I'm Not An Expert, But Do You Agree With This.

[fastersilverfjr]

Wow, someone actually complaining about the low-end torque of the FJR. First time for everything. :haha:

Among extreme advantages magazine reviews discuss comparing the FJR to other bikes, one most notable advantage is the low end grunt. Who does not absolutely love the low end of this baby. :assasin:

I mean come on, you have to keep the R1 and R6 up above 8k just to keep it fun. ???

 

[BrunDog]

This motor is very well tuned to accommodate a good amount of torque both at low and high engine speeds. Look at the torque curves - nearly flat. Most pure sport bikes have no torque down low. Until we see variable valve trains in bikes it will always be that way.

If you are used to a high displacement cruiser, you need to recalibrate your thinking. The FJR's peak torque is at 6500 rpm, likely over the redline of some of those bikes. At this engine speed you will feel the most acceleration.

-BD

 

[Bounce]

I'll add my two cents as well. This bike has great low end/midrange. The Power Commander would do little to help out in the power department. You may get 3HP, and that would be at the power peak. Maybe Yanktar could tell us what the Power Commander did compared to stock at, lets say 3500 RPM.

Does this help?

I did the PCIII for throttle "smoothness" instead of more HP. IMO there's some money better spent on getting the existing OEM HP to the ground better (suspension, tires) before spending money on more HP/torque. But that's IMO.

https://www.bikes-n-spikes.org/maint/dyno/dyno.html

 

[ionbeam]

My Honda VF1100 pulled way stronger than the FJR from 2.5k to 4.5k RPM. The trade for the Honda was a hole in the power band from 4.5k to 6K. The Honda effectively had two power bands.

My V-Max pulled way stronger than FJR and marginally better than the Honda from 3k to 5k RPM. Mad Max makes power both down low and at the upper ends due to the V-Boost system. The reason is a :graduate: topic.

It is the nature of a 4 valve engine to have less power at low RPM and make really good top end power. Two valve engines have an advantage at lower RPMs but can't make really good power over 5k RPM without major intake/valve/cam work. But, that is done at the expense of low end power.

The work-around for 4 valve engines is a lower ratio rear drive and a 6 speed gear box with aggressive lower gear ratios and steeper upper gears (please, try refrain from a 5 vs 6 speed gear box response to this statement :lol: )

I was pretty disappointed with Feejers low RPM performance but the PCIII accelerator pump feature has helped a lot. I know many people found little or no change with the AP except for increased gas consumption but it is working for me.

Alan

 

[spine60]

Sorry to cause such a heated discussion, I guess that I actually am used to a Harley and a goldwing 1800. With these bikes it doesn't matter what gear you are in, just twist the throttle and go. Obviously the feejer when in the right gear hauls ass, but if not in the absolute correct gear it bogs.

 

[ionbeam]

if not in the absolute correct gear it bogs

No bog for sure, just no SNAP until >4k RPM.

Alan

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Sorry to cause such a heated discussion, I guess that I actually am used to a Harley and a goldwing 1800. With these bikes it doesn't matter what gear you are in, just twist the throttle and go. Obviously the feejer when in the right gear hauls ass, but if not in the absolute correct gear it bogs.

Thank you for causing such a heated discussion...that's what this place is for! We dig in and get to chime in with the thought that people will dig what we say (we are usually wrong I bet)...however, with Harley and GL1800's, low end torque is the name of the game right? So I suppose what you say makes sense. I haven't taken a ride on a goldwing since about 1985 so I know nothing about that. It seems that some Harleys with various upgrades, can really move. I think the power you'll find in the right gear of the FJR will make both your usual bikes seem very slow.

 

[Bounce]

I guess that I actually am used to a Harley and a goldwing 1800. With these bikes it doesn't matter what gear you are in, just twist the throttle and go. Obviously the feejer when in the right gear hauls ass, but if not in the absolute correct gear it bogs.

Perception is reality in the 21st century.

I consistently smoked friends riding GL1800s off the line and on rolling take offs (at interstate and other speeds). There may be the perception of power but the Power-to-Weight ratios give the nod to the FJR across the board. In fact, even when keeping the 2003 under 4k rpms I pulled away from the GL1800 (standing start) and later found he was banging off his rev limiter.

 

[spine60]

I agree with you, just as long as you are in the exact correct gear and the revs are up.

 

[radman]

In fact, even when keeping the 2003 under 4k rpms I pulled away from the GL1800 (standing start) and later found he was banging off his rev limiter.

Read a little more thoroughly spine.

 

[spine60]

You have to understand Radman, I have both of these bikes in my garage and see things slightly differently then has been written. No hard feelings, just a different opinion.

 

[radman]

A big part of it is state of tune. HD's and Wingabagos are loafer motors, look what happened with the Venture motor in the V-max. A loafer might feel better in the lower rpm ranges, but it doesn't mean it's producing more oomph in the process, hence bounces experience. I regularly cruise Frank at 1500 r's when loafing 'round town with no problems. He will not reply with joy should I grab a fistfull of throttle, but a skillfull hand will get response, smoothly and powerfully. At least that is my experience. Don't crack the gas at low r's and it will work.

 

[FJRottie]

as long as you are in the exact correct gear and the revs are up

I don't take offense to what your saying and welcome your views but are you saying the FJR doesn't have as much torque or get-up than a harley or GL1800 ?

Or are you saying gear against gear the FJR is boggy compared to those bikes ?

I have ridden harleys and gear against gear, they lose.

