sbeck09's T7 - weight and data rule here

[sbeck09]

Finally took delivery after work yesterday so I'm wasting no time banging down break in miles and already adding mods to the bike.

 

 

The ride home was 19 miles. I could tell right from the first startup that I was in for some pleasant surprises. I have to say that I'm not sure why I keep seeing people saying that the stock exhaust has a nice sound...it's far too quiet.

 

As soon as I arrived home I took some temp readings, let the bike cool for about 20 minutes, and decided it was a good time to replace the entire exhaust.

 

A couple weeks back after my claim was confirmed I started ordering parts. One of the  first items was this Dominator GP slip on and their catless header. The whole thing is 304 stainless and at just under $500, seems to be the single best value for exhaust on these bikes.

 

 

The install was  only about 30 minutes. I would say someone that  doesn't do much wrenching could still handle this in under and hour. The fit was pretty good, but the link (mid) pipe could use more bend to bring the muffler closer to the bike. A small thing in my eyes.

 

I also made sure to weigh both the stock system and this new Dominator system. I want my build to be focused on losing weight in as many places as reasonably possible. 

 

Stock:

 

Dominator:

 

Yeah that is an 11.4  pound drop in 30 minutes of effort while making the bike look and sound absolutely wonderful!

 

 

And you can hear it at this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/389640761926578/permalink/568842260673093/

 

It is a bit louder than most people may want, but it doesn't drone for the rider and my ears do not hurt after I stop. They do include a quiet insert in the box which does help cut down some sound as well. I have now ridden 60 miles with this installed and have zero regrets.

 

More parts are already sitting in my shop so updates will be coming fast. Happy to answer any questions you have.

Edited June 12, 2020 by sbeck09
photos needed local reference. URL broken

[sbeck09]

As a follow up to the exhaust install, the bike currently sits at 79.9 miles. I can say without a doubt this did add some power. I know it's common for more noise to act like a placebo, but in riding it stock through my neighborhood vs after the full exhaust 1st gear power wheelies super easy now and 2nd gear will float the front wheel and the smallest bump causes 2nd gear power wheelies. When it was stock you had to wack the throttle in 1st and 2nd just wouldn't power wheelie. I can only imagine how it will be after tuning.

[johnnygolucky]

Can't see any of your pics for some reason. 

[sbeck09]

17 minutes ago, johnnygolucky said:

Can't see any of your pics for some reason. 

That is super weird because it's all showing up perfectly for me. @Cruizin any input here?

[johnnygolucky]

Yeah that's strange. It's just a little question mark int he middle of the space for a pic. Im on Safari and switched to Chrome and it's the same. Never had the problem before on anybody else posting pics. Curious to what you're posting. Maybe it's just me that can't see them for some reason? 

Edited June 12, 2020 by johnnygolucky

[DWEL700]

yup, no pics for me either and you have to log in to facebook for your sound bite. I don't have facebook.

[sbeck09]

3 minutes ago, DWEL700 said:

yup, no pics for me either and you have to log in to facebook for your sound bite. I don't have facebook.

I did that with the video on purpose since it's not posted to YouTube. I wasn't sure how else to host it for free. The photo issue is baffling so I'm hoping to get admin help on what's causing the problem. Sorry guys...

[Cruizin]

I'm seeing pics, except for the top image, that one is a white box. When pasting a Facebook post, you need to click on the date/time that is above the FB post, that opens it in new window, then copy paste that URL and paste it here. 

 

On pics, are you uploading them from your device by clicking "choose all files" ?  

[sbeck09]

4 minutes ago, Cruizin said:

I'm seeing pics, except for the top image, that one is a white box. When pasting a Facebook post, you need to click on the date/time that is above the FB post, that opens it in new window, then copy paste that URL and paste it here. 

 

On pics, are you uploading them from your device by clicking "choose all files" ?  

I was trying to host them straight from my Google photo account and reference locally like I do on other forums, but that doesn't appear to be an option here. I now downloaded to my local PC and that seems to help. I'll do what you suggested for the video now.

