More FJRs going down?

[XLR8]

That wouldn't be true of the Pacific Coast group . . those guys rode all over the place, with nary a story of a get-off.

I've ridden with and ridden PCs (others for short distances). I understand why they don't get in over their head. It's hard to on a heavy, under powered lump like that.

IMO a lot of the times you hear about an FJR being thrown down the street (as opposed to parking lot drops) is because it temps a rider to ride it like a sport bike when it's not. It has the ability to move outside of it (or the rider's) envelope mose ricky tick. IOW: OE

Not all, mind you, but a significant minority/majority of cases: OE.

Bingo!

 

[MsLilly]

I dropped my bike coming out of a parking space at my work..it's a tight turn and I was at an odd angle..going slow, probably too slow..and I have short legs. First time in 25 years I threw a bike down and I hate admitting it. I'm riding the '06 model and find I'm having more trouble with it than I did the '05 I owned. I'm sure some people haven't experienced any difference in the bike but I have. Not that I don't like the '06. I read on the forum that the kickstand doesn't always stay locked in place. My husband's Busa had the same problem and it threw itself on the ground one day in front of him! He couldn't believe his eyes! He ground down "something" down (I'm such a woman sometimes!) and doesn't have any trouble now. SO, thanks to information on the forum, he is going to make sure my FJR doesn't thrash around on the ground again...I hope!

 

[Rickster]

just get this:

Not sure if avail for FJR, but certainly fits well on the BMW

 

[bmwhd]

Cracks me up when people call this bike "top heavy" and "unwieldy at a stop".

Ween yourself on a K1200LT and any other bike seems like a bicycle at slow speed. I find the FJR to be extremely easy to control at slow speed and no problem at a stop even on steep grades or off angle stop signs. It's a puny lightweight compared to the 1/2 ton elephant I'm used to.

 

[Mogambo]

Cracks me up when people call this bike "top heavy" and "unwieldy at a stop".
Ween yourself on a K1200LT and any other bike seems like a bicycle at slow speed. I find the FJR to be extremely easy to control at slow speed and no problem at a stop even on steep grades or off angle stop signs. It's a puny lightweight compared to the 1/2 ton elephant I'm used to.

Concur. I find this bike personally, to be very compliant, stable and manageable at very slow speeds. When I was prepping my brother-in-law for taking the MSF course, I had demonstrated the "figure eight in the box" maneuver and he couldn't believe how easily a relatively large bike moved around in such a small space.

 

[HaulinAshe]

I think its cause a bunch of old farts ride these things.
Flame away, I'm a ripe old 28 now.

Ohhhhh, I got 46 years of gasoline for that one! :angry2:

You have about four more years to go before your sense of mortality sets in. So I'll do what us old farts do and just wait four years and then spank your ass on the track.

Bring it (in four years) punk!

(In case you can't figure it out, us old farts bank on you not taking us up on the challenge in four years because you have a fat mortgage and a few kids to occupy your time.)

Seriously, ride safe dude!

Forgot to add...

My FJR is not unwieldy at slow speeds. It is statically challenged.

 

[James Burleigh]

[Concur. I find this bike personally, to be very compliant, stable and manageable at very slow speeds. When I was prepping my brother-in-law for taking the MSF course, I had demonstrated the "figure eight in the box" maneuver and he couldn't believe how easily a relatively large bike moved around in such a small space.

To be fair to yourself, that's not about the bike, that's about your understanding of the technique used to U-turn a bike at slow speed. In a recent Experience Rider Course I took on my FJR, the instructor mentioned another instructor who could spin his Harley bagger in tight circles scraping the pipes (musta been old pipes ).

And I'm pleased to say I was the only one in the class who could continue to do the figure 8's within the lines of the box even in its last and tightest configuration. It's about transferring your body weight properly.

But what we all agreed was, sure it's good to know how to control your bike in all cericumstances, and it's good to practice it in class, but out there in the World we'll all still continue to paddle-walk our bikes when a tight turn is needed.

JB

 

[Mogambo]

[Concur. I find this bike personally, to be very compliant, stable and manageable at very slow speeds. When I was prepping my brother-in-law for taking the MSF course, I had demonstrated the "figure eight in the box" maneuver and he couldn't believe how easily a relatively large bike moved around in such a small space.

To be fair to yourself, that's not about the bike, that's about your understanding of the technique used to U-turn a bike at slow speed. In a recent Experience Rider Course I took on my FJR, the instructor mentioned another instructor who could spin his Harley bagger in tight circles scraping the pipes (musta been old pipes ).

And I'm pleased to say I was the only one in the class who could continue to do the figure 8's within the lines of the box even in its last and tightest configuration. It's about transferring your body weight properly.

But what we all agreed was, sure it's good to know how to control your bike in all cericumstances, and it's good to practice it in class, but out there in the World we'll all still continue to paddle-walk our bikes when a tight turn is needed.

JB

Or as my first instructor told me..... "Shift the weight and trust your eyes." How true. Your eyes will take you to where you want to be....or..don't want to be.

 

[tulane76]

Top heavy? Well, kinda...I guess it's all relative

However, I was just thinking the other day that my 05 is far better than the 95 Speed Triple I had. Now there was a seriously top heavy bike. :dribble:

 

[SkooterG]

Cracks me up when people call this bike "top heavy" and "unwieldy at a stop".

I am with ya on this one. I guess it's a relative thing and depends on what you are coming from. Compared to my old Connie, the FJR is not top heavy at all and is a dream in slow speed parking lot maneuvers. I dropped my Connie many times at parking lot speed or moving it around off the bike. I have never dropped my FJR like that.

Just don't ask me about off road riding...................

