[Reserector]

I've been riding/racing motorcycles since my first mini bike at age 4. Used to ride on the gas tank of my mother's Hodaka 100 at age 2, and I mark that as my earliest memory.
I turn 59 this Saturday, so I consider myself to be a well seasoned enthusiast.

In 2011 I bought a 2003 YZF600R mainly for commuting because gas prices went above $4 per gallon. I commuted for four years steady, rain or shine, and put 90,000 addtional miles on that wonderful machine. With 130,000 on the odo, I have passed it to my youngest son, because he rides it the most anyway.

I have gone back to recreational riding with my '08 Suzuki DRZ400S. Fun bike, for sure. I tried commuting on it, but it is just not cut out for that.

But now that gas prices are soaring again, I needed a new commuter scooter. I knew years ago that my next one would be an FJR, so that made my search very simple.
I found a clean 2003 FJR1300 in central Tennessee. It was six hours from my home in Laurel, Mississippi and would cost me allot of gas, but the price was good enough to offset that.

It has 32K on the odo and was well cared for. I was handed a folder full of service receipts. Lots of extras, too, including a Yamaha top box.

I am head over heels in love with this bike, but I ride aggressively and will need to address the aging suspension very soon. Fork seals were done, and 10w oil added, so maybe just stiffer springs up front. Based on my experience with the YZF600R, the rear shock is probably shot and non-rebuildable, so I will be looking for suggestions for rear shock and springs.

Today was my second day to ride it to work. Now I can hardly wait to ride home.

 

[SBeer]

Congratulation on the new FJR! I see a lot of enjoyable miles in your future.

 

[skippy344!]

Welcome to the Horde! Be among friends!!

I wonder if the 2013 rear shock will fit on the 2003 frame?

Yes, the FJR is a truly great bike! But we are all kinda partial!!

 

[wczimmerman]

Wow! More Mississippi riders are showing up on the forum!

Welcome and congrats! I'm outside of Corinth, MS.

@EricV is ini Tupelo and @relhok is in Florence, AL. I'm seeing the beginnings of a southern tech day....

 

[Aroxx]

Welcome! I came off a 2006 YZF600R to the FJR. Kinda wish I’d kept that bike. You’ll definitely want stiffer springs up front. The Traxxion 1.1 springs are popular and is what I did. I’m also thinking of a rear shock upgrade. Either swapping to a Gen3 shock or Ohlins or something. Somebody who knows about such things will have to advise if a Gen3 shock will work in a Gen1 bike like yours.

 

[Reserector]

Welcome! I came off a 2006 YZF600R to the FJR. Kinda wish I’d kept that bike. You’ll definitely want stiffer springs up front. The Traxxion 1.1 springs are popular and is what I did. I’m also thinking of a rear shock upgrade. Either swapping to a Gen3 shock or Ohlins or something. Somebody who knows about such things will have to advise if a Gen3 shock will work in a Gen1 bike like yours.

The YXF600R ended up with a stiffer set of front boingers from Sonic Springs while the rear got a later model R6 shock with a special adapter.
I sort of anticipate the FJR needing the same attention. I will look into the Traxxion springs.

 

[FastPappy]

Welcome from the Big Apple and congrats on your new ride. Enjoy!

 

[JohnC]

Howdy. Welcome.

I am just down the road, well, by Texas standards, anyway.

 

[rbentnail]

The rear shock is rebuildable.

 

[StreamRider]

I've been riding/racing motorcycles since my first mini bike at age 4. Used to ride on the gas tank of my mother's Hodaka 100 at age 2, and I mark that as my earliest memory.
I turn 59 this Saturday, so I consider myself to be a well seasoned enthusiast.

In 2011 I bought a 2003 YZF600R mainly for commuting because gas prices went above $4 per gallon. I commuted for four years steady, rain or shine, and put 90,000 addtional miles on that wonderful machine. With 130,000 on the odo, I have passed it to my youngest son, because he rides it the most anyway.
View attachment 86212

I have gone back to recreational riding with my '08 Suzuki DRZ400S. Fun bike, for sure. I tried commuting on it, but it is just not cut out for that.
View attachment 86213

But now that gas prices are soaring again, I needed a new commuter scooter. I knew years ago that my next one would be an FJR, so that made my search very simple.
I found a clean 2003 FJR1300 in central Tennessee. It was six hours from my home in Laurel, Mississippi and would cost me allot of gas, but the price was good enough to offset that.
View attachment 86214

It has 32K on the odo and was well cared for. I was handed a folder full of service receipts. Lots of extras, too, including a Yamaha top box.
View attachment 86216

View attachment 86217


I am head over heels in love with this bike, but I ride aggressively and will need to address the aging suspension very soon. Fork seals were done, and 10w oil added, so maybe just stiffer springs up front. Based on my experience with the YZF600R, the rear shock is probably shot and non-rebuildable, so I will be looking for suggestions for rear shock and springs.

