Cruiser or Sportbike background? Why FJR now?

[ULEWZ]

First sportbikes and dirtbikes, then wanting to have a bike that I could put more miles on without the motor smoking, I sold my R1 and bought the FJR. I don't ride it as fast, but have as much fun. :clapping:

 

[azitlies]

Came from the sport side myself.

had a gsxr and 2 vfr's before an st1300 and then the FJR.

I wanted full fairings and still sporty, but more relaxed ergos. That's really all the thought there was to it for me.

Just moved to a Kawasaki Versys less then a week ago. I'm happy with the choice and because most of my riding is just round town'.

The guy I bought the FJR from came from a cruiser... and went back to one...

Sure has been a lot of experiences getting to where I am...

 

[Bustanut joker]

Hard to say how I ended up on it.. I've had crotch rockets, standards, motocross, enduro/dual sport, cruisers and enjoyed them all..

Used to race a little motocross,hare scrambles and enduros but the ground was getting harder and my ability to bounce started to decline, so I gave that up.

The biggest reason for the FJR is the comfort and speed..

 

[Kevin_Ireland]

I got a Honda CR80 when I was around 11 then a couple of years later moved up to a Suzuki TS125 (I think that's right) rode that until I got my driver's license. I went the next 5 years without a bike (sold the TS125). Well I dropped out of college, while intoxicated, and joined the Army. After getting to my first duty station I went and bought a Harley. I started hanging around a bunch of Vagos members but luckily for me I got transfered to Germany before I got myself in trouble. 3 weeks before I was to ship my bike my drunk neighbor decided to park on top of my bike. Later in Germany I bought a Dyna Wide Glide thru the PX. I rode that over there for a year. I loved the attention it got but hated it for being too slow on the Autobahn and it ran like **** in the Alps. I met a group of Italians one time while riding and one of them wanted my bike so after I had it a year he came and traded me his year old Ducati 916 and gave me $5,000 US for my bike!!! I didn't want the money but he insisted. I didn't know at the time what a Harley cost in Italy. 1 1/2 years later I broke my back in Kosovo and was told I'd never walk again. My 916 was sold.... Long story short, a year later I was walking again and was released for light duty and still had physical therapy 3 days a week. So what did I do? I bought a 1998 CBR1100XX and had a Hahn supercharger put on it!

I rode that bike like a fool! On I-10 between San Antonio and Houston I got that bike over 200mph. I never thought about wrecking, or about the welfare of others on the road. After being reassigned I met my wife and I think one of the happiest days for her was that day the Blackbird was stolen! She agreed I could get another bike but NOT another Blackbird or Hyabusha. After the cost of the supercharger I was in the hole with the payoff from the insurance anyway so I was more resonable. Also, with her I found a reason to care about my life again. I ended up with a Bandit. I like it but I liked it much better after Dale Walker got a lot of my money! I kept that bike for the next 5 years.

I was medically retired and we moved to Northern KY. I didn't ride much anymore because everyone I met there had a cruiser and their idea of riding was from one bar to another, so I sold the Bandit. The next 3 years were filled with golf on the weekends then in 2010 I decided I wanted to ride again. I knew I didn't want a true sportbike because I wanted to travel on it. I didn't was a touring bike becuase those are too boring. After looking around I rode a Coni and I liked it but it just didn't feel right for me. I rode a couple different BMWs but didn't like the cost of servicing the bike. Then I found the FJR. I didn't even take one for a test ride! I found a low mileage one at a reputable dealer who was selling it on consignment (It was stolen, and the owner bought a new bike and the police recovered the bike before the insurance paid out and now the owner was stuck with two bikes and had to sell one). We drove down in April with a trailer. I looked it over, got the deal I wanted and loaded the bike up. I have never regretted it. I love that bike.

Now that I'm deployed (was able to get back on Active Duty in 2009) again I can't wait to go home on R&R and go riding. If I get another bike I'm still keeping the FJR.

