Ahhhh my first test ride on an FJR

[Hello Kitty]

So, Thursday night Walt (my husband) and I went to our friend Bob's restaurant in Dundalk (Squire's if you know the area) to shoot the **** and all that, get some dinner, you know the drill.

So, as usual, we're busting on each other, talking about bikes, having a good time and Bob says, "Hey, you ever get to ride an FJR yet?"

"No" I respond, "Think Joey will let me take it on Saturday? Supposed to be a nice day!"

"Yeah, sure. Come on by in the morning. Bring the Ruger, I haven't shot it yet, we'll make a great day of it."

"Cool," I say, "After all that, I'll run to Jacksonville and back and see what this bike is all about."

For a little backround for the majority of you who have no idea who I am, I've been riding BMW's for about 5 or 6 years. I've done a few IBA rides - Saddle Sore, 100 CCC, SS5K, SS10K as well as several local endurance rallies both half day, full day, full day plus, Steve Chalmers 5 day Run What Ya Brung and just a couple months ago, the Iron Butt Rally. All this on a BMW R1200GS. Very suitable platform. My bike has been pretty heavily customized to suit me. Lowered cause I'm a shrimp, Russell seat, MC cruise cruise control because of my carpal tunnel, 2 GPS, V1, XM, inverter in the top case, fuel cell, Linda T fuel cell cover and tank bag cause I can't see over the off-the-shelf ones (cause I'm short dammit), the little tire pressure monitor thing on the valve stem cause I would never check the tire pressure if I didn't have it to name some of the stuff I've done to it.

I've been ragged on endlessly about my choice in LDR mount. Probably more so by the Honda crowd than the Yamaha crowd, but the Yamaha crowd too. And honestly, though I love the GS and the many wonderful adventures I've had on it, I have always really liked the looks of the Yamaha bikes. And Valentino Rossi is a hot little mother ******. (did I say that outloud again?) I also have a FZ6 that I love to ride, very fun bike. My biggest hesitation in just getting an FJR is all that fairing and painted crap. I beat the **** out of everything and fear that I would have that pretty bike looking like crap in a week. But after the IBR and knowing that my GS has 92K on it and is on it's second final drive has me a little nervous about continuing to use that bike for my little excursions. So I think it's time to think about a new bike for me.

Since I have friends with FJR, ST11100, Gold Wing, I decided I'd give them all a try and see if any are a good fit for me. Of course, my preference would be the FJR based on looks alone. So I was very excited to go over Bob's and take his son's FJR out for a little test ride. There's just one little problem. It won't start. The FJR that is. Hmmmm, never happened with any of my BMW's. Never, not once. I've had some issues with them, but never stranded me anywhere, and never wouldn't start. Never screwed up a rally or a trip because of the bike.

Okay, ball busting aside, looking for suggestions to get this thing going. It's a 2004, cranks strong, has gas but won't turn over. It has been sitting for about 2 months but if it's cranking strong, I can't imagine the sitting is the issue... Any suggestions on what to look for? We have not attempted to see if it has spark yet, was hoping for a few simple things to try before getting into that.

Thanks!

Nancy Oswald

Baltimore, MD

 

[SkooterG]

Yes! Step into the light Nancy!

FJRs all to frequently won't start after long periods of sitting idle. Luckily, 95% of the time it simply flooded and the easy solution is to crank it with throttle turned full open. It may take a few seconds, or attempts, but I bet that will do it.

Good luck.

 

[madmike2]

In case the cranking with the throttle in WFO position doesn't work...

Another extreme possibility,because it has happened before with bikes sitting......

Check the air filter box for a rodent nest.

 

[Hello Kitty]

Thanks Scooter and Mike,

Will try the throttle WFO first.... Will keep you posted. Never had all these problems with the BMWs :lol:

 

[Panman]

Mine wouldn't start once, I had bumped the kill switch that I never use! ^_^

 

[Checkswrecks]

It's not that it can't start, it's that it doesn't want to. After all, your Joey let it sit for two months. For shame!



When you turn the key at first and before thumbing the starter, listen for the fuel pump to run a few seconds.

You may also see if the odometer resets after trying the starter, as these bikes need a solid battery and resetting the odometer is a clue about low voltage.

One other idea is to put in fresh gas. There've been plenty of folks to let these bikes sit all winter and start with no problem, but if it's been longer with some of the crappy alchohol-heavy gas that is in our area, the lighter constituents may've evaporated.

Bob

Damascus, Md

 

[madmike2]

HK, it has been documented here that some FJRs respond badly when they are not allowed to cycle through the warm-up period. There is some glitch in the ECU that floods the bike if it is turned off before the fast idle slows to normal.

I've had that problem one time in 6 years of FJR ownership. That was strictly my fault as I had been working on the bike, let the battery run low and then started it and turned it off. Doh! The procedure Skooter shared is the "fix" for that.

As Bob mentioned, an old weak battery can be an issue if the current owner hasn't kept it on a battery tender.

And....I assume the bike has been sitting in the cold inclement weather so the possibility of "invaders" into the nooks & crannies is something to be aware of. I can think of 2 episodes where mice have built nests in the airbox.

Let us know what they find is the problem. If nothing else, it will add to the FJR-lore.

 

[mophead]

Well this seems simple but check the kill switch to be sure it is in the proper position, then check that the sidestand is up. Hope it is just that simple.

 

[wfooshee]

Won't crank under either of those conditions. Bike she's trying cranks but won't fire.

 

[Khunajawdge]

Hello Kitty wrote a Topic entitled; Replying to Ahhhh my first test ride on an FJR

Well heck, how can you "Reply to your first ride on an FJR"?

When you haven't even taken one for a ride yet? :blink:

Go find a bike that'll start and get back to us later.

 

[Ignacio]

I've had the "won't star" phenomenon happen to me twice. Both times it kinda lit then went into some weird coma where it would crank, crank, crank, and no fire. It even sounded kinda different while it cranked away.

Finally, the first time at almost the end of the battery it finally lit, sputtered a couple spins, but then fired up.

The last time was when the battery was low. This time it took three charges of the battery and FINALLY lit.

I swear I know it's gone in the mode when it happens...it just sounds slightly different kinda like's it swallowing, burping, and farting at the same time for a split second.

Regardless, when you get it lit....you're gonna love it.

 

[Hello Kitty]

Scooter wins the mechanic stud award. It worked. It did take a while, but finally did start. Unfortunately, some guy tried to shave my head again and a bar room brawl ensued and there is no way in hell I could have a helmet on with this painful, swollen face. So it'll be a few days before I can ride the feej

Since batteries came up, what kind of batteries are the fav here? Since Walt travels so much, he would frequently have a dead battery upon his return if I wasn't vigilent about running his bike often enough. But once he went to the Odyssey battery, no problems and I never start it while he's gone anymore. Actually, sometimes it would die after a ridiculously short time and I always suspected some kind of electrical problem somewhere with that bike. So now that the issue seems to be resolved, his GS just might become my new rally bike... It'll be a whole lot easier and cheaper to just take all my stuff of the 06 GS and put it on the 05. There is one odd quirk about his bike, I simply cannot get it on the centerstand. Never could. My CS appears identical and is never a problem, but his - no dice. Though I suppose the CS and SS would get swapped as well since the lowered shock would go as well.

But I'm still gonna need a bike one of these days, I'll run that one into the ground in short order

 

[Texan]

Unfortunately, some guy tried to shave my head again and a bar room brawl ensued and there is no way in hell I could have a helmet on with this painful, swollen face. So it'll be a few days before I can ride the feej

Seriously? Press charges. Guys who hit women deserve to spend some time in jail learning that this is not acceptable behavior.

 

[RadioHowie]

Unfortunately, some guy tried to shave my head again and a bar room brawl ensued and there is no way in hell I could have a helmet on with this painful, swollen face.

:dribble: :dribble:

Did he look like this?

Then trust me...it wasn't your head he was trying to shave. :rofl:

And speaking of

this painful to look at, swollen face

yep.....that pretty much describes him. :finger:

 

[Hello Kitty]

Unfortunately, some guy tried to shave my head again and a bar room brawl ensued and there is no way in hell I could have a helmet on with this painful, swollen face. So it'll be a few days before I can ride the feej

Seriously? Press charges. Guys who hit women deserve to spend some time in jail learning that this is not acceptable behavior.

No not seriously. That was a poke at Dale who did remove the hair from my head a few weeks ago. I tripped walking up the steps and smashed my face really really really hard and wound up with a black eye to boot. It's still pretty sore, but the swelling is mostly gone so I think I can manage a helmet today.

 

[turbodave_98]

Miss Kittty, Happy Holidays, if u get a FJR mysuggestion is that you keep a battery tender plugged into it at all times when in your gagage or whatever. my experience with both my 05 an 06 models is that all the farkles we LDRs have tend to strain the battery ane affects its starting after setting silent.

 

[Patriot]

Since batteries came up, what kind of batteries are the fav here?

some like Yuasa, but alot of folks, me included, favor Westco...

superb customer service besides great battery IMHO

https://www.westcobattery.com/battery_page....d=1&mid=505

 

[Hello Kitty]

Thanks Dave, et al

Frigging Ravens V Pitt game so can't properly respond, but I appreciate the responses.