Bringing that average owner age down!

[lonesoldier84]

Over the past week or so after having returned from a long trip (~8,500km...but on an FZ6) and having researched in depth every option available to me, I have decided on an FJR as 98% likely to be my next bike (assuming I don't see a shiny triumph sprint ST priced for like $30).

My reasons to want an FJR as opposed to the other supersporttourers? Look inside yourselves for the answer to that question.

My reasons pushing me away from getting an FJR? Cornering. I am willing to suffer pain, cold, and discomfort in order to get to windy roads on a flickable bike that I can be aggressive with. In my research I have determined the FJR is flickable enough for the riding I do. If it slows me down a little bit that will be a good thing as some corners I have thought to myself on exiting them "damn, had there been a deer/boulder/stopped car/fresh cow poop there you wouldn't have been able to react".

I enjoy sport riding and don't need the speed (save that for the track) but just the experience of railing around corners in the fresh air with endless tarmac in front of me for the day's ride. I am willing to take on a larger bike which would still allow me to feel the experience of man-machine-tarmac that you can only get with elevated adrenaline levels from sport riding.

Ideally, I wouldn't need an FJR. But I don't live in an ideal world. More specifically, I live in the prairies. 1,000 miles to the nearest corner. Add another 500 miles to get to the really good stuff. I have 3 day weekends every 2 weeks. In order to make that trip on an FZ6 or sprint ST would involve discomfort to a point the fun riding would be less fun as I would not be fresh once there.

How do I know this? Experience from my first long trip. It made the shortcomings of the FZ6 as a long range tourer abundantly appparent. Loading it with luggage that I didn't actually need (packed enough shit to go to war with a small country for a month) further decreased from the fun factor in the windy stuff. Also, a cold day of even 600km after a long tough ride has the ability to drain your will to live, even further decreasing the enjoyability (is that even a word?) of the ride. Still good, but not AS good. DAMN YOU OREGON COAST AND YOUR GOD FORSAKEN GREY SKIES AND MISERABLE TEMPERATURES. That is what I was hollering in my helmet as I turned east and inland away from HWY 101. On and FJR I would have been singing and licking the inside of my full-face helmet. Licking it good.

But that aside, dropping my shit off in Santa Barbara and having a rest day, then being in the twisty stuff was heavenly and something I wouldnt sacrifice for anything. So therefore the Kawasaki Concours Cow-14 was out, along with the majority of the other options. The only other ones to consider were the VFR 1200, and SPRINT ST.

VFR = too aggressive

Sprint = less comfortable than FJR and less stuff spoiling and pampering the rider

FJR = best option

Then I saw an ad for a Ducati ST4s priced at 12k. ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL. Made me drop my jaw and pants to the floor. Sat on it. OMG it was comfortable enough (enough meaning every single fibre of my body wanted to buy it and was just desparetly finding reasons to justify buying it). I was all but set to buy it inspite of discovering several mechanical issues that year bike had (2002) that were quite bad and would apply to this bike. I felt like a kid again as I couldnt sleep the night before my test ride.

Well the test ride was sobering. It was a bike that fit like a glove, and the ride was so sensual it gave me a chubby. But it was a Ducati and Sport Touring is translated into an italian accent as "It'sah goonah havta go roundah the race-ah trackah, yes? Okie, let'sah build the race-ah bike, andiavo!! Andiavo!!"

*andiavio = generic italian word that means anything that would be appropriate in the context it is used*

So, ST4s = not what I needed. Great 4th bike. Not 2nd. (3rd will be KLR650). Also, not very fast in straight line...actually slower than my FZ6 inspite having 15 extra horses in the detuned 996 engine that it sports.

