I've ridden a few thousand miles on my 05 FJR

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super rat

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The suspension is horrible, wallows way to soft. Fork has just be rebuilt but it's needs stiffer springs and shock needs work. What do you guys recommend, not into 2 up riding, just sport touring. Hate the heated grips, too big and hard, gonna buy new bars and sell this set up. Brakes suck, Don't like the ABS or linked set up. I want some good stoppers with of that nonsense, I know how to use the brakes.

Other than those things I love the bike, just needs a little work.
 
Well, I am not sure how I can help you. You say that you love the bike, but after listing all things that suck and you hate about it, there is not much left to love, IMHO. Not knowing anything about the bike, the condition it is in, and what has been doe to it already, leaves a lot to guesswork. Have you tried adjusting the suspension? Maybe a different setting would help improve it. If the suspension can’t be adjusted to your liking, there are a lot of aftermarket options available to improve it. You may be stuck with the ABS, but better brake pads, steel braided lines, etc. can help improve stopping power. Aftermarket handle bars, grips, and risers are also available. The question at this point is that do you really want to invest a lot of money in improvements into a 2005 bike, or get something else that closer meets your needs already? I am not sure if you can recover your the money you would need to invest in upgrades to make the bike not suck an be lovable all around for you. For what its worth, this forum offers a lot of great information, you just need to use the search feature to find the right improvement options for you.
 
I started reading this as the joke about a missing one legged dog with chewed off ear and chopped off tail that answers to "Lucky".

So all that is left is the engine, tires and windshield.

The reason this post interested me is I also just bought an 05 FJR. Two days ago I was exiting a corner and spotted a deer in the middle of the road. Hit both brakes and remember thinking "Wow, these brakes are fabulous!". First time I have had to use the brakes in earnest.

I ride two up about half the time. Set to heavy or light depending on situation and we are pretty happy with it.

How many miles does your bike have? Was it thrashed in a former life?
 
The brakes on the Gen 1 scooters (2001--2005) are NOT linked. Brake pads can easily be upgraded, but might try flush /refill the brake fluid first. The fork springs may have been fine for the previous owner, but not to your liking, easily upgraded without even removing the forks from the scooter. The Gen 1 scooters did not come with heated grips standard, not sure what you have there.

I agree with Nowheelies, name that scooter "Lucky"!

dan
 
I guess you guys missed the part where I said I love the bike. It just has a few things I need to sort out.


The bike is mint I bought it with only 13K miles. Just did a big ride on it 3200 miles with 3 days of 14+ hours of riding and between 700 and 850 miles in a day.

Its fast, comfortable, easy to move around on with good wind protection. I dig it.

It came with a factory Yamaha manual for the heated grips. I think I'm gonna buy new bars so I don't butcher the heated grips getting the off.

The suspension is my biggest dislike that I was hoping to get some ideas for. I've always had good luck with Ohlins stuff maybe I'll just buy a shock and respring the fork.
 
maybe I'll just buy a shock and respring the fork.
Good start. I'm happy with ny Penske but Ohlins or Wilbur will do just as well. I had Hyperpro springs in my '07 which were a good improvement. My 2011 has the Pendke rear and Traxxion AK20 front setup which is really nice.
 
Depends on how much you want to spend on rear shock. The latest Gen 3 Yamaha shock is a significant improvement over Gen 1 and 2 undersprung / underdamped shocks for considerably less $$ than Ohlins. Found one at Partzilla for under $500.
Of course, it's NOT Ohlins or Penske or any number of other higher end aftermarket shocks. If you're willing to spring for the big bucks, you won't be disappointed in the FJR with better suspenders. I've been using a Wilbers shock for the last 15 years, been on 4 different FJRs over the years. With the occasional rebuild it will outlast me.

Traxxion Dynamics can provide plug and play fork springs to match your weight and riding style. Aftermarket cartridges are pricy, but the OEM cartridges have a significant range of adjustment when paired with the appropriate springs.

There are several other suspension suppliers, choose your favorite.


dan
 
<<snip>> The suspension is my biggest dislike that I was hoping to get some ideas for. I've always had good luck with Ohlins stuff maybe I'll just buy a shock and respring the fork.
Respringing the forks is a good place to start. Stock dampening circuits are decent right out of the box and have a lot of adjust-ability. If you're not satisfied with springs, then spend $$$ for RT gold valves, AK20s or GP/Penske drop in cartridges. Your choice.

