Musings of an aging FJR rider

[garyahouse]

Why you asking us? There's only one person that really matters. Ask her. Make sure she knows that her opinion stands above all ours.

Gary, you hit it on the head... again.

If this stuff works for you guys, that's great. If I ever told my wife her opinion mattered more than anyone else's (including mine) our lives would never be the same. Our 36 years of relative bliss is predicated on equality not egos.

YMMV

Brett

My hat's off to you sir. I got to see first hand the amazing relationship you have with your sweetie. You'd think you two were still on your honeymoon. I know you live out everyday what I mentioned here, and it very obvious to everybody that sees you two.

 

[Surly]

If changing my bike could/would make my wife happy I would do it in a heart beat.

But

Ego is not a dirty word!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UduuxKdPt9Q

 

[rjrettig]

As they say "If momma ain't happy you won't be happy."

I started riding wings when I was 34 so my wife and later kids could ride with me. I even had a sidecar attached to the wing so we could all go together. To me it was worth the sacrifice (it is very different to ride with a sidecar attached] to be able to enjoy riding with my family than the joy I would have got by riding a different motorcycle all by my self.

Eventually the children grew up and moved away from home and due to other medical issues, my wife is no longer interested in riding so I sold the wing and got the FJR.

I will always remember those trips we did together!

Get the wing and enjoy riding together. You won't regret it after the first trip and you won't look back.

 

[Fred W]

Yikes!! Surley... WTF was that?

 

[Surly]

Worse is the heart breaking "Slim Dusty"

 

[timk]

I'm 64 now, and have had diabetes for 43 years. I went the opposite way when it was becoming diffcult doing slow speed stuff on the Venture. I can truly say,our riding time together has been extended because of "downsizing" to the FJR. The trips we take now are in the 150-300 mi range,anything longer,we put the FJR in the motorhome and ride when we get there. I can foesee the next move will to be to a trike when the FJR becomes too much. I still have a couple of lightweight bikes(Savage,RD400) to ride solo if I go to a trike. PS As I can only walk for 10 min or so without pain, we've been bicycling for exersize now,and it helps alot with the leg strength.

 

[DragonflyTN]

ndivita, I too am 56 YO, I work out daily, and I've owned 3 Wings. So, I think I can relate. As others have said, the Wing can be a ton of fun. The thing that made me sell my last Wing was weigh, not fun factor. The sucker was just such a beast when it was loaded 2 up that, although I practiced parking lot maneuvers a lot, I was never completely comfortable. Particularly steep uphill right hand turns from a stop on gravel. After a couple of such situations where I dropped the bike with the wife on, I decided she was going to have to live with the FJR.

I added an RDL seat and had a custom mount made for the top box that moved it back 1". Still, it's not a GW and the wife let's me know about it. A 300 mi day is about tops for us.

We recently had an opportunity to ride a Moto Guzzi Stelvio. I have to say, she is much more comfortable than on the FJR and, amazingly, so am I! We are next going to try a Super Tenere and see how that feels.

Anyway, my point is, the Wing is not the only player in the fun/comfort zone.

 

[art miller]

I recently went through the same thing. My wife was in a pretty bad accident on her bike and is not happy riding her own now. The FJR will haul both of us but once I'm aboard there is not much room left for her. she is jammed against the top box and I'm half way up the tank singing soprano.Enter the Goldwing. Sold her Sportster and life is good. she is comfy and I am happy knowing she is with me instead of wondering where she is on her bike. The wing won't pass cars like the FJR but it's no slouch either and they handle far better than you think.

Go for the wing and get a play bike for those solo rides. I'm keeping the FJR for my solo ride because it's old and has a lot of miles on it. With any luck I'll be able to do some more Iron Butt stuff with the FJR.

Just to stir the pot. The wing will probably outlast at least 4 Beemers and service is easy for the owner. There is a Honda dealer in at least every county in the country.

