about to do it

[luxrybound]

I'm about to finally do it.I have a question.I'm coming from a cruiser (Honda).I have rode the new Concours and it is really smooth no vibes of any.I cant get a ride on the fjr but I read all the time about vibes on the fjr.Are the vibes anything like riding a cruiser bike? Not a Harley vibrator but honda vtx are similar cruiser.I like the Concours but the fjr just fits me better but a little concern about all the vibes you read about. I'm doing the price dance with my dealer on a 09 right now.Thanks for any input

 

[Scooper]

I'm about to finally do it.I have a question.I'm coming from a cruiser (Honda).I have rode the new Concours and it is really smooth no vibes of any.I cant get a ride on the fjr but I read all the time about vibes on the fjr.Are the vibes anything like riding a cruiser bike? Not a Harley vibrator but honda vtx are similar cruiser.I like the Concours but the fjr just fits me better but a little concern about all the vibes you read about. I'm doing the price dance with my dealer on a 09 right now.Thanks for any input

I have a Road Star and my wife rides a V-Star 1300. I also have a 2004 FJR. I don't feel any vibes on the FJR at all. Our Cruisers and not that bad either but the FJR is WAY smoother.

Hope this helps

Scooper

 

[old Pilot]

Vibes? What vibes? Only good vibes

 

[rider47]

My FJR had some buzzy vibes during the first couple of thousand miles. At about 2500 miles most of the buzziness went away and it rides very smooth now.

 

[TheZsdad]

I'm about to finally do it.I have a question.I'm coming from a cruiser (Honda).I have rode the new Concours and it is really smooth no vibes of any.I cant get a ride on the fjr but I read all the time about vibes on the fjr.Are the vibes anything like riding a cruiser bike? Not a Harley vibrator but honda vtx are similar cruiser.I like the Concours but the fjr just fits me better but a little concern about all the vibes you read about. I'm doing the price dance with my dealer on a 09 right now.Thanks for any input

Hey lux I just picked up an 09A Saturday and my other ride is a yamaha stratoliner 1900 v-twin. I've only got a 134 miles on the bike so far but I have noticed a buzz in the handlebars over 4000 rpm's. Not bad but it's there. I plan to add grip puppies

which I expect will eliminate most of it. I'm use to larger diameter grips than what's on the FJR and think the pups will help in that also. In the limited time I have spent on the bike I didn't get any numbness or tingling in the hands. The Strat will put my 60 year old hands to sleep if I don't watch it. The cruiser vibes and the buzz I felt are way different. Like the diff between a jack hammer and a vibrator with a low battery (Or what I imagine a vibrator with a low battery would feel like) .

I have no regrets and the concours was on my short list also. Hope this helps.

Dave

 

[luxrybound]

Thanks for the replies I'm just don't want the fjr to be buzzy or vibrate that's one of the reason I want to leave a cruiser is for a smoother ride.

 

[madmike2]

Some are more sensitive to it than others. Many of us came from other in-line 4 cylinder bikes that were very buzzy.

If it happens that your wrists or hands are sensitive, most owners have overcome the tendencies by using heavier bar-end weights and different grips (or grip puppies).

I'm pickin' up good vibrations.She's givin' me excitations.

[SIZE=8pt]Brian Wilson & Mike Love, The Beach Boys[/SIZE]

 

[72Duster340]

I came off of a '99 Concours 10 which had a slight buzz in the bars the Yamaha is light years better (should be 10 years newer technology with fuel injection). I rode an '09 Concours 14 ABS before riding and buying an '09 FJR A. I liked the fit, finish, and the styling of the FJR better plus it felt more comfortable to me. I do not feel you can go wrong with either bike, it now comes down to your personal preferences. Check out the "Bin O Facts" on this site it gives alot of good information about the FJR. Have fun with which ever bike you buy!

 

[Wanderlust]

I came from a VTX1300 that I was talked into by friends. It never felt right to me. I'm not a V twin guy. Once I got on my FJR I felt at home and never looked back. The biggest "problem's" you may have are the grips are much smaller, I ordered grip puppies and the problem was solved, also remember your not putting your feet up in the recliner position. There back there where the pegs should be. Then there's that pesky double the horsepower thing from what you had that makes you feel like your not passing other vehicles, your teleporting in front of them. Still not tired of that. Now the vibes you mentioned are nothing compared to the shake of a twin. At least in my experience. I didn't even notice anything until I mounted a camera on the bars, which while recording showed some vibration in the lower gears while accelerating but the video was smooth as silk once I hit 5th and was at my normal spirited pace. Hope this helps.

 

[SwollenRaccoon]

I have an '08, and it's not an issue. I rode my buddy's R6, and it felt like an electric motor; unbelievably smooth. The FJR has just enough buzz to remind you it's got internal combustion motivation, but it doesn't cause numb feet or hands, at least for me. I also have a '98 Honda SuperHawk (996cc 90-degree L-Twin). Not a cruiser, but a twin, nonetheless. Ditto on the comments about fit, finish, and (perceived) quality. Whatever you do, you won't regret buying an FJR.

 

[Aasland]

The FJR isn't bad. Not as smooth as my VFR, a little smoother than the wife's SV650, and a LOT smoother than the 1992 Seca2 I used to ride. There are some vibes - certainly not a dealbreaker. The PO added heavy bar end weights and my hands never fall asleep.

 

[Moon Man]

I have had mine for a year and the PO put a throttle meister (heavy bar ends with throttle lock) on it and I never understood what all the fuss about buzz was about. Mine just doesn't have it. They all have a tiny bit in the 4k range, but nothing like my old Honda Nighthawk S. Or my dad's 2010 triumph thunderbird (a very smooth cruiser). Definitely a ton better than his old Bonneville too.

 

[Big Sky]

And the FJR is sensitive to a proper state of tune. Many have found (as I have) a regular throttle-body sync helps keep that big mill smooth.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I find that with gloves...I'm good to go. If I do feel tinglyness...it's because I've been gripping the bars too tightly...so I relax the grip and I'm good.

 

[exskibum]

As mm2 alluded to above, there's a completely different kind of vibes off any Inline 4 compared to most twins, especially V twin cruisers. Different frequency, mostly. Some can handle one but not the other. I've been on big Japanese I-4s since the early 70s, before which I was riding the king of all vibrators -- a '69 BSA 650 Thunderbolt.

Even before the days of counterbalancers, for ME, an I-4 was the smoothest thing out there, but I'm apparently not especially sensitive to their particular frequency. By contrast, that Beezer used to put my hands and forearms to sleep, and I was young then.

Some I-4s are smoother than others. I have zero problem with the FJR and it doesn't seem buzzy at all to me, or at least -- mine doesn't. Most V-twin cruisers would drive me nuts to ride for any appreciable length of time. No question, both my Blackbirds (still have second one) were smooth as glass, with noticeably less vibration than the FJR. A friend has promised me a ride on his '09 Concourse 14 this season, and I understand from him that it is much like the Blackbird (he also has one).

So, it's a difficult judgment call without riding an FJR, I guess -- depending upon how sensitive you are to I-4 frequency vibes.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I came off of a few years of riding V-Twin cruisers before getting my FJR also. At work I rode a Harley for a couple of years and then a BMW. I have been on the Honda ST's a few times, but no serious mileage. The FJR is different, but not really worse than any other IL 4 cylinder bike I have ridden, and much smoother than the V-Twins.

It has already been alluded to, but remember that when you hear people complaining about the vibes, some people will complain about anything. Not saying others don't have the issue, but the only true test is your own. Find one to try out and get a test ride. If the "vibes" bug you, get something that makes you happy. My FJR is very smooth, with just enough vibes to remind me that I have 1300cc's of motor pushing me down the road.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Ahh, put a butt plug in it 'zilla..

:****:

hell lets go for a double.. :whistling:

:finger:

:jester:

 

[maddad]

I've taken two longer trips on the FJR both >3,000 miles in 6-8 days. First trip I had a lot of vibes to the point of being very displeased for a few days during the trip and for at least a month after the trip had numbness in my fingers and risks. That trip was NC to Florida Keys and back.

Problems I resolved before the next trip.

1) During 3 day of trip, my front tire scalloped something terrible. Driving along seashore from Jacksonville to Daytona, let go of the handle bars for a stretch and front end went wild. Hung on tight until we got to Miami and had the tire replaced the next morning.

2) Front tire was not well balanced by the shop that put it on. Not bad, but enough that I always questions it.

One week before the next trip, Canada to Tail of the Dragon.

- Complete nailed one of our Canadian pot holes, bent both rims on the right side. Local guy repaired them for $120. Apparently this turned out to be a good thing. Weights on bike before pot hole were 3-4 on each side of the tire. Weight on the wheels after the pot hole and fix, 1 on one side of the rear. However this guy fixed the wheels, he made them better than ever and absolutely zero wheel vibrations.

- Still had a buzz between 4,000 and 5,000. Installed the heavier throttlemeisers. Buzz was definetly reduced with the heavier bar ends but still a buzz.

- Week before trip, had valves checked and some other items done. Night before trip re-installed plastic and found that the frame slider had loosened. Laster found it was stripped. Looking for the right HeliCoil now.

Moral of my story, the vibrations I have had, are related to other issues on the bike, with the main issue I believe being the loose motor mount.

 

[Mcgyver74]

How much buzz is a subjective thing, For example my 95 Connie buzzed so bad I couldn't hold on for more then a few miles without letting go and shaking a hand to clear the tingles, by contrast I just blasted 1400 miles in 2 days on the Feej with no problems. There IS a buzz mostly around the 4k range but it's not bad in my opinion. You may feel different, again, all subjective.

If you feel that you will be THAT sensitive then perhaps the C-14 is for you, but before you get a C-14 look at the maint costs compared to the FJR. I loved the C-14, I am an active COG member, but when time came, I bought the FJR

Is the C-14 a better machine? It's certainly more refined, makes better power, handles better (No shaft jacking effects etc) has a bevy of goodies stock, and is newer technology.

However, it also

1) Requires Premium gas

2) has a 14k valve adjust interval (and believe, me it is a MOFO to get to the valves)

3) is overall more of a complete pain in the A$$ to work on

Put it all together, and the FJR was the right choice for me. 9 months and 10k miles later I still love this bike