Hammer Down Brown
Well-known member
So, I have now been riding my 2016 FJR for a full year. Actually it was a year in April but whose counting. My other bike is a 2007 Gold Wing that I have put 97,000 miles on so far. I just turned over 13,000, (factory tires come off for a set of PR 4 GTs next week), on the FJR and it was a trip last weekend that has caused me to want to do this report.
Riding friend and FJR owner Bruce McCrary and I went to a Motorcycle Tourier's Forum event riding from Harrisburg NC to Forksville PA and the Forksville General Store. Last Friday we rode north to Pine Grove PA to a Hampton Inn just to get there. We rode some great Appalachian roads up to Lexington VA and then I-81 from there.
Saturday morning we were met by another Pennsylvania friend, Mike and his wife Joanne Borolla. Mike not only knows all the back roads in central PA but can most likely tell you the names of every rabbit that lives there too. It was a brisk and sperited ride to the store. After a great lunch we headed out for some ice cream because I still have the Gold Wing and it's in my DNA and I didn't have too much trouble talking a few others into it. This involved more plundering of the PA mountains until we ended up in Williamsport PA to have dinner and overnight with the New England Rider folks who were up there plundering the area most of the week.
Sunday was a dash for home of 575 miles down US 15 to I-81 and then the back way through Roanoke Va and Martinsville VA. It was this trip that got me thinking about the previous year and my experience with the FJR.
The FJR was a very different bike from the Wing but I'm loving it. The Wing is strictly our two up touring bike now and once SWMBO rides on a Wing, there's no going back. I also believe that once I got in some solo miles on the FJR there's no going back for the sperited solo riding and long distance travel that I enjoy. Anyone who rides long distance knows they must spend money on any stock bike to make it ergonomically theirs and I did that also. There are a lot of FJR aftermarket suppliers that make the process easier.
I put on the Motorcycle Larry handlebar riser plate and driver peg lowering parts and Canyon Cages. A Laam seat and a VStream tall windshield to change the ergonomics to suit me. I also added a J&M CB radio, a pair of 665/660 Garmin GPS' with satellite radio, weather and traffic on a dash shelf that also holds my Spot locator. In addition I have a Givi V46 top case with the Admore LED light kit and Hypper Lights brake lights making the rear as visable as possible.
Bruce told me when I rode his FJR that there were really two motorcycles in there. I gave him the WTH look and he said that below 4000 RPMs it's a great high torque touring bike and over 4000 RPMs you have one crazy SOB between your legs. I have concluded that he is exactly right.
Oh what a joy it is to have all the power you want if you drop a couple of gears. The six speed transmission has been the subject of much discussion. Mostly by folks who have not ridden both and that includes me. Bottom line, I like the six speed a lot and I do a lot of higher speed LD riding so that might be why I appreciate it so much. On the mountain roads of rural PA it really shouldn't matter because most of the time I was in second or third gear.
Between Bruce and I and our CB radios we calculate that in high gear I'm turning about 400 RPMs less than his five speed. Surprisingly that difference doesn't show up much in fuel mileage. We did one Interstate run on the way home burning nearly a whole tank at 75-85 MPH and the difference at the pump was only two tenths of a gallon of gas. We both have the same windshield. I have the Givi 46 and Bruce has a Yamaha top box on his bike so I really can't pinpoint a reason why the lower RPMs don't equate to better fuel mileage but as long as it's all for fun I guess it doesn't matter.
The LED lights are amazing. The parking and turn signals are very bright, much brighter than regular bulbs. It took me a little time to get accustomed to the LED headlights and how absolutely white they were. They are awesome at night and way better than conventional headlights like what are on my Wing and Wings are supposed to be known for great headlights. Another feature of the LED headlights is that even though I believe I have them properly adjusted, in daylight people are eager to move out of the way when I want to do the left lane high speed cruise thing. My bike is an A model so I can't comment on the cornering lights but those who have them seem to feel that they at least contribute to better sight at night.