 

[Surly]

I got a Honda CR80 when I was around 11 then a couple of years later moved up to a Suzuki TS125 (I think that's right) rode that until I got my driver's license. I went the next 5 years without a bike (sold the TS125). Well I dropped out of college, while intoxicated, and joined the Army. After getting to my first duty station I went and bought a Harley. I started hanging around a bunch of Vagos members but luckily for me I got transfered to Germany before I got myself in trouble. 3 weeks before I was to ship my bike my drunk neighbor decided to park on top of my bike. Later in Germany I bought a Dyna Wide Glide thru the PX. I rode that over there for a year. I loved the attention it got but hated it for being too slow on the Autobahn and it ran like **** in the Alps. I met a group of Italians one time while riding and one of them wanted my bike so after I had it a year he came and traded me his year old Ducati 916 and gave me $5,000 US for my bike!!! I didn't want the money but he insisted. I didn't know at the time what a Harley cost in Italy. 1 1/2 years later I broke my back in Kosovo and was told I'd never walk again. My 916 was sold.... Long story short, a year later I was walking again and was released for light duty and still had physical therapy 3 days a week. So what did I do? I bought a 1998 CBR1100XX and had a Hahn supercharger put on it!

I rode that bike like a fool! On I-10 between San Antonio and Houston I got that bike over 200mph. I never thought about wrecking, or about the welfare of others on the road. After being reassigned I met my wife and I think one of the happiest days for her was that day the Blackbird was stolen! She agreed I could get another bike but NOT another Blackbird or Hyabusha. After the cost of the supercharger I was in the hole with the payoff from the insurance anyway so I was more resonable. Also, with her I found a reason to care about my life again. I ended up with a Bandit. I like it but I liked it much better after Dale Walker got a lot of my money! I kept that bike for the next 5 years.

I was medically retired and we moved to Northern KY. I didn't ride much anymore because everyone I met there had a cruiser and their idea of riding was from one bar to another, so I sold the Bandit. The next 3 years were filled with golf on the weekends then in 2010 I decided I wanted to ride again. I knew I didn't want a true sportbike because I wanted to travel on it. I didn't was a touring bike becuase those are too boring. After looking around I rode a Coni and I liked it but it just didn't feel right for me. I rode a couple different BMWs but didn't like the cost of servicing the bike. Then I found the FJR. I didn't even take one for a test ride! I found a low mileage one at a reputable dealer who was selling it on consignment (It was stolen, and the owner bought a new bike and the police recovered the bike before the insurance paid out and now the owner was stuck with two bikes and had to sell one). We drove down in April with a trailer. I looked it over, got the deal I wanted and loaded the bike up. I have never regretted it. I love that bike.

Now that I'm deployed (was able to get back on Active Duty in 2009) again I can't wait to go home on R&R and go riding. If I get another bike I'm still keeping the FJR.

Great read Kevin. Enjoy your R&R.

Best regards

Surly

h34r:

 

[HawkWing]

It all began with a scrambler back in '74. Rode that sweet thang EVERYWHERE! My bud had a little two-stroke Yamaha, and we'd ride all day, find a place to pull off the road, camp out, and do it again the next day. Man, those were the days. Talk about an iron butt . . some days we rode 600 miles! All that came to a sceeching halt late one night, coming home from work. The big husky/shepherd mix bit off more than he could chew, and I wound up in ER. Nothing too bad, but it did keep me off bikes for a few years . . .

Then in '89 along came a sweet deal on a '75 GoldWing that I just couldn't pass up. Got back into cycling, and never looked back. Went through a coupla more older, used 'Wings, picked up a Shadow to cruise around town on; and when my brother grew disenchanted with his '08 fjr, well, the rest is history! Ain't no goin' back now!

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

Based on the vote total at this point its apparent we have a very diverse riding group on this forum with Sportbikes/Cruisers/Standards all almost dead even and dirtbikers closely behind.

I think this is a good thing and it also shows the draw a FJR has over a broad range of people and riders. It's a bike that appeals to many. It's close enough for sportbikers without being an actual sportbike. It's close enough for cruiser riders because it's right in between a sportbike and a cruiser. It allows for perhaps more comfort & riding distance for standard riders and so on.

This is why I ended up with a ST and specifically a FJR because it's just simply a terrific all around bike that does everything well: Performance, handling, comfort, storage.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Based on the vote total at this point its apparent we have a very diverse riding group on this forum with Sportbikes/Cruisers/Standards all almost dead even and dirtbikers closely behind.

I think this is a good thing and it also shows the draw a FJR has over a broad range of people and riders. It's a bike that appeals to many. It's close enough for sportbikers without being an actual sportbike. It's close enough for cruiser riders because it's right in between a sportbike and a cruiser. It allows for perhaps more comfort & riding distance for standard riders and so on.

