Finally Rode an FJR, but didn't love it

[uzirider]

Last bike i had before the switch to an FJR was an R1. Since my local track closed down, cheap and easy track days are gone. I found the 45 minute highway slab ride to the mountains twisties was to much pain and suffering to enjoy. I was going to look at FZ1's for a more up right riding position. Sitting on one in the dealership gave me 2 impressions. The bar reach felt comparable to a FJR. The seat to footpeg distance made me think i was still on an R1 and me knees would be aching in no time. So i went on a search for a new ride. ZX-14, FJR or Ducati. Each has there own niche. ZX-14 is stupid fast like an R1 but a little more relaxed position. FJR, this is comfortable but the bike in the showroom felt too damn big to me. Ducati, love the way they sound i always have. The higher cost and added maintanence of the valve train i just decided against it. But i may get a used 748.

So i purchased an FJR. Out on the road i feel the bike loses its big feel and handles great for its girth and weight. I enjoy riding more because im actually comfortable. When i get behind a car in the twisties,I dont even care now. I used to feel some what possessed on the R1 cause i just hated riding that slow when sitting there in pain. So like every one else stated get what you like. The SV is supposed to be a great bike. i see a lot of them at the track and in the mountains touring. You actuallly might be riding your perfect bike.

I am curious you said the exhaust note was uninspiring. That can be changed with some slipons. But some poeple dont like the sound of inline 4's. Even with a full exhaust. I myself love the sound of a Ducati(vtwin). Since your riding a v twin, it maybe the inspiring sound your after.

Checkout a ZX-14, FZ1 or one of the Ducati varieties of supersport. But i think your SV was Bike of the Year by many magazines because its a great bike.

 

[HaulinAshe]

As already stated, tires and suspension change everything. You really need a test ride on a new (Gen-II) bike with good tires and fresh suspension set to "stock".

If that fails, there has to be somebody to buy what Honda makes. Maybe that's you. You will always be welcomed to ride in my group anytime, even on a Honda.



I like the suggestion to try the FZ1 as well. I'm afraid to own one. Sorta like owning a really hot blonde with her own red Corvette. Too much liability, too much temptation, too damn old!

 

[Evil Monkey]

There is nothing wrong with you, the Blackbird is a great bike. However, I would recommend that you consider what type of riding you intend to do before giving up on an FJR. Blackbirds are sport bikes with a lot of versatility. They are great for short to medium distance rides and sport riding, but they are not that great for long distance riding. I will admit that I have a friend that did an Iron Butt on a Blackbird. Although some think it is a sport touring bike, I will tell you that he will NEVER do that again. He was hurting pretty bad after that ride. If you want a sport bike that that can go longer distances than a typical crotch rocket, then the Blackbird and VFR are great options. However, if you are looking for a more comfortable bike that you can tour with but still want to keep much of that sporty ride, then I would recommend the FJR or ST. JMO.

 

[daviddowns2000]

What I found (at least on this particular '03) was that it felt like the handlebars were fighting me back at in low speed turns (neighborhood speed) and an exhaust note that was extremely unsatisfying. In the 45-50mph curving roads, it was nice, but still felt big to me. On the highway, it felt fantastic and would be even better with a slightly taller windscreen.

I think you got a pretty reasonable impression, especially with the SV as a frame of reference. I have a couple of SV650's...I love 'em and they are great for short commutes, playing in traffic, and apex strafing. I have even done a few 300+ mile days on the SV but I was very happy when they were over and definitely wouldn't want to make a habit of it. On the other hand, the FJR is a joy to ride 300-700 mile days; when you get there, it handles pretty well in the twisties...but it isn't going to be flickable like an SV no matter what you do with the suspension.

If you want a broadly-powerful, fast, good-looking shaftie with excellent hard luggage that handles nimbly at speed on slab and even corners nicely for a comfortable, long-distance touring bike, is easy to maintain and doesn't cost as much as a house, the FJR is a good choice. Compare it to the ST1300, the Beemers, and the new Concours 14 when it arrives. If the shaft isn't important to you there are a lot more options, but no bike is perfect for everything. Good luck, hope you find the right one.

