Am I Spoiled by the FJR?

[Gerry.GEG]

I too have demo'd many bikes, harleys, victorys, ninja 1000, connie, versys, tiger 800, bmws r1200 gs, r1200r, you get the picture but the fjr has been a great bike and with 105k miles it just seems to run better and better. I do wish it was lighter and had cruise control but then it would be perfect.

Cruise control, that's the only item on my Boss' Electroglide I'm jealous of.

Gerry, that basic black is just ****-hot man. If my 06 wasnt the fastest color blue Id have to go shopping again. Every bike I've owned until now was black. Just the way it always ended up for reasons only the Gods know. Blessed again, the blue is a grin so will stick with it. Runner, if anyone here isnt spoiled by our respective scoots, they oughtta be. Its like the saying- if we have to explain, they wouldnt understand. The Yamma-hammer folks broke the mold with the FJR. It does so much so well. Dont plan on letting go of mine anytime soon at all. Now if I could just get another '85 VF1100S back in the stable. Just cant get that v-4 outta my noggin either, for some odd reason.

I bought my FJ back in May of '08 before everything went to ****. I was riding a WeeStrom and loving it. They I went for a ride with some people and a woman was riding an '05 FJ. She offered to let me ride it at lunch and I took her up on it. One ride told me that this is what I needed now. Then I looked at insurance and it was about $140 more a year than I was paying. That did it for me, sold the Wee and bought the FJ. Now my insurance is less than what my Wee cost me. So, when I say it's low cost for me...I mean the entire package!

It's a joy to own and know that I'm not going to have BMW sized bills in my future. Hey, if I had more funds I might own one too but for those on a reasonable budget the FJ really fits the bill.

Gerry

 

[SilverHound]

I am a "cruiser convert" as well. After buying the FJR I sold my Valkyrie Interstate and VTX1800 as I simply did not have the urge or need to ride them anymore. Both bikes had some decent giddy-up for cruisers but simply don't/can't compare to the FJR. The new BMW GL1600's are the only bikes that have caught my eye in recent days but even they don't compel me enough to justify getting rid of the FJR which I have tuned in, farkled and tweaked to just about perfection for me at this point.

 

[Orbit]

I like my FJR the best of my bikes. I picked up a 2008 Venture a week ago and will find out if I am a "cruiser guy". Selling the GL1500 which just seemed to get more and more boat like probably because my standard of acceptance was raised by more and more miles on the FJR.

Would really like Yamaha to update the FJR with maybe a version that is more friendly to the passenger. I got the venture because the wife won't do X-country on the FJR.

IMHO the FJR is the best do everything bike out there if you don't need a giant dirt bike.

I rode the 2011 Venture for nearly 1 year but my wife still refused to ride so I got rid of it last week and bought a 2012 FJR. Now I am happy! She used to ride with me but has been scared too many times and doesn't like to ride anymore. The FJR is mine and only mine. I don't have to worry about passenger comfort. I have owned many bikes, but my favorite was the 2007 FJR which I got rid of back in 2009 when I told my wife I would not ride anymore. Big mistake because I had to talk her into riding after a year with out a bike in the garage. I couldn't find an FJR in the area and settled for the 2008 C14. From there to the Venture and now back to the FJR. I am very happy once again to have my bike back. The Venture has all the creature comfort but no power and very heavy in slow traffic and at stop signs and traffic lights. The FJR is just so lite and easy to manuver. Just a few farkles and I will have like the 2007 FJR.