This is why I ended up with a ST and specifically a FJR because it's just simply a terrific all around bike that does everything well: Performance, handling, comfort, storage.

Yes, diversity of experience is a good thing. :clapping:

<sidetrack>However, it is not always the best thing when announcing a ride in a nice twisty part of the country. LOTS of different riding skills on this board. That's not a bad thing if you can get like paced riders together...or you pick a destination and everybody just rides to that destination. On a ride like the SE Ohio Ramble, I try to put like paced riders together <somehow> but usuallly someone is in a group with riders a lot faster than they ride or in a group who ride way too pokey for them. This isn't a problem unless someone tries (invariably) to ride faster than they would nornally ride (I've been THAT GUY before)...which can have bad results-obviously. So keep the diversity in mind when planning and attending rides.<sidetrack>

 

[SouthernCruizer]

I had a uni-cycle. Now I have a Fjr.

that is all

 

[Kevin_Ireland]

Great read Kevin. Enjoy your R&R.

Best regards

Surly

h34r:

Surly, Thank you! I will. I'll be back Stateside around the 15th of March. We are trailering the bike down to Gatlinburg, TN (because the weather is unpredictable that time of year) then doing day rides for a few day.

Southern: We have the same two bikes at home except the gsx650f is the wife's.

 

[Falko]

All my riding friends stepped up to ST's. The rides got longer, I got sorer. I bought an FJR, and it compliments my sportyrunoutandgetacoffeeorterrorizetheneighborhood bike in the garage nicely. Got the FJR cause it seemed to be the sportiest of the comfy bikes at the time.

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

<sidetrack>However, it is not always the best thing when announcing a ride in a nice twisty part of the country. LOTS of different riding skills on this board. That's not a bad thing if you can get like paced riders together...or you pick a destination and everybody just rides to that destination. On a ride like the SE Ohio Ramble, I try to put like paced riders together <somehow> but usuallly someone is in a group with riders a lot faster than they ride or in a group who ride way too pokey for them. This isn't a problem unless someone tries (invariably) to ride faster than they would nornally ride (I've been THAT GUY before)...which can have bad results-obviously. So keep the diversity in mind when planning and attending rides.<sidetrack>

Sidetrack rebuttal: I agree. But I can only comment on this from my cruiser riding days as I have not attended any FJR ride events yet. Over the past few years or so I've probably organized and lead a dozen or more group rides ranging from 10 to 30 riders. The more riders, the more potential for something to go wrong. Its a numbers game. Some guys could ride their cruisers faster than some ST types feel comfortable riding theirs. While there's been a few I spotted that really had no business being in the mountains altogether because of their lack of experience or riding ability.

 

ALL "GROUP" rides have a greater inherent risk of someone going down because of riding too fast on unfamiliar roads, trying to keep up with faster riders, feeling pushed to go faster by a rider behind them that's not giving them their due space, focusing on the bike rider in front of you instead of riding your own line in the twisties or having a speed demon group leader setting a pace that only a few can really match in the group. Nobody wants to get left behind or feel like their riding manhood is being tested. No matter how many times you announce "Ride your own ride. Ride your own pace"...things change when you get out on the road in a group setting.

 

What's a quick pace for one guy is a snoozer for another. I look at group rides from a safety standpoint and group rides should be more about meeting/making friends, riding in a group and getting everybody from point A to point B in one piece. Spirited balls to the wall rides IMO should not be done in organized group ride settings. It's completely different than you and your two or three riding buddies that can all haul *** and have similar ability going off and tearing up the twisties on your own.

 

I feel like I'm whispering!!!

 

[TheZsdad]

Bought my 1st bike at the old age of 22. 1972 Honda XL250. This was the bike that could do it all.

Commute to work during the week and tear up Hollister Ranch on the weekends. Turned out it sucked

at both at least imho. I found out then that I don't like breaking parts on bikes. Always worked to hard for my money.

Decided to give up the dirt and picked up a new 1973 850 Norton Commando. I was in love. In fact my wife and I went on

our 1st date on that bike. If you couldn't impress a girl with that bike you were really a dork. Few years later found me moving

cross country and sold it to a friend. 1978 Suzuki GS1000E was next. The night it hit 1000 miles on the odometer I peg 135 mph

on the speedo. Bike loved to go fast. By the Mid 80's I was commuting 100 miles per day round trip. Got to the point I didn't want to ride

anymore. Then the bike would only get ridden once a month or so and still could not ride it without hitting at least 100mph on the speedo.