[johnnygolucky]

What I do here is take your photo, drag to desktop. Then when wanting to attach files, choose photo on desktop and badabing, badaboom. Show and tell. 

[Cruizin]

1 hour ago, sbeck09 said:

I was trying to host them straight from my Google photo account and reference locally like I do on other forums, but that doesn't appear to be an option here. I now downloaded to my local PC and that seems to help. I'll do what you suggested for the video now.

You can share google photos here, or phots hosted on other servers. int hat case click "insert other media" then choose "insert URL ". 

[sbeck09]

20 minutes ago, Cruizin said:

You can share google photos here, or phots hosted on other servers. int hat case click "insert other media" then choose "insert URL ". 

That's exactly what I did and where the issues seem to have stemmed from. Glad to know it doesn't seem like I was doing it wrong.

[Simmons1]

I can see the photos fine.

[Tazmool]

The photos did not appear at 1st either, but they do seem to load now. 

Funny 1st photo, there is a second T7 behind the 1st, but if you don't notice, the front of the bike looks very strange. 

Did you have to un-plug the o2 sensor to remove it from the pipe?  or were you able to wrangle it off with out unplugging it? 

 

Tazmool

[sbeck09]

3 minutes ago, Tazmool said:

The photos did not appear at 1st either, but they do seem to load now. 

Funny 1st photo, there is a second T7 behind the 1st, but if you don't notice, the front of the bike looks very strange. 

Did you have to un-plug the o2 sensor to remove it from the pipe?  or were you able to wrangle it off with out unplugging it? 

 

Tazmool

Haha yeah I noticed that too. I had a hard time focusing on taking nice photos because all I wanted to do was jump on the bike and ride off.

 

You could go and unplug the sensor and it might make things 10% easier, but I was lazy and just twisted the wire carefully. I always do this on cars and bikes. There is a ton of room to access everything once you pull off the skid plate. I was really happy to see it is a pre-cat O2 so you don't throw codes for deleting the cat.

[Tazmool]

Heh, I was thinking the same thing, on both points, I don't want to dig and unplug the o2 sensor, especially after seeing that the header can be removed with out pulling the radiator. 

 

And, the pre-cat o2 sensor is nice.  I think to throw codes, you'd need a pre-and post cat o2 sensor. 

 

Tazmool

[sbeck09]

Ok next round of upgrades came this weekend. Tail tidy showed up Friday afternoon about the time my buddy did so he assisted in the disassembly process due to being a fellow ADV rider and gearhead. I know he quietly wants one so bad, but it just isn't in the cards for him right now.

 

I went for the  R&G tail tidy due to availability, integration, and reuse of original turn signals. It includes everything you need to look original like I did...for now, or you can go straight to an aftermarket signal. It's all in the package and 21 page instruction sheet. My favorite thing is that it includes the wire adapters for aftermarket turn signals to the factory connector. Nice touch!

 

There is no weight savings to this mod because a bulky plastic part is replaced by a steel plate. Weight wise this is a straight up swap so don't fool yourself into believing this isn't purely about vanity.

 

 

I was kinda dreading this because I knew most of the rear bodywork would need to come off. Turns out all of the bodywork, excluding the underside, had to be removed. It really wasn't bad at all and I again find myself more impressed  with the build quality of the bike as I dive deeper. Don't be afraid as this bike was obviously built to be worked on.

 

 

Sort of takes on a Bobber look. Definitely not the right look for this bike, but interesting anyway.

 

So the kit is very straightforward overall and could easily be done in about 45 min. I am not one to just be satisfied with a simple bolt-on so I made some changes. For starters the plate angle felt too steep to me out of the box so I bent it out. The other thing that most of these tail tidys do is remove the "handle" that was integrated into the bodywork. I can't stand that because it looks unfinished to me so I burned up an hour trimming that specific plastic piece (no going back now) so I could add the handles back.

 

 

This also allowed better protection from dust intrusion around the tail light. So with that I bolted it all back together and admired the results. HUGE improvement. The aesthetic is much more sleek and dirbike-like. I have a set of turn signals coming and those will hopefully be a nice improvement from stock while being significantly brighter and out of harms way. Lastly, I slightly changed up the wire routing from what is instructed because I feel what I did is better for my purposes. I can elaborate more later if the topic is that big of a deal.

 

 

Side note: the little LED plate light that comes in the kit is way better than the bulky stock incandescent part in every way. And by bending my plate out it actually fits in a factory opening under the tail light further looking OEM.  Total win. And yes...I used Locktite on all of it.

 

For anyone feeling cheap, you can totally make your own tidy setup with a $8 piece of aluminum strap and a small LED plate light ($10 on Amazon). Just trim the plastic, drill a couple holes and connect the wires. Bet you can knock it out for $25 and an hour of your time.

Edited June 15, 2020 by sbeck09
Clarity

[sbeck09]

Still going! 156 miles in and I'm loving every second I'm on this bike. The original plan was a nice day off road on Saturday, but personal life has dictated that must wait a week. Still ride everyday even just to run errands.

 

Something that really isn't mandatory, but I wanted anyway was a screen protector. My 990 had scratches from years of wiping dust off of the gauges so to help combat that I happened across a cheap little kit to help.

 

 

It's just like doing a phone screen so there isn't much to explain here. Comes with 4 protectors total (2 clear, 2 anti-glare) for about $10. I'm trying out the anti-glare for now since the summer sun here in AZ is super intense. So far I don't even notice it, but I guess that's the idea.

 

 

 

 

[sbeck09]

Ok last item for the weekend was soft bag testing. I don't want to mess with rear racks right now so I'm giving a try to a bag set a friend of mine gifted me for a dirt bike a couple years ago. So far I really like this, but for deep wilderness runs I'll need more tool storage and room for tubes along with essentials like water. This is perfect for around town or easy dirt roads. You can find this on Amazon supposedly, but I didn't buy it so I don't have a link. I believe it's about $50.

 

 

The bike is really starting to take on the right look and the functionality is there.

 

Oh yeah...first oil change was done right at the 82 mile mark so I'm continuing my hard break-in process of beating every car off the lights and wheelies for onlooker entertainment. Fight me. Btw...easiest motorcycle oil change I've ever done!

 

Camel High Fender Kit also arrived, but I'm waiting on a fender. Not sure if that will happen this week or next, but I will obviously share when I do. Initial impression is that it is a brilliantly simple design.

Edited June 16, 2020 by sbeck09

[sbeck09]

Next round! Adding stuff is kind of becoming an evening ritual and I might miss a little when I run out of things to change. But that means more time to ride.

 

I've always wanted doubletake mirrors and never could bring myself to spend the money. I no longer can say that.

 

 

It's very simple to do and everything you need is in the package, including the reverse thread adapter. I fully expected them to vibrate a bunch and they are surprisingly stable, but that might also be a testament to the smoothness of this bike.

 

Just after I got my claim number confirming that my bike was really coming, I started thinking about what items I wanted to add early on. I kept coming back to the convenience of a center stand for things like chain maintenance or oil changes. When I found an SW-Motec kit online I caved and just ordered it. I've actually had the box sitting for about 3 weeks. I've gone back an forth about really bolting it on because I knew it was heavier than I hoped.

 

 

That's right, within 1lb of my weight loss from the exhaust. Fortunately it is very easy to install and therefore easy to remove. The kit seems well thought out and I'm sure it will do well.

 

 

My only real complaint is the position of the stand when down causes a good portion of weight to remain up front so it makes front wheel removal harder than my KTM 990 was if you get a flat. I also realize this is due to space constraints. That being said, it is wayyyyy easier to get this bike up on the stand than that 990 ever was!

 

 

So now I wait for the new front fender to arrive along with crash bars and the T7 Rally seat removal kit. Should be getting nice and dirty this weekend.

[sbeck09]

Finally got rid of those ridiculous turn signals...on the front! Back  will be done in a couple days with the same thing.

 

Run:

 

 

Flash:

 

 

The photos just don't do these justice. They are painful to look directly at when flashing. It also includes a little magnet which is used to program different signal patterns. Definitely not the cheapest option, but you can immediately tell the quality is far above what people are getting off of Amazon.

 

Normally I don't like advertising for free, but I know you guys will ask so here is the link:

Proton 500 LED Flushmount signals - Yamaha

 

They are plug and play because the connector is the same as the FZ07. They only come in pairs so you need 2 packages to do the entire bike. For the rear, I have to extend the wires to reach the factory connector, but that's easy to do.

[DWEL700]

That looks great!

Did you have to change the flasher relay?

Edited June 18, 2020 by DWEL700

[sbeck09]

1 minute ago, DWEL700 said:

That looks great!

Did you have to change the flasher relay?

Thanks for the reminder. Yes you do need to change the relay. I haven't done that yet, but the new relay should arrive today or tomorrow. Since it is under the rear body panel I can replace that while I'm changing the rear signals.

[sbeck09]

Got a package I didn't expect to arrive so soon.

 

When I saw the T7 Rally Seat Joining Kit and then how low the price was I had to have it. My legs are too short for the rally seat option and I hate seats that are bolted on so this solves both problems. And I will also admit this was a low cost way for me to test this company and see how their response/shipping times were given a number of complaints I've seen here from others. While communication was extremely minimal, these took less than a week to be delivered to my door here in the Southwestern US. I'd say that's pretty damn good.

 

 

Very simple and comes with no instructions, but he posted a video on YouTube that shows the install and it is very easy to do. Your key, a 4mm allen wrench, and a 10mm wrench/socket will do the entire job in 5-10 minutes.

 

 

Everything seems to line up perfectly with no rattles or loose feeling. Now I don't have to fuss with bolts to access my battery or airbox! As you can see the parts all appear like OEM and feel it too. It's a clever kit.

 

You will remove a couple parts to either throw away or save for later should you decide to reverse this back to how the factory did it.

 

 

That's all I have time for this week since I'm riding all day Saturday in the dirt! High Fender kit will have to wait for next week. I also have a foam air filter kit and crash bars ordered so hopefully those arrive soon.

[sbeck09]

Thought I'd provide a quick recap/update after this weekend. I'll be sure to post an actual ride report in the correct section soon with pics.

 

Friday night I scrambled to install some Amazon FZ07 shorty levers before I left since I HATE the stock stuff. Pick your poison because you have a TON of options. $36 and 2 days to my door. Feels way better, to me. Then a quick once-over and I hit the road.

 

From 85mph hwy traffic to 6mph rock crawls the bike delivered over the course of 8 hours in the AZ mountains. Not a single issue! The fan pulls temps down fast when it comes on too. The only "work" I did was suspension settings and lower tire pressures for dirt work (22psi off-road and 35psi on-road). I found the rear of the bike kept pitching up when I would jump and I had some bottoming out issues in washes or jumps. In the front I pulled out 3 clicks of rebound and added 2 clicks of compression. In the rear I pulled 1 click of preload out, added 2 clicks of rebound, and 3 clicks of compression. I actually think it's fantastic now. For the record I'm 217lbs fully clothed, but not in MC gear.

 

One "ran out of talent" moment I had was coming over a small crest in the trail in 3rd gear trying to keep pace with a dirt bike ahead and I slammed into a hole at the bottom of a wash. I gabbed brakes to no avail and slid into it at probably 30mph. The forks slammed through the entire stroke instantly and I thought I was going over the bars, but didn't. As a testament to build quality, nothing was damaged. I fully expected a blown tube or bent wheel. Nope. Rode home at 80+mph with traffic on the hwy and it still rides true. That being said, I want to check all the spokes now as you should with any new bike.

 

As I pulled up to my shop at home this afternoon the bike sits at 406 miles on the clock. More parts inbound this week. I'll do the 2nd oil change after the 600 mile mark. All fluid levels were spot on.