 

[Captain B]

Consider all of the above - and FWIW: I researched a new bike for two years. Needed storage for commuting, weight and comfort for touring, and sport and power for the twisties. In the end I had it narrowed down to FJR, Triumph Sprint, and BMW RT. Had pretty much settled on the Sprint (same dealer I had used in the past - known entity, good reviews, etc.). I was concerned that it might not be heavy enough. Had trouble getting the BMW folks to make me feel comfortable on seat height plus would have had to use a dealer far, far away. I had been to the local Yamaha shop about 6 months ago, before Yamaha changed the $500 deposit rule, and before the 07 AE was available. On a whim, the day before I was going to go test ride the RT (come on down you can ride it as much as you like) I called the Yamaha folks. "Just got an AE in. It's sitting on the floor; don't expect it to be here long." Well, I knew that was a sales pitch, but also knew it ws probably true. FJRs don't sit around very long. (These guys sold 4 in 2 weeks - probably used up their quota), Anyway, I digress. I had all the same questions: is this the right bike? am I stupid for paying this much for a bike I haven't even ridden? how does the YCCS work? is it too heavy? etc, etc, etc? Well, this is one of those classic shops that won't let you test ride - whole other discussion. The sales guy knew very little about the bike, but the parts guy and the maintenance manager were pretty knowledgable - they basically took over from the sales guy (thankfully). When I got to the point of "OK but I need to try it out before I buy it", the business manager stepped in. He said, let's fill out all the paperwork, do the credit check, but you don't sign anything yet. Once we have all the paperwork filled out, you can take it for a ride. Yes, I understood the psychology of this move, but I also knew that if I didn't sign anything I could walk away. My conscience would bother me, but not my pocketbook. My one request was that before I rode it I wanted the maintenance manger to ride it first. Since it was just put together, and this was the first 07 they had gotten it seemed like a plausible scenario. In the short time I had been around this guy I had a very good feeling about his honesty and knowledge. So, now that I have beaten around the bush - here's the punch line. Filled out the paperwork (no signature), maintenance manager took it for a ride and pronounced it solid (he had a big grin on his face when he came back). My turn - 5 miles later after some traffic and minor hills and turns I too returned to the shop with a big grin on my face. "Where do I sign?" All of which is to say that all my misgivings disappeared during the test ride. Best decision I ever made. Yes, it is true as someone said above - it is a platform of compromises. But, what a platform! Good luck, and hope to see you on your new FJR soon.

 

[jr944]

Wow! Can't thank you all enough for the well-thought-out resonses.

The SV is great fun for local rides and errands requiring VERY little carrying capacity. Went for a pretty spirited ride yesterday with 4 other guys (ST1100, Blackbird, Hayabusa, CBR900) and only fell back due to conservatism, not inadequate hardware. At 140 miles with 2 short stops, I felt like another 40-50 would have been ok. I'd like a bike that's big/comfortable enough to do a 550 mile day with room for a few days worth of "stuff".

BigSky and Flyguy are probably on the right track. The bike I rode had something over 20k and while the tires were not worn out, they certainly were worn. (Michellin Pilot Roads) The owner had the rear suspension lever set to the stiffer setting as he thought it was "WAY too soft" on the other setting. (Should have picked up that clue of a worn shock, but didn't!)

The search is now on for a GOOD '06-07 to test ride. (Anyone in St. Louis available/willing? I'll sign something stating that I will fully repair or replace if damaged, will leave sizable deposit, etc, etc)

Uzirider... Where are you in Denver? I'm pretty bummed about the closing of SC too as we're in the process of selling our house in STL for a move to Denver. Do you have any hope that the new track East of town will actually happen?

I'm going to start some research on the other bikes mentioned too.

Thanks again for all the help and comments. This forum alone is a pretty strong argument in favor of the FJR.