Orbit

 

[GPRIDER]

I'm a cruiser guy. A power cruising VMax that is. I use the FJR for trips and cool weather riding. The Max is more of a warmer weather around town blaster. The FJR gets much more seat time, but I love em both. :yahoo:

GP

 

[BlueRidgeFJR]

I had several different bikes over the years. Enjoyed most of them. My 86' FJ1200 was the one I kept thru all the years. Spent years and thousands bringing the bike back to showroom condition. Then life happened and I HAD to sell her to buy our first house. It killed me. The day I turned the key over I told the wife, "you know they now make a 1300, I will get one". So I was in love with the FJR before I ever got one. Several years after that I stopped by the dealer to pick up parts for the Kodiak. I asked when they were going to get one in, he said that they happened to have one in the crate that the deal went south with the person that ordered it in. :yahoo: . Went home and casualy slipped it into conversation, got clearance for takeoff from the wife. Long story short, I picked it up two days later. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. I will have more, but the FJR will never leave the stable. Awsome bike!!!

 

[Ray]

I misread this - thought you said you SOILED your FJR. Was expecting a tale about overcooking it into a corner but the FJR held the line and you **** yourself and the bike. Oh well just another thread on how great the FJR is. I love mine as well!

 

[Kelvininin]

Maybe it had something to do with a riding buddy of mine who recently had to have his air cooled bike's top end rebuilt at 70K, but I was just not diggin' the sounds of the pushrod motor.

The Victory mill is actually a single overhead cam with hydraulic lifters, making the thing very low maintenance. Oil changes, tires, and the occasional drive belt is about all that's needed to keep a Victory on the road. The Victory engine also has a dedicated oil cooling loop to keep the hot side of the valve train cool, to prevent exactly what you described from happening. Victory mills routinely cross over in the the 6 figure mileage range with nothing more than general maintenance. Victory is not your grand daddy's Harley.

I have owned three victory's, logged more than 75000 miles on them. Fantastic bikes. The Vision is still my favorite touring bike of all time, but wanted that felt a little younger so I picked up the FJR.

If I were in the market for an American Cruiser or Touring bike, I wouldn't even look at what the "motor company" is offering and go straight to a Victory dealer.

With exception of the scout the new indian's are a 2 cam/cylinder pushrod motors, while the scout is a water cooled dual overhead cam mil. All of polaris's motorcycle engines were ground up designs.

And sorry about resurrecting an ancient thread.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Don't apologize for zombifying an old thread. Many here are V-Twin converts, or have one for riding when they feel the urge. My VStar had the most comfortable seating position and ate up miles on the freeway, but trying to ride it in town -- where I live and work -- was lunacy. She couldn't turn a corner at speed without scraping hard parts under the floorboards.

I am confident that my FJR will never scrape pegs. I am not that crazy.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Don't apologize for zombifying an old thread.
I am confident that my FJR will never scrape pegs. I am not that crazy.

I agree with you on the first one and disagree on the second.

I think it is better to resurrect an old thread and keep all the information in one place.

My ES has scraped its pegs and I am not... Er...Uhmm... Okay, I am probably a bit off.

I have been spoiled by the FJR. I wanted a bike that was beautiful to look at, fast enough to scare me, had enough torque to pull my fat *** over the tallest mountains, could carry all my luggage, be all day comfortable, sledgehammer reliable, and handle like a sport bike. To get all of that in one awesome and relatively inexpensive package with heated!!! grips, is almost not fair. This bike is just... I am spoiled.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I was spoiled by my 06 for just over 102k miles, and am about to get even more spoiled, just as soon as I can get my 2016 ES.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I was spoiled by my 06 for just over 102k miles, and am about to get even more spoiled, just as soon as I can get my 2016 ES.

You will love that Gen3+ Joe.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I was spoiled by my 06 for just over 102k miles, and am about to get even more spoiled, just as soon as I can get my 2016 ES.

You will love that Gen3+ Joe.

Spoiled Brat.

Like he really needs a 6th gear, and LEDs and a slipper clutch, and heated grips, and cruise control, and electronic suspension, and cutting edge styling, and beautiful Cobalt Blue paint. Spoiled Little Brat.

I may just point my ES Northeast this year and hope I get the privilege of meeting Joe in person and seeing that awesome new bike. Of course, I will be accompanied by Pop who seems to be spoiled by his '07 FJR. I am guessing that most of us had to work to earn the money to buy ourselves these wonderful motorcycles. We all deserve to be spoiled a little.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I was spoiled by my 06 for just over 102k miles, and am about to get even more spoiled, just as soon as I can get my 2016 ES.

