2004 vs. 2007 (can you tell the difference?)

[deagle]

Found a discounted 2007 FJR. Not sure if I want to go this route or the new Concours, but wondered how the 2007 stacks up on the issues below.

Very much like my 2004 FJR. I only have 3 complaints, and wondered if anyone here that has had both years could tell me if these things changed much....

1. Tick. Is it really gone? Any confirmed tickers in 2006-07?

2. Riding position. With risers, the bike fits me much better. I would actually even like to sit a little more upright. With the adjustable handlebars, how does the riding position fit compared to pre-2006 models?

3. Buzz. Is the buzz in the handlebars about the same?

Never had a problem with heat or windshield, so those changes are nice but don't really add any value for me.

Thanks for any input.....

 

[keithaba]

From what I know about the 07

1. No reported tickers yet since the 06 changes. (At least none I've seen)

2. Sat on an 07, and I still need risers even with the bars position set closest to me, (But I'm only like 5'6)

3. Not sure, can't comment. (Do you have grip puppies and weights?)

I would be hard pressed to trade the 04 for an 07 unless you've got mucho miles and just want something newer.

Several on this thread have boasted that they think the suspension is a little better with the GenII, but you could probably do new front springs and a wilber, penske, or ohlins shock in the rear for less than the upgrade.

Other than that, how much do you like black cherry???

Jeffashe may chime in on this one, I know he has had both. There are a few other forum members who have moved from a GenI to GenII.

 

[RonBB]

22K on an 05A & ~1,500 on the new 07A. The following are my impressions thus far:

1. I haven't heard of an 06 or 07 ticker yet. But most 07's are probably low on miles at this point.

2. I didn't feel the need for risers on the 05 & the 07 came with the handlebars in the mid position. They feel the same to me. I doubt that I will move them.

3. Some buzz in the bars-feels just like the 05 to me-by the book TBS eliminates much of this-I use a throttle rocker & larger grips on both bikes. Someone, I don't remember who posted to rotate the mirrors against the edge of the housing to eliminate the vibration on the gen 2 bike mirrors. I did & it eliminated the vibration in both of my 07 mirrors. I had not had mirror vibration in the 05. Thank you whoever you were!

Other comments: Riding the 07 feels a bit more refined/sophisticated to me. I think the slightly longer swing arm is a good thing in smoothness. I was concerned before getting the 07 about the change in gearing, the linked brakes, and change in the clutch activation quickness. The gearing feels very similar, i.e. 4,000 rpm on the 05 was about 70 mph & on the 07 is about 75 mph. Thus far the linked brakes have been pretty transparent and not noticable. I have yet to apply the rear brake on a slick surface in a curve though. It feels as though it takes some pressure on the rear brake before much, if any, braking occurs on the front wheel, and that in my mind is a good thing. While the clutch quickness has bothered some it has not been an issue for me. Noticably much less heat than the 05. The speedometer on the 05 was dead on with the GPS. The 07 speedo is dead on at 20 mph & optimistic by about 3 mph at 60. My sense is that the error gets larger as speed increases.

Summary-Thus far very pleased. I like the built in thermometer, MPG computer & the extra room under the seat on the 07 & I had put a Rifle Touring windshield on the 05-The stock 07 windshield seems better to me than the oem one on the 05-This was unexpected & I like it and very well may not get a larger windshield for the 07. I decided to take a trip on the 07 before buying a larger windshield to see if I really need it. I will be interested in how these observations mesh with those of others which have had both gen 1 & gen 2 FJR's.

PS Was not really wild about the Black Cherry color but must say it is growing on me & looks MUCH better in bright sunlight than under flourscent lights or on a very cloudy day. Best of luck

Edit: I should add that I would not have traded my 05 for an 07 but since I managed to total the 05 I bought a new 07 when I had recovered enough to ride again. I would buy the 07 again under the same circumstances. I had orginally intended to wait to see what the full specifications for the Concours 1400 were, i.e. weight & hp. But then the weather turned nice & the release date for the specifications & the 1400 were unknown. The riding fever won I had always loved the 05 and am pleased with the 07.

