FJR poor choice of 2-up city riding?

[freebirdforever]

I like the FJR but after reading this forum I get the impression that it isn't really a good bike for riding 2-up in the city.

Reading the posts here it sounds like people frequently drop the bike. Apparently, it is top-heavy and while great at speeds on the highway it sounds like zipping around town is a pain and that slow-speed riding and manuvering with a passenger is difficult. I'm also not particularly long-legged, and while I do not have qualms about tip-toeing a sport bike I'm leary about doing that with a passenger... say, stopped on a steep inclining hill in city traffic.

Is this correct?

 

[ZZR12]

Well, the FJR is a tall, heavy, top-heavy bike. So I'd say yeah, it's not an ideal stop-and-go, two-up city bike, particularly if the pilot is short of leg and/or the pillion is large of ***.

I think mid-size cruisers like my other bike, a Suzuki Volusia, is probably the ideal two-up city bike: not as heavy as the big twin cruisers (my Vol is actually lighter than an FJR); it's physically big and thus comfortable for a rider and passenger of any size; a very low center of gravity makes it extremely stable, even two-up; low seat makes it easy for the rider to keep it balanced with a passenger aboard; and the 805cc v-twin has adequate power well suited for low speed city riding.

 

[freebirdforever]

Well, my GF is rather petite... but thanks for being forthright about the FJRs limitations 2-up city. I guess I will have to pass on the FJR [love the look and the hard cases]. Unfortunately, I HATE cruisers... so I guess I'll keep looking.

 

[Randy]

I've done plenty of city-type 2-up riding with the FJR and have had no troubles whatsoever. Let's see - you hate cruisers. Sportbikes would probably definitely be out, right? So, that leaves you with full-on cruisers (i.e. Goldwing, etc) or Sport Touring bikes.

I would imagine 2-up city riding wouldn't constitute most of your riding time, so, look at the big picture and how you're going to spend most of your time on the bike.

 

[ZZR12]

Unfortunately, I HATE cruisers... so I guess I'll keep looking.

I can appreciate that; I don't think you'll find much cruiser love on a site like this. I was just suggesting it because all issues of style aside, I think functionally they are the best choice for that kind of riding.

That said, I never ride my Volusia anymore; it's off the road and up for sale. What do I ride? A tall, heavy, top-heavy sport-tourer. My wife rides her own, and I don't do city-type riding, so the benefits of the Volusia are lost on me now. And it's boring for the type of riding that do partake in.

 

[ZZR12]

I would imagine 2-up city riding wouldn't constitute most of your riding time, so, look at the big picture and how you're going to spend most of your time on the bike.

Well that's the key here: since he mentioned only urban two-upping, I figured that was his expected primary usage.

More importantly freebird, what's your level of experience? If you're a new rider looking for a first bike, I wouldn't be worried about two-upping just yet, and an FJR is a poor choice for a first bike anyway