SwollenRaccoon
Well-known member
A storm front came through Friday night, here in Minnesota. Finally, the miserable heat and humidity were gone. The skies were crystal clear Saturday afternoon, and your sack wasn't stuck to your leg after being outside for anything more than five minutes, unlike the last two months. What a beautiful change of weather. The birds seemed to have more energy, and the hot peppers and tomatoes look visibly healthier than just one day ago. Did you ever have one of those days where things look nicer, fresher, and the air smells as fresh as your girlfriend's hair as you were slow dancing at the senior prom?
Well, this isn't one of those nice, heartwarming stories, so get that stupid smile off your face. Welcome back to the real world.
In early May, I dropped the FJR on one of my all-time favorite roads, Arkansas highway 123, just outside of Mount Judea (which, to me, sounds like a suggestion, not a town name). Thankfully, I fell down after one of those downhill, 10 mph switchbacks, so the speed was low. If you've been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't ridden that road, it's kinkier than a $1,000 Bangkok hooker. The bike was ugly, but rideable, and I was scheduled for shoulder surgery a couple weeks after our trip, so the repairs had to wait until my shoulder was healed sufficiently to do the work.
I didn't get any pictures of the saddlebags before I took them to be repaired, but the end result will not have the little side rubber strip with the logo nor the reflectors, but retain the original shape and color. Here's some damage photos.....I'd hate to imagine what a higher-speed crash would do.
Left footpeg. One broken flange, the other, bent. It managed to stay on all the way home, thank goodness.
Broken mirror.
Left mirror mount tab on fairing stay.
Right mirror mount tab on fairing stay.
Left Mirror.
Left mirror and fairing scrapes.
And now, a short break from our sponsors.......
Right fairing scrapes.
Right slider.
Left slider. Ouch.
Left can.
Right can.
One saddlebag reflector.
Found that the plastic flange that's a part of the headlight assembly was broken. I had bought new upper fairing pieces and the fairing stay, but didn't want to buy a headlight assembly. I superglued the two broken pieces back on to the assembly, then added a couple thin layers of two-part epoxy. It held together fine upon re-assembly. We'll see what road vibration will do to it....
Plastic tab. (That bubba mug in the background is full of ice, 7-up, and Crown Royal Black, just so you know.)
I know this is boring, but a couple of friends were asking about damage to the bike, so here you go. I'm leaving the mufflers as-is, but replaced the two fairing uppers, the footpeg, the fairing stay, the mirrors, and the stator cover. The total cost for parts (from Ron Ayers) was in the $900 vicinity, and the saddlebag repair will be in the $300 to $350 range(total, for both). While I had the bodywork off, I changed motor oil and coolant.
One more thing. I work as a mechanical designer for a living. Some (most, probably) of the products I've designed over the last 35 years need occasional service or repair. Getting at some of the fairing mount fasteners on the FJR, with average-American-sized hands is a royal pain in the sphincter. The combination of push-pins, clips, and hidden fasteners baffles my tiny little mind. I would have no problem with exposed fasteners on the outside of the fairing. At least it would be more intuitive. This is the first time I've had the upper fairings apart, so I know it will be easier next time, but it sure won't be fun. If I came up with that method, in my line of work, the assemblers and field engineers would find out who designed it, come to my house, and beat me with a sack full of doorknobs, justifiably so.
Sorry for the rant. Let's just hope that one of the lead FJR engineers bought an FJR, and didn't have the designers handy to show him how the fairing comes off. There, I'm done venting.
Can't wait to get my shoulder healed, and get the old girl back on the road.
Well, this isn't one of those nice, heartwarming stories, so get that stupid smile off your face. Welcome back to the real world.
In early May, I dropped the FJR on one of my all-time favorite roads, Arkansas highway 123, just outside of Mount Judea (which, to me, sounds like a suggestion, not a town name). Thankfully, I fell down after one of those downhill, 10 mph switchbacks, so the speed was low. If you've been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't ridden that road, it's kinkier than a $1,000 Bangkok hooker. The bike was ugly, but rideable, and I was scheduled for shoulder surgery a couple weeks after our trip, so the repairs had to wait until my shoulder was healed sufficiently to do the work.
I didn't get any pictures of the saddlebags before I took them to be repaired, but the end result will not have the little side rubber strip with the logo nor the reflectors, but retain the original shape and color. Here's some damage photos.....I'd hate to imagine what a higher-speed crash would do.
Left footpeg. One broken flange, the other, bent. It managed to stay on all the way home, thank goodness.
Broken mirror.
Left mirror mount tab on fairing stay.
Right mirror mount tab on fairing stay.
Left Mirror.
Left mirror and fairing scrapes.
And now, a short break from our sponsors.......
Right fairing scrapes.
Right slider.
Left slider. Ouch.
Left can.
Right can.
One saddlebag reflector.
Found that the plastic flange that's a part of the headlight assembly was broken. I had bought new upper fairing pieces and the fairing stay, but didn't want to buy a headlight assembly. I superglued the two broken pieces back on to the assembly, then added a couple thin layers of two-part epoxy. It held together fine upon re-assembly. We'll see what road vibration will do to it....
Plastic tab. (That bubba mug in the background is full of ice, 7-up, and Crown Royal Black, just so you know.)
I know this is boring, but a couple of friends were asking about damage to the bike, so here you go. I'm leaving the mufflers as-is, but replaced the two fairing uppers, the footpeg, the fairing stay, the mirrors, and the stator cover. The total cost for parts (from Ron Ayers) was in the $900 vicinity, and the saddlebag repair will be in the $300 to $350 range(total, for both). While I had the bodywork off, I changed motor oil and coolant.
One more thing. I work as a mechanical designer for a living. Some (most, probably) of the products I've designed over the last 35 years need occasional service or repair. Getting at some of the fairing mount fasteners on the FJR, with average-American-sized hands is a royal pain in the sphincter. The combination of push-pins, clips, and hidden fasteners baffles my tiny little mind. I would have no problem with exposed fasteners on the outside of the fairing. At least it would be more intuitive. This is the first time I've had the upper fairings apart, so I know it will be easier next time, but it sure won't be fun. If I came up with that method, in my line of work, the assemblers and field engineers would find out who designed it, come to my house, and beat me with a sack full of doorknobs, justifiably so.
Sorry for the rant. Let's just hope that one of the lead FJR engineers bought an FJR, and didn't have the designers handy to show him how the fairing comes off. There, I'm done venting.
Can't wait to get my shoulder healed, and get the old girl back on the road.