Sooooooooooo, now I was still set on an FJR, but changing my mind and thinking you know what, frak it, get the triumph and suck it up buttercup. Man up and get to the twisty stuff on the more-comfy-than-FZ6 sprint st. Then I thought some more and was definitely on the fence but leaning towards the FJR as I remembered those tough miles on the oregon coast. I've done tough riding in cold and shit weather a lot (as I ride in Alberta 7 months out of the year.....) but those are days you are fresh to begin with. Being 10 days into a trip it wears your patience much more quickly especially when you have ground to make up.

So, back to the FJR. Think to myself, "frak it, even if you can't corner that hard and get your body off the behemoth, it'll still be a sporty experience and great ride." Plus itll be nice to have on 5 of those 7 months in Alberta over the sprint.

So decide on an FJR. As a practical decision. But missing some of the magic until I saw this thread:

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...17760&st=20

Good. Great. I am a big guy at 6'3" and built up enough to handle the size. I fully expect to get the riding experience I want from this bike.

I am now content that I am getting the right bike and my misgivings and doubts are dispelled.

I will be buying the next used 2006-2008 machine I can find. I will make a purchase between now and March to find the best possible deal.

Looking forward to it. And to seeing many of you guys! Albeit in my mirrors........

P.S. Still putting the media from my ride together for a ride report.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Good luck with yer decision you young whippersnapper!

Just don't let any of the old guys pass you in the corner...

 

[BwanaDik]

Well chosen!

Glad you can get right to the point in your posts

 

[lonesoldier84]

Well chosen!
Glad you can get right to the point in your posts

ROFL

Get used to it bub. That was a short one......

I seriously have A.D.D. I think. And I saw a dog the other day, it was the same day I wwent to blockbuster to buy a movie for the first time in years. It's weird how blockbuster has such a big sign, it couldn't be any bigger could it? Well I suppose it could if you tried. But that would cost so much. The owner might as well open another shop. Like a mexican restaurant. They had some great mexican places in California! Best place of all was this place that had split pea soup. It wasn't a mexican place but it was amazing. I never thought soup could be so good.

Just don't let any of the old guys pass you in the corner...

Hehe, oh how embarassing that would be after a preamble like the one above.

 

[exskibum]

Looking forward to it. And to seeing many of you guys! Albeit in my mirrors........

Mmmmhmmm

I suppose with much of what was in that, it might have been more accurate to note that we'll be along soon enough to gather up your stuff as you're getting life flighted out. You think that most of us who have been riding 3 or 4+ decades can't look back and say that many of us were lucky to survive being your age so that we could ride this long? Only your generation has the testosterone, aggressiveness, skills and invulnerability to go fast on sport bikes? What do you think the chances are that we've gotten dumber or appreciably slower (except by experienced choice) with all these years riding?

Good luck with your eventual selection. Everything for the street is a compromise, and then it's about learning to make the most of that. In all that, there's always going to be one constant: it's first and foremost about the rider. (At the amateur level, it's NOT the rocket ship the stud chooses to ride for whatever reason.) Pick whatever sport bike you wish and see if you wouldn't get your ass handed to you by Valentino Rossi on a Gold Wing. The question there is whether you're smart enough to let him run away from you or get crashed out trying to keep up.

Good luck and here's hoping you survive long enough to be one of the old and "slow" crowd.

 

[lonesoldier84]

Looking forward to it. And to seeing many of you guys! Albeit in my mirrors........

Mmmmhmmm

I suppose with much of what was in that, it might have been more accurate to note that we'll be along soon enough to gather up your stuff as you're getting life flighted out. You think that most of us who have been riding 3 or 4+ decades can't look back and say that many of us were lucky to survive being your age so that we could ride this long? Only your generation has the testosterone, aggressiveness, skills and invulnerability to go fast on sport bikes? What do you think the chances are that we've gotten dumber or appreciably slower (except by experienced choice) with all these years riding?

Good luck with your eventual selection. Everything for the street is a compromise, and then it's about learning to make the most of that. In all that, there's always going to be one constant: it's first and foremost about the rider. (At the amateur level, it's NOT the rocket ship the stud chooses to ride for whatever reason.) Pick whatever sport bike you wish and see if you wouldn't get your ass handed to you by Valentino Rossi on a Gold Wing. The question there is whether you're smart enough to let him run away from you or get crashed out trying to keep up.