 

[Stephen]

I, too, was seriously thinking about trading my '04 (22K miles-non ABS) for an '07. But I can't complain about anything on my '04. It has a number of farkles including steel brakelines. I personally could not justify buying a new bike even though I really like thge new color.

I did purchase black stripes to spruce up the silver.

 

[NSFJR]

I owned an 04 ABS with 44,000kms on it and traded it for an 06AE about four weeks (late August 06) after test riding an 06A. I have approximately 8,000 kms on the 06. My impressions are: heat problems not nearly as severe as the 04, ride definitely more planted (and I had a SuperBrace on my 04), risers are a must for me on the 06, although I do not have a set yet, even after playing with the bar "adjustments" (D&D's on the 04), pillion peg placement a definite improvement, stock windshield still lousy (replaced immediately with a CalSci medium), heated grips nice (first time I have owned a bike with them), linked brakes seem to work well, some buzziness in the bars, but an accurate TBS, coupled with Grip Puppies, eleminated it almost entirely, and of all the tricks the new dash will do, I find the ambient temperature the most useful by far. Hope this helps.

 

[Bluegrass FJR]

I have 05 and 07 A models. I almost didn't want to admit the 07 is a better bike, but it is. I started a thread about how they compare a couple of weeks ago. Here's the link: https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=20492

Because the 07 turns 400 rpm lower at any given speed in 5th gear it feels less buzzy.

The ride and suspension feel superior. I guess it's due to the longer wheelbase. It's much more stable in corners.

I don't prefer the 07's seat (it's pretty hard) or the mirrors.

I have Heli risers on my 05. With the 07's seat in the low position the two have practically identical riding positions.

I wasn't wild about the dark cherry color, at first, but have grown to like it a lot.

Alan

 

[deagle]

Thanks for the answers. I figure it's about $6000 to upgrade at this point. Not sure if there is $6000 of benefits or if I like the black cherry color or not (I love red, wasn't crazy about this color the first time I saw it, but it's grown on me some. Need to see one in the sunlight).

Off to do some heavy thinking.....

Oh, does Givi offer the matching color trunk for the 2007? I love the E45 (?) that matches the silver perfectly. Also, do the highway pegs still fit? Both after market add-on's that I've come to love.

 

[daddysbike]

No tick in my '07.

I like the seating positin but I'm sure you know abut the Heli triple clamp.

The bars do buzz, worse than any bike I've owned. I added the G2 throttle cam and it helped alot but a day of riding = 3 days of tingle in the hands. I'm going to have to do something about that then I guess I'll have the perfect bike (for me).

Steve

 

[HaulinAshe]

Without regurgitating my earlier threads about the 05 versus the 07, I will sum up my response by saying that there are numerous small reasons to trade up to the 2007. IMO there are no BIG reasons.

When talking $$$, you have to consider what it will cost you to make all those small changes on your 04 to get it where the 07 is when it rolls off the showroom floor. A few to consider are:

* You're getting new suspension with new springs.

* Improved cooling for rider comfort (although you said that's not a factor for you on the 04).

* Improved gear ratios.

* Improved passenger peg position and overall passenger comfort.

* Improved overall handling with the longer swingarm and suspension changes.

* No tick or apparent risk of one.

* ABS (if your 04 doesn't have it).

* Increased stator capacity so that you can power-up more crap.

* Much improved rear light arrangement with far greater signal visibility (this may save your life someday).

* Brand new set of okay tires (Metz Z6s don't totally suck).

Some other things to consider about the 07 vs. 04 are:

* Totally useless 12v socket in the glove box.

* Much darker color that shows every little scratch.

* If you don't have a PC-III now, you will definitely need one and a G2Ergo throttle tube on the 07.

IMO moving the bars to the back position will gain you some, but you may still find the need for risers.

Also, and this is not so easy to discover, the 07 stock seat height is lower than Gen-I bikes, but because the new seat is somewhat wider you may actually have slightly MORE difficulty reaching the ground, even with the new seat in the lowest position. It depends on how wide your a$$ is I guess.

