Finally got the 2014 ES out for a ride in MN....

[Tanker]

I finally got a short ride in yesterday with the new FJR 1300ES

I’ve had it in the garage since 12/3/13, delivered by trailer from the dealer in a snowstorm. I have been able to farkle all winter between sled trips though.

It is much more refined than my 12 year old Gen 1, as it should be.

Fuel mapping is well done, very precise and clean with the ride-by-wire. “Sport” mode is where it’s at. “Touring” mode will be nice for slow city traffic and shitty weather.

The transmission shifting has really been cleaned up with the beveled gears. Smooth as butter! The gear ratio changes from my 03’FJR are noticeable. 70mph is now about 3700rpm instead of 4000rpm.

Heated grips is very nice, I didn’t know what I was missing. A necessity on the sled is really nice to have on the bike, even though I have heated gloves if needed.

Cruise control on the bike is flipping awesome!!! 1 mph increments up and down and very easy to modulate from the left hand controls. I still miss my Vista Cruise, even though I moved the ThrottleMeister from the 03’. The electronic cruise control only works from 30-100mph as we all know, so anything under 30 or over 100 I will need to use the ThrottleMeister.

The electronic suspension was fun to play with and very noticeable. I only had the dampening in the standard configurations at this time, but it was very noticeable between the Soft, Std and Hard modes. I had the rear shock set for one rider and moved it up only to one rider with luggage and I could feel the change in the road from the spring tension increase.

I got on a rough shitty road and put it in “soft” mode and it made the frost heaves and bumps pretty much disappear.

I didn’t test the ABS or Traction Control thankfully. Although within a mile of getting on the highway near my house there was a pallet in the left lane. Thankfully there was no one around me and I saw it well in advance of coming upon it. Reminded me of a nighttime incident going up 35 to Duluth with my wife that could have been disastrous and narrowly averted in the dark.

I only put a quick 60+ miles on and can’t wait for the roads to clear up and weather to get better for some more rides.

More to come...

https://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g321/FJR4me/3-30-141.jpeg

 

[Bugnatr]

Good looking photo and nice to see you rode yesterday cause today does not look very pleasant.

Another friggin' blizzard eh?

 

[snikr]

Nice photos Tanker. Still waiting for my dealer to put my ES together (snowmobiles are taking up too much of his time right now). Nice to know of the differences from a GEN I (I had an 04 FJR). Can't wait to try mine out. Where did you get those reflector on the back of you saddlebags?

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Wonderful photos Tanker!!

Congratulations again for your beautiful bike!!

 

[Tanker]

Good looking photo and nice to see you rode yesterday cause today does not look very pleasant.
Another friggin' blizzard eh?

Yes, they are talking another 10"-20" in NW Minnesota. My son called from school up near Fargo and said they have had enough. He couldn't even get out to ice fish last weekend because the ice was over 4' thick and he didn't have his extension for the auger.

Should just be a lot of rain and a little snow around Mpls. UGH!!!

 

[Tanker]

Nice photos Tanker. Still waiting for my dealer to put my ES together (snowmobiles are taking up too much of his time right now). Nice to know of the differences from a GEN I (I had an 04 FJR). Can't wait to try mine out. Where did you get those reflector on the back of you saddlebags?

Thanks, hopefully you will have yours soon.

The rear reflectors are from Alex at Real Time Industries. Where did you see that photo?

https://www.realtimeindustries.com/

 

[Tanker]

Wonderful photos Tanker!!

Congratulations again for your beautiful bike!!

Thanks Mihalis!

 

[snikr]

Nice photos Tanker. Still waiting for my dealer to put my ES together (snowmobiles are taking up too much of his time right now). Nice to know of the differences from a GEN I (I had an 04 FJR). Can't wait to try mine out. Where did you get those reflector on the back of you saddlebags?

Thanks, hopefully you will have yours soon.

The rear reflectors are from Alex at Real Time Industries. Where did you see that photo?

https://www.realtimeindustries.com/

I saw my ES being put together this afternoon. And I saw the reflectors in your photo link.

 

[SkooterG]

Congratulations you bastard!!!

Nice looking skoot and already well-farkled! I am completely happy with my 09 FJR, except that Mother Ship Yamaha makes me work this crappy job where I have to ride the '14 FJR ES all the time and so now I REALLY want one BAD.

What tank bag is that? A Bags Connection model?

