Must Haves?

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Gregj

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My plan is mid June to pick up a new 2015 if there are any left in the 10k price range. I can make the trip out an Ohio dealer and back in a weekend to save a couple/few grand.

Here's what I can figure are must haves right away, am I missing anything that should be added asap?

HeliBars, bum neck need to sit upright

Canyon Cages, been there done that with the beemer

Givi sr357 rack, hopefully I can find one, they seem to be scare at the moment

RDL seat

and last I can think of is just a simple ram ball to mount my gps off the clutch.

Also has anyone bought the YES plan through DandH lately?

Thanks, Greg

 
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I would not assume any "must have's", but I find the stock riding position to be abysmal. I would not still own an FJR were it not for helibars. The stock windscreen, for me, is utterly ineffective. It was in the original bar position, and helis don't make it work better. I recommend the Yamaha touring screen. Pretty much everything else is a want. I didn't like the stock seat. I found the Yamaha comfort seat to be excellent. That said, I ended up with a laam. On my BMW daily driver, I did not have a normal topcase. I cannot overstate how much better it is to have an SR357 and givi. Besides capacity, it's just more convenient and comfortable to deal with gear at chest level, rather than sideways at knee level. Not a must have, but I wouldn't trade mine for twice what I paid for it. You can order helis with a ram ball mount. You can put another on the left bar in an existing hole as you note above.

 
If you look at his topics, it's Garauld Accessory Catalog Showcase.

 
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I have done quite a bit to my FJR to make it

work better for me but only three things

I would consider "must haves":

A better windshield that won't cause

permanent hearing damage;

Mirrors that actually let me see what's

going on behind me, and

A set of tires that don't suck

after 2500 miles.

The rest is just icing.

 
Two things I had the dealer install when they took it out of the create, PIAA horns and HyperLites. Most of the things you mentioned I added over time. Good luck on your purchase!!

 
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Ride the FJR for some miles and then see what it takes to make it yours. Several options out there for risers and windshields, definitely check a few different brands out before you take the plunge.

Get to know some local FJR peeps, check out seats, screens and risers before you buy!

--G

 
I think very few riders who spend hours in the saddle would argue that a different seat is needed, but there's no one best seat that works for everyone. I have had the luxury of trying virtually every brand and style on my FZ1s, and the (used) RDL i put on my Gen I is the one I settled on. That said, my FJR came with a Laam - I'd never heard of that, but was happy to find it works just fine for me. As stated - try to get some time on different seats before choosing one.

I'm a big believer in suspension mods, and it's the first thing I would do to any bike, but my FJR came with the exact upgrades I would have purchased - Traxxion AK20 cartridges in the forks, and a Penske shock. That's ~$2k I would not have hesitated to spend, as I have done it on other bikes and the transformation is worth every penny. That said, the stock suspension works for some people, so until you ride it - and possibly someone's upgraded bike for comparison - I'd reserve judgement on that as well.

Bar position, seat height, shield, all are easily adjusted and there are many options.

RAM mounts are trivial, but I'd suggest adding the stem mount, or "RamBone" (that attaches to the tank hold-down bolts) - it puts your phone right in the middle, somewhat protected from unexpected showers..

 
All you really need is a few maps and enough gas money to get you everywhere. Other than a Russell seat the rest is optional.:) :) :) :)

 
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