If Yamaha/FJR listened to its customers..

[mighty mouse]

Yes, lights built into the removable saddlebags (had them on my versys - waterproof screw apart connectors took 2 seconds to undo - worked great and installed them myself in the givi v35). Added a lot of visibility for the cagers and the leds took no power to run

 

[BkrK12]

Response to Charismaticmegafauna:



This is a pure fantasy thread, right? I mean, we're not conducting a poll on what "official list items" to send to Yamaha for implementation. So why does it seem to such a problem for you that some people have a different impression of what they'd like to have than you do. No one is forcing you to accept anything. Nor is anyone asking you to explain or justify what you think is important.

Come on, it is a frivolous, "for fun" thread. Let it be.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Response to Charismaticmegafauna:...why does it seem to such a problem for you that some people have a different impression of what they'd like to have than you do.

No one is forcing you to accept anything.

Nor is anyone asking you to explain or justify what you think is important.

Let it be.

Sorry if I offended your sensibilities (I didn't intend to...).

It's not a problem -- on the contrary, I find it interesting. As I said in the beginning, when it comes to cruise control (especially on motorcycles) I didn't get it and was asking (those many who wanted it) why?

No one was forcing you to reply nor explain anything.

Unless you're an Admin, please don't tell me what not to post on the FJR Forum...

 

[BkrK12]

Didn't think I told you what to post. I thought I was engaging in dialogue with you. It was also certaiinly not my intention to offend you.

I was actually trying to lighten up what I thought was the disapproval I sensed in your posts on what was a truly frivolous and fanciful thread. To the extent I misinterpreted that, I also apologize.

 

[palerider]

So, If Yamaha FJR Division, listened to its core customers, and decided to add the one little item that should have been factory insalled in the first place... What ever would you like that item to be..... hmm?

I know hands down what I think it should have been..

And maybe Yamaha has thought about it, but when does any manufacture want to satisfy its customers....

Oh ya, I rode today, DID YOU???

I'm all for fantasy--I would love a true overdrive sixth and self-cancelling turn signals--but let me inject one dose of reality: Making a lot of factory options available would significantly increase the cost of the basic bike. If all those parts were available from the factory, the cost of the bike to the rider wouldn't be only the current cost of the bike plus whatever options the rider chose at time of purchase. It costs money to design fittings into the bike that may never be used, and it costs money to get all those parts specced, designed, manufactured, tested, stocked, and kept available in the supply chain--and all those costs would factor into and raise the cost of the basic bike, making the cost of the basic bike much higher and closer to the cost of a BMW, thus pricing it out of the range of a lot of people. The remarkable value of this bike is its incredibly broad range of abilities and competencies within its price range.

 

[Joker]

My preferences (in order of importance):

1. Heated grips - should be standard on any bike of this class

2. Better windshield - see above

3. Cruise control - same

4. Bigger mirrors - safety

5. More outlets - at least one more

I would pay more for the bike if it had these options from the factory, rather than getting aftermarket.

Yes, a 6-speed would be nice and will probably happen, if they build the next generation bike. The trend is there.

 

[John d]

Please, please...........not a 6 speed. More power and a wide power band means less need for gearing. 6 gears is ok for bikes with narrow power bands.

 

[marcusorelius]

Being I live in a state that gets HOT as the sun! I would like air-conditioning!

 

[Crash Cash]

As long as we're dreaming: On EVERY bike I own, I want PROPER canceling turn signals... and I don't mean the garbage that uses a timer or some stupidass distance measurement. I want one that cancels when I upshift, as that's the first thing I usually do after a corner, something I never do before a corner, and putting a sensor on the shifter is CHEAP. That's the closest thing to a car's steering wheel system that I can think of.

If I could figure out a cancel mechanism small enough to retrofit into the switch clamshell, I'd do it myself. My GS1100L had a solenoid to kick the switch out, but it was tied to a timer.

Other than that, my Feejer just needed a windshield for the tall guy, and that was it. Yamaha's already fixed the throttle cam, heated grips, and ugly color in the '09s.

 

[Fred W]

So... Devil's advocate here, I see the appeal of your scheme, but I also see some little holes.

What happens with a situation where you need to signal your intent while riding down the freeway (or whatever you call it in Floriduh) and you need to make a lane change, but for whatever reason fail to cancel your signal after making the lane change. No shifting, so no cancellation. It actually happens more often than one might think (not just in those specific circumstances).

I'm sure that a turn signal cancellation system that works effectively on bikes could be devised. But it hasn't yet. And it would be a pretty complicated affair. It would actually be pretty fun to work up with something like that

 

[John d]

So... Devil's advocate here, I see the appeal of your scheme, but I also see some little holes.

What happens with a situation where you need to signal your intent while riding down the freeway (or whatever you call it in Floriduh) and you need to make a lane change, but for whatever reason fail to cancel your signal after making the lane change. No shifting, so no cancellation. It actually happens more often than one might think (not just in those specific circumstances).

