Recent content by deanw

Did a 4 day / 1600 mile romp around Northern California the week after Labor Day. Got within a couple miles of the Delta fire before being turned around- good thing I don't have an itinerary when I go for trips. I will say that Matole Rd (Lost Coast- Honeydew / Petrolia) is *NOT* FJR friendly...

I guess I don't get it. Ask me what year my BMW is, I'm going to say "2016", look furtive, then speed off.

Gear indicator- you mean the big, not-lit-up, N for Neutral, light? If he was in neutral, the light would be green.

This. Even in Oregon, where rural interstates are 65 and everywhere else is posted 55- there are an amazing number of places where setting the CC for 80 on a nice day is asking to get run over.

Unless the 14 has different switchgear, you'll find that rapidly toggling through menu screens does F***-all to get a cager's attention. And sitting at a light, turning the 4-ways on and off, trying to figure out why the bike won't start. DAHIK, but I do not know why Yamaha felt the need to...

Year? After Kawasaki made it clear they didn't want to be in the cop bike business, the companies doing C14 conversions switched to FJRs. I didn't know if they had sold any or not. But FJRs have been sold for authority use in Europe for years- first response medical in the UK, and the French...

You really wanna screw with someone, put KLR (Spoofed BMW) roundels on it.

I know it's not the answer you want to hear, but you're trying to pound in a screw with a socket. Keep your phone in your pocket, and let it be a phone; get a Zumo or one of the more weather resistant Nuvis with bluetooth. BT. Or at least, post the amusing results of trying to do it the hard way.

I remember the day I broke 600 miles on my Aprilia and I got to use the throttle. I was going around corners thinknig "Woo-HOO! I'm ridin' like Nicky Hayden!" Then I realized- I'm not Nicky Hayden. Friggin' 1/4" lag screw in the rear tire. Still better off than a friend, who put a carriage...

Footshields are available in Europe (and maybe Canada?) Beyond that, design it; if it's a good idea, they will come.

So that's the plan for Gen III bikes? Is there a spacer or summat to bring the mount points up flush to the fairing surface? Hm. I have a friend with a 3D printer. Seems like just the thing to make a couple oddly-shaped space fillers. Hm.

So you had a nice rant, but nothing will happen to make the situation better. Go ahead and bookmark this thread for your next rant about whatever next dealer does something you don't like- because if nobody ever complains up the chain, nothing will ever get fixed.

Maybe. This time last year, I bought a 2013 with 48 month YES, and after title, registration, (no tax in Oregon) came away a kilobuck under MSRP.

Here's a thought: Practice. If you don't practice, you'll never get better at it and continue to be afraid of what might go wrong. Have a friend come over, stand on the other side of the bike to spot you, and take turns practicing with respective bikes until you both feel confident you can do...

I have a 2013; what are these "payments" you speak of? Got out of that habit years ago. Greatly reduces actual purchase price, and the money I save by not riding a BMW or HD goes in a rainy day fund- for rainy November days when the dealer taunts me with a new bike. :D