sportsguy
searchgeek - author
OK, so I'm STILL commuting each day on the FJR here in Bellevue, WA.
I am now 110% convinced the FJR was the right purchase for me.
Let's examine the reasons why I LOVE this bike...
1 - this community - seriously, with you guys, it'd be much more difficult to know what to modify and what to leave alone, in the quest to make this bike truely work for me. Thanks.
2 - adjustable windscreen - when outfitted with the Cee Baileys (+4/+3), around town running (below 40 mph) sees me sitting in an amazingly calm pocket of air. I can see over the screen when raised, but can run all day with my visor up. This adjustability also ensures, as speed increases, rain is carried over me on the highway
3 - adjustable side jiggers (technical term to describe the side wings on the body work, near the engine) - debates rage over what this does - for me, I'm noticing more air directed AROUND my legs. No real effect on increasing heat directed at me, but definitely moves air around me as speeds increase - I notice this effect even around town (so, call that below 40 mph or so...)
4 - seat - I know the flames will come...but the stock seat is just fine for around town riding - anything up to about 2 hours for me, really...
5 - power delivery - anyone crowing about a sixth speed, well, I can tell you first gear is a very nice balance to manage on wet, leaf-covered slippery PNW roads. If a sixth gear brings me a shorter first gear, I'd skip it. Same with 2nd and third - load so power on hand to use 3rd around town to modulate power dielivery on slick surfaces
6 - suspension - take the itme to dial yours in - someone did an initial setup for me (thanks to escapefjrtist) and I have found that it made a HUGE difference in handling and comfort, thus increasing my confidence when handling the bike
7 - range - ah, I fill up maybe once a week, and that includes 100+ mile son a weekend ride
8 - adjustable controls - when wearing thicker gloves in winter riding, it's nice to be able to adjust the clutch and brake if needed to facilitate the thicker gloves. (Wearing Olympias now - really warm, windproof, waterproof (tests last weekend))
9 - kitchen-sinkability - technical term refering to the ability to haul junk...and not just MY junk... With the side cases and a top box, plus underseat storage space, even the packiest of rats can be happy leaving home with, you got it, even the kitchen sink onboard!
10 - adjustable lights - wow - what a difference a few clicks UP makes to where light is thrown - adding my headlight modulator to the high beams a few weeks ago was a great idea, too. Happy with this mod.
11 - color - black gets dirty easy - stays dirty a LONG time, too, as I'm not washing the Black Barge any time soon.
12 - RAM mount for GPS - LOVE this system - cannot think of a single improvement I'd wish for
13 - emotional investment - lost track of how many hours I've invested looking over the bike noodling on ideas for improvements, farkles, etc. Fun stuff for me!
14 - emotional adjustability - this bike NEVER fails to stir my emotions and MAKES me want to point it south and keep riding until I run out of road. Have yet to have a single ride - even commuting - that wasn't "aces up" because of this ad ride. It turns simple commuting into fun and rocks in all uses, IMO.
I am now 110% convinced the FJR was the right purchase for me.
Let's examine the reasons why I LOVE this bike...
1 - this community - seriously, with you guys, it'd be much more difficult to know what to modify and what to leave alone, in the quest to make this bike truely work for me. Thanks.
2 - adjustable windscreen - when outfitted with the Cee Baileys (+4/+3), around town running (below 40 mph) sees me sitting in an amazingly calm pocket of air. I can see over the screen when raised, but can run all day with my visor up. This adjustability also ensures, as speed increases, rain is carried over me on the highway
3 - adjustable side jiggers (technical term to describe the side wings on the body work, near the engine) - debates rage over what this does - for me, I'm noticing more air directed AROUND my legs. No real effect on increasing heat directed at me, but definitely moves air around me as speeds increase - I notice this effect even around town (so, call that below 40 mph or so...)
4 - seat - I know the flames will come...but the stock seat is just fine for around town riding - anything up to about 2 hours for me, really...
5 - power delivery - anyone crowing about a sixth speed, well, I can tell you first gear is a very nice balance to manage on wet, leaf-covered slippery PNW roads.
If a sixth gear brings me a shorter first gear, I'd skip it. Same with 2nd and third - load so power on hand to use 3rd around town to modulate power dielivery on slick surfaces6 - suspension - take the itme to dial yours in - someone did an initial setup for me (thanks to escapefjrtist) and I have found that it made a HUGE difference in handling and comfort, thus increasing my confidence when handling the bike
7 - range - ah, I fill up maybe once a week, and that includes 100+ mile son a weekend ride
8 - adjustable controls - when wearing thicker gloves in winter riding, it's nice to be able to adjust the clutch and brake if needed to facilitate the thicker gloves. (Wearing Olympias now - really warm, windproof, waterproof (tests last weekend))
9 - kitchen-sinkability - technical term refering to the ability to haul junk...and not just MY junk...
With the side cases and a top box, plus underseat storage space, even the packiest of rats can be happy leaving home with, you got it, even the kitchen sink onboard!10 - adjustable lights - wow - what a difference a few clicks UP makes to where light is thrown - adding my headlight modulator to the high beams a few weeks ago was a great idea, too. Happy with this mod.
11 - color - black gets dirty easy - stays dirty a LONG time, too, as I'm not washing the Black Barge any time soon.
12 - RAM mount for GPS - LOVE this system - cannot think of a single improvement I'd wish for
13 - emotional investment - lost track of how many hours I've invested looking over the bike noodling on ideas for improvements, farkles, etc. Fun stuff for me!
14 - emotional adjustability - this bike NEVER fails to stir my emotions and MAKES me want to point it south and keep riding until I run out of road. Have yet to have a single ride - even commuting - that wasn't "aces up" because of this ad ride. It turns simple commuting into fun and rocks in all uses, IMO.