Good luck and here's hoping you survive long enough to be one of the old and "slow" crowd.

No need for hostility (not saying you were, just trying to nip a potential stream of negative posts in the bud). It was a good natured jest/poke-in-the-ribs. I am not reckless. In fact I've been getting progressively better in that regard over the past 3-4 years. (which is why I feel I am growing to be more of a mature rider and growing out of the FZ6 phase and into the FJR phase of my riding). I was downright docile for many of the miles of that last trip. When I say corner aggressively I don't mean balls to the wall. I mean spirited rip with a mind to safety. sometimes I've gotten a bit quick ona corner or two but I always notice and slow it down a tad for the next ones. Still maintain "spirited" pace though. Hope that clarifies. I just didn't want a behemoth tanker that I couldn't hang off of.

Soooooooo:

hug?

Come on.....you know you wanna.......COME HERE!!!

P.S. No I'm not a racer, just a guy having fun and enjoying himself on a motorbike. If someone rips by me on a goldwing and I want to keep up and can within my comfort zone, then I will. If he is clearly the superior rider and I am outside my comfort zone to keep up with him, then I won't push past it.

 

[exskibum]

No need for hostility. It was a good natured jest/poke-in-the-ribs. I am not reckless. In fact I've been getting progressively better in that regard over the past 3-4 years. (which is why I feel I am growing to be more of a mature rider and growing out of the FZ6 phase and into the FJR phase of my riding). I was downright docile for many of the miles of that last trip. When I say corner aggressively I don't mean balls to the wall. I mean spirited rip with a mind to safety. sometimes I've gotten a bit quick ona corner or two but I always notice and slow it down a tad for the next ones. Still maintain "spirited" pace though. Hope that clarifies. I just didn't want a behemoth tanker that I couldn't hang off of.

Soooooooo:

hug?

Come on.....you know you wanna.......COME HERE!!!

P.S. No I'm not a racer, just a guy having fun and enjoying himself on a motorbike. If someone rips by me on a goldwing and I want to keep up and can within my comfort zone, then I will. If he is clearly the superior rider and I am outside my comfort zone to keep up with him, then I won't push past it. Easy tiger.

You misread my post. Nothing hostile at all, nothing that challenges me or my ego. Just a warning from someone who is extremely lucky to have survived my late teens and early 20s. I've seen this before. I'm not slow, even 2 up, but I've also ridden with real AMA expert racers (not even at Rossi's level), and was fortunate that this was not when I was testosterone overloaded in my 20s -- they can kick my ass any time they want to.

You can use whatever adjective you want. What clued me was that you found yourself taking corners at a pace (for your skills) that left you no out for unforeseen issues like cars over the line, sand, etc. We don't usually get very many chances (often no more than one time) to make a bad mistake and be able to keep riding, or even breathing. You blow one corner over the line at the wrong time, and you lose big. (On a sportbike, sport-tourer, barca-lounger, whatever bike.)

Read what I said about compromises. It's true, and there are lots of things like suspension and riding techniques that will let you make the most out of that choice. In the twisties on a 1098, you probably never have to really lean off the bike, but you may have to learn to throw the FJR around and take advantage of every such technique to squeeze the most out of it. Suspensions and tires make a difference. But again -- it's the rider. And by that, I mean knowing your limits on whatever bike you're on, as well gaining and drilling the skills.

Hug? Sure, if that's what you're into. No hard feelings, no challenge, no hostility at all. Just a caution. "Beginner's Mind" is something none of us should ever lose track of.

Again -- good luck. For me, the FJR is the best of all compromises for what I want a bike to do. Having said that, I'm off for the next few hours to ride Sierra twisties on my XX.