You will love that Gen3+ Joe.

Spoiled Brat.

Like he really needs a 6th gear, and LEDs and a slipper clutch, and heated grips, and cruise control, and electronic suspension, and cutting edge styling, and beautiful Cobalt Blue paint. Spoiled Little Brat.

I may just point my ES Northeast this year and hope I get the privilege of meeting Joe in person and seeing that awesome new bike. Of course, I will be accompanied by Pop who seems to be spoiled by his '07 FJR. I am guessing that most of us had to work to earn the money to buy ourselves these wonderful motorcycles. We all deserve to be spoiled a little.

You really should try to make it up to the SEO Ramble, or EOM.

 

[Salish1300]

I knew I would never want a cruiser, as it is not my aesthetic or lifestyle. And although I don't have the extensive bike resume of some people here, I did own a Versys before my FJR and it is utterly unfair to compare them in any respect. I ride a fair amount, and see lots of people riding, and I rarely, rarely, have bike envy. The only bike I have ever seen that clearly steals the show over my own is the sparkle lime green Kawasaki big *** ninja. That is the maybe the prettiest bike I've ever seen and a guy commutes on it on the Bainbridge ferry. I'm thoroughly spoiled, and for the price, craziness. When I see the 1600 Beemer I just snicker about the cost, and the Connie doesn't have cruise control or some other amenities.

Count me among the "pinch myself every time I put the leg over" crowd.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I don't think there's anything much to improve, except they need to realize that a sport tourer shouldn't need multiple mods to allow the rider to sit in a sport touring position, instead of a squid position. fix the ergos, to include a saddle instead of a bench, and it'd be hard to find fault with anything. Mine certainly sees a lot of use.

 

[art miller]

I too have demo'd many bikes, harleys, victorys, ninja 1000, connie, versys, tiger 800, bmws r1200 gs, r1200r, you get the picture but the fjr has been a great bike and with 105k miles it just seems to run better and better. I do wish it was lighter and had cruise control but then it would be perfect.

How did you happen to become an owner of a 2013A without cruise control???

 

[MadMax1996]

How did you happen to become an owner of a 2013A without cruise control???

The post was from Feb 2012 - guessing the 2013A showing in the profile now wasn't purchased at that point in time.

 

[yanktar]

"Am I Spoiled by the FJR?"

Yes. Enjoy and don't worry about it!

In my totally UN-biased opinion...

.... the FJR is one of the two best street bikes ever. The other is, of course the Gen-1 FZ1.

Despite the fact that those are the 2 bikes I own, I'm TOTALLY unbiased..

 

[FJR-Pilot]

Yes I am spoiled by the FJR. 80,000 miles spoiled.

I have had many different bikes over the years but the 80k I've logged on my 2007 have been incredibly perfect. I have tried several times in recent years to move from the FJR to something else. My dirt bike and Harley are fun but they just don't get the miles the FJR gets. Sold the Harley. Still have the DRZ400. But I have thought long and hard about replacing the FJR ... maybe a BMW, an S10, SV1000, even a Busa?! But just could not pull the trigger for fear of loss for what the FJR has that the others don't: incredible power, great handling, long distance comfort, adjustable windshield, shaft drive, hard storage, reliability, and fantastic brakes (ABS).

So what did I finally decide? I just worked out a deal on a brand spankin' new 2014 FJR1300A and I pick it up tomorrow! So now I can add gorgeous RED, cruise control, and heated grips to the equation! (the 2013 and 2015 colors are not very appealing to me nor is the 2016's slipper clutch and 6th gear ... although the blue is nice). Now I am looking forward to a few more years of perfectly incredible enjoyment! Thanks Yamaha!

(anybody want a well-used 2007? LOL)

 

[Happytrails63]

I wish someday to be spoiled by the fjr.