All in all, I'm in love with the FJR! If something happened to this bike, I wouldn't go motorcycle shopping, I would only be FJR shopping. I hope all of you feel the same.
Riding friend and FJR owner Bruce McCrary and I went to a Motorcycle Tourier's Forum event riding from Harrisburg NC to Forksville PA and the Forksville General Store. Last Friday we rode north to Pine Grove PA to a Hampton Inn just to get there. We rode some great Appalachian roads up to Lexington VA and then I-81 from there.
Saturday morning we were met by another Pennsylvania friend, Mike and his wife Joanne Borolla. Mike not only knows all the back roads in central PA but can most likely tell you the names of every rabbit that lives there too. It was a brisk and sperited ride to the store. After a great lunch we headed out for some ice cream because I still have the Gold Wing and it's in my DNA and I didn't have too much trouble talking a few others into it. This involved more plundering of the PA mountains until we ended up in Williamsport PA to have dinner and overnight with the New England Rider folks who were up there plundering the area most of the week.
Sunday was a dash for home of 575 miles down US 15 to I-81 and then the back way through Roanoke Va and Martinsville VA. It was this trip that got me thinking about the previous year and my experience with the FJR.
The FJR was a very different bike from the Wing but I'm loving it. The Wing is strictly our two up touring bike now and once SWMBO rides on a Wing, there's no going back. I also believe that once I got in some solo miles on the FJR there's no going back for the sperited solo riding and long distance travel that I enjoy. Anyone who rides long distance knows they must spend money on any stock bike to make it ergonomically theirs and I did that also. There are a lot of FJR aftermarket suppliers that make the process easier.
I put on the Motorcycle Larry handlebar riser plate and driver peg lowering parts and Canyon Cages. A Laam seat and a VStream tall windshield to change the ergonomics to suit me. I also added a J&M CB radio, a pair of 665/660 Garmin GPS' with satellite radio, weather and traffic on a dash shelf that also holds my Spot locator. In addition I have a Givi V46 top case with the Admore LED light kit and Hypper Lights brake lights making the rear as visable as possible.
Bruce told me when I rode his FJR that there were really two motorcycles in there. I gave him the WTH look and he said that below 4000 RPMs it's a great high torque touring bike and over 4000 RPMs you have one crazy SOB between your legs. I have concluded that he is exactly right.
Oh what a joy it is to have all the power you want if you drop a couple of gears. The six speed transmission has been the subject of much discussion. Mostly by folks who have not ridden both and that includes me. Bottom line, I like the six speed a lot and I do a lot of higher speed LD riding so that might be why I appreciate it so much. On the mountain roads of rural PA it really shouldn't matter because most of the time I was in second or third gear.
Between Bruce and I and our CB radios we calculate that in high gear I'm turning about 400 RPMs less than his five speed. Surprisingly that difference doesn't show up much in fuel mileage. We did one Interstate run on the way home burning nearly a whole tank at 75-85 MPH and the difference at the pump was only two tenths of a gallon of gas. We both have the same windshield. I have the Givi 46 and Bruce has a Yamaha top box on his bike so I really can't pinpoint a reason why the lower RPMs don't equate to better fuel mileage but as long as it's all for fun I guess it doesn't matter.
The LED lights are amazing. The parking and turn signals are very bright, much brighter than regular bulbs. It took me a little time to get accustomed to the LED headlights and how absolutely white they were. They are awesome at night and way better than conventional headlights like what are on my Wing and Wings are supposed to be known for great headlights. Another feature of the LED headlights is that even though I believe I have them properly adjusted, in daylight people are eager to move out of the way when I want to do the left lane high speed cruise thing. My bike is an A model so I can't comment on the cornering lights but those who have them seem to feel that they at least contribute to better sight at night.
All in all, I'm in love with the FJR! If something happened to this bike, I wouldn't go motorcycle shopping, I would only be FJR shopping. I hope all of you feel the same.
