anything specific to check before I get in the wind?

[T Legg]

If there is an oil drain related screw on the FJ that is prone to failure it the small drain screw of the oil filter cannisters. There is no good reason to remove it when changing filters as it doesn't prevent oil from dripping all over the bike during a filter change anyway . I had read in more than one post not to remove it. Despite that I did on an oil change before attending my first RPM rally. When I got torwards the top of the infamous mini dragon hill the rear tire began to feel loose .At the top I discovered oil streaming from the screw and coating my bike and tire. I tried to tighten it but the threads wouldn't hold and it spun before tightening enough to stop the flow of oil. With Randy's help I was able to lay a few pieces of string along the length of the threads and then wrap another string around them to hold them in place. I then installed the screw and the strings provided enough bite to hold the screw in tight and stop the leak for the rest of the ride. I now have the RPM spin on oil filter adaptor on all of my FJ's deleting the troublesome screw and providing better filtration.

[red]

Aside from all of the stories I have heard across decades of riding, Rbentnail on the Yamaha FJR forum just lost the oil drain plug lately.  Vibrations (gremlins) have a habit of doing that, on any bike.  The Hardleys are famous for leaving a trail of parts behind them.  Some might say I'm a fanatic about safety wire, but hey, to each his own.

I've been spinning wrenches on my own vehicles for over 3 decades. Haven't lost a drain plug yet, and I don't torque them to 2000 foot pounds like some "mechanics" do when you get an oil change.

Doesn't it strike you as a little odd that the only thing to vibrate loose on that guy's FJR was the one bolt he regularly removes and replaces himself?
Red, your many posts over the years suggest you are knowledgeable, resourceful and a thinker with mechanical nous, I'm surprised you have so little faith in threads. Where do you draw the line, castellated nuts on the rods, wired big ends, cam caps....? If you're going to second guess the engineers, how do you decide what needs wiring and what doesn't?
As I've said to you previously, if you want to wire them, great, do it, just so long as the readers understand you're not doing it to address a known problem.
Noel

Noel,

The "problem" is real; it does exist.  Ask Rbentnail, on the FJR forum.  Safety wire is the sure cure.  The bike racers use safety wire, because ..it happens, and the results can be very costly, in money and for riders.  I will happily admit, my bias toward the use of safety wire comes from my aviation experience.  Multiple engines (producing harmonic vibrations), with nothing solid to damp them out, can disassemble hardware with an ease and speed that is difficult to believe.  Likewise, bikes have less mass (and therefore more "shake") than cars, producing the same issue.

Nobody has to pay any attention to me, or to any other safety wire "advocates."  My safety wire does not hurt anybody else, nor even me.  I do "believe" in threaded assemblies, but only to a certain point.  Where do I draw the line?  Anywhere I want to draw it.  It's my bike, so it's my rules.  No offense intended, but conformity for the sake of conformity sucks.

[ribbert]

Yes Red, I agree with a lot of what you say but we are talking specifically about sump plugs on motorbikes.

My real world experience and my internet experience makes it difficult to believe the FJR guy's version of events, why just his bike?

I hope I made it clear, in a non offensive manner that what you do to your bike is your business but there is no evidence to suggest others should follow your lead on this occasion, if there is, tell me about it.

Noel

[5speed]

I do the majority of the work on my vehicles. Wheel alignments, anything that requires a top shelf scan tool and exhaust work I can't do.
My "big shop" horror story was with my 92 Caprice.
I took it in for a front end alignment the day before my wife and 2 children and I left for a weekend get away. I had heard a squeak in the driveline and knew the mechanic (good friend) would tell me what it was.
turns out it was the rear u joint in the drive shaft.
He was booked solid and I didn't have the time to do it myself so they gave eh job to one of their guys.

we leave the next day heading for a cottage in PEI we had rented. About 3/4's of the way there I get a vibration in the car. I babied it until we got to the cottage and I got the car up in he air best I could and although I couldn't see it completely I could reach the driveshaft and gave it a shake. It felt tight. I assumed we had lost a wheel weight then.
The next day we are doing the water park, touristy things and on the way back the vibration got really bad. Bad enough I was driving down the shoulder of the road at 30 kms an hour. We were close to the cottage when it got bad so I crossed my fingers and hoped we could make it that far.

when we got back I scrounged up a couple of blocks of wood to block the car up high enough that I could get under it and look.
what did I discover...the oil change idiot had changed the u joint with the car over their pit..which means he couldn't spin the driveshaft around..so he put the top strap and bolts that hold the u joint on the pinion shaft yoke by feel..and only had 1 bolt in the strap.
The cap was gone of that part of the u joint which explained the clunk i heard.
It could have been bad if it had let go when I was doing 60mph..
I had a very one sided conversation with teh shop manager and he called their shop on the island who came and got me and the car with a tow truck. I got my father to come get my wife and children..and the shop reimbursed me for his gas and bridge toll..
that was the last time I ever took a vehicle there.

[red]

Yes Red, I agree with a lot of what you say but we are talking specifically about sump plugs on motorbikes.  My real world experience and my internet experience makes it difficult to believe the FJR guy's version of events, why just his bike?
I hope I made it clear, in a non offensive manner that what you do to your bike is your business but there is no evidence to suggest others should follow your lead on this occasion, if there is, tell me about it.
Noel

Noel,

One possible answer about that actual occurrence was the owner's prior statement that he always re-used the crush washer on the drain plug, even though any auto parts store has crush washers by the bag for imported cars, in the correct size.  This practice may be more common than we might like, even among the pro mechanics.

Beyond that, I invite you to make your own decisions about your steed.  I will do the same.  It is NOT in the best interests of anybody for either one of us to try to influence the decisions of others.  My post above only pointed out one possible choice.

[ribbert]

.....It is NOT in the best interests of anybody for either one of us to try to influence the decisions of others.  My post above only pointed out one possible choice.

Red, you have no control over that. People read advice from folks like yourself, Pat, Randy and others and while you may well only be answering one persons question, it can strike a chord with dozens, maybe even hundreds, many of whom will act on it, some right away, some in the future.

If you have credibility with the readers, they will adopt your personal choices too, whether they're offered as advice or not and regardless of whatever disclaimers accompany them, many will follow suit.

Noel

[aigram]

Check lower frame rail bolts/fasteners. My last purchase of my 89' had a missing bolt. Some reported finding them broken/missing. Prior to 89', safety wire the petcock. Check the reddish/brown 2 pin connector on the left side near the side of the battery. This tends to melt internally, not easy to see till you open it. Check valves, change the fuel filter if 89+. Check the chain and sprockets. A broken chain can mean a broken case or personal injury. Many more common things to check.

I just discovered a missing lower frame bolt on the front-left side of the bike, and I have no idea how long it has been gone for! Unbelievable that vibrations are that powerful.

[Pat Conlon]

Is it missing or sheared off?

I've found a couple of the 8mm lower cradle bolts sheared off before. That was fun....not.
I never figured out why the cradle was sized for 10mm bolts, yet the frame was threaded for an 8mm bolt.

Have you checked your red plug?
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=18995.0

[aigram]

Is it missing or sheared off?

I've found a couple of the 8mm lower cradle bolts sheared off before. That was fun....not.
I never figured out why the cradle was sized for 10mm bolts, yet the frame was threaded for an 8mm bolt.

Completely missing! I'm fortunate to have a good friend in the area that works for Yamaha, and he ordered me an OEM replacement, however Yamaha sent a 12mm when the rest of the frame/cradle bolts are 10mm... :/