FJR not what is cracked up to be

[huron52]

My suggestion is to find another FJR owner in your area and swap bikes to see if it the bike it self.

It could a lemon.... Just the bike itself not the model.

I have over 114,000kms on mine and I enjoy it very much. I can't run avon tires because the wobble but the pilot roads are good.

 

[ponyfool]

I don't doubt anything you say about your bike. Maybe you just got a bad bike. Maybe your dealer set it up wrong. Maybe, maybe, maybe. And there is nothing to say that your opinion about the FJR is wrong as it relates to you. However, you really do need to concede the fact that there aren't thousands of others out there with similarly bad bikes that are simply lying about them in hopes others will buy them. We really are, as a whole, very happy with them.

In other words, have you considered the fact that it is just your bike? It's been known to happen with every manufacturer of pretty much every product. So no, it is not a Yamaha thing as you suggest.

 

[dcarver]

Ahhh, come on folks, give the guy a break.

The FJR, and most sport tourers, DO wobble at 40 - 50 mph.

He hasn't found the 'Master Yoda' rider position.

He hasn't found the $800 'seat' yet.

He hasn't tried Z6's, Stradas, Roads, Powers, Avon's, or Me880's yet

He hasn't yet experienced Doug Hines risers, RD group buys, aux fuel tanks, HID lights, or even Grip Puppies.

..did I mention aux fuel tanks, graphics, top boxes, Audio Vox cruise controls, Penske shocks, and chrome rims?

...he thought this bike, straight from the factory, at 1/3rd the cost (*approx*) to competitors equipment, was going to be the DO-ALL, BE-ALL bike, which it is not.

Don't take offense gents, he's just blowing off steam in a 'I Love My FJR' environment.

Not every bike is made for every rider, but I think this guy will stay in the fold. IMHO, of course.

Maybe he needs BlackBird? (hey, notice the double smilies, OK?)

 

[FjrVfr]

Wow, look at all the posts in the last 5 minutes!

Heet,

Wish I'd known you were there while I was visiting Mom (in Newark), we could have gone for a ride and compared notes. There are things I'm not crazy about on my '06 but many other things I really like. You may indeed have a lemon but I agree with SkooterG's point that if it's buggin' you more than it's pleasing you then pitch it.

If you decide to work on it further the Forum can be a great resource. We come across a bit ornery at times but I promise it's just good natured kidding. Sometimes that doesn't come through in plain text.

If you decide to punt and go for a C-14 or a Beemer, we'd still love to hear how it went. It'll be a good chance to gloat. Now that I see it, huron52 has the best idea.

Best of luck with it.

FjrVfr

 

[cpsfjr]

Ahhh, come on folks, give the guy a break.The FJR, and most sport tourers, DO wobble at 40 - 50 mph.

He hasn't found the 'Master Yoda' rider position.

He hasn't found the $800 'seat' yet.

He hasn't tried Z6's, Stradas, Roads, Powers, Avon's, or Me880's yet

He hasn't yet experienced Doug Hines risers, RD group buys, aux fuel tanks, HID lights, or even Grip Puppies.

..did I mention aux fuel tanks, graphics, top boxes, Audio Vox cruise controls, Penske shocks, and chrome rims?

...he thought this bike, straight from the factory, at 1/3rd the cost (*approx*) to competitors equipment, was going to be the DO-ALL, BE-ALL bike, which it is not.

Don't take offense gents, he's just blowing off steam in a 'I Love My FJR' environment.

Not every bike is made for every rider, but I think this guy will stay in the fold. IMHO, of course.

Maybe he needs BlackBird? (hey, notice the double smilies, OK?)

Huh??? :blink:

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

darn scotch induced double posts

 

[wfooshee]

What is amazing about this forum is the first time anyone says anyting negative about the all mighty FJR, they get ridiculed. I am not whining; I am looking for hopefully answers to my concerns and to see if others have had the same issues and how they may have corrected them.
I am not saying anything about your mother I am stating facts about the issues I have with the FJR I purchased.

Well, odot beat me to it, but your first post had not a single word about looking for help, or is this normal, or what do I do.

You were all about what a horrible experience the bike has been, and you hope you can find some sucker to unload it on.

If you've looked around here at all, you KNOW the situation is not normal, nor would any of us consider it acceptable, either. We're with you on this.

If the dealer says it's normal, see another dealer. Ride another FJR. Have that owner ride yours.

And don't be afraid to call Yamaha. I didn't see where you are, but it's not uncommon for many dealers on seeing one of these in their service department to remark that it's the first they've seen. How good does THAT make you feel? OK, there's not a lot of them needing to be worked on, but this guy's never been in one before. . . . .

Edit: DANG!!! 4 posts while I was typing!!! My post is obsolete by the time I finish it!

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

I have heard of an '06 that had a frame that was incorrectly manufactured and was out of square. Made for an interesting ride to say the least. Who knows...ride another 06 and see if it feels the same.