Today was my second day to ride it to work. Now I can hardly wait to ride home.
View attachment 86218

GEN 1 Gang gang! Beautiful bike, absolutely beautiful. Now make sure you have a green dot on you Cam Chain Tensioner!

 

[RiderJoe]

Congratulations on the (new to you) FJR. Welcome to the forum! I owned a 2003 for 18 years, and I loved that bike. An '06 came along in amazing condition with only 7K miles on it, so I "upgraded". If you are looking for a suspension improvement on a budget, I would recommend the HyperPro Street Box kit . Yes, there are better alternatives out there but also for a lot more money. I installed the kit on my 2003 many, many years ago and the shock set was a great improvement over stock.

Pending on what your other transportation alternatives are, I am not sure that riding a scoot like the FJR1300 offers much in cost savings - even with high fuel prices. A Vespa, or bicycle maybe ? By the time we calculate in the cost of more frequent oil and tire changes, extra insurance, riding gear, and fuel economy that is highly dependent on your right hand's movements, riding may cost more when all said and done. My Honda Accord gets about 36 mpg on the highway, and my FJR hovers around 45 mpg. On the Accord I have to change oil only every 10K (for about $35) and tires at 60K miles for about $700. Compare that to changing oil every 3K for about ($50), and tires around 8-12K miles for about $400 on the Feejer. No doubt that riding is 100x more fun than driving though!

 

[StreamRider]

Congratulations on the (new to you) FJR. Welcome to the forum! I owned a 2003 for 18 years, and I loved that bike. An '06 came along in amazing condition with only 7K miles on it, so I "upgraded". If you are looking for a suspension improvement on a budget, I would recommend the HyperPro Street Box kit . Yes, there are better alternatives out there but also for a lot more money. I installed the kit on my 2003 many, many years ago and the shock set was a great improvement over stock.

Pending on what your other transportation alternatives are, I am not sure that riding a scoot like the FJR1300 offers much in cost savings - even with high fuel prices. A Vespa, or bicycle maybe ? By the time we calculate in the cost of more frequent oil and tire changes, extra insurance, riding gear, and fuel economy that is highly dependent on your right hand's movements, riding may cost more when all said and done. My Honda Accord gets about 36 mpg on the highway, and my FJR hovers around 45 mpg. On the Accord I have to change oil only every 10K (for about $35) and tires at 60K miles for about $700. Compare that to changing oil every 3K for about ($50), and tires around 8-12K miles for about $400 on the Feejer. No doubt that riding is 100x more fun than driving though!

You change your oil every 3K???

Edit: Just a personal question not a thread derail.

 

[RaYzerman]

I would put the Traxxion fork springs in, they are straight rate not progressive. You should not need any valving changes, use 5-7W oil, I wouldn't go 10W. Plenty of adjustment available.
You have rear shock options, not sure what the cost to rebuild would be, but a Gen3 shock wouldn't cost much more and would have better springs. Aftermarket, again there are many options, all of which vary in price....

 

[StreamRider]

I would put the Traxxion fork springs in, they are straight rate not progressive. You should not need any valving changes, use 5-7W oil, I wouldn't go 10W. Plenty of adjustment available.
You have rear shock options, not sure what the cost to rebuild would be, but a Gen3 shock wouldn't cost much more and would have better springs. Aftermarket, again there are many options, all of which vary in price....

ONLY $140?!?!?!? Lets go! Thanks for the heads up Ray!

Traxxion Dynamics Fork Spring Kit OMNI 1.10kg/mm - Traxxion Dynamics

Traxxion Dynamics Fork Spring Kit OMNI 1.10kg/mm

traxxion.com

 

[RiderJoe]

You change your oil every 3K???

Edit: Just a personal question not a thread derail.

It depends on the type of riding I do between oil changes. If most of it is in heavy traffic and weekend canyon rides in hot So. Cal, then yes, 3K. If it is long trips between states, then 5-6K.

 

[FJ Rick]

Hey howdy and hi. Welcome.

I’ve got that Traxxion spring kit sitting here and just contacted a semi-local mechanic today to have em fitted perhaps as soon as next week.

 

[Reserector]

Thank you all for the great responses so far. Lots of great advice. I can tell that you guys are genuine in your welcome.

As you can imagine, I am in a steep learning curve with this bike. In many ways it is similar to the YZF that I am so familiar with, but there are differences. Especially in the known faults.