 

[Tanker]

Nice photos Tanker. Still waiting for my dealer to put my ES together (snowmobiles are taking up too much of his time right now). Nice to know of the differences from a GEN I (I had an 04 FJR). Can't wait to try mine out. Where did you get those reflector on the back of you saddlebags?

Thanks, hopefully you will have yours soon.

The rear reflectors are from Alex at Real Time Industries. Where did you see that photo?

https://www.realtimeindustries.com/

I saw my ES being put together this afternoon. And I saw the reflectors in your photo link.

Nice, then you are almost over the finish line!!

 

[Tanker]

Congratulations you bastard!!!
Nice looking skoot and already well-farkled! I am completely happy with my 09 FJR, except that Mother Ship Yamaha makes me work this crappy job where I have to ride the '14 FJR ES all the time and so now I REALLY want one BAD.

What tank bag is that? A Bags Connection model?

Hey Greg,

Yup definitely a lucky Bastard with a capital B.

You however get to ride a lot of bikes all the time, I'm not sure who is really the Lucky Bastard around here.

The tank bag is a Bags Connection as you guessed. It's the "City" version I took off the 03'. Perfect size bag for most occasions.

Get back to work!! LOL

 

[escapefjrtist]

Congrats on the first ride Tanker!

Bike looks great...can't wait to sneak a ride on an ES.

--G

 

[Tanker]

Congrats on the first ride Tanker!
Bike looks great...can't wait to sneak a ride on an ES.

--G

Thanks for the compliment.

I wish I was coming out to ride your area in a few weeks, instead I'll be out visiting my daughter at school in Tacoma.

Still will be fun, but I'd really like to ride the bike out there. Maybe in August when she starts up again.

 

[Abercrombie FJR]

I like the windshield. Who makes it? Cee Bailey?

 

[Top_Speed1]

Minneapolis looks clear but kinda cold at 20F right now (8:30am CST). You just might get in another ride today if north of there is about the same (I cheated, I went on the new Vikings Stadium Live-Build Cam).

I took out my brand new F800-GT last night for a quick 50mi spin. We had 60F weather however So, I now got a whopping 62mi on her! ....ya gotta love winter

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

I have a motorcycle friend (C14) that lives in Moncton, NB. He sent me a picture of his street yesterday. They currently have 6' snow drifts and about 3'-4' of snow on the ground with about 7" of fresh stuff. It's April and he's about to hang himself if it snows one more time!!!

Poor Bastard.

For all the people saying the ES is a waste of money and nobody will adjust their suspension on the fly...we're prob the same people that said "Who needs a microwave" when they came out or "Who needs a cell phone" when they became available or "Nobody will ever text when you can just call".

Life is ever changing. Technology is ever changing. You either accept it, embrace it & adapt or perish & become obsolete. lol

I think the 2014 ES will become the new standard.

 

[Tanker]

I like the windshield. Who makes it? Cee Bailey?

Yes, it's the Cee Bailey Sport Shield in dark grey tint. +1" H - +2" W.

I think it looks really nice also.

I also have the larger +5" - +2" in clear for trips and cooler whether.

 

[Tanker]

Minneapolis looks clear but kinda cold at 20F right now (8:30am CST). You just might get in another ride today if north of there is about the same (I cheated, I went on the new Vikings Stadium Live-Build Cam).
I took out my brand new F800-GT last night for a quick 50mi spin. We had 60F weather however

So, I now got a whopping 62mi on her! ....ya gotta love winter

Unfortunately I've got to work today and the weather guys are talking another 6"-12" starting late tonight through Friday afternoon. This winter just will not give in!

Maybe next week for another ride, we'll see.

It looks like you have 1 mile more than I have on the F800GT, how do you like it?

 

[Tanker]

For all the people saying the ES is a waste of money and nobody will adjust their suspension on the fly...we're prob the same people that said "Who needs a microwave" when they came out or "Who needs a cell phone" when they became available or "Nobody will ever text when you can just call".

Life is ever changing. Technology is ever changing. You either accept it, embrace it & adapt or perish & become obsolete. lol
I think the 2014 ES will become the new standard.

You might be onto something or you might be on something.

Only time will tell... I just hope there are some reasonably priced replacements or rebuilding of the suspension when the time comes. For now, I think I'm really going to enjoy the ES. It's a fantastic upgrade from my 03'.