If it doesn't, then you know 2 things: something is up, and you need to find a different maintenance department.

The vibration issue is pretty common with bikes and I have two things to say about that:

1) get tacki grips

2) get used to it...sometimes it takes time. Step one made it so I didn't have to do step two. $12 fix.

your displeasure seems out of proportion for the problems you are mentioning. Different tire brands have caused the same wobble as you experienced: Bridgestong 020's and Avon Azaros.

If you have the new Avon Storm on or the new Bridgestone 021 then I'll believe that something may really be wrong.

BTW tell us what tire pressures you are running along with the tire brand and line

 

[Big Sky]

Quote: "I can't run avon tires because the wobble but the pilot roads are good."

Funny, on mine, the Avons are the best but I can't run Pilot Roads cause they may it steer like a truck. I guess they're (or we're) all a little different.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Look directly to the left of this statement.

What is amazing about this forum is the first time anyone says anyting negative about the all mighty FJR, they get ridiculed. I am not whining; I am looking for hopefully answers to my concerns and to see if others have had the same issues and how they may have corrected them.

I am not saying anything about your mother I am stating facts about the issues I have with the FJR I purchased.

Read your first post. I'm surprised how many people are being cool with you and giving you decent advise. Don't slam this forum because a straight shooter calls a spade a spade and then jump to incorrect conclusions about the forum. Or do, then go cry a river at STN like others before you.

 

[twowheelnut]

Heet, dood...

• You had to put in a PCIII? Ever think to try and adjust your input style?
• Vibes in the front end? Ever think to check for an unbalanced wheel or bad tire?
• You have a wobble? Ever think to adjust the suspension?

What amazes me is that being a mass produced item with all that implies, that there can be so many varying opinions on identically designed, equipped and produced machines. Logic dictates that the only common variable, therefore, would be the rider.
You complain, but me thinks, sometimes, the obvious is often overlooked.

Good luck with the sale of your bike. Let us know what you replace it with, k?

 

[Silver Penguin]

Wow - you're one pretty angry guy, by the tone conveyed in your post. I read it twice, to see if it was for real.

FWIW, my '03 is pretty much stock apart from the heli-bar risers and kouba lowers. If I take both hands off the bars at certain speeds, the bike will develop a severe wobble. I've no idea how severe because a gentle touch on the bars calms the bike. Since I have no valid reason for riding without at least one hand on the bars, the wobble is a non issue for me.

IMHO, every bike has it's unique features and the challenge is to find the one whose pro's outweigh its con's FOR YOU. For me, and many others here, we believe that the quest had ended and we've each found OUR perfect bike. That doesn't mean that it's the right one for you.

I hope you're able to find a bike that meets your needs. When you do, perhaps you'll stop by and let us know what it is about the new bike that makes it right for YOU.

Jill

 

[FJR-Richie]

Ahhh, nuff said - go buy a new beemer with the no more maintenance final drive.

 

[exskibum]

I won't argue with you. But you didn't initially say you were looking for advice or help -- you said you hoped to keep others from buying this POS motorcycle that the FJR is in your opinion. I gotta wonder what you expected to reap here, and by extension, maybe what you expected from the bike. As should be apparent from the fact that this is an FJR forum, chances are that you're going to run into a disproportionate number of folks here who don't share your views of the FJR.

On the topic of your POS, though, it seems to me everyone else has covered most of the issues, and that it's entirely possible that you either got a lemon, it's very badly set up, or that the FJR just isn't the bike for you. Either way, you're in luck -- we live in the golden age of motorcycles (unlike when I was young and rode a BSA 650 Thunderbolt), and with the selection of truly great bikes out there, chances are that you can find something that really does work for you (though it is probably not an FJR).

I've been riding since I was 13, too (42 years now), and have had a bike or two more than you. Honestly, I have never had a better bike that was better suited to me than the FJR. From my signature, you can see I now have three different bikes, . . . but if I had to have only one, it'd by my '05 FJR. Never a moment's problem, unless you call the shimmy that existed during the last 500 miles of life of the cupped front OEM Bridgestone BT020 such a problem. Solved that easily enough. And yeah, as DCarver points out, the OEM seat sucks, as do most OEM seats (only a little more). My ego isn't tied up in what bike(s) I own, and I don't give two shits whether you or anyone else thinks the same of the FJR as I do, except that I'd hate to have a fellow rider's experience with this bike keep him from enjoying the 2 wheel experience we all have in common.

Consider doing as SkooterG suggests (since it sounds like the only thing that will work now that you have such a bad taste in your mouth): get rid of the POS and buy something you like better. Sorry you don't like yours as well as I like mine, but the solution seems pretty simple.