 

[lonesoldier84]

No need for hostility. It was a good natured jest/poke-in-the-ribs. I am not reckless. In fact I've been getting progressively better in that regard over the past 3-4 years. (which is why I feel I am growing to be more of a mature rider and growing out of the FZ6 phase and into the FJR phase of my riding). I was downright docile for many of the miles of that last trip. When I say corner aggressively I don't mean balls to the wall. I mean spirited rip with a mind to safety. sometimes I've gotten a bit quick ona corner or two but I always notice and slow it down a tad for the next ones. Still maintain "spirited" pace though. Hope that clarifies. I just didn't want a behemoth tanker that I couldn't hang off of.

Soooooooo:

hug?

Come on.....you know you wanna.......COME HERE!!!

P.S. No I'm not a racer, just a guy having fun and enjoying himself on a motorbike. If someone rips by me on a goldwing and I want to keep up and can within my comfort zone, then I will. If he is clearly the superior rider and I am outside my comfort zone to keep up with him, then I won't push past it. Easy tiger.

You misread my post. Nothing hostile at all, nothing that challenges me or my ego. Just a warning from someone who is extremely lucky to have survived my late teens and early 20s. I've seen this before. I'm not slow, even 2 up, but I've also ridden with real AMA expert racers (not even at Rossi's level), and was fortunate that this was not when I was testosterone overloaded in my 20s -- they can kick my ass any time they want to.

You can use whatever adjective you want. What clued me was that you found yourself taking corners at a pace (for your skills) that left you no out for unforeseen issues like cars over the line, sand, etc. We don't usually get very many chances (often no more than one time) to make a bad mistake and be able to keep riding, or even breathing. You blow one corner over the line at the wrong time, and you lose big. (On a sportbike, sport-tourer, barca-lounger, whatever bike.)

Read what I said about compromises. It's true, and there are lots of things like suspension and riding techniques that will let you make the most out of that choice. In the twisties on a 1098, you probably never have to really lean off the bike, but you may have to learn to throw the FJR around and take advantage of every such technique to squeeze the most out of it. Suspensions and tires make a difference. But again -- it's the rider. And by that, I mean knowing your limits on whatever bike you're on, as well gaining and drilling the skills.

Hug? Sure, if that's what you're into. No hard feelings, no challenge, no hostility at all. Just a caution. "Beginner's Mind" is something none of us should ever lose track of.

Again -- good luck. For me, the FJR is the best of all compromises for what I want a bike to do. Having said that, I'm off for the next few hours to ride Sierra twisties on my XX.

After re-reading your post I saw the lack of hostility. I guess I just got defensive. And I got defensive because there is a grain of truth in what you say as it applies to me. I am coming out of those wackier years of the early 20's (I'm 26 right at the moment) but in mentioning that sometimes I'll be going through a corner quicker than I can react to debris and dangers. I cannot deny that I am 100% out of that mind-set yet. I'm alllmost there and getting into a larger sport touring mount is part of that growth. I do my best and the vast majority of the time I am proud of my riding as being smooth, and competent to a point where I wasn't riding dangerously. Sometimes I am a smidgeon too quick for what the road can allow with visibility around corners etc and I make note of this and compensate. It is a work in progress, and I am much better about it than in the past.

That aside, your post there is read and received well.

The thing that causes me great discomfort is knowing that on those occassions where if a variable like oncoming car or something had been a bit different I would not have made it out in one piece.

The extent of that discomfort is what has forced me over the past 3-4 years to accept that as much fun as it is to push that line of safety, it is just not worth it. That last long trip there on the FZ6 I left home with a genuine and intense mental note to back off and enjoy the ride, and not risk it all for a few moments of glory. 97% of the time I was very good. I learned some very valuable lessons which I will document in the ride report. The lessons I learnt re-emphasized the need to preserve life. To enjoy the countless miles from today until the day I am old and grey.