This is day three of commuting it, and I haven't had time to go through anything. I checked the oil and that's about it. I've been battling a bad head cold, and the oppressive south Mississippi heat.

Great suspension recommendations. I've taken a glance at all of them plus Sonic Springs and Race Tech. First, I will dial in what I have and do some more research before I decide what to go with.
I will look into the cam chain tensioner as well. Didn't know that was a thing. You see there, I'm learning things.

Speaking of heat, both rides home this week have been brutal. 97° to 100° both days. When I get near home and am going through town, it randomly stalls at traffic lights when I pull the clutch in. It restarts fine, but will repeat. Once underway, it feels a little rough, but it smooths out.
I found a TPS recall for the 2003 that describes the symptoms. I thought about calling Yamaha, but I think I would rather order the part and do it myself. (I have trust issues), and I don't want to be without the bike. (I have anxiety issues.) Considering the drive distance to the dealership and back, It would cost me more than the part is worth. I would break even on cost while getting more familiar with my bike.

I also need to check the connections on the new battery that the PO installed. I think they are coming loose. It is causing intermittent rough running, fast flash, and this morning I had dancing dash lights.
In fact, the first attempt to crank just clicked and the gauges went blank. Next I got the blinking dash lights and rough idle. Next start, all was well.
I made it to work, but will check the battery connections before I head home and see how it does. Shouldn't take long since he left two of the screws out. I suppose I need to locate the chrome button head screws that I'm missing. :/

 

[StreamRider]

Thank you all for the great responses so far. Lots of great advice. I can tell that you guys are genuine in your welcome.

As you can imagine, I am in a steep learning curve with this bike. In many ways it is similar to the YZF that I am so familiar with, but there are differences. Especially in the known faults.

This is day three of commuting it, and I haven't had time to go through anything. I checked the oil and that's about it. I've been battling a bad head cold, and the oppressive south Mississippi heat.

Great suspension recommendations. I've taken a glance at all of them plus Sonic Springs and Race Tech. First, I will dial in what I have and do some more research before I decide what to go with.
I will look into the cam chain tensioner as well. Didn't know that was a thing. You see there, I'm learning things.

Speaking of heat, both rides home this week have been brutal. 97° to 100° both days. When I get near home and am going through town, it randomly stalls at traffic lights when I pull the clutch in. It restarts fine, but will repeat. Once underway, it feels a little rough, but it smooths out.
I found a TPS recall for the 2003 that describes the symptoms. I thought about calling Yamaha, but I think I would rather order the part and do it myself. (I have trust issues), and I don't want to be without the bike. (I have anxiety issues.) Considering the drive distance to the dealership and back, It would cost me more than the part is worth. I would break even on cost while getting more familiar with my bike.

I also need to check the connections on the new battery that the PO installed. I think they are coming loose. It is causing intermittent rough running, fast flash, and this morning I had dancing dash lights.
In fact, the first attempt to crank just clicked and the gauges went blank. Next I got the blinking dash lights and rough idle. Next start, all was well.
I made it to work, but will check the battery connections before I head home and see how it does. Shouldn't take long since he left two of the screws out. :/

Just a word to the wise, the GEN 1 is old plastic. Take extra care in pulling apart any of the black plastic pieces on the bike especially getting to the battery as the "tabs" that the screws fit into can become very brittle over time and break off. If you do break one over time keep it and you can weld it back on.

 

[BigOgre]

Thank you all for the great responses so far. Lots of great advice. I can tell that you guys are genuine in your welcome.

As you can imagine, I am in a steep learning curve with this bike. In many ways it is similar to the YZF that I am so familiar with, but there are differences. Especially in the known faults.

This is day three of commuting it, and I haven't had time to go through anything. I checked the oil and that's about it. I've been battling a bad head cold, and the oppressive south Mississippi heat.

Great suspension recommendations. I've taken a glance at all of them plus Sonic Springs and Race Tech. First, I will dial in what I have and do some more research before I decide what to go with.
I will look into the cam chain tensioner as well. Didn't know that was a thing. You see there, I'm learning things.

Speaking of heat, both rides home this week have been brutal. 97° to 100° both days. When I get near home and am going through town, it randomly stalls at traffic lights when I pull the clutch in. It restarts fine, but will repeat. Once underway, it feels a little rough, but it smooths out.
I found a TPS recall for the 2003 that describes the symptoms. I thought about calling Yamaha, but I think I would rather order the part and do it myself. (I have trust issues), and I don't want to be without the bike. (I have anxiety issues.) Considering the drive distance to the dealership and back, It would cost me more than the part is worth. I would break even on cost while getting more familiar with my bike.