The FJR does need some RPM, but that is how you ride a bike.

My FJR does not bog (because anyone in their right mind will downshift to use power) and has never lost to a harley or a wing.

Like radman said, roll on the gas at lower RPMs

My .02 cents.

 

[spine60]

I really think we are all saying the same thing. My point was not that the other bikes would win in a race, it simply was try and come out of a turn in third gear on the feejer and it won't work. Either the Harley or the wing could easily handle that. When I used to race motocross it was like comparing a 125cc bike to a 250cc bike, on the 250cc it didn't matter nearly as much which gear you were in imidiate power was always there. Not saying the 125cc didn't haul ass and on many tracks was even faster do to better handling. You just had to stay on the pipe or in other words stay in the smaller power band.

 

[BobbyBlue]

Ya got a point spine, I remember climbing hills on my 250 Elsinore with no problem, I tried it on my little brothers 125 and practiced gravity induced cartwheels. I think the ol Feej has plenty of grunt for what it is, but ya gotta downshift of fan the clutch depending on gear. Jest an opinion.

Bobby

 

[exskibum]

Seems to me that what we've proved is that perception of power depends mostly on what bikes you're used to riding. Big V twin or big displacement (a la Wing) is gonna impress you as having serious low end grunt. Liter sport bike is gonna impress you as having less of that, but scary fast when it hits.

I feel like compared to my 6 speed XX, the 5 speed Feejer has a lot of low end grunt (haven't been on a Harley or a Wing in a looooong time), but that by kicking it down and winding it up, the XX will actually hit warp speed. Before I had the Feejer, I thought the XX had more low end grunt than it does and wasn't as fast as it is.

Probably the only ones with well tuned dyno asses are those lucky enough to write for motorcycle mags and get to ride damn near everything. Most of us aren't that lucky (or wealthy enough to have 20 bikes), and so, our butts aren't as finely calibrated or broadly acclimated.

I actually notice another difference more, and that's steering input. The XX has Helibars, but is still a much further forward position than the Feejer, which has the stock bars. After I get off the XX (until yesterday, that's all I'd been on in 2 weeks), it seems like I have no leverage and have to wrestle the bars of the Feejer in fast sweepers, with more appreciable whole body effort. Everything's a compromise, and though I think the Feejer would be more comfortable for long rides with the bars further back and up, I'm not convinced I'll do that, because I don't want to wrestle it even harder to try to make it carve the line I see when I try to take it at the same speed as would be comfortable on the XX. Just the way it is, I guess.

____________________

BTW, Mssr. Blue -- Paraquat??? (from another thread) -- :wacko: :blink:

Some bad shit there! Remember the Tom Paxton song with the line: "from the smell of what you're smoking, you're smoking trash; c'mon over and try some of Uncle Ho's private stash"?

 

[LiquidSilver]

The low end is bigger than any inline-4 I've ever ridden or heard of. The performance above 6000, and checking out at 8000 are where I would wish for more.

A 1930 John Deere tractor could plow a field with 8 horsepower... but it's redline of around 500 was very disappointing when going down the drag strip. :huh:

Simply, if you can't pull the FJR out of a turn in third... you're on a first or second gear curve. IMO, third is good for corners you enter at around 60 mph.

 

[Windjammer]

it simply was try and come out of a turn in third gear on the feejer and it won't work

@Spine60: Dude, I respect your opinion. And this is an interesting thread, so whether I agree with you or not there's been some good discussion here. Having said that, I seriously believe you might have a problem in your bike, and I'm not being sarcastic.

During a recent ride on a somewhat twisty state hwy, a couple of Harley's with the new Big Twin engine pulled in behind me from a side road. I never left 5th gear, just rolled it on coming out of corners. I was keeping a moderate pace, looking to avoid tickets, not racing them or anything like that. I was VERY surprised to see them fade back in my mirrors at the exit of every corner when I rolled the throttle on, since I always thought HD bikes had the best roll on power. I chatted with them at a rest stop up the road a ways. They didn't believe me when I told them I never left top gear.

Last night, with this thread in mind, I ran an errand on the FJR. Coming home I turned onto a freeway on-ramp at about 2000rpm in third gear and cut her loose. The ramp was a gentle uphill, about 100 yards or so long. I was doing about 90 at the top of the ramp, still in third gear. The bike didn't rocket out of the hole, but it seemed to develop speed in a big enough hurry. It definitely did not bog, and if yours is doing this you might want to have it looked at.

If your sure your FJR is working fine, then it just might be a perception thing. Try picking an empty piece of road near your home and find a couple of landmarks to use as start and end points. Try some roll-on contests between your different bikes. You might be surprised by what the bikes actually do compared to "seat of the pants" analysis, which is tough to do no matter how good you are. Even Valentino Rossi uses telemetry to tell him what his bike is doing compared to what he perceives!

 

[Bearly Flying]

Just because the FJR isn't making loud obnoxious noises, doesn't mean it isn't moving.If you compare torque curves the FJ series starts out with more torque than most bikes make at 3000 rpm and it keeps on getting better. In roll on contests the old FJ 1100 was only beaten in third gear by the VMax, in all other gears the FJ won.... The FJR continues on that tradition. Don

 

[Vulcan]

I was riding the other night with a friend who was on a Ninja 900. Every time we would pull out to pass a line of cars he would be downshifting from 6th to 4th or even 3rd gear......I just cranked on some gas and the FJR pulled the Ninja no problem. That is the reason I bought the FJR over other bikes....Just not interested in a peaky top end motor.