Joe

 

[exskibum]

The bike I rode had something over 20k and while the tires were not worn out, they certainly were worn. (Michellin Pilot Roads) The owner had the rear suspension lever set to the stiffer setting as he thought it was "WAY too soft" on the other setting. (Should have picked up that clue of a worn shock, but didn't!)

IMO, the OEM shock on the FJR is not much to write home about, even on the hard setting. I thought the rear wallowed in corners when pushed, even when nearly new, and the upgrade to a Wilbers rear shock and stiffer springs in the front (under $1000 in a group buy) made a large difference. (For reference, I've been somewhere between 180 and 195 lbs the whole time I've owned my FJR.) I really dumped some money into the Blackbird's suspension (had a '97 before my current '03), since OEM suspension is the weakest link in that bike. Traxxion AK-20 up front and a Penski in the rear for a Group Buy price of around $2,000 really made a big difference in it.

Just a note, however, about the XX and long distance riding. Warchild here did over 1800 miles in 24 hours on his '00 XX a year or two ago. Masochist bastard who also doubles as the group buy Satan tempting us on both XXs and FJRs.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Man, you're talking about going from a really straight-forward bike with LOTS of personality, to one that is a great jack of all trades in a totally different way. One's a great apple and the other a great orange.

I came to the FJR from a Ducati ST2 and while I love the Yam, I ALWAYS knew what the Duck was doing. The Yam has a great engine and shaft for comuting and touring, plus a lot of extra weight, while the Duck had a frame that just became an extension of me and I NEVER wondered what the front end was doing. The SV is a lot like the Duck in many ways. Whichever is right for you, it really is an eye of the beholder issue and you have to go with the gut or regret it for a long time.

Bob

 

[Randy]

BigSky and Flyguy are probably on the right track. The bike I rode had something over 20k and while the tires were not worn out, they certainly were worn. (Michellin Pilot Roads) The owner had the rear suspension lever set to the stiffer setting as he thought it was "WAY too soft" on the other setting. (Should have picked up that clue of a worn shock, but didn't!)

Joe,

Not only did I not like the PRs on my FJR, when they got beyond halfway worn, I found them to be all but unrideable. But, that doesn't do anything about the noise/sound issue you mentioned.

Best of luck with your search.

 

[PACKRIDER]

I went from an FZ1 to the 06 FJR. My first ride was worrying. It was stiff and hard to control. With a little time searching these forums I found enough info to change all my concerns to a very comfortable bike. I may go for the rear shock change, but that may be later. It handles well and I've had it low enough to touch the pegs and it felt great and well within control. It's all about what makes you comfortable. Mine had a Russel day long seat on it that drove me crazy. A quick swap with a member on this forum and I now have a gel seat that I love. Good luck.

 

[Dickf]

Perhaps I should comment. Some years back I traded a perfectly good CBR1000F in for an 1100XX. Big mistake, but then I was about 60 years old and the more aggressive riding position and stiff suspension of the XX got to me. Also, seems the Blackbird wanted to go fast, so I accommodated it. That worked right up until I hit some loose gravel..., so I sold off the wrecked 11000XX and bought back the 1000F. Then, I bought an '06 FJR1300AE and now have both. I like them both, for different reasons. The 1000F could use a second balance shaft, hard bags, and more low end power. The FJR could use less weight, a lower (and narrower) saddle, and more agility. Dream on...

Life, motorcycles, and engineering are a continuing compromise. We are jsut lucky we have so many good and affordable choices.

Dick Frederick

 

[Shadow]

B) -->

QUOTE(Captain B @ May 22 2007, 05:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The easy answer is there are enough differences between the '03 and the '07 that might answer many of your particular issues
Spot on, the longer swing arm makes handling a lot better.

Comparing an 03 to an 07 is like comparing chalk & cheese.