I'm sure that a turn signal cancellation system that works effectively on bikes could be devised. But it hasn't yet. And it would be a pretty complicated affair. It would actually be pretty fun to work up with something like that

Well, cars don't self cancel the signals for lane changes either. I could live with that.

My problem with it would be riding around in a downtown area in second gear and not shifting, before or after turning at intersections. If it could also sense acceleration in conjunction with or without gear changes they would have something.

 

[sierrarider]

This really is a "different strokes for different folks" topic. That's why almost everything mentioned can and should be a dealer installed option (with the exception of a 6 spd). You want it, you pay for it.

I've had the MC Cruise on my 04 for years and when traveling freeways or through long stretches of National Park where the rangers love to give tickets it's a money saver. The FJR is so powerful and smooth it's easy to roll that throttle well past the legal speed limit and not realize it. Yamaha could wire the bike so you don't see the fear of god in the eyes of your dealer and a labor cost that exceeds 4 sets of new tires when you enquire about having it installed.

Accessory outlets for pilot and passenger could also be an option easily installed by the dealer.

Motorcyclist left the FJR out of their most recent comparison of supersport-touring bikes mainly because there haven't been any changes, which is sad because I still think that dollar for dollar it blows away the Kawa, BMW, VFR and Triumph. If the sport touring market is flat one has to wonder why BMW put so much time and research in the their new K1600GT. I'm not comparing just thinking that someone believes there's money to be made and let's face it the Japenese seem to be able to do everything for less than the Germans.

I do want a new FJR but I suspect Yamaha will be stepping up to the plate with something that will blow us all away. Does anyone see an FJR1600 in their crystal ball?

 

[SkooterG]

I do want a new FJR but I suspect Yamaha will be stepping up to the plate with something that will blow us all away. Does anyone see an FJR1600 in their crystal ball?

Nope. I don't see any changes but color coming any time soon. They don't sell enough to justify the huge investment. Look at all the 2009/2010/2011 brand new FJRs out there just sitting on the showroom floor. Economy will have to improve. Sales will have to improve. And they will have to start losing significant marketshare in the Sport Touring segment before there will be any action.

 

[FJR Flyer]

Given that there already is a gear shift sensor for the gear indicator, it should be a no brainer. But....my FJ1200 has self canceling signals and, in general, I'm happier without them on the FJR. There are times when you expect them to cancel and they don't, or they shouldn't cancel and they do. I find it a better compromise that I know I have to canx the signal every time.

 

[LAF]

Well I really only want cruise and heated grips both available, one OEM and the other aftermarket. I would pay a bit more from the Factory for these two.

On the six speed I have to ask why? Most of my few miles (1000) I can stay in 4th and in 5th on the slab it just goes along. It really hates 5th gear anyway unless it is turning 4 grand or so and by then you are exceeding most of the posted speed limits in this country.

The turn signals are a huge adjustment from the two handed BMW I was used to. However I am adjusting nicely and it takes me to "back in the day" on my early life bikes. However I would not be mad if they self canceled no matter how they arrived at the solution.

HID lighting would be great also but I try to stay off the bike at night as much as possible because of our Horned Rat situation here in PA. On the road we tend to not ride at night but it does happen so HID would be nice.

After that it really is not a make or break for me.

I love my FJR the way it is but if Yamaha added some useful upgrades I would probably pony up if the cost was kept down, if not I would be on a Plain Jane FJR.

 

[RadioHowie]

Since we're all dreaming here, and the probablility is the FJR will go the way of the dodo, sadly, here's MY wish-list, as if anyone gives a deuce....

I wish I could buy a brand new, with-3-year-warranty, 2004 w/ABS for $10,000.

THAT would be the perfect FJR.

 

[rushes]

I'd like a tire-pressure monitoring system, or at least a low pressure warning light.

 

[SkooterG]

Since we're all dreaming here, and the probablility is the FJR will go the way of the dodo, sadly, here's MY wish-list, as if anyone gives a deuce....

I wish I could buy a brand new, with-3-year-warranty, 2004 w/ABS for $10,000.

THAT would be the perfect FJR.

Amen, Brother Howie, Amen!

 

[beemerdons]

Since we're all dreaming here, and the probablility is the FJR will go the way of the dodo, sadly, here's MY wish-list, as if anyone gives a deuce....

I wish I could buy a brand new, with-3-year-warranty, 2004 w/ABS for $10,000.

THAT would be the perfect FJR.

Amen, Brother Howie, Amen!

+1, Gunny; Good Call RadioHowie, Gen One's Rule!!!

 

[SacramentoMike]

Okay, who saw "Goldfinger?" Remember James Bond's Aston-Martin? I want everything he had on THAT.

But of course, I don't want to have to pay any extra.

As to you folks who are really being serious about all these upgrades or factory options, here's a problem I see. You go to the Ford dealer and you tell them you want this and that on your Mustang, and they either have it, or one pretty similar, or they can get it. You go to the Yamaha dealer and they might have one FJR on the floor, and that's pretty much the one they're selling. When they sell that one, they can get another. If they have to add on the options per your specs at the dealership, what's the difference between that and just doing it the way we all do it now?