I agree completely. You need not come to the alter of FJR Forum to decide what you know is the right thing for you. I am 71 yrs old and do two long rides each year. This yr each ride was 2600 and 2800 miles. The June ride to NM had us riding thru western NV south of LV when the temp rose to 118F. We stopped frequently and drank adequate water and poured water inside our jackets. No heat exhaustion. My wife does not ride and will not. That I consider a plus as I can ride solo or if other guys want to venture out that is OK. Now, a shot a BMW. I had a 2004 R1200C Montauk which I clocked 35K and sold. I must say it was relatively trouble free but any service (valve adj) damn near cost the price of a used Japanese bike. One of my riding buddies has a 2005 R1200RT and he has had two final drive failures. BMW would not stand behind either. He has two BMW cages and has had mechanical and electrical issues with both. No more BMW motorized vehicles for him!!

 

[Pterodactyl]

Am I the only one who wrestles with these issues?

You are certainly not the only one thinking about the approach of old age. My situation and approach are different than yours, but these are choices only the individual can make. I'm 62, recently recovered from cancer; my wife began riding in 2008 and genuinely loves riding. We both took early retirement two years ago, sold off most of our belongings and moved from Alaska to tropical Montana so that we can ride more. We both own two BMWs and have ridden over 30K miles in the past 16 months, including the nearly 4 months I was in the hospital. I bought my first FJR today, a 2013 (actually tomorrow it will be official).

My wife thinks it is a mid-life crises; I told her I could have bought a $70K boat or found a 22 year old blond that would cost me everything. I have long admired the FJR and have friends who ride them, including a well known LD rider. I had a R1200RT and loved the bike, but I think the FJR will suit me better. I'm taking the approach that I should make hay while the sun shines. In other words, get the bike I want now and enjoy it... now. I have friends in their 80's that still ride 30-40K miles a year and I know some that are much younger that can barely ride anymore. You must do what you think is best for you and your wife. A Wing is a great bike and ideal for 2-up riding, but make your choice from an optimistic and positive approach, not from one that is pessimistic fraught with worry.

 

[Fred W]

@Pterodactyl - Welcome to the forum,

Great 3rd post. I like your philosophy. I can appreciate that it comes from your own hard earned life experiences.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on other things.

PS - not sure where you are in Montana now, but you may want to ping fellow forum member Big Sky. He's another thinking FJR rider and knows a lot of what's going down around the Northern Rockies.

 

[ndivita]

On my 2005 FJR I did have a RDL seat for me and the passenger; did have top box with backrest; did have Penske shock. It was great for me. We took a few two up trips on it and compared to the Gold Wing we rented in 2010 the passenger accommodations were obviously inferior. Nothing surprising there. The FJR has been great for me and still is but the whole point of this exercise is to maximize time together on a single bike without giving up too much in performance. I know from experience that LD two up touring with my wife will not happen on the FJR. I am not going to be voluntarily towing a Gold Wing anywhere. I want her to see from a bike what I've seen from the seat of my FJR. She wants to see Yellowstone, Glacier, Moab etc. If I find that she avoids the Gold Wing then it's a lesson learned. I am a big enough boy to handle a Gold Wing so that's not the issue. If you guys have found a way to make the FJR your two up tourer with the wife, more power to you and may God bless you. All the well founded opinions above are much appreciated. Looks like I have a buyer for my 2013 FJR so the experiment is underway. Now to sell my wife's bike and then find a nicely appointed, low mileage Wing 2006 or newer. If this experiment fails then I assume one of you will one day be looking to sell your FJR...

 

[Northt]

Came late to this thread but wrestling with the same issue myself. I will be turning 65 in a couple of months. I maker mostly long distance rides with the FJR and am gone for a lot of long weekends and several weeks in the Summer. Love the FJR but it has never quite fit me. Have risers and a Russell seat but experience back pain after a couple of hours in the saddle. Also the top heavy nature of the beast, with the added top box, bites me all too often. I too am thinking about acquiring a Goldwing. I'm pretty sure that the more upright seating and the lower center of gravity of the wing will be easier for me to manage. I have become aware that my resistance to buying one comes more from the image than from the reality of the bike. I have owned many Hondas over the years and have universally found them to be great products. The problem with the Goldwing is between my ears. Buying a Goldwing in my mind confirms that I truly am a Geezer. I'm sure that I would be very happy with a wing, but it's very hard to make the step. Thinking now that I'll keep the FJR for a while and buy the wing with the plan to sell one of them in a year or so. Think I already know which one it will be.

 

[Fred W]

I'm pretty sure that the more upright seating and the lower center of gravity of the wing will be easier for me to manage.