We parted ways not much later. In 2003 or 2004 started to get to get the itch again and it said HD. Came close but couldn't quite pull the trigger

on one. Test rode some beemmers since I had always liked the way they looked. Still leaning toward a HD. Friend suggest I look at Yamaha

Road Star. Not sure why but just didn't do it for me. But what is that? Cobalt blue low wide tank V-Twin 1700 cc FI and aluminum frame.

Muffler looks like a frickin hot water tank but hey exhaust is easy to change. It's a 06 Warrior son. Wow this bike had torque that felt

like the GTO's of my younger years. Dyno'd at 100 flbs of torque at the rear wheel. Couple years down the road my wife says she wants

to ride again but not on that. Bike was lowered and had a 260 rear by then. So here comes the Stratoliner. Wife rides for awhile and

calls it quits do to some medical issues. ****, should have keep the Warrior. Started to ride the Strat on longer and longer rides and

the riding position was killing my back after 250 miles. Started searching for something with a riding position like the old Suzuki but

a little more civilized. After having bags on the Strat luggage was a must. Didn't take long to zero in on the FJR. Very happy with the Fjr.

I will attend the Bike Show in February to check out the new Norton. Think I need at least one bike w/o bags.

 

[wheatonFJR]

...Some guys could ride their cruisers faster than some ST types feel comfortable riding theirs...

I agree. I've had some ricky racers show up and put them up front...amd was wondering what was taking them so long to get around that curve...and some HD riders that could book along pretty well...and outrun me pretty good if their equipment wasn't slowing them down.

However, the stereo types have generally been true in my experience.

I agree about announced rides...people should go no faster than they typically ride...However, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I REITERATE IT, somebody does. Just my experience. However, that hasn't stopped me from planning the rides - yet -. People seem to have fun...and I know I do.

Sorry to sidetrack your thread...just thought it was marginally related.

 

[RossKean]

I have only been riding about 6 years but now do ~25,000 miles/year. Always wanted a bike but life kinda got in the way. Started with a big bike (Yamaha Roadstar - 1700cc). Learned a lot but after a couple of years I decided it wasn't for me - wanted to do some serious touring. Thought a big touring bike would be the best bet so I bought a used Yamaha Venture; hoping to get my wife interested in some touring (couldn't afford a 'Wing and Harley didn't even make the short list). That never happened (she never even got on the bike) so I decided to get something that was still touring-capable/comfortable but was a little more fun. Got a used '07 FJR from a forum member and haven't looked back. I'll wear this one out and see if Yamaha steps up to the plate with a new model in a few years.

 

[ArtJ1107]

Like a lot of others I started on enduros. Now their called dual sports. 1st one was a dt125. It was fun, commuted to high school and work and played on the trails. It was too heavy to be a serious off road bike. Next was a 500cc thumper. What a torque monster. It also taught you how to correctly kick start a bike. After a cb750 took a multi year hiatus. Started back in the 90's on a cruiser, upgraded to a 1800 wing. It was comfy, and could chew up the miles. Decided I wanted something funner/lighter but still capable of long days. Hence the FJR.

 

[Fred W]

My first registered street bike was this:

A 1975 Suzuki GT550.

Followed by a BMW R100RT

Got out of bikes to raise our family, then bought a couple of dirt bikes to play around on with my son. Mine:

My son's:

Sold the dirt bikes and bought a Duck

That's the closest I ever came to owning a sport bike, but I'd still call it a "standard".

That bike was a hoot to ride, but way too cramped for any kind of long rides. After selling the duck, bought myself a very nice VFR800, that I still own today.

That might look like a sport bike, but it isn't. It's really just a sport y ST bike.

I also picked up a Beemer R1100RS to keep the VFR company

But the tractor like qualities of the BMW didn't suit me, so I got rid of that one and bought an old-style Connie.

Which eventually got upgraded to my '05 FJR. So really, I came to the FJR from several other ST bikes, I knew that is what I wanted to do and was just searching for the right tool.

I've never wanted to own a cruiser, that whole scene just never appealed to me. And the sport bikes are just too uncomfortable for a 6'2" rider to make any serious distances on. I also have had a few different dual sports of various sizes, and I am finding that this is another very rewarding side to the motorcycling sport, at least in this area.

