to do any of this if it wasn't for this forum.

What sliders did you get and from whom?

I got them from sliders. I got the 2" diameter and radius cut.

 

[ynotride]

I just hit 600 miles on sunday and I did another oil/filter change and changed the gear fluid. Took about 30 minutes total for both couldn't be easier.

You guys weren't kidding about the old gear oil smelling funky. :blink:

 

[DailyCommuter]

What works out great for me is bringing my laptop into the garage and having the task at hand layed out for me, the wireless router is a beautiful thing! Its like having all the forum right there in the garage with me. I / we can do anything