CBR1100XX

[SouthernCruizer]

...<SNIP>How often do you change the fluid in your shaft. Book says every other oil change I do it every oil change just so I don't miss one...<SNIP>

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Hmmm...i musta copied my maintenance schedule wrong to my spreadsheet, cause I am showing final drive fluid every 16K.

:blink:

Jay

'04 FJR 1300

 

[sparky3008]

...<SNIP>How often do you change the fluid in your shaft. Book says every other oil change I do it every oil change just so I don't miss one...<SNIP>

*************************************

Hmmm...i musta copied my maintenance schedule wrong to my spreadsheet, cause I am showing final drive fluid every 16K.

:blink:

Jay

'04 FJR 1300

Doh! I just checked mine and it is 16k, I must have been thinking of my vstar.

Doesn't change my statements though. I find chain maintenance and its advantages better for me...

 

[Langly]

I remember picking the FJR up in 04 riding down the street and thinking to myself this thing has the clunkiest POS gearbox I have ever shifted. I debated turning around and going back to the dealer for a refund. That is the difference between an XX and FJR gearbox.

Luckily the FJR gearbox smoothed out as it broke in, but it is no where near as smooth as a XX. Most people wouldn't know a great bike if it bit them on the backside. Many REALLY good bikes do not sell well, while MANY subpar machines sell very well.

 

[RadioHowie]

And for yet ANOTHER POV on the Blackbird, one of my best bikin' buddies, from the ZRXOA forum, just got rid of his XX -- for an R1. His complaint with the XX? No character. Fast, but bland. An appliance. He's a serious rider, with pro roadracing roots, so the R1 does it for him, but amongst the ZRX crowd, I've heard the same critiques of Blackbirds.

Schaweet lookin' bike, though.

 

[markjenn]

And just to make sure both sides of this get covered, in CW's sport-touring comparo six months ago, they thought the FJR transmission was the best of the bunch which included a Busa and a ZX12. There is a lot of sample-to-sample variation between bikes as far as shifting smoothness. I've owned maybe 50 bikes in my career and I'd rate the FJR about a 6 out of 10 overall, but in big heavy-duty, shaft-driven touring machines, the best. That's I think the problem here - you can't pull a single feature off a bike and think that there is no reason that it can't be as good as a single feature on another bike. In the case of the XX vs. FJR driveline, there's two extra right-angle turns and a driveshaft involved. All bikes are compromises and all bikes are built to a price.

- Mark

 

[TahoeBound]

No character. Fast, but bland. An appliance.

Far too often when I hear a bike "has character" its to cover up some ugly flaw(s). Character is definitely personal opinion. If a person has owned a particular bike IMO they are entitled to whatever opinion they feel and no one can argue with that. The quoted statement would not even occur to me. To me thats a 180 from what I think. Then again, I can see the type of person interested in an R1 would not be interested in an XX (unless perhaps he/she had a stable of bikes). Is your buddy getting his nuts roasted on the R1? I've heard the R1 is an appliance too (read: oven!). Pure sportbikes are way too specialized for my tastes, but I love their sleek, racy look :dribble: . In some cases they are works of art, especially the R1 (which rivals or surpasses even the Italians in this category IMO). But they are "scalpels," of the crippling kind. Plus they whisper bad things like - "go faster, go faster, just a little more" or "this is a good place for a wheelie" or "aahhh, I can 3x this turn." :lol: Been there, done that. No thanks.

Yep. For me, no one bike can do it all even with a grand or two in "personalizations." IMO the FJR still comes closest. I'm sure many think it has no character and is as big as several appliances, not to mention personality confusion - jack of all trades, master of none. If a bike can give me schwwwingg and both the XX & FJR do, that's good enough for me.

 

[RadioHowie]

I'll have to ask him about the heat issue. Didn't know there was one with the R1. Good to know, though...he's baited ME a couple of times about the FJR's heat, so I can give back a little.

 

[TahoeBound]

After ~400 miles on the '02 'Bird & jumping back on the FJR I've a few more observations:

I've changed my opinion on the subject of XX's "silky smooth" internal gears: with the exception of "clunking" into first gear, 25K FJR vs 5K XX the FJR's "internal gears" are smoother & tighter feeling - superior to the XX. However, the XX's engine is still unbelievable in all other respects. I'm amazed how effortless & smmooooth the power is put down - sweet.

Even with sub-par suspension, old-tech chassis & brick BT-57 tires, I can charge corners faster and with more confidence on the XX. 100lbs makes a difference. With good tires (which will go on this weekend - M1/Z6) and a suspension upgrade, say Traxxion fork internals & a rear Ohlins (at ~$2K that may never go on!) this bike would be phenomenal overall.

FJR brakes with braided lines are FAR better in power & feel than the XX. I don't mind the linked brakes (actually kind of nice) of the XX, but they PALE in comparison to the FJR.

The XX's chain is a major pain in the rear. It's a freakin' mess back there. Me being anal about motorcycle cleanliness, it's hard to deal with. I need to find good chain lube that sticks.

In the end, both nice bikes overall. But the FJRs not going anywhere!

 

[Warchild]

As much as I love the FJR and R1 - and I really, REALLY do love them both - if a financial downturn force a decision to be made one which single bike I could keep, I'd be lying if I said it would be a hard decision between the FJR and the mighty XX, because it wouldn't.

