Touring/ Highway Mods

[GhostMerc]

The thought of modding my 86 has been around for a few years now.  It's basically bone stock other that the Supertrapp exhaust.  Recently though, my girlfriend had to move further away for the summer for a new internship.  This has brought the notion of modding to the forefront.  She now lives 2 hours, 130 miles away; basically straight highway riding.  I'm wanting to set my bike up for better (comfort, performance) and safer highway riding.  I'm thinking I'm going to include:

1) CBR1000 mirrors.  Do the 2004 bolt right on my 86 with no problems?
2) New front forks.  I just saw a pair of 92's on ebay. 
3)  If I get the forks, a 17" front wheel.
4) Blue dot calipers, if the last 2 happen.
5)  New Rotors, front and back. Do the FZR/FJ 17" wheel take the same rotors?  Does anyone have a link for purchasing the rotors?
6) Engine bars
7) spin on oil adapter (more miles, more oil changes)
18 tooth sprocket.
9) Vibranators
10) Fork Brace
11) Uni-pods? How are these in wet weather?  Are they only going to add top end, or will they help at highway speeds with a new sprocket?

I figure this will make the ride much smoother and safer.  I figure the logic works both ways too.  "My FJ is modded, may as well go see her more often"  "I want to see her more often, good excuse to upgrade"

Any answers or thoughts on other "essential" mods are appreciated.

[aviationfred]

I live in a very flat part of the country and do a lot of straight line highway riding. These are my recommendations.


1) CBR1000 mirrors.  Do the 2004 bolt right on my 86 with no problems? Not a direct bolt on. Elongate the Honda mount base holes, or remove the mirror post from the base, grind a    small amount of material away and it will slide into the FJ mount base.
6) Engine bars
7) spin on oil adapter (more miles, more oil changes)
18 tooth sprocket. Maybe add a 38 tooth rear sprocket. Better gas mileage and lower RPM's at highway speed.
9) Vibranators
10) Fork Brace
11) Uni-pods? How are these in wet weather?  Are they only going to add top end, or will they help at highway speeds with a new sprocket?
12) RPM 3/4" handle bar risers
13) MRA touring windscreen, or Power Bronze Flip screen.
14 ) Corbin seat. For some, the stock seat is too soft for long distance riding.

These can be done at a later date.
The Forks, Wheel, Calipers, and Rotors will not improve the 'Touring' aspect of your bike. Yes IMO they are a good upgrade for over all better performance and along with a 17"x5.5" rear wheel. You will have much better choices of tires.

A note on the rotors. 87'/88' FZR wheels can use OEM 89'/90' FJ rotors and 91'/92' NON-ABS rotors. FZR rotors can not be used, they are 320mm, the largest recommended rotor dia. is 300mm


Fred

[Yamifj1200]

" Corbin seat. For most, the stock seat is too soft for long distance riding."


If your wanting to be more comfortable on your longer rides a more comfortable seat should be pretty high on your list. I'm not that heavy and my 190 lbs would have my backside on the seat pan in less than an hour.

Having a larger windscreen would also add to your ride comfort. 130 miles isn't all that far to be riding a stock FJ. Make the run a couple times and that will tell you what needs to be improved.


Eric M

[roverfj1200]

Not to many mod's there that will make long runs any better.

Best way to find out what touring mods to get is to take the bike and ride it until you need to get off. Then fix that reason and so on.

I feel the two best touring mod's are 1. good seat and 2. Cruise control (real cruise) and in that order.

Here is my cruise set-up.  http://home.mysoul.com.au/rover/page05.htm

Some other things that I have found help.

ear plugs
tank bag (for all the small things.)
Touring screen.(maybe and maybe not)
Good boots.
airhawk cushion.


Cheers

[Capn Ron]

The thought of modding my 86 has been around for a few years now.  Recently though, my girlfriend had to move further away for the summer for a new internship. She now lives 2 hours, 130 miles away; basically straight highway riding.  I'm wanting to set my bike up for better (comfort, performance) and safer highway riding.

On my first bike (1982 Yamaha Seca 550), I used to ride from San Diego to Los Angeles and back to see my old girlfriend.  It was nearly 120 miles each way and I did this every week for around two years...this worked out well until I found a girlfriend MUCH closer to home.  This made me happier and put a LOT less wear and tear on me and my bike.  Back then, I was young and riding comfort took a backseat to the girl who was usually on the backseat.  

Fast forward some years and I've been known to do a bit of high-mileage riding on my FJ.  There are things you can do to make life a little more comfortable...and safer on the road.