Hmmm, well I have never actually ridden a modern Gold Wing myself, but my inclination would be the opposite. The current Gold Wing weighs over 900 lbs. Even if that weight is biased low in the beast, it is still ~50% heavier than an FJR at just over 600 lbs. That extra 300 lbs still has to be balances on the two wheels in a parking lot or at a stop sign. You'll have to report back on which way it really goes.

As for upright seating and your back discomfort, a semi-sporting riding position (like on the stock FJR) does require the rider to adapt to the bike somewhat. This usually means adopting some form of the "Master Yoda" type riding position, with the pelvis tilted forward, shoulders back, and back reverse arched, as contrasted to many cruiser riders who ride with a concave, slouched back.

But, with the use of big enough bar risers you can get into a perfectly straight posture too, if that is what you want. It may take stacking two sets of risers, depending on your body dimensions, but it can be done. Might be worth a try before abandoning the smaller bike.

 

[red2kcbr]

This is why we chose motorcycling as our hobby and a method of personal expression. So many variations, yet all related. Finding that right execution of the two-wheeled obsession we share is what makes us so similar. Not the same, but similar.

Coming from a sportbike background that grew from the home-built cafe bikes of the early 70s, the FJR is the nearly perfect expression of that elusive goal of fast, sporty, and comfortable.

We do two-up sport-touring on the FJR, as well as heads down interstate runs to get somewhere quickly. From a suitability perspective, the FJR is about the best solution for our needs. It fits us well, it's fast enough and quick enough to keep me satisfied, and it's solid and reliable enough that I don't worry about getting stranded somewhere.

Even with the stock seat, we've done 3,900 miles in 6 days, with multiple 700-mile days back to back. From an enjoyment standpoint, about 500 to 600 is a better daily goal. That gives a bit of time to stop at a couple of point of interest, instead of eating mile after mile of interstate. With a decent set of Frog Togs and our evap cooling vests, we don't hesitate to plan trips from our north Texas AO to just about anywhere. Our temperature limits are around 50 to 95 degrees, but we will break out of that range sometimes.

At this stage of life, we are looking forward to retirement, a new FJR with Russel seats, and a lot of road trips.

I don't trash talk the Harley riders, and I don't look down on all the trike and Can-Am riders. I wave at them all, and if they don't wave back, well, that's OK, too. We ride alone, as we can't stand groups and the pace they keep. We go a tank full, fill up, then go another tank full before we take a break. We can cover some serious miles like that, and not hurt too much doing it.

No comm. We've been married 35 years. Our first date was on the back of a '76 750 Honda, cafe racer of course, to Nurburg Ring to watch the races. She knows what I'm thinking before I think it, and I know when enough is enough. She ain't scared to go fast, and I've tossed her off only once in all that time. She's a great passenger and I hardly know she's back there.

We've always had a bike all during our marriage, except for the time I sold an '81 750 Custom that I could not stand any longer. Feet-forward is just wrong to me. Used that money to bring her parents from Germany for a visit. Saved again for a bike, and bought the '92 Yamaha XJ600 Seca II. Nice little bike. From there to the '97 Yamaha YZF600R, then a '00 Honda CBR929RR. Now THAT was a fun bike. We did 600 miles in a day once, and many 400-mile days. Tell me she ain't tough. But the '05 FJR called to me, and I swapped that 929 for 52 $100 dollar bills and never looked back.

Two of our three kids became riders, and our son keeps several bikes around. One daughter rode for a while. Somehow I wound up with the '06 Kawa 650R when she decided a 350Z was marginally more practical.

I do like the latest Goldwing. I tested an '06, the new frame style, and it rides deceptively light. There may be a 'wing in our future. But for now, the FJR is our weapon of choice.

 

[bgross]

I'm pretty sure that the more upright seating and the lower center of gravity of the wing will be easier for me to manage.

Hmmm, well I have never actually ridden a modern Gold Wing myself, but my inclination would be the opposite. The current Gold Wing weighs over 900 lbs. Even if that weight is biased low in the beast, it is still ~50% heavier than an FJR at just over 600 lbs. That extra 300 lbs still has to be balances on the two wheels in a parking lot or at a stop sign. You'll have to report back on which way it really goes.

