What mods/upgrades are a must for my new 2015 FJR 1300 ES ?

Hey guys, I am signing the papers today for my first FJR and wondered what mods should I do to it right away? I seen some were cutting part of the exhaust out and others say seat upgrades are a must, and where I am a tall rider maybe handlebar risers? What are your thoughts and wisdom on this, thanks in advance

Do nothing but put gas in it and ride it. Get to know it, the ideas will come in due time. You need seat time first.

Enjoy!

Brodie

;-)

Brodie said:

Do nothing but put gas in it and ride it. Get to know it, the ideas will come in due time. You need seat time first.

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+1

Besides throwing gas in it and riding, which is always good. Some initial items would be frame sliders, whether they be cages or simple sliders, and perhaps WynPro's Bigfoot for the rather diminutive sidestand (sold here in the forum). Personally, I prefer the quiet power of the FJR's exhaust and wouldn't touch it, but others have put on aftermarket pipes...personal choice there.

As for the seat and risers, those are best sorted once you have some time in the seat and see how it feels after many hours in the saddle. You'll quickly determine whether or not the stock torture device...uh seat, suits you or not. The most popular seats are done by either Russell Day Long ($$$) or Laam Custom Seats ($ to $$)...both are universally hailed as being very comfortable for long hours. I have a Laam seat and can do all-day rides without issue; the RDL is usually the choice of Iron Butt types. There is also Corbin (I hated it..hard and low) and Sergeant seats, plus a couple other lesser knowns out there.

On the riser side of things, you have the MCL, Helibars, or MV (I forget the full name) risers. I have the MCL version on my '07 and will likely select that for my '15 as well. Again, these are items best decided on after getting to know your FJR through many hours in the saddle.

The forum has a wealth of information on farkles for your perusal. Enjoy the ride and welcome aboard!

If I was buying today my first priority would be a larger windshield. The OEM is OK for riding in hot summer weather but totally inadequate for cooler weather or rain.

DON'T touch the exhaust (it's a little lighter/ louder than the previous gen2).

RIDE it for a few 1000 miles and then decide what needs improvement.

ENJOY the process... Farkle-ing is a journey, not a destination.

Loctite the screws on the pannier locks.

I was convinced I needed the handlebar risers until about 1500 miles in, when I adjusted the bars to the closest factory setting, and consciously adjusted my riding position. I'm 6' 1". Took care of the majority of my discomfort.

Ride it. See what fits and what doesn't. Then decide what you have to have.

MountainMaxMan said:

Hey guys, I am signing the papers today for my first FJR and wondered what mods should I do to it right away?

Click to expand...

Read and follow the New Owners Checklist we suggested when you signed up!

The only thing i would do right away is new bar ends, it sure

relieved the numbness in my hands on long rides. I only have 1500

mile on her now, beside the Yamaha top case, it's the best mod

so far. HVMP bar ends are a great add on.

The only thing I did when I got my new 2014 a month ago, was a better radiator guard (this I think is a must), the Motorcycle Larry Fork Stem nut with ram ball so I could mount my phone holder and lock-tited the bag lock screws as mentioned above. Other than that I have been rdining the crap out of it, haha

I highly second the advice on a better radiator guard.

The Cox Radiator Guard is a quality item which I'm glad I put on my '14 ES. It's amazing the amount of debris it has shielded in just one year. The $99 price is nothing compared to holing a radiator. They are available at coxracinggroup.com

I have no connection to them other than knowing by direct observation over many years of road racing that their stuff is primo!

Just ride it and enjoy what you have.

Your new FJR needs to break you in.

Seat time and miles are all that is required at this point in time.

Seriously? You're asking people you never met about how to set up your bike to better fit you and your riding preferences? I just did an SS1K with these mods: handlebar riser plate, helmet hanger, PIAA twin horns, Pelican case, dashboard shelf with nothing on it.

So, if the bike fits you, you won't need anything.

Spend your money on gas, and ride somewhere. That's the only way you can figure out what you need.

Welcome to the Forum, MountainMaxMan.

Going with the collective...ride it first, then and only then, figure out what it needs to make it yours.

The FJR is a very versatile platform and fulfills many different missions. Your profile says Canada...that's a big place. Get to know other local FJR peeps, check out what they've done and see what makes sense for you.

--G

Safety first - get the loudest blaster horns you can find and mount then. I also recommend a rear pulsing led stoplight device. The rest of the farkles are for comfort and convenience. Enjoy your ride.

But that's my point. Are you riding twisties on day trips? Riding a 50CC next month? Need space for the wife's hair dryer and curling iron? Are you tall short, light, heavy, long arms, long legs? Does the stock seat work for you? Works mighty fine for me.

These are the items that should dictate what farkles you add to your bike. Only you can answer them, and you can better answer them after 4K or 5K miles.

(That said, the louder horns are probably a good start. Doesn't matter the answers to any of the above questions for louder horns.)

Don't forget tassels on the handlebar ends.

custom fitting the bike will come with time yes, normally I need stiffer suspension, taller seat and handlebars where I am a tall large rider but I will figure that out. The main thing is that no mods seem to be necessary to be done out of the box, no restrictions or silly yamaha quirks that need to be taken care of. I can't wait to start putting on some miles before winter comes, and it comes here early

Your last post sums it up..... get some seat time in and decide what you might need to address - since winter is coming, you will have time to address alot of things to your liking which will help greatly while the riding conditions deteriorate in your location...

I'm not tall but I am coming off a 10 year old FJR to the ES.... I knew exactly what I needed to spend money on and did just that while winter was upon me...

Spent more then most would be comfortable doing on my 15 but I knew I'd be putting in tons and tons of miles, may as well do it while she was laid up looking at snow....