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JamesW

JamesW
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Got a gl1800, which is kind of a heavy wagon, for the wife and I. Wife has not ridden lately, mayhaps keep the fjr as the big bike and downsize the wing to a ninja 1000 for a runaround putt. Friend has had a ninja 1000 for almost a year, pretty well tricked out for sport touring and yesterday I had occasion to push his bike around the driveway and wow was it light. Got some drawbacks for me, chainslapper (he has a chain oiler installed) smallish gas tank, no centerstand (his biggest complaint) less weather protection, gearing is a little short but sprockets abound. Cannot beat the passenger seat on the wing though, its a tough life.

 
I saw a Ninja 1000 set up for sport touring ridden by no less than a 72 year old man. It was a sweet ride and looked very manageable.

 
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Maybe you should PM Beemerdons. Rumor has it he is looking for a wing.
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I also have one of each but I am keeping both for now. I've had the 03 FJR since July of 02 and it still rocks.

You are right about the passenger accommodations on the wiing.

 
Check out the fz1, upright seating and a center stand with the quality build of Yamaha. Plenty of slightly used ones out there too.

I had an 08 that was allowed to breathe and it was quick!

 
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I've got a 2006 FJR and a 2011 Ninja 1000. I am specifically purchased the Ninja because I wanted something lighter which will still haul @ss and gear in a comfy manner. The main difference is wind protection (FJR is better). Minor issue is pegs on the Ninja are higher up and JFR has better lighting.

The range on the bikes are about the same (~225 miles).

Chain maintenance is required but it's not that bad. At home I've got a rear stand that takes seconds to get the rear wheel off the ground and spritz with Motorex 611 to clean it every 500 miles. Then every 1500 I apply lube. When touring I carry a Quik-Stand (https://www.motorcycleradar.com/quick_stand.htm) (out of stock but there are similar ones) and after a long day (or every other short one) I use it and squirt some stuff on it. I've had a Scott-Oiler on previous bikes and they just make a mess and add unneeded complexity. You will need to budget for a new chain every 10-15k and new sprockets every 30-40k.

Otherwise, the Ninja will walk away from the FJR in handling and acceleration. If you think the FJR has effortless power, the Ninja has more. Some days I even wonder why it has gers 1,3,4,5 ... it's so tractable at all RPM's I can putz around town in 6th without lugging it and have plenty of acceleration available.

One complaint I have is that the gears are too close together and cruising RPM is higher than I'd prefer, so when I change sprockets I'll go +1/-2 ... already have a taller tire (195/55 vs 190/50) in back and that helps a little.

I have no complaints about the power but if I did, that could be remedied with Ivan's ECU reflash, PC-V and aftermarket exhaust; IIRC that will add 26 hp to the already stout 122 hp.

Hard luggage is available, sidecases OR topcase. Although it is possible to hack a solution for both at the same time. But I think the FJR's luggage is better.

Suspension is good enough to not have to replace it. The rear shock is rebuildable for about $350 (includes new spring and custom valving) at Traxxion.

I hear the FZ1 is a great bike too, and they can be found used for very good prices. A friend I ride with picked up a 2001 for $3k, already had Ivan's Jet Kit, some aftermarket can, gold valves, 20k miles on it. This thing supposedly puts down 150hp ... I've not ridden it yet. He is a conservative rider and in two years has yet to hit redline; says 7k is already too damn fast.

Ninja wins the performance side, FJR wins on arriving relaxed. Both can cover lots of miles with enough luggage capacity to allow for camping and have fun in the curves.

 
I dunno, even short on HP compared to the Ninja, the new VFR is looking mighty good.

Might be an alternative to explore...JSNS!

--G

 
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The new VFR800 does look interesting. Gotta love the V4 engine's smoothness. Too bad they retained the Vtech, though the reviews say it is less offensive than the prior Gen.

It will be cool to see what Yamaha makes with the FZ-09 platform in the future. I've heard rumors (or maybe it was just wishful thinking) that they may make a mid-size ST bike out of that engine and platform. If they can manage the weight gains, and keep the sporty nature of the triple while adding some good bags, it should be a winner for 1-up ST use.

Drive shafts aren't all that.

 
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The VFR's have always had my attention, especially after putting 87k miles on one. Technically I could "repossess" my old VFR from my brother on grounds of non-payment (runs great with 104k on it) but then he'll go spend thousands (he doesn't have) on another bike.

In my opinion, the VFR800 feels like it has about the same power as the FJR. It is more responsive and the entire powerband is smoother and easier to use; the FJR uses the extra power and torque to move it's heft. I think the FJR's suspension is better than the VFR's but due to less weight, the VFR doesn't suffer much in that regard. No question that the FJR has better wind management and luggage capacity and passenger accommodations.

But the main gripe I have with the VFR's (800 and 1200) are the ergo's. The bars are too low for my wrists and back, even with Helibars. That's why I moved from the VFR to the FJR in the first place. The N1K/FZ1 bars height/distance put about the same pressure on the wrists as the FJR.

I still love hearing that VFR800 with a Micron pipe every time my brother visits.

 
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