From Day 2 of last weekend's 3-day, 2100-mile romp around Nevada/northern California:

 

[exskibum]

I came to the FJR off a '97 XX and now have an '03 XX that is about to get heavily farkled (parts stacking up in garage) with the '97 about to go back together and get sold mostly stock.

I'm set for motorcycles, with my (soon to be Traxxion/Penske suspended) '03 XX and my nearly fully farkled '05 FJR. For me, a pure sportbike is too uncomfortable for more than a couple hours. The FJR is my idea of a perfect tourer and two up bike -- THE only bike I'd own if I could only have one. The XX just pushes my buttons for style, day long rides in the mountains and the speed rush. That engine is killer -- amazingly smooth, nearly bulletproof, and FAST. Chains come with the mess for the benefit of more transmitted RWHP and lighter weight; gonna get a pro oiler and be done with most of the aggravation, but still having to clean chains and the surrounds.

One of the constants between the XX and the FJR is that neither is all that common, so I'm always being engaged in conversation about whichever I'm on -- either from guys who KNOW what each is, or from people who have no idea what either is.

Like I said: I'm set for motorcycles, because once I get rid of the '97 and get the '03 fully farkled, I have the two bikes I most enjoy riding.

Rich

 

[Bounce]

This is a non-issue nowadays, gentlemen.

Understood, Dale. And 28k miles [as someone mentioned on their XX] is a year for some folks. I am confused about how you can be so casual about all that grime created by keeping the chain in top shape. You must spend hours prepping it for each show-and-shine.

For those who don't know, I've known Dale for years and his praise of the XX is something I respect a lot. For some of us fit is an issue and "security squad sized" riders don't always squeeze onto some models as easy as other models. If you want to experience a cluncky shift, try the gear boxes on 1983 - 2000 Gold Wings. But at the same time those drive trains are not strangers to 100,000 to 300,000 miles without anything other than regular servicing with each tire swap.

 

[Warchild]

You must spend hours prepping it for each show-and-shine.

Like I always maintain: a clean bike is a gay bike.

 

[exskibum]

For some of us fit is an issue and "security squad sized" riders don't always squeeze onto some models as easy as other models.

Not entirely sure what you mean by "security squad size riders", but I'm assuming you mean BIG boys. If that's the case, I have a perspective as someone who has ridden with XX riders and FJR riders from the two most prominent boards, and will again be going to meets with both groups in the next couple months. That is this:

As a group, the boys riding XXs are among the biggest guys I've ever come across on bikes, unless you're talking about the 300 plus pound overweight ex lineman profile of some Harley riders. The XX riders I've ridden with are generally considerably bigger than the FJR riders I've ridden with, and younger. The typical I've seen is 6'2" to 6'5", 225 to 295 lbs, early 30s to mid 40s, with a remarkably good chance that he's a LEO when he isn't exceeding the speed limit on his XX.

Seems to me that the FJR would be a lot more comfortable to a BIG guy than an XX, but come to an XX meet, and Dale is gonna look small next to many of these guys. At a little over 5'10" and 190+ now, I almost qualify as a dwarf. BTW, did I mention that a regularly discussed form of entertainment amongst the giants at an XX meet is "dwarf bowling"? We have a few short XX riders, and so far, they have received all this attention, leaving me in the moderately sized, and so far, not bowlable range.

 

[madmike2]

Er yew'ns try'n tuh git me tuh buy en XX tuh go along wit mah FJR? Would'ja quit, already. Ah was droolin' over them bikez fer a coupl'a yars en bot my FJR instead. Now, lookee hear et whut yer postin'!

 

[Warchild]

Er yew'ns try'n tuh git me tuh buy en XX tuh go along wit mah FJR? Would'ja quit, already. Ah was droolin' over them bikez fer a coupl'a yars en bot my FJR instead. Now, lookee hear et whut yer postin'!

But Mike.... you would look good on a Blackbird!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Here's what my XX used to look like before it morphed into my primary Endurance Rally bike:

 

[exskibum]

Er yew'ns try'n tuh git me tuh buy en XX tuh go along wit mah FJR? Would'ja quit, already. Ah was droolin' over them bikez fer a coupl'a yars en bot my FJR instead. Now, lookee hear et whut yer postin'!

But Mike.... you would look good on a Blackbird!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Here's what my XX used to look like before it morphed into my primary Endurance Rally bike:

Yep, WC, and Mike is big enough to fit right in with the giant XX rider group -- and on top of all that, I've got a '97 with only 23 K on it, titled in Mikes own home state, about to go on the block. (Hopefully, I'll have tires on it by tonight.)

 

[Rickster]

I liked my XX. Fast, smooth.

I ordered the FJR for more comfort.

Ride what'cha like! Like what'cha ride....

 

[Toynut]

I dunno...........................................

Call me crazy,......... but............................ :twitchsmile:

The more I look at Dale's bike........................... :blink:

The more the simularities become even more evident.................................. :umnik2:

Talk about twins separated at Birth!!!!!! neeyedsmiley02: neeyedsmiley02:

[SIZE=14pt]Am I the only ONE seeing this!!!!!????????[/SIZE] :weirdsmiley:

 

[Rickster]

Too funny toynut!!! very similar!

 

[Woodstock]

:w00t: