So, as you guys may have read in a previous blog of mine, I did a 12 Step “how to” to replace your FJ09/FZ09/MT09/Tracer oil pan after you crater your shit. If not, you can read it here:
Well, so, yeah…I smashed another oil pan the other day. Luckily, it wasn’t nearly as bad as shearing off the entire bottom of the oil pan like I did last time. This time, I simply put a small hole in it while parking for an epic photo. Yes, while parking. I was doing approximately half a mile an hour. *sigh* I was so livid that I didn’t even get the shot I wanted.
Long story short, I was at the top of Sonora Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains when I cracked it. Kevin and I were screwing around with various photo ops.
minutes before FJ09 oil pan disaster #2
I saw this gorgeous pull out with an amazing vista and I wanted to stop for a picture of the FJ09 sitting atop this giant granite slab overlooking the valley below. There was a small bump, maybe 4″ in height that I super slow rolled over top, as I have a CONSTANT fear of cratering my oil pan on this damned bike, and sure enough, it made gentle contact. I mean barely. It hardly even touched the rock. I even giggled to myself thinking that there’s no way that would have damaged it. I step off the bike, walk over to Kevin for a second, turn around….and there it was. The puddle of oil already starting to form.
my FJ09 gets scared every time I pull off the pavement now and it pisses itself.
I let out a LOOONG and LOUUUD string of expletives. Kevin almost looked panicked. I can’t even imagine what he was thinking when I suddenly burst out yelling and cussing. Ultimately, I told him we had to go, and go asap, before all the oil was drained out of my bike.
I coasted down most of the east side down to highway 395. I then alternated between 6th gear—low engine load—and pulling in the clutch and killing the motor for the 17 or so miles it took to go north to Walker, CA, where a store there happened to have JB Weld. I lost about a quart of oil in the 35 mile or so trip.
the “Essential FJ09/FZ09 Oil Pan Tool Kit” ..I think I might start marketing these as a package.
I threw the FJ09 on it’s side in disgust, cleaned up as much of the oil as I could, and JB Welded the oil pan up. I currently have Givi crash bars on it for “just in case” moments… I didn’t realize when I got them that I’d be needing to lay it on it’s side on purpose to fix oil pan issues. Ugh.
it looks sad, I know. Because it IS sad.
I left the FJ09 laying there on it’s side for the better part of half an hour, essentially, watching paint dry.
All in all, it got me home. But now I’ve got to buy ANOTHER FREGGIN OIL PAN. Ugh! So, to prevent any future freggin disasters, I’ve spent a bunch of time researching, and I’ve found higdonion.com
They’re having a group buy right now, so I’m all in. I’m getting the skid plate and crash bars. The group buy is currently sitting at $75 off, with the potential to go $100 off if more people get in on it. Thus far, I’ll have spent over $400 in oil pans…I should have got the skid plate from the get go, and I would have been ahead.
https://www.groupbuyparts.com/hgd_sv/higdonion-upper-cage-add-on-or-full-crash-cage.html
Higdonion has skid plates, crash cages, frame sliders, and other protective products for the FZ09, FJ09, XSR900, and the FZ07.
This is what I’m going to put on my bike:
