Anyone see a problem running front BT021 and rear BT023GT together? I ended up having to replace the front early due to a very strange wear pattern (with another BT021) and now the rear is gone. In the interim I've read a bit and want to get away from the 021 but of course the newer front 021 now decides to wear perfectly and looks to have another 5-6k left.
My 2007 started leaking last week with 22,000 miles, and another guy on here said he had the same think happen with the same milage. Go back a couple of pages and look for my post, you'll see the advice that was given. All typos and misspellings blamed on my phone.
Mighta been me as my fork seals crapped around 20K miles also. Then the rear shock started leaking shortly after. New seals and a new Wilbers way back then and all good since and I have roughly 80K and another 8 or so years on it now. I've changed the oil in the forks once since but the seals are the same.
Bought my '08 w/ 20,000 and had a leaking fork seal. Not sure what the average mileage is for replacement but hopefully that helps. One thing to note, I hear the fork oil is the same as the R1 and my dealer didn't have it in stock and had to be ordered. Took two weeks from drop off to pick up to get it fixed. So if you have it done, check to see that they have all the parts etc.
Ordered my seal-mate! Should get it by this weekend! I'm not sure how long its been slipping by the seal but I shouldn't have to add more fluid, right? And that would be a full dis-assembly too, correct? Thanks for the advice. Hope cleaning the seal works!!
http://www.fjrtech.com/getdbitem.cfm?item=47 That's taking the forks off and doing it right but if you are not bugged about getting every bit of the old oil out or if you just want to top off the oil after losing a bit to a weeping seal, just unscrew the tops, pull the springs and measure the oil level with the forks fully collapsed. Should be 100mm from the top according to the link. Admittedly, there is some confusion on that height but hey, 100mm is a good place to start and you can always add more if you want a slightly stiffer last bit of travel. Just read that link and follow the instructions up to the point where the triples are loosened and the forks removed. Do your best to measure in the middle of the tube to average the height from front to back due to angle but man, a few millimeters either ways won't make or break it,,, just as long as they are the same from side to side. To be honest,,,, I have a hard time differentiating 10mm increments. Have fun.
Jud-Thanks so much for the info. I have done a lot of mech work but nothing on forks, which is why I am trying the simple route first. Will let everyone know how it works out, embarrassingly or not.
Inspired by MarkJenn and others, I ponied up for a set of the Hong Kong CNC levers. They showed up in the obligatory ribbon-tied box: Remarkably well packed, in bubble wrap, inside drawstring bags, which were wrapped together with padding between, inside another bubble wrap bag: I got silver with black adjusters. The finish is smooth and even, including the black base pieces. The machining is similar to the Pazzos, as is the hardware. Installation is easy, given that there aren't instructions. Look good to me!
It would seem that replacing OE adjustable levers with aftermarket adjustable levers is just an exercise in spending or cosmetics, but... I got Pazzos for a bike that had non-adjustable levers, because the reach to the clutch made my (small) hands right sore, especially in traffic. The fact that they look good wasn't important. Job done there. I put them on the Buell, strictly out of cosmetics. The OE levers were silver and cheap-looking, so I went with black. On the FJR, what my aim was is to get a lever with more "dogleg" for more leverage (clutch), and slightly shorter reach than the OE levers provide. I think they'll do fine. A side benefit is that the lever is thicker top to bottom, which I find more comfortable; less feeling of cutting into my fingers. Some folks like the "shorty" levers; I'll have to leave it to them to opine on those. In case you think that big hands would be disadvantaged, this isn't so; in fact you can increase the reach as well, if you have big paws, while gaining the leverage and the beefier lever. The nice thing about these is that the price of admission is pretty modest. HTH!
I have smaller hands also, being I'm a girl, and this is the one thing so far that I am not a fan of. It just seems that the levers are so hard to pull. Isn't there a set called EZ-pull or something like that? Also, do these come closer than the original adjustable ones? I have them on the smallest (distance wise) setting and they still seem far. Thanks
Don't know about EZ-pulls. My guess (haven't had a chance to ride with the new ones yet, just sat on it) is that it's as if you have 1.5-2 more "clicks" closer. I can tell that the leverage is better though. I had read that on the 2006 & 2007 models, you have to be cautious to not get the lever too close, due to the throw not being enough to get full clutch disengagement, so I'll watch that.
Yes, they adjust closer than the stock levers but be aware of the condition dmac57 mentioned. Mine is an 05 and I haven't noticed it. I bought mine in the Galaxy Blue color with black adjusters.
Got my seal-mate today, cleaning the seals tomorrow. One silly question...how the heck do I get the dust seals up?
