FJR lean angle

[carlson_mn]

Eh, if I lived in Arkansas I doubt I'd have an FJR. Having said that, I'll be there next week :yahoo: . Reports I saw for a VFR1200 was mid 10s at 131mph, and BMW S1000R and ZX10 are clocking through the gates at 155mph....

 

[Bustanut joker]

Having come from many sportbikes, I can say the FJR is no sportbike, but I can ride it almost 80% as hard with the same smile on my face. You rode the FJR many miles and are just now deciding you want something that can lean further?

You have two options, get a sportbike and sell the FJR or get a sportbike and keep the FJR. There is no sporttouring bike out there that will out handle an FJR with the proper setup. Dogbones and the suspension stiffened up works fine for me and I doubt you ride much harder than I do, but I could be wrong. The reason for your post on this forum puzzles me. :blink:

Somebody get this guy a set of

FUZZY BALLS!!

 

[dunhamg]

With the suspension upgraded it really doesn't do too bad. Granted it's not a full on race bike, but it will stay out of the way of most riders even on the track.

 

[winewhisperer]

Eh, if I lived in Arkansas I doubt I'd have an FJR. Having said that, I'll be there next week :yahoo: . Reports I saw for a VFR1200 was mid 10s at 131mph, and BMW S1000R and ZX10 are clocking through the gates at 155mph....

Matt, I would have been to SFO myself, but I have to work. Plus, I hate to admit it, but at 56 yrs old those bikes are way too fast for me, and I am not sure how much of that power is really useable on the street, but I'm thinking it would be fun to find out.

 

[carlson_mn]

I'm actually going down with an R1, a CBR1000R, R6, Duc 996, and some Aprillia. If it's SFO I'll be seeing some other FJRs too then!

 

[winewhisperer]

I'm actually going down with an R1, a CBR1000R, R6, Duc 996, and some Aprillia. If it's SFO I'll be seeing some other FJRs too then!

My bad, SFO starts May 31st and thats some fast company you're riding with. Enjoy!

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Eh, if I lived in Arkansas I doubt I'd have an FJR. Having said that, I'll be there next week :yahoo: . Reports I saw for a VFR1200 was mid 10s at 131mph, and BMW S1000R and ZX10 are clocking through the gates at 155mph....

With ET's in the mid to upper 9's. The last magazine report I read on a Gen 2 was 10.92 at about 128mph. But the FJR was wearing its saddlebags, I never read any 1/4 mile times for the VFR while carrying the factory bags.

 

[carlson_mn]

I'll be there from the 25-30th. I've been excited to get to Arkansas for a year. Some of the guys I am going with have been going for over a decade a couple times a year. After the trip I'll know better if I think an FJR would be a good companion in a land of such never ending twisty roads.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Arkensest? the home of incest and the infamous Blue dress..

Say Hi to Bill fer me.

 

[glory racing]

Having come from many sportbikes, I can say the FJR is no sportbike, but I can ride it almost 80% as hard with the same smile on my face. You rode the FJR many miles and are just now deciding you want something that can lean further?

You have two options, get a sportbike and sell the FJR or get a sportbike and keep the FJR. There is no sporttouring bike out there that will out handle an FJR with the proper setup. Dogbones and the suspension stiffened up works fine for me and I doubt you ride much harder than I do, but I could be wrong. The reason for your post on this forum puzzles me. :blink:

Yep...I rode the FJR for about 72,500 miles and then decided to start leaning it a bit. Now that I am north of 75,000 I want something that leans better! Really?

The reason for this post shouldn't puzzle you...the info is in the prior posts. Additonally I was just thinking that fjr owners that have experience with other well handling bikes would be a good source of comparative info. Some are also a source of technique and suspension advice. And of course, there is the 'you should ride more like I do' advice which is always entertaining reading.

 

[glory racing]

smoked my ass going up and back down the dragon.

thanks for the the clarification of where and how you want to ride.

i'm out. the last 3 times i did the dragon is was filled with wankers that should have been on a track. over filled actually.

it's simply no fun now that it's become such a destination for the squideratte.

if you're wanting to emulate those riders, then FJR isn't the tool.

Your welcome for the clarification. Just because you and I don't ride exactly the same, that is really no reason for you to be out?

I believe the Dragon is a great destination. It is one of the top motorcycle roads in the US and one I would suggest any motorcycling enthusiest should experience. The last 3 times I did the dragon there was absolutely no other vehicles/motorcycles of any kind traveling either direction...besides of course the other wankers I was riding with. And one of those times was a Saturday morning. Depending on timing, ANY good motorcycle road is subject to get clogged with everything from local grandma's to RV's to cruisers or slow sport touring riders to the randy racers. Its just a part of the game we play. It is even happening in Arkansas as I see them almost every day I ride.

Additionally, I think the FJR can ride along with "those" riders. But since circumstance could dictate that I may be looking for another ride...might as well consider them all!

 

[glory racing]

Eh, if I lived in Arkansas I doubt I'd have an FJR. Having said that, I'll be there next week :yahoo: ....

Forecast for this weekend is Sunny with temps in the 90's...bring the mesh gear! Remember it is a Holiday weekend so be extra aware Sat-Mon. Where are yall staying in AR. Maybe we can hook up for a ride one morning!

 

[SkooterG]

Oh... and here's another video with an 'oh shit' moment a couple minutes in. He's a newer rider on the VFR and was probably pushing his skills a bit too hard on a road he wasn't real familiar with. Fun to watch the bike though.

Yikes! What the hell is he putting his left foot down for? Might suggest to him he get some advanced training.