I'm thinking I'm going to include:

1) CBR1000 mirrors.  DO THIS.  It's dead-simple...reasonably cheap and man...what a difference!
2) New front forks.   Not going to make a bit of difference in your comfort, but will lead you down a slippery slope of upgrades
3)  If I get the forks, a 17" front wheel.  Yeah...see what I mean?  To be honest though, you have a much greater justification for going down this road with your '86 than I do with my '92.  You'll end up with better forks, larger rotors, better calipers, a 17" front wheel/tire combination and possibly a wider wheel.  The effort on my part just gets me a wider wheel...and I lose ABS in the process.  I wouldn't blame you for taking this step.
4) Blue dot calipers, if the last 2 happen.  If you have to buy calipers...why not?  You'll do very well with SS lines, new fluid, a great bleed job and the '92 factory 4-pot calipers.  Again...nothing to do with your comfort, but will get you into the modern age of braking.
5)  New Rotors, front and back. Do the FZR/FJ 17" wheel take the same rotors?  Did I mention slippery slope?
6) Engine bars  Again...not going to add to your comfort or performance touring around, but you will be happy you have them if you stop touring suddenly and unexpectedly.  
7) spin on oil adapter (more miles, more oil changes)  Yep.  MANY folks on here love these for just that reason.  If it's easy to change your oil, you're more likely to do it...good thing!
18 tooth sprocket.   I've never felt a reason to mess with the stock gearing that works well for all around use...you will have to eventually ride around town and might ride two-up on occasion.
9) Vibranators  Excellent!  I'm on a '92 so not as much of a need here, but yeah...the bar-buzz will fatigue your hands on the long runs!
10) Fork Brace  Comfort?  Not really...but just a darned good idea and an easy add-on.
11) Uni-pods? How are these in wet weather?  Are they only going to add top end, or will they help at highway speeds with a new sprocket?  I know folks here rave about the Uni-pods...and the stock air box is a royal PITA to remove and re-install, but how often are you tearing out the carbs to start down the road of fiddling with jetting?  I had the stock air box out, carbs removed and cleaned and everything back together in under three hours.  IN a hotel parking lot....WITH just the hand tools I carried on my trip.  Are you really looking for more top end/speed than the stock 1200 can provide?  Break out your wallet..."Speed costs money.  How much do you want to spend?"

I figure this will make the ride much smoother and safer.  I figure the logic works both ways too.  "My FJ is modded, may as well go see her more often"  "I want to see her more often, good excuse to upgrade"

Any answers or thoughts on other "essential" mods are appreciated.

All good thoughts...I might add:

Something to lock your throttle...even if temporarily to "shake out" your throttle hand.  I use a Throttlemeister, but just about anything that will allow you to take a break and get the blood flowing again will work fine

Seat...Corbin seems to be the pick here and you might want to try one out if the butt is in trouble.  I'm still on the stock seat and not complaining.

Stand on the foot pegs from time to time on the highway.  Basically, take a stretch...get the blood flowing to all the parts that have been dormant for the last 50 miles!

Buy yourself some Wickers boxer briefs.  They are made with flat seems and don't chafe...where you don't really want to be chafed.

Get yourself some good riding gear.  Something that flows the air when it's hot...and can be battened down when you're stuck riding home at 2:00am and you're freezing your fingers!  ...or neck...or chest...  Wickers also makes a good first-layer long sleeve shirt that is perfect for building some protection from the cold.

Get yourself a good sized tank bag to carry around things like a few snack bars...some water...a map...and spare gloves.

Get spare gloves.  You need a hot weather pair, a cold weather pair and a wet weather pair.

Set up a RAM mount for your iPhone or some other nav device.  Plot your route before you leave and it's constantly updating your ETA...time to next turn...miles remaining...etc.  This will ease your mind with fuel stops, the odd directions if you get off the main highway and timing and allow you to relax and enjoy the ride...in more comfort and safety.

If your helmet is capable of a quick visor change, carry a smoked visor AND a clear visor AND a pair of sunglasses that are super comfortable to wear inside the helmet.  This gives you FOUR levels of shade/comfort for your eyes no matter the conditions.  This will go a long way towards reducing eye fatigue and improving your safety.

Carry a spare headlight bulb.  Trust me on this one...They are cheap and if you're riding a lot at night, they tend to blow out when you are in moose country in Canada with 40 miles to go to your destination.

Cap'n Ron. . .

[TexasDave]

I took a 3000mi trip awhile back. The one thing I wished I had was a throttle lock. The right hand gets numb after a time. The other thing I did have was engine bars. Randy at RPM gave me a set of highway pegs ( I guess he took pity on an old man)  and they mount very handily on the engine bars. They make a world of difference in allowing you to stretch your legs and change position. I (like Capn Ron) found the stock seat very comfortable.   Dave

[andyb]

Being the practical sort, and knowing that fuel and maintenance will be expensive, why not just get a spare girlfriend locally?   