I also need to check the connections on the new battery that the PO installed. I think they are coming loose. It is causing intermittent rough running, fast flash, and this morning I had dancing dash lights.
In fact, the first attempt to crank just clicked and the gauges went blank. Next I got the blinking dash lights and rough idle. Next start, all was well.
I made it to work, but will check the battery connections before I head home and see how it does. Shouldn't take long since he left two of the screws out. I suppose I need to locate the chrome button head screws that I'm missing. :/

There's al lot to unpack there in what you've written up and I'm sure you're going to get a bit of guidance from some good people. My immediate thought is not to run out and spend money on a TPS just yet. I couldn't hurt to replace, well other than your wallet, but I'm not so sure the symptoms you described are those of a worn TPS. (That could be expanded on later if you'd like.)

Battery is a great place to start. Many experiences documented over the years of a host of issues caused by less than perfect batteries or connections. Mounting some sort of voltage display you could regularly monitor would be a wise investment in time too.

Heat and stalling makes me think of a few things. Idle around 1150? Gas cap venting normally? Past issues with that getting gummed up on earlier machines.

Pop the tank and have a look around. Rubber hoses and caps look ok for their age?

CCT, CCT, CCT.

You mentioned blinking dash lights at first attempt to crank, back to battery, but with the tank up look for a large white connector tucked in right behind the steering stem sorta in the V of the frame. Known to degrade and can cause problems. Pull it apart, clean, treat, etc.

Did you look at the CCT?

Early gens had ignition key switch issues. Not sure that would produce the symptoms you have but good to check. I sorta remember the problems and short-term fixes but will leave that to others with better memories. CRS is real.

Back to under the tank, you may or may not have some sort of heat shield between the tank and engine. I don't think they were OE then but many made their own (search that out) which helped keep both the tank and rider a bit cooler, something that you might appreciate there in MS. After running straight through most of the tank your legs will feel amazingly refreshed right after a refill as the tank will actually feel cold.

Along those lines I'm thinking of the last pic you posted of it parked at work. Got any shade around? Obviously you know how to deal with heat but that sort of sun will bake the tank and also your guage display. Issues documented especially if the windshield is lined up just right. May want to consider a loosely fitted half-cover or such if no other options available.

Keep us in the loop. I could watch other people work for hours.

 

[Reserector]

There's al lot to unpack there in what you've written up and I'm sure you're going to get a bit of guidance from some good people. My immediate thought is not to run out and spend money on a TPS just yet. I couldn't hurt to replace, well other than your wallet, but I'm not so sure the symptoms you described are those of a worn TPS. (That could be expanded on later if you'd like.)

Battery is a great place to start. Many experiences documented over the years of a host of issues caused by less than perfect batteries or connections. Mounting some sort of voltage display you could regularly monitor would be a wise investment in time too.

Heat and stalling makes me think of a few things. Idle around 1150? Gas cap venting normally? Past issues with that getting gummed up on earlier machines.

Pop the tank and have a look around. Rubber hoses and caps look ok for their age?

CCT, CCT, CCT.

You mentioned blinking dash lights at first attempt to crank, back to battery, but with the tank up look for a large white connector tucked in right behind the steering stem sorta in the V of the frame. Known to degrade and can cause problems. Pull it apart, clean, treat, etc.

Did you look at the CCT?

Early gens had ignition key switch issues. Not sure that would produce the symptoms you have but good to check. I sorta remember the problems and short-term fixes but will leave that to others with better memories. CRS is real.

Back to under the tank, you may or may not have some sort of heat shield between the tank and engine. I don't think they were OE then but many made their own (search that out) which helped keep both the tank and rider a bit cooler, something that you might appreciate there in MS. After running straight through most of the tank your legs will feel amazingly refreshed right after a refill as the tank will actually feel cold.

Along those lines I'm thinking of the last pic you posted of it parked at work. Got any shade around? Obviously you know how to deal with heat but that sort of sun will bake the tank and also your guage display. Issues documented especially if the windshield is lined up just right. May want to consider a loosely fitted half-cover or such if no other options available.

Keep us in the loop. I could watch other people work for hours.

Thanks for giving me more things to check. Seriously. I'll check the vent and drain. I will check the connector that you mentioned because there may have been a morning dew issue.
If I look at the CCT, will I be able to tell if it is the good green dot one? What would I be looking for, exactly?

There is no shade at work. I always used a Nelson-Rigg half cover on the YZF, and that is the plan for this one. I just need to do some searching and order something.

With all of my other chores and responsibilities, it will take a few weeks to get all this little stuff sorted, but I am glad it is all in this thread, complete with links for me to go back through like a checklist. Again, thank you all!