 

[roger dodger]

Matt, I think I know why your rear tire lasts half as long as mine :yahoo: .

You should be showing the VFR (and me) how to keep his f___ing foot and fingers from getting in the way.

Enjoy AR next week. I am going to a COG rally in Eureka Springs in June. LMK what you think of the joint.

 

[MrTwisty]

Glory Racing - If you're like me and prefer a comfortable riding position and need to be able to carry more than a hankie, you may want to consider an adventure bike. I had a KTM 950 for a while and it will out handle the FJR in the twisties, mostly due to the lighter weight and the superior ground clearancer. The seating is equally as comfortable as the FJR, and with the bags and a trunk, the storage capacity is about equal too. The FJR beats the KTM in pure acceleration (but not by much) and braking. However, I haven't ridden the new KTM 990 with ABS and fuel injection. I doubt the engine is much stronger, but hopefully they improved the brakes. The only real problem I have with the KTM is the maintenance can be a PIA and the stock windscreen is crap (kinda like the FJR).

Of course, the biggest advantage of an adventure is that gravel is no longer off limits. Okay, I know there are some out there who ride their FJR's on gravel, myself included, but I bet you can't do 50mph down a gravel road, two up.

Anyway - another adventure bike is definitely in my future. I just can't decide between the KTM 990, the Tiger 800 XC, or the Tenere. I'm leaning toward the KTM because it's a fricken' beast.

 

[fjrrider]

If you werent such a wimp GR, you'd get a dirt bike! Try draggin a handle bar through the dirt.....now thats lean angle! I'm sure you've seen Mason do it a time or two!

And I'm on the same thought lines as Mr Twisty, got no problems ridin the FJR, or any bike on gravel roads, its the clearence that sucks on an FJR....it aint got none! Since I got 3 other KTM's, a KTM DS/Adventure bike that can excel as well on the roads is very tempting!

So what were we talking about again? :lol:

 

[glory racing]

If you werent such a wimp GR, you'd get a dirt bike! Try draggin a handle bar through the dirt.....now thats lean angle! I'm sure you've seen Mason do it a time or two!

And I'm on the same thought lines as Mr Twisty, got no problems ridin the FJR, or any bike on gravel roads, its the clearence that sucks on an FJR....it aint got none! Since I got 3 other KTM's, a KTM DS/Adventure bike that can excel as well on the roads is very tempting!

So what were we talking about again? :lol:

Everytime I ride in the dirt...I fall down and go boom! No more dirt scootin for me. And yes, I have actually seen Mason create a line in a corner with his handle bars....the little shit!

And just so you know, the FJR has plenty of lean angle AND clearance. It is your technique and suspension not being dialed in that is the problem. Didn't you read all of the thread??? Bunny hop the FJR like the real men do and quit your bitchin'!

FYI...Did another TBA 500 last week. Created a new route from the Hub that is killer and includes all the good stuff we usually run(123, 16, 27, Push, Oark, etc) plus 9 to Melbourne both north and south. Quite ridin that damn dirt bike so you can heal up and come ride it.

So what were we talking about again?

 

[gixxerjasen]

I finally think I made it all the way through this thread. Having read (skimmed) it I think this comment is the one thing that stands out to me the most.

I 'hang off' sometimes but prefer not to...that is why I am on a sport touring bike.

To me, if you want to ride a sport touring bike hard, then hanging off is more necessary than on a full fledged sport bike. You can round the same corner on both bikes sitting straight up just fine, you can round the corner faster sitting straight up on a sport bike. But to push harder you gotta get off the seat to gain back that ground clearance. So hanging off is more critical on a Sport Touring bike than a sport bike.

All that said, I didn't notice the suggestion here but I just came from the FZ1 to the FJR. By and large the FZ1 has a good seating position and can be toured on in that position. Throw some bags on it and tour away. It's real downside as a tourer, especially the Gen II model is the gas tank. You'll be filling up more often than you do with the FJR. But with that comes a very sporty bike that'll be much better in the turns than the FJR is, but can still be ridden some distance. I had a ball in Arkansas on my Gen I FZ1 and the Gen II is sportier in handling. Powerwise, yes, it's ONLY a 1K. However, I don't feel I really gained any power coming to the big FJR. With some mods to the Gen II FZ1 I bet it can make an FJR feel weak by comparison. So, that's my suggestion based on my experience as something you might look into for a bike that can shred the corners but still keep you in a sane riding position over the long haul.

Oh yea, look up FazerPhil, he did last years IBR on the Gen I FZ1. Yea, they can be used as touring bikes successfully.

 

[TwoWhldTerror]

I am with you Gixxerjasen. I am not the fastest or most experienced by far but I have done Bargy's racing school, did a little bit of WERA racing, many track days, and rode the snot out of sportbikes before getting my FJR. You want to go fast in the twisties get your butt off the seat! Well at least off the middle, hang off that beast!

 

[gixxerjasen]

Also, to comment on track days. Yes, they are addicting and yes they are expensive. However, it's very nice to have a known environment with a set of curves that repeats over and over, for working on certain things like form. Even better when you have good instructors who will follow you around, then pull you to the side to tell you what they see and how you can do it differently. The best is if they'll follow you with a chase cam so you can see what they are seeing.

The track is stupid fun, but it's also a fantastic learning tool when used as such. It's really time and money well spent for sure.

Just be very very very careful though. You go to a track day and bad things happen. Before you know it you've got a full set of racing gear and a track only bike and a stack of used tires and an empty bank account. It sneaks up on you and attacks you with a vengeance.