Do people ask you what your bike is??

[cumberlandjack]

i was at a toy run in clarksville,tn. over the weekend and got a couple of "interesting" inquiries. out of about 3000 bikes, i did not see one other FJR. one st in the bunch. decided to leave my electraglide at home whereas the field of bikes was comprised of about 95% harleys. told my wife maybe some of the beer swilling hogsters would talk to us if we were on a different type of bike. one neck told his "old lady" it was a scooter, another asked what it was and deduced it was either a crotch rocket or some sort of touring bike. i too removed the yamaha badges from the tank a few days after the purchase. don't care if people know or like whatever bike it is i choose to ride. i make purchases based upon what i like. oh by the way, that is the last toy run of its type i will ever attend. not into riding with several thousand people, many of whom that had been pounding beers at 11:00a.m. with pre teens as passengers.

 

[RadioHowie]

I'm surprised I'm the only one who has mentioned answering the "what is it" question with this answer...

"It's a Harley."

Never fails...the folks who don't know shit from shinola about motorcycles comment on what a great looking bike it is and the conversation ends there. They wouldn't know a Harley bike from a Hardee burger.

The folks who have a minimal idea about motorcycles and brands, but not specific models, just kinda stare back with that "deer in the headlights" look and go away confused but satisfied with the answer.

The folks who DO have an idea about motorcycles and brands don't ask.

 

[red2kcbr]

I don't even have the Yamaha logo on the tank. My tank was dinged during shipping, and was replaced. The new tank came without the tuning fork logos. They arrived later, and I never put them on. I'd lose the FJR sticker if I thought I could get it off without marring the paint. Well, any more than it is now. People that know motorcycles know what it is. Those that don't won't get it anyway. If people ask, and they have, I tell them the truth.

If I wasn't such a cheap bastard, I'd paint it red. Marlboro red, just like on the old Yamaha race bikes that Kenny rode. But I like the '05 blue, too. So I'm keeping that money for something else.

 

[Silver Penguin]

I like the subtle, sleek look. It is what it is, and doesn't need to brag. The people whose opinions might matter, already know what it is.

Most times, when asked what my bike is, the asker will suggest it is a BMW. Andy and I were once complimented on our matching bikes and matching gear. I guess you COULD confuse an 03 with a dark gray K1200S, especially if you drove away in a Harley-Davidson-stickered pick up truck. Our gear is about as similar as the bikes. The only thing we had in common there, was full gear.

Jill

 

[Big Sky]

Mine was repainted with badges and decals left off. It sports "Yamaha" on the aftermarket windscreen and engine covers. I get the "BMW?" question all the time; most recently, Sept. 10. The average citizen can make virtually no distinctions other than HD or not HD, though if it has a full fairing and not HD it is a "crotch rocket."

 

[Keyser Soze]

My favorite was a guy at a gas station said to me "nice bike, it's sort of like a sport bike and a touring bike". :glare:

 

[Silver Penguin]

Mine was repainted with badges and decals left off. It sports "Yamaha" on the aftermarket windscreen and engine covers. I get the "BMW?" question all the time; most recently, Sept. 10. The average citizen can make virtually no distinctions other than HD or not HD, though if it has a full fairing and not HD it is a "crotch rocket."

Ain't that the truth? A friend at work often introduces me as her favorite Harley Momma then asks me to remind her what kind of Harley I ride. I've learned to smile sweetly and remind her that's its not a Harley. To some, the words 'motorcycle' and 'Harley' are synonymous.

Jill

 

[Cdogman]

If I wanted to scream "look at me", I would have bought a GSXR with their [SIZE=14pt]"Disney barfed[/SIZE]" graphics.

That right there is funny, I dont care who you are!!

Yea, I like stealth too

 

[Rondo777]

I'm not really liken the graphics, Sorry. Actually my FJR get the least comments or compliments of any bike of owned, probably the lack of chrome! I have had a few onlookers and all have been Harley guys at populare biker breakfast destinations. All that have comented knew exactly what they were looking at and liked it. Most have even asked if I enjoyed the autoclutch. Looks like some of the hard core Harley people have been following this bike.

 

[rayban]

Speaking solely about strangers walking up to the bike or a casual friend talking about it when they saw it...

# times someone presumed it was a BMW = 7

# times someone guessed it was a Zuke = 1

# times someone knew it was a Yamadog but not the model = most, the Tuning fork logo is over 4 decades old

# times someone knew both make and model = 1

BMW, by far, is the presumption of strangers.

 

[SouthernCruizer]

I too find that most people think the FJR is a BMW ...I always tell em that my bike is the bastard offspring of a gold wing/hyabusa merge.

Jay

'FJR 1300

 

[wpbfjr]

less [SIZE=10pt]is[/SIZE] more...

i like that the riders leg hides the 'fjr' medallion...

chrome don't get you home. and stickers and grafiks don't make it faster, just a better target...

 

[Niehart]

The folks that put on miles know.

I was in CA last week at the top of Lassen Volcanic PK lookout when a rider from PA walked over to look at the bike. "I see you own the king of sport touring bikes". He was riding a 2002 Triumph that he had just put over 3000 miles on and figured he would at least double that before he was back home.

I was riding with Honda Valkyrie, 87 HD soft tail and a 2002 HD road king. Interesting bunch..

 

[FJRski]

We had just stopped for breakfast one morning. I could still hear the wind blowing in my ears.

A guy walks up and says to my wife, "That's a real nice lookin bike you got there. What kind is it?"

She looks at him dead straight and says "A blue one."

I use that answer all the time now.

 

[Whybu1]

Usually I get the "Nice bike, I love BMW's". Almost never have anyone know what is is. Yesterday I did have a guy say he like the "futuristic look of the new bikes". Mine is an 04. I like the fact that there aren't a ton of FJRs running around. Heck the guards at the gate to our base wave me thru as they recognize the bike as being the only one like it they have seen.

 

[airboss]

The one guy I did take time talk to about the bike was the one that came over , and said, "I have no ideal what kind of motorcycle you got there, but I really like it".

 

[veester]

I don't know about you guys, but a lot of people never seem to know what make or model my bike is. In all fairness to non-bikers, the FJR is quite subtle in declaring its manufacturer's name and its capacity, so because my bike doesn't have the two stripes on the side (it's an 06 model), I was thinking of doing something like this.....

What do you think?

Bitchen....!!!!!Bitchen...!!!!

 

[wfooshee]

The one guy I did take time talk to about the bike was the one that came over , and said, "I have no ideal what kind of motorcycle you got there, but I really like it".

Same here. A guy was really interested in the bike, didn't know what it was but knew it wasn't a Harley or a Bimmer. It being a Yamaha astonished him.

Genuine interest deserves enlightenment.

 

[Big Sky]

Parked the red FJR in front of the Pioneer Bar in Virginia City one day (FJRs will stop at bars, too) and walked in and sat down. An older hard-core, (probably ex) Harley rider says, "That a Beemer?"

"Nope, Yamaha," says I.

"Fast?," asks he.

"Pretty fast," says I.

"How big a motor," says he.

"1,300 CCs," says I.

"What's the horsepower and torque?" asks he, figuring he's gonna put me on the spot.

"127 horses max at the rear wheel," says I, adding "and about 89 max pounds of torque."

He laughs and says, "You got that backwards. The torque number is always higher than the horsepower number. Haw, haw!"

I guess I would have had to explain it and he wouldn't have understood anyway.

 

[05fjrman]

Fuzzy Balls !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on the beemer thing. Though I did have one"slightly" in the know dude ask if it was a Norge.
:jester:

That's way more obscure than the FJR. There can't be many of those around yet.