 

[Last Chance]

Well, I must admit I am frustrated. I've ridden since I was 14 (now 60). My other bike, currently, is a VTX1800C.. Must weigh over 800 lbs. I've never dropped it. I've come close, but the floor board supports have always come to the rescue.

Well, in the first 6 weeks of owning the FJR, and after almost 3000 miles I have dropped the FJR over 3 times! Once, trying to put the center stand down while astride the bike in my driveway. My own fault completely.

The other two times are the one's that concern me. Both times, starting up from a stop and making a turn while applying throttle and releasing clutch. In both instances, I was releasing the clutch slowly while trying to apply gradual throttle to make a sedate, smooth departure. Wrong. Several times I've noticed at stop signs that "taking off" like that frequently results in my 2006 "coughing/burping/backfiring" (difficult to describe) and instantly dieing! If this occurs with any significant "lean" angle, brother you are going down and rolling over like a beached whale!!! At least that's my impression from the two times this has happened. Glad I got my brown belt in Judo years ago, as knowing how to "tuck and roll" has proven very beneficial during these maneuvers! h34r:

I've set the idle to 1100, done the barbarian mod. Following number 2, (three actually, I don't consider the first one serious...just stupid) I went down the street to the Harley dealer an bought boots with the "tallest" heels I could find. Still need about an inch more before I'll be able to put them both flat on the ground at once. But just this little bit gives me better control at stops. Maybe this will give me a better chance of catching it before it goes over too far next time...Or maybe I'll just dislocate my knee trying to save her. Very, very frustrating, considering how well she behaves over 2 mph!!!!!!!

I'd love to ride someone else's 05 and/or 06 to see if their "throttle is as screwy as mine", but I wouldn't trust myself, at this point with anyone else's property...Come to think of it, neither would they!

Going to do a TBS and ck the TPS and add a PCIII if necessary, but I WILL fix this thing one way or another. Then I'll paint/replace the scratched pieces and reset the "tipover" codes and no one will ever know

Oh well, at least I'm no longer concerned with "scratching" my baby...I consider it just part of the ride!!!!

:dribble: :angry: :blink: Oh, BTW, I still love this bike! :yahoo: B)

LC

 

[wallypiper]

Is this your first I-4? I slip the clutch a lot when prodding the FJR around at low speed. It doesn't make much torque at 1500 rpm. It really takes a different technique than a big v-twin (or even a small one - I have an SV too). It can take some getting used to if you've never had a bike that required it before, but its not unusual for a four cylinder.

 

[Skippy]

Is this your first I-4? I slip the clutch a lot when prodding the FJR around at low speed. It doesn't make much torque at 1500 rpm. It really takes a different technique than a big v-twin (or even a small one - I have an SV too). It can take some getting used to if you've never had a bike that required it before, but its not unusual for a four cylinder.

I have an 05, and after the PC3 and TPS sync, I can pull away without any throttle, no jerkiness at all, just smooth with the clutch.

With so few people reporting difficulties with thier bikes, compared to the (number) of them sold, I would say, without the risk of being flamed, it is human error that is causing the majority of problems.

I have considered selling mine several times, and everytime I do, I stop, after trying so many different bikes and styles, this is still the best all rounder for me, ever built, period.

Although it would look real slick in Wineberry Metallic, to match my E320S Mercedes.

Skippy

 

[Last Chance]

Is this your first I-4? I slip the clutch a lot when prodding the FJR around at low speed. It doesn't make much torque at 1500 rpm. It really takes a different technique than a big v-twin (or even a small one - I have an SV too). It can take some getting used to if you've never had a bike that required it before, but its not unusual for a four cylinder.

Really? This IS my first I4, and I had no Idea.... It runs great. It just has this one little teeny tiny "problem". (Stopping running without warning, except the little burp.) Well, yes I'll have to get used to it and remember to give it the gas, then.. That is what is so frustrating, all it takes to avoid this is to be a little more aggressive on the take off, or frequent "blip-ping" of the throttle and "feathering the clutch" to compensate for the high rpm's at slow speed. Hmmm, going to have to digest this one a little more! :blink:

Thanks for help.

LC

 

[zorkler]

I agree with exsilibum and southernFJR. And yes i droped the fjr with my wife on the back goinG O M.P.H. Other wise if the bike is moving i dont see any problems at all with it .

 

[gody]

That is what is so frustrating, all it takes to avoid this is to be a little more aggressive on the take off, or frequent "blip-ping" of the throttle and "feathering the clutch" to compensate for the high rpm's at slow speed. Hmmm, going to have to digest this one a little more! :blink:

Don't forget to do/order TB sync. Mine is sort of "new" bike after doing that.

 

[bikerkash]

It is hard to understand how so many FJR owners think this is a top heavy bike. It would seem that either many riders are coming from light weight bikes or they are not use to the seat height or a little of both. When you come off a heavy weight touring bike this bike seems very lite and agile. Keeping the seat in the lower position, sitting up when you come to a stop, and putting both feet out when you are coming to a stop might help. RIDE SAFE

 

[Bounce]

you want top heavy?

 

[James Burleigh]

The only time I might consider the FJR "top heavy" is when I falsely think the kick stand is engaged, and once that puppy gets past the balance point there's no catching it. But apart from that, it doesn't feel unwieldy to me when pushing it or doing slow maneuvers.

JB

 

[FJRScorpion]

I haven't seen this posted but my Pillion has a habit of adjusting her seating while we are at a stop. If I'm still coasting to a stop or just getting ready to take off we very nearly go down and as a matter of fact have once. She knows better now, but occassionally forgets. It's real exciting for about two seconds while I scramble and turn the handlebars back and forth. LOL