 

[Duezzer]

I bought mine without benefit of a test ride. On the first ride, for a few moment, I thought perhaps I had made a mistake also

I also waited till the 2nd gerneration came out

If you get a chance take an 06/07 for a rip I really prefered it to the earlier models

Getting the suspension set up is a must

The first impression was damm this thing is big I don't know if I like it

After a while the "Love" came and now we are inseperable

I love this bike

 

[madmike2]

FJRs do tend to react big time to suspension set ups. Riding an FJR can be very different from one bike to another. TwoWheelNut rode mine on Saturday and he found the front end to feel very light and skittish. He felt more weight should be on the forks. Maybe I have the ride height too low in the back, but I never had a problem with it...I suppose if I had a pro set-up my suspension, I might be in shock...

You let a known CRASHER ride your bike?? And HE was complaining about YOUR set up?!?!?!? :blink:

:rofl: Youse guys is tew funnie!

jr944, as the others have suggested, buy the bike that makes your heart go "bumpity-bump". For me its the FJR. It only matters that you are smiling at the end of the day and ready to ride again tomorrow.

 

[boardsNbikes]

I've got a 03 SVS and a 05 FJR. Frankly, despite the SVS' reputation, I thought the front end was very vague, even compared to the FJR. I weigh ~225 lbs so that might have been an issue. New front springs and oil resolved most of the front end handling of the SVS. The Fjr felt more stable although it certainly required more input to initiate a turn.

As others have said, I think your FJR experience might have been a combination of trying a less than tuned FJR against a very familiar SVS--one that riding habit and style may have compensated for the SVS' shortcoming.

Both are great bikes but to me they're completely different and require different riding styles.

 

[feliz]

We all have different desires and expectations of what we want in a bike. The FJR probably isn't for you.

In my case, I had never even considered an ST bike let alone an FJR till I dropped into my local Yammy dealer one day and was talked into a test ride. I took the ride under duress but after 45 minutes I went back and bought one, I had never thought a bike this size could be so nimble in the parking lot, handle so well in the twisties, go so fast so quick and feel safe doing it. Mine's been great and all I've changed is the screen.

 

[zorkler]

i purchased the 05 without a test ride 99 percent of my info came from this forum ( THANKS TO ALL) picked it and said what a waste of $11,500 . my wrists were killing me the wind noise was killing me and the back pressure with the sheild up sucked . now what . new sheild , risers , twiked the suspension . set of pilot roads and i now love it .

 

[Bounce]

What I expected with the FJR was a much bigger, but still sporty feeling ride.
In the 45-50mph curving roads, it was nice, but still felt big to me.

you want a bigger bike but don't like that bigger bikes feel bigger? mass is mass. you can't ignore physics.

 

[dcarver]

FJRs do tend to react big time to suspension set ups. Riding an FJR can be very different from one bike to another. TwoWheelNut rode mine on Saturday and he found the front end to feel very light and skittish. He felt more weight should be on the forks. Maybe I have the ride height too low in the back, but I never had a problem with it...I suppose if I had a pro set-up my suspension, I might be in shock...

Nah, it's because you are skinny and TWN, is, uh, well,...

 

[designeraccd]

I've had 78 bikes so far including an '03 FJR and my significantly improved '06. On the '03 I fiddled with all the suspension settings for almost a month before I was reasonably satisfied. My '06 is as she came to me and much improved for both ride and handling from the '03; for my "spirited" riding (when I can), no need to change anything. My '06 has Metzlers and the '03 had Bridgestones (as did my '04 ST 1300) and I prefer the BS.

If you are used to only one bike the FJR will probably not overwhelm you with one ride....way to different from the lil SV you are used to. The more I ride my '06 the more satisfied I am with her; for me she is the closest thing to a "perfect" streetbike I've had yet.

As far as exhaust note...she's just quiet, if I want a deep rumble my LS1 Corvette does fine, but for really rapid burning of miles the FJR is simply gr8! If you decide an FJR is for you you will be happy, if not something else with 2 wheels will work for you. Enjoy....DFO