For shocks, as mentioned the GEN III is a budget upgrade. Personally, I'm partial to Penske since with just a few tools, they are user rebuildable. They come up occasionally on fleabay but you have to be quick.

~G
 
I agree 100% with escspe. If you can find a 13-22 non ES rear shock with low miles, that’s a great budget upgrade. If your gonna buy new, buy a Penske with spring for your weight. Forks, lots of options too. Biggest thing is maintenance and making sure it’s sprung for your weight. The HyperPro spring kit with a fork
Seal and bushing change might be enough for you. Depends on how aggressive of a rider you are. If you want the cats meow, I have a near new AK20 set up that I will part with for a fair price.

Good luck!
 
It's all relative (to what you were riding previously and to your expectations). My stock --except for Helibar risers and RDL seat-- 2005 just hit 190,000 miles: 50k first owner, 140k me, and I couldn't be happier! Suspension great, engine great, comfort great, reliability great = nothing to complain about. Just hit the start button, go riding, one up, two up, cross town or cross country. What's not to like?!?
 
I agree 100% with escspe. If you can find a 13-22 non ES rear shock with low miles, that’s a great budget upgrade. If your gonna buy new, buy a Penske with spring for your weight. Forks, lots of options too. Biggest thing is maintenance and making sure it’s sprung for your weight. The HyperPro spring kit with a fork
Seal and bushing change might be enough for you. Depends on how aggressive of a rider you are. If you want the cats meow, I have a near new AK20 set up that I will part with for a fair price.

Good luck!
Hi Redneckj, how much for the AK20 setup? I'm interested.
 
Nothing you've said is new. Owners have been tweaking the suspension and brakes since day 1, yet the FJR still grew and grew in popularity. The bike "has good bones" as the saying goes.

The Gen I in stock trim had an overly-sensitive rear brake that could easily lock the rear at any speed, especially if dragging a rear brake in the corners. My Day 1 mod was to remove the pedal from the shaft, rotate clockwise 1 spline and reinstall. This helped keep the rear spinning, especially important because heavy use of the front brake could lift the rear wheel off the ground (one-up, no cargo, dry pavement). I used Yamaha brand pads exclusively and was always satisfied with the performance. My 03 was on her second rear rotor and 3rd set of front rotors when I gave her to my son.

After a few years, the rubber lines get soft, leading to a mushy feel. SS braided lines are a great upgrade! I did the clutch too. Linked brakes were not available on any Gen I, they appeared on the scene in 06. ABS was optional and the rear especially was problematic. They need regular flushing and exercising.

Complaints about the rear shock preload were common. H. Marc Lewis offered pre-load spacers that were inserted on top of the spring after disassembling the shock, but those are long out of production. Simple enough to make on a lathe though -- they were just a steel doughnut in thicknesses around 1/4 or 3/8", and made a world of difference. The damping is also adjustable, but it's an overall adjustment -- compression and rebound are not separate. Aftermarket options abound and are quite popular. Also quite spendy.

Similarly, the front has adjustable pre-load on the top of the shock and may need some tweaking. For me, the sweet spot on the pre-load was 2 lines showing.. The damping on the front is separately adjustable. Turn the black knob on top all the way clockwise, then count the clicks as you rotate it counter-clockwise to reduce (soften) rebound damping. 10 or 12 clicks is usually a good starting point. Compression damping adjustment is at the bottom of each fork. Again, rotate fully clockwise with a screwdriver then count clicks coming back to soften. 12 or 14 clicks is a good starting point. Make sure all adjustments on both forks are the same!

Heated grips were not offered with the early bikes per se, but Yamaha did sell them as an accessory kit (they were identical to the Honda accessory kit, at twice the price!). And yes, the grips were like stone. Cut them off if need be, replace them with the grips of your choice over mylar grip heaters and retain the control pad if you want heated grips. Or go with your plan if you don't.
 
Brakes should be much better.

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I got a penske shock and fork cartridges on the way. Should straighten this bike out.
 
You will appreciate the shock and the fork cartridges - transforms the bike.
With respect to the brake lines, I love the look but I have done this replacement before on another bike and found little difference in braking power (2004 Yamaha Venture) - maybe a slightly "crisper "feel" but nothing dramatic in terms of stopping distance. Haven't tried braided lines on the FJR but I don't feel the brakes to be lacking. Report back on your experience with them.
 
I'll be shocked if the braided lines don't help the weak, mushy brakes on this thing, thats more rubber hose than I have ever pulled off a motorcycle.
 
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