As for upright seating and your back discomfort, a semi-sporting riding position (like on the stock FJR) does require the rider to adapt to the bike somewhat. This usually means adopting some form of the "Master Yoda" type riding position, with the pelvis tilted forward, shoulders back, and back reverse arched, as contrasted to many cruiser riders who ride with a concave, slouched back.

But, with the use of big enough bar risers you can get into a perfectly straight posture too, if that is what you want. It may take stacking two sets of risers, depending on your body dimensions, but it can be done. Might be worth a try before abandoning the smaller bike.

I'm not uniquely qualified, but since my stable has one of each - FJR and Wingabago - I'll chime in, again.

Fred is correct - that extra 300+ pounds has to be managed. Yeah, it's a low center of gravity, with the fuel under the seat, but one you reach the tipping point it's just basic math: 1000 > 700. If an FJR is too heavy, the Wing won't be better!

If you hang out on the Goldwing forum you'll find examples of riders who traded their Sport-touring bike for a Hondapotamus because of comfort needs - especially the needs of the Rear Admiral. They got what they wanted: a trade of some 1-up performance for 2-up comfort.

And then... as time wears on, the mass of the Wing begins to be too much. Next stop: trike or CanAm.

There are a few riders (like me) whose wife can't (or won't) pilot their own bike. The choices are easy. 2-up = Wingabago, 1-up = FJR.

If I had to choose only one? Same choices!

As long as my bride wants to ride I'll keep the Wing. If she were to announce the end of her riding days... Bye bye Wing!

One more thing: the "geezer factor".

I really don't spend time worrying about such things. I bought the Wing when I was 49; the FJR at 60.

 

[ndivita]

I think this answer (Post #54) covers the waterfront.

 

[captaincautious]

My best friend just aquired the new Honda F6B and really likes it. I rode the bike and compared to the standard wing was impressed with it's lighter feel and he added a riders backrest which made the bike very nice. The machine handles well and I was impressed with its nimbleness. Although I am not a big fan of the wing because of it's mass, as I said a really nice machine. On a side note; I recently added a backrest to the rider seat on my FJR along with some of the MCL front pegs and I was amazed how much difference in comfort aka back pain etc. that it reduced. Just took a 800 mile trip and was really pleased with the setup.

 

[YooperDick]

Sounds to me as if you need a new challenge. If frailties are getting you down, remove the activity that causes it. Try something else that doesn't tax you physical capabilities. As an example, ever thought of learning to fly an airplane?

 

[harleystar]

I read your post with great interest, as I just completed a riding adventure: Atlanta to Michigan to Montana to Wyoming to Utah to Illinois and back home in ten days. On the final legs of the journey, I began questioning my reasoning for such a grueling undertaking. Like you, I'm not getting any younger, currently 58, and the pain is quickly outpacing the fun. I currently have three motorcycles and I wonder that my affinity for riding may have more to do with my reluctance to accept the impending senior-citizen status as opposed to actual enjoyment. Don't get me wrong, I still like to ride and enjoy carving up the mountains, but ultimately multi-day LD touring is challenging and I'm not sure I want to do it any more -- been there, done that.

I'm not sure what my ultimate destiny is regarding riding, but the future probably does not include three multi-role motorcycles in the garage. It's a hard choice, but I'm probably going to keep my FZ1 as the exclusive ride. Since I live in North Georgia, I'm close to the mountains and only envision short-to-intermediate distant rides, which is perfectly acceptable on a properly prepared FZ1. My wife doesn't enjoy riding, so passenger comfort is not a concern and the light weight of the FZ1, compared to the FJR, is a most welcome attribute (I almost dropped the FJR on my trip and getting it back upright was agony).

Anyway, I get where you're coming from and wish you the best of luck.

 

[harleystar]

Sounds to me as if you need a new challenge. If frailties are getting you down, remove the activity that causes it. Try something else that doesn't tax you physical capabilities. As an example, ever thought of learning to fly an airplane?

As a non-current (bi-annual physical pending) pilot, I would only suggest flying to folks with lots of discretionary funds. Not only is flying dangerous -- even relative to motorcycling, it's way more expensive if you do it enough to maintain proficiency. It definitely is an adventure learning to fly, but the long-term reality is: maintaining and utilizing the skills acquired can be prohibitively expensive.