 

[oldryder]

1975 - bought a 450 HOnda DOHC from my brother that had a blown head gasket. REbuilt it in my folks basement and carried the engine up the steps when I got done by myself cuz no one was around to help me. Rode that for a couple years, the bought a GT380 followed by a Kaw 1974 Z1. Won a LOT of races with that Kaw!

Rode the Kaw till I started having vertigo problems in the mid 80's. Got the vertigo problem solved via surgery in 1995.

Went to a customer appreciation day at a local Yamaha dealer in 2001 and left with a 78 GOld WIng. that started a binge of collecting that I've finally recovered from. bought, fixed, and sold (3) GT750's, (5) GT380's, (1) GT550, (1) Kaw 500, (3) GS750's, (2) GS1100's, (6) CB900C's, (2) CB1000C's, (2) GS850's, (1) GS1100, and some more I probably forgot about. BOught my Z1 back alonmg the way but haven't started the restoration.

Good news is all the work allowed me to fund my current stable of ZRX1200R, TL1000R, FJR, & GL1500 without having to get divorced.

Gold Wing was used during my daughters high school years to do cross Country trips with them including the last trip with older daughter riding the FJR and younger with me on the Wing. ALso got to do track days with older daughter.

Now the FJR is my favorite ride and I haven't found anything I'd replace it with. The BMW is tempting but the reliability and repair cost issues scare me away particularly when compared to the bulletproof Yamaha.

my 2 cents

 

[wheatonFJR]

1975 - bought a 450 HOnda DOHC from my brother that had a blown head gasket...

That's interesting. I thought my 1977 Honda CB550F was a SOHC machine.

 

[yamafitter]

Started out with a Step Thru 90cc Suzuki that my brother brought home that we rode around in the fields and on the road when the cops weren't around when I was around 13. My brother then brought home a 250cc Bultaco Matador and I would ride that around on the local trails. I had a good friend that would let me borrow his 125cc Yamaha and we would ride that around on the trails near the farm his parents owned.

Once I started working I bought the salvage rights to a '72 Kawasaki Bighorn Enduro that was fished out of the Welland Canal for $25. I took it all apart and put another $250 into it and put it back on the trail. I had it plated for the street but only did that so I could ride from the house to the trails. In '75 I bought my first new bike which was a 250 Bultaco Matador and rode my first Enduro in 1976. From there I owned a couple of Husqvarnas, Can-Ams and then went back to Huskys until I bought my first 4-Stoke which was the '93 Yamaha WR400. During all this time I was riding Enduros & Hare Scrambles and was only on the roads to get from one trail to the next.

I always swore that I would never own a street bike. It just didn't hold any appeal to me but I spent a lot of time hanging around the local Yamaha shop and the sales rep was a friend and got talking about track days. I had recently moved and there was also better roads to ride locally than what I had locally available before so I thought it might be time it give it a try. I picked up a new YZF600R Thundercat and had tons of fun at a couple of track days at Mosport and riding the twisties of Eastern Ontario.

I then decided it was time for a longer ride, picked up some soft bags and took off for Newfoundland. Rode up to St Anthony on the Upper Peninsula and back in 8 days. Loved the trip but it was pretty obvious if I was going to be doing trips like this I needed something different than a Thundercat. I thought I wanted a Beemer but the local dealer was a snob and I got pissed off and went back to my friendly Yamaha shop. I had known about the FJR and had heard about the heat issues with the Gen I. This was just as rumours were coming out about the new Gen II and the new AE model so I waited. I have both ankle and knee issues so the AE made sense for me and I got one.

I also continued to update my dirtbike and currently have my Yamaha '08 WR450F. I am fortunate to have a great riding area 20 minutes from my house and a group of us meet every Thursday in the late afternoon for a ride in the Ganaraska Forest and then go over to the local restaurant afterwards for Chinese. I had to stop racing in the dirt a few years ago after getting my knee replaced but I'm still trail riding and helping out on the organizational end for a number of off-road events throughout Ontario during our riding season.

The FJR is great fun and I've met some great people along the way and don't see any reason to get rid of it. I do however have the itch for an Adventure bike like a Super Tenere or probably more like a KTM 690 Adventure. I don't think I could pick up a Super 10 on my own on the Dempster Hwy out near Inivik NWT. I KNOW I can't pick up a Beemer GS1200.

If I had to go back to one bike unfortunately the FJR would have to go. The FJR is fun but the dirt is in my blood.