Hello all.. I am a new 2006 S40 owner. I bought the bike a little over a month ago with 3300 miles on it and now have nearly 4000. I was a little unhappy with the backfiring and poor top end performance so I have installed a Stage III jet kit (yes, I took that on myself), a Jardine slip-on and an NGK Iridium plug. Backfiring is nearly completely eliminated after these mods and tinkering with F/A mixture and my top-end is up from 81 MPH to 92 MPH. I've also had to replace the front brake pads, as they were squealing, and re-seat my upper riser bolts with some loctite, as they seemed to be vibrating loose. In the past 100 miles, my rear brakes have begun chattering at low RPM and appear to be adjusted properly. Are we talking rear wheel removal to change out the shoes? That doesn't sound like fun, at all.
I'm also unhappy with the "stock" saddlebag fit but understand there is a clearance issue due to the design. Have the rest of you with saddlebags secured the bottom of the bags to the guards with some kind of aftermarket bungee/tie downs?
I'm looking to do the 4000 mile service myself, including a valve adjust and oil change. I read through the oil recommendations thread but really didn't find anything completely conclusive. Synth or Standard? Recommended brands?
Thanks for the awesome forum and I hope to be a valued member!