Hi Everyone, I'm a newbie to the feejer, been riding street and dirt for 25 years. I've wanted a feejer since the 1st time I rode one.
I finally got my wish (had to buy the wife new furniture) and picked up an '07 w/ 6400 miles about 5 weeks ago. This weekend, my buddy and I put on about 250 miles in the North GA mountains (Helen, Suches - he has an '08 FJR w/ 4800 miles). We swapped bikes to see if he liked my Vstream shield, and I noticed a couple of differences between the bikes and I was hoping to tap into the vast knowledge here to help me figure out where to go.
I have worked on bikes and cars, so I'm not ignorant of things mechanical. I just am new to the nuances of this great bike.
His bike seems to have better throttle response, or reallly I should say a smoother throttle. Also, his backlash is not nearly as bad as mine in the shaft drive. With my bike I have to work hard to shift smoothly and not get a jerk/ lurch. With his, I didn't even have to think about it, smooth as butter. I'm wondering if there is any adjustement for the backlash in the shaft, or should I look elsewhwere? Is the throttle setup the same?
And now to the worst part. My bike is giving me feedback in the front end, as well as a roaring noise. I checked the brakes, they're fine. The tire seems ok, and the wheel spins freely, no bearing noise. It almost feels as if the steering head bearings are not tight enough (I will def. be checking these). When I braked hard, especially going down the mtn on a steep grade, I got a wobble/ vibration - really not a vibration so much as a back and forth shaking or movement in the front end. This is definitely not any kind of rotor bounce, it is in the front end. I wouldn't think this would need servicing with under 7k on the bike, but I could be wrong.
THe roaring seems to be louder when turning - I can only hear it with the shield up and earplugs out, but it is loud in that case. I said the tire is ok - it has some mild cupping and I'm gonna replace it, but I don't think that's the source (it's a bridgestone battlax).
I haven't messed with the suspension yet - I'm sure it needs tweaking. I am reading another post now about the recommended susp settings - I know that's a hot topic. I don't think this is the source of my problem either, but I'm open to and asking for advice.
The shifting/ lurching/ backlash was already bothering me - riding his bike just confirmed how bad it is. Same w/ susp issues.
PS I'm about 230 pounds and had maybe 10 lbs of gear in the bags, if that.
Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions/ advice / tips/ tricks/ berating, etc.
-Jason
Statesboro, GA
I finally got my wish (had to buy the wife new furniture) and picked up an '07 w/ 6400 miles about 5 weeks ago. This weekend, my buddy and I put on about 250 miles in the North GA mountains (Helen, Suches - he has an '08 FJR w/ 4800 miles). We swapped bikes to see if he liked my Vstream shield, and I noticed a couple of differences between the bikes and I was hoping to tap into the vast knowledge here to help me figure out where to go.
I have worked on bikes and cars, so I'm not ignorant of things mechanical. I just am new to the nuances of this great bike.
His bike seems to have better throttle response, or reallly I should say a smoother throttle. Also, his backlash is not nearly as bad as mine in the shaft drive. With my bike I have to work hard to shift smoothly and not get a jerk/ lurch. With his, I didn't even have to think about it, smooth as butter. I'm wondering if there is any adjustement for the backlash in the shaft, or should I look elsewhwere? Is the throttle setup the same?
And now to the worst part. My bike is giving me feedback in the front end, as well as a roaring noise. I checked the brakes, they're fine. The tire seems ok, and the wheel spins freely, no bearing noise. It almost feels as if the steering head bearings are not tight enough (I will def. be checking these). When I braked hard, especially going down the mtn on a steep grade, I got a wobble/ vibration - really not a vibration so much as a back and forth shaking or movement in the front end. This is definitely not any kind of rotor bounce, it is in the front end. I wouldn't think this would need servicing with under 7k on the bike, but I could be wrong.
THe roaring seems to be louder when turning - I can only hear it with the shield up and earplugs out, but it is loud in that case. I said the tire is ok - it has some mild cupping and I'm gonna replace it, but I don't think that's the source (it's a bridgestone battlax).
I haven't messed with the suspension yet - I'm sure it needs tweaking. I am reading another post now about the recommended susp settings - I know that's a hot topic. I don't think this is the source of my problem either, but I'm open to and asking for advice.
The shifting/ lurching/ backlash was already bothering me - riding his bike just confirmed how bad it is. Same w/ susp issues.
PS I'm about 230 pounds and had maybe 10 lbs of gear in the bags, if that.
Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions/ advice / tips/ tricks/ berating, etc.
-Jason
Statesboro, GA