 

[double_entendre]

I have been riding motorcycles on and off since I was thirteen; I have owned 6 bikes; and the one I dislike the most is the FJR.
I bought my FJR after reading numerous articles stating that this was the greatest sport touring bike on the market. Well I am really disappointed with the bike so far. I have had to put on a power commander to compensate for the lack of fuel in the low rpm's. I have had a vibration in the front end since I bought the bike; so I put bar end weights to see if that would help. Now I have a front end wobble; while decelerating from 50 mph the front end wobbles so bad that if I didn't stop it the handle bars would hit the tank. I replaced the tires since I have 6k on the bike, thought that would do it; nope wobble is still there; had the dealer take off the tire and insure

Modest rant: "ENSURE!!!!" Ensure, ensure, ensure!!!!

Sorry. Every now & then I get pedantic and I've seen it a few times in this thread. If you're not talking about insurance, you quite likely mean "ensure." C'mon. You got "ridiculed" right, figure out ensure.

ANYWAY, having calmed down, what you're experiencing is not normal. I've got an '05 and love it. The only thing that's annoying is the heat off of the engine and/or gas tank and that's endemic to FJR's as well as many other high performance, fully-faired bikes. There's a few who don't have the problem which leads me to think that it's a function of how sensitive one is. I've been thinking about buying a fuel cooler and seeing if I can install it on the return line from the fuel injectors.

Which might be, in a sense, your solution. Take it on as a challenge and try to solve it. Don't necessarily trust the dealership. While there are some good ones around, it seems that most of those on the Forum are unimpressed with those near them. FWIW, in contrast to another post, I have no wobble issues from 50 to 40 or anywhere else. Well, except for that bit of excess of tortilla chips, salsa, and cerveza around my waistline. As I travel from 40 to 50, I seem to be wobbling more. :lol:

Oh yeah, and just to take a friendly poke a Jill, the FJR ain't perfect, it just suits what I need right now. But as I can't afford a Wing, FJR, RSV1000, RG500 Gamma, and R1100GS, well, the FJR is gonna have to do.

Rancho

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

Sorry to hear about your displeasure with the Feej man. I have owned mine for a little over 4 months now and have just over 6K miles on it. I love this bike, it has none of the issues you described and has been and I expect will be my bike until I run it to death. If you paid as much for your bike as I know you did, you should be contacting Yama Mama directly and discussing your frustration with them. They are the only ones that can make the bike right. But if you choose to sell and move on, please don't badmouth the bike based on your experience until you have atleast taken some of the other advice from members of this forum and riden another to see if the problem exists elsewhere...

 

[germany]

Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but shouldn't he also put the bike on the center stand, weight the back end so that the front tire rises above the ground and then grab the forks and see if they wiggle back-and-forth, to-and-fro, or side-to-side?

I'm pretty sure I read something to that affect as advice to someone else with a similar issue. It's late and I'm too lazy to search for it.

 

[burnergold2B]

Aw shit, I don't have it in me 2night. Abita TurboDog rocks!! :yahoo:

 

[bramfrank]

1. While it is true that nost heavy bikes can develop a wobbble during deccel between 50 and 35 mph if things aren't right, I don't recall ever hearing that Feejers with original stock rubber do it unless ther wheel is out of true. Then again it can also be related to tire pressure (are you running an ACCURATE tire gauge? Have you set the pressure to 39/42?

Question: Did they fit Avon tires? Those seem much more prone to deccel wobble than most others. I run Pirelli Stradas

Now, you can kill a rim on a hard bump, so don't go blaming the bike for that one quite yet. How are your steering head bearings adjusted? Your dealer ought to be able to help you.

2. You didn't like the low RPM power? You came from a V-Twin, no Those things make lots of power at low RPMs. Inline 4s have to be revved

Don't try a C14. Some people complain about the throttle pulley setup on the '06. Some people actually do something about it. Fred Harmon posted extensively on his efforts to reduce the throttle effort and to eliminate the progressive cam arrangement, which is designed to give you more control at low throttle settings. I guess enough people complained about it because a revised arrangement is one of the features of the '08 model.

However nothing stops you from retrifitting the cam from an '05.

3. Front end vibes? Or just vibes in general? Front end vibes can't come from anything other than the front wheel alignment, balance or bearings. Not much to eliminate. The bike in general can develop vibes through the power train - mine has minor vibe issues above about 115 mph.

An accurate Throttle Body Sync can't hurt, but the primary plates in the throttle bodies can also be somehow out of line - that isn;t quite as simple to do.

4. If you are still unhappy, I'll take it for $1500 - is this Ebay?

 

[v65]

Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but shouldn't he also put the bike on the center stand, weight the back end so that the front tire rises above the ground and then grab the forks and see if they wiggle back-and-forth, to-and-fro, or side-to-side?

That's the first thing I would check, mostly because it sounds to me from the tone of the initial post that it never has been.

I'll take it for $1500

When you get it will you take $50 for the pcIII? My bike runs fine, but I have had my eye on a set of Dale Walker headers.