So part of the drive to get an FJR has been the drive to preserve life. I want to back off the speed, and enjoy the ride a bit more, while still retaining the ability to sport-ride. The part of me that wants the Sprint ST and the Ducati is the part of me I have been metaphorically bludgeoning into submission for the past 3-4 years. That is the same part of me that has been causing all that discomfort I mentioned in the last bit there. The part of me that wants the FJR is the part that wants to raise a family. The part that is pulling me to the FJR over the bigger tourers is that I cannot entirely pull away from the desire to sport-ride yet.

So, that hopefully lends some more insight.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Yer posts are too long.

The people around here are old and need to take a nap midway...just to rest up and read the rest of it. :clapping: Plus yer using big words an stuff...start using words like wimenz, drinking, and sex and people will start paying attention to what you have to say. :clapping:

 

[lonesoldier84]

[SIZE=24pt]Tits.[/SIZE] It is worth mentioning that I do recognize the sheer weight of collective riding experience on this forum is so far beyond my handful of years riding that humility would be the best option for me to pursue. [SIZE=18pt]Big ole titties.[/SIZE] But I'm a jackass. It's more fun being a jackass. [SIZE=18pt]Big ole bouncing titties.[/SIZE] I think I have found the secret to keeping people's attention around here.

 

[BwanaDik]

metaphorically bludgeoning into submission

Phew! That one wore me out right there! :lol:

 

[lonesoldier84]

metaphorically bludgeoning into submission

Phew! That one wore me out right there! :lol:

LOL

yeah I went back and added the "metaphorically" or else it would have conjured up images of me bludgeoning my boys with a mallet

 

[wheatonFJR]

[SIZE=24pt]Tits.[/SIZE] It is worth mentioning that I do recognize the sheer weight of collective riding experience on this forum is so far beyond my handful of years riding that humility would be the best option for me to pursue. [SIZE=18pt]Big ole titties.[/SIZE] But I'm a jackass. It's more fun being a jackass. [SIZE=18pt]Big ole bouncing titties.[/SIZE] I think I have found the secret to keeping people's attention around here.

You have divined the secrets of life the forum grasshopper...

 

[beemerdons]

[SIZE=24pt]Tits.[/SIZE] It is worth mentioning that I do recognize the sheer weight of collective riding experience on this forum is so far beyond my handful of years riding that humility would be the best option for me to pursue. [SIZE=18pt]Big ole titties.[/SIZE] But I'm a jackass. It's more fun being a jackass. [SIZE=18pt]Big ole bouncing titties.[/SIZE] I think I have found the secret to keeping people's attention around here.

You have divined the secrets of life the forum grasshopper...

Hey, something woke me up; what the hell was that!!!

 

[Tyler]

start using words like wimenz, drinking, and sex and people will start paying attention to what you have to say. :clapping:

And sheep... [SIZE=36pt]BIG OLE BEAUTIFUL BOUNCING EWES[/SIZE]

 

[blkredlinedrvr]

Wait how old are ya? I just turned 25 back in May.

 

[lonesoldier84]

Wait how old are ya? I just turned 25 back in May.

26. So we probably get shafted for parking at the rider meets? Bunch of older blokes probably won't want to give up their spaces, eh. Ah well, hopefully a couple of them bring their daughters (or impossibly younger wives YEEEEOWWWWWW).

 

[wheatonFJR]

Just a footnote/reminder here...just because people here have some graying hair, balding heads, and some claim they can remember the 60s...

...don't think for a moment that there is any sort of maturity level in this board.

Those people left...once they hung out here for awhile.

 

[Surly]

Wait how old are ya? I just turned 25 back in May.

26. So we probably get shafted for parking at the rider meets? Bunch of older blokes probably won't want to give up their spaces, eh. Ah well, hopefully a couple of them bring their daughters (or impossibly younger wives YEEEEOWWWWWW).

Iam 56 and talk of [SIZE=36pt]titties[/SIZE] gets to me every time.

Regards

Surly

h34r: