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Anybody not doing the Tail Tidy?

26K views 70 replies 33 participants last post by  Jen 
#1 ·
I am up in the air about it, not sure i want to loose the protection incase i get caught in the rain not that i won't get wet any way but i won't have the stripe up my back?
 
#4 ·
I never modify anything unless it will make me....FASTER!!

but, in answer to the original question....I don't plan on doing a tail tidy per se', but I will eventually replace the big turn signals.........cuts down on wind resistance ya know! :cool:
 
#6 ·
I can vouch...just after I installed my tail tidy I went for a ride where there were a lot of wet roads...even going through puddles in a parking lot got gunk all over my jacket and seat. I imagine that at a certain critical speed that the droplets coming off the tire will not be able to catch up with the forward movement of the bike because of wind resistance...

It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make
 
#7 · (Edited)
I'd actually like a real mudguard like bikes used to have. Does no one test this stuff out in cold wet weather riding through dirty puddles? Or is it all about styling? Yet that parts bin stock plat holder will not be winning any beauty contests anyway. You still get all wet and dirty on your back and sides of butt and thighs so tail tidy or not it still makes a mess either way. Do we need special motorcycles designed for riding in rain now, will that be a new niche?

If Rizoma does one of those tire guards that mount to the swingarm and covers the back portion of the tire I'd be into that or a more full coverage hugger as well as a longer fender extender for the back of the front wheel as well.

Another thing to consider is if you do want to put on saddle bags a tail tidy would get in the way. The stock location is far enough back to not have any interference of turn signals or plate if you hang any bags over the side of the pillion "seat?"

But yes I'd be more interested in making this more of a functional almost touring bike then having it be a hooligan poser bike, but that's what's nice about naked standards you can build them up any way you like.
 
#11 ·
But yes I'd be more interested in making this more of a functional almost touring bike then having it be a hooligan poser bike.
Different strokes for different folks. I have no plans to take a month long cross country mc tour, I wish I had the time for that...if I did I would pick a different machine. Aesthetics were the driving factor for me getting rid of the tail, I am going for a compact and streamlined street fighter. Not because I care if other people think it looks good, but because I think it looks good. Pretty sure I'll never 'pose' with my FZ.

Heck, there was a guy on this board who blacked out his rear sets and brake/shifter pedals...it looks awesome, but it's purely Decorative. Does this make him a poser? Why get a helmet with graphics? It's ok for people to like different things
 
#14 · (Edited)
Really the whole back of my jacket was wet and grimey,gritty. If you ride in the wet you're gonna get wet anyway that's way rain gear is for but I can tell the difference between raindrops and road spray. Also I've ridden when it wasn't raining anymore but roads were still wet and I still got sprayed.

I'm no real rider but I actually do enjoy getting geared up and find a peacefulness riding in rain.

Maybe you ride so fast that you out ride the spray.

All the dirt on back of my rain jacket is from FZ roadspray getting kicked up from the ineffective mud guard.


 
#9 · (Edited)
Ride in the rain??? Not me, at least not on purpose, unless I'm coaching at a track day, then we have to. Only "real" riders ride in the rain anyway, so I'm out!

Here's the ticket for riding in the rain on the track. Can you get a knee down with these.....ABSOLUTELY!

 
#13 ·
I've been caught in the rain before many times, to the point where you have to dump out your boots.
For me, it's generally a miserable experience.
My rides these days are limited to an hour or 2 excursions after work or on the weekend, when the forecast says sunny skies.

But going 2 up on a cross country ride on comfy sport tourer sounds like a blast...maybe 1 day when I get to the average age of this forum's members :)
 
#15 ·
Yea, there is a bit of sarcasm in my "real rider" comments, based on this quote from FJRider....

FJRider wrote:
The real riders suit up, ride the Dragon and see how wet they can get on the Cherohala Skyway just for kicks.
Sheesh!
 
#18 · (Edited)
Just a quick tidbit... but the OEM tail dose a horrible job of keeping rain/debris from shooting up at you.
My wife and I rode last Saturday and the roads were pretty wet from all the melting snow and her behind was covered.

Personally I'd rather have a cleaner looking rear end and suffer a little bit of extra dirtiness... because as the saying goes: God made dirt and dirt don't hurt.

Different strokes for different folks. I have no plans to take a month long cross country mc tour, I wish I had the time for that...if I did I would pick a different machine. Aesthetics were the driving factor for me getting rid of the tail, I am going for a compact and streamlined street fighter. Not because I care if other people think it looks good, but because I think it looks good. Pretty sure I'll never 'pose' with my FZ.

Heck, there was a guy on this board who blacked out his rear sets and brake/shifter pedals...it looks awesome, but it's purely Decorative. Does this make him a poser? Why get a helmet with graphics? It's ok for people to like different things
Pshhhhhhh! This is my hooligan/sport tourer/commuter/grocery-getter/etc. bike.
I'll be doing a 2,000 trip/loop from CT to the gap and back this coming summer. :cool:
 
#24 ·
Just a quick tidbit... but the OEM tail dose a horrible job of keeping rain/debris from shooting up at you.
My wife and I rode last Saturday and the roads were pretty wet from all the melting snow and her behind was covered.

Personally I'd rather have a cleaner looking rear end and suffer a little bit of extra dirtiness... because as the saying goes: God made dirt and dirt don't hurt.


Hey Niner - does your wife ride her own bike, or on the back of yours? I plan on carrying my daughter on back if/when I can get a backrest. But the passenger seat is so thinly padded - I'm not sure she'll want to ride a second time... Come on Seargent - make us a seat!
 
#19 ·
Does the FZ really make you have a stripe up your back if you ride in the rain or through water? I took that retarded looking thing off my R1 2 days after I bought it and have no issues with water spraying up my back. I don't plan to ride in the rain, but get caught all the time in summer pop up thunderstorms in the mountains. If you're riding in the rain it don't think it would really matter since you're going to be soaked anyway.
 
#20 ·
I have a tendency to change everything. I'm really trying to wait a bit with this bike though. I'm afraid that if I act to quickly, I'll see something better later on. I've been told that patience is a virtue. If I go with a box or bags down the road, it may be a mute point.
 
#28 ·
Has anyone taken the turn signal lens off and looked at the bulb? I'm wondering if there is an LED bulb that will fit into the housing, where all you would have to do is take out the incandescent bulb and replace it with an LED unit that is made to plug into the original socket?
 
#34 ·
I did with no luck but I am pretty sure I saw them somewhere you have to buy the whole stalk with the LEDs in them already which is ok with me I just have to find them again?
 
#30 ·
Up untill now I did not ride any km in dry condtions. Cleaning the bike is part of the hobby.
But .......... now I have to clean my gear too. Have no pics of this on my tablet.
I will post pics from my computer. The dirt is even on the back of my helmet.
I think the dirt sprays up between the seat and the plateholder.
Solution? Will not be eeasy. Tail tidy with a plate that is mouted more horizontaly?
Angle of 45 degrees? Don't know yet. But I am going to build my own tidy, and test it of course.
 
#31 ·
I enjoy riding in the rain if I have on enough gear to keep my underwear dry. Soggy drawers are the shits. Rain riding is something that you have to accept with bike ownership. Doesn't stop the Brit's does it? It rains every day in the UK
and it doesn't stop them. Are we that scared to get wet a little?
 
#42 ·
I'll probably check them out at some point in time. I'm probably going to do an exhaust as my next mod, now that I've got some of the suspension stuff squared away. I'm still in a dilemma about which one though.
 
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