I would suggest adding up all the little things that you think will matter to you, throw in the depreciation consideration, and then decide how much your down time while making all those changes to your old bike is worth. For me, my time at about $5/hour was more than enough to make me trade up.

Good luck with your decision.

Jeff Ashe

P.S.

I forgot to add that many people seem to be ignoring my posts about using the Duplicolor paints to repaint your top box. Their Adhesion Promoter primer, color coat and clear coat, all worked extremely well on my 05 top box. That saved me about $1,400 retail on the trade-in by re-using the Yami 05 top box with a new mounting bracket fitted.

 

[chornbe]

Found a discounted 2007 FJR. Not sure if I want to go this route or the new Concours, but wondered how the 2007 stacks up on the issues below.
Very much like my 2004 FJR. I only have 3 complaints, and wondered if anyone here that has had both years could tell me if these things changed much....

1. Tick. Is it really gone? Any confirmed tickers in 2006-07?

2. Riding position. With risers, the bike fits me much better. I would actually even like to sit a little more upright. With the adjustable handlebars, how does the riding position fit compared to pre-2006 models?

3. Buzz. Is the buzz in the handlebars about the same?

Never had a problem with heat or windshield, so those changes are nice but don't really add any value for me.

Thanks for any input.....

Here's my thing... I always say "if it runs, in good shape and it's not costing you much in repairs and maintenance, just keep it."

That's what my head says.

Then I go buy the new one, anyway. I'm a weak, pathetic excuse for a man

But I got me a new FJR!

 

[twistedcricket]

I picked my 07 up this morning (052507) - having never ridden a GenI I can't make a comparison.

I was in the same decision making process for 4 weeks. Should I get an 05 with farkles, upgrade the suspension, hope the previous owner added insulation or otherwise managed the heat issue, compare the condition of the used bike tires and the cost of new ones. Did the current/previous owner by a YES plan.

For me it came down to intial costs. Sure I could get an 05 for under $10k, but by the time I make the adjustments I was very close to the cost of a new bike. The warranty is was pushed me to the 07.

The windsheild is a little short for me. I might give it more time and see if I really need to buy a different one or just wait until the "off-season" (i.e. snow) to make that purchase/swap. The stock seat is ok. Again, I don't have a lot of miles so that's another issue I might resolve if I feel the need. I guess I haven't noticed this buzzing or am more tolerant of it? No ticking, but there are only 117 miles on the bike. I know, I've had just over 12hrs with the bike... shameful.

 

[designeraccd]

I had an '03 and was quite happy with it....as long as air temps were BELOW 70F. Fiddled with suspension settings for a month b4 I found a tolerable setup. OTOH, my '06: NO heat problems at all. Suspension is as she came: both ride and handling are VERY noticeably improved. I'm 6'2" and put bar riser blocks on my '03; simply adjusted all the way back on my '06. Of the 78 motorcycles I've owned over the years my '06 is as close to perfect as I've ever had for what I like in a road burner. Oh, did add the "hush puppies" to my bar grips on the '06; helped a lot to damp down the vibezzzz. DFO

 

[deagle]

Many of you mentioned vibes. I think I'll wait until the new Concours vs. FJR articles start to come out. The vibes I find irritating, and while I know many claim they aren't there, there are enough complaining to know they are there on at least some of the bikes.

I guess I'll wait another year and keep my ear to the ground. Thanks for all the posts. Another FJR may be in my future, but I'll wait until 2008.

 

[Constant Mesh]

They all vibrate at ~4200 rpm and to a lesser extent at other miscellaneous rpm's. The balancing system just can't make the engine perfectly smooth.

 

[HaulinAshe]

When it comes to vibration, my absolute best advice is to buy yourself a Marc Parnes tire balancer and balance your own wheels/tires. I've yet to find ANY computer balancer that equals what 20 minutes in the floor with my MP balancer does.

Well balanced wheels make all the difference in the world.

 

[Bluegrass FJR]

I'm not aware of any inline 4 that doesn't have some buzz.