[TexasDave]

Being the practical sort, and knowing that fuel and maintenance will be expensive, why not just get a spare girlfriend locally?   

Fuel and maintenance for a motorcycle is inconsequential compared to maintenance on a girlfriend.     Dave

[Capn Ron]

Oh...and if you're not on a Ramen noodle budget, suspension upgrades are definitely called for.  The factory rear shock is weak at best and probably blown out by now.  The front end is wildly mushy with the factory bits (from any year).  Some sort of progress towards a modern suspension will add comfort, performance AND safety.  Hits on all three of your criteria.

It's not cheap, but is probably the most bang for the buck in terms of upgrades.  I had to solve this issue before Randy came along and worked tirelessly to come up with FJ-specific solutions.  Back in the day, the hot ticket was a RaceTech prepared front fork setup with cartridge emulators and a Penske Sport shock for the rear.  These days, Randy has made it pretty simple.  On the front end, you want to go with a straight-rate spring that's tailored to your weight (in my case 1.00kg/mm) and the RPM fork valve.  On the rear, he's got a custom (for the FJ) shock that will shock you with the improvement.  It's hard to describe, but the bike will just feel more "planted."  A much more "solid" feel going hot into a turn...no more front end mushiness or dive...and no longer bottoming out the rear end over bumps.  Seriously, it will transform your FJ.

Cap'n Ron. . .

[GhostMerc]

Awesome, thanks for all the feedback.  Helps put a few things in perspective.  I know that once I take the first step with the front end, I can't stop until it's over.  Does anyone have the crampbuster throttle lock?  I've had a throttle lock on a different bike before and it was nice to be able to take my hand off the throttle, even for half a minute.....on a flat road.

I will now knock on wood until I get a spare headlight bulb.

I do have some pretty good gear: several coats, gloves, visors, rain suit, and waterproof duffel bag.  I also have a taller windscreen too.  It came with the bike so I forgot it wasn't stock.  I might add that I'm a regular Pee Wee Gleason over here too, 135lbs and 5'7" and I'm in pretty good shape.  The seat does me pretty good, but I'll look into it.  The rear shock feels like it works well enough, but I'm sure that's partly because I haven't felt the difference.

[FJ1100mjk]

Does anyone have the crampbuster throttle lock?

I do. For $10, they're worth trying out. I have used one over the years, and find them very good for their intended purpose. They are not a substitute for a cruise control though.

If you're buying one, get the wide one, they're better in my opinion.

[Steve_in_Florida]

Being the practical sort, and knowing that fuel and maintenance will be expensive, why not just get a spare girlfriend locally?   

Didn't someone just mention a slippery slope?!?!?! Think about all the upgrades *THAT* one will REQUIRE!!!

[movenon]

Does anyone have the crampbuster throttle lock?

I do. For $10, they're worth trying out. I have used one over the years, and find them very good for their intended purpose. They are not a substitute for a cruise control though.

If you're buying one, get the wide one, they're better in my opinion.

I have one also.  OK for on the road.  I narrowed mine up.  Takes some adjusting and fiddling with to get it in just the right spot but when there it works good. Easy on and off plus cheap.
George

[rktmanfj]

Somewhere on your bike, tuck away a nice length of siphon hose.  DAMHIKIJKOK?   

[ribbert]

Does anyone have the crampbuster throttle lock?  I've had a throttle lock on a different bike before and it was nice to be able to take my hand off the throttle, even for half a minute.....on a flat road.

Your talking about two different things here, a crampbuster is one thing and a throttle lock is another.

Personally, I don't like the crampbuster because you still need to leave your hand on the bars, it only allows you to release your grip.
The throttle lock lets you remove your hand entirely. I like to swing my arm around, stretch it, let it hang, rest it on the tank top or whatever and I nose pick better with my right hand anyway. I have tried both.

One thing I really appreciate with the throttle lock, and being able to release my right hand, is you can sit much more upright with only your finger tips on the left bar which is also great for a bit of a rest.

Someone should write up fatigue beating activities while riding. Any suggestions?


On the subject of seats, I, like many others here don't have a problem with the standard unit. My normal weekend rides are reasonably long at 500-700km's/day with the odd 1000km day on trips yet many here will tell you their limit is a couple of hours. I can only conclude, for reasons I don't understand, that it is entirely personal. Who would have thought arses came in so many varieties? See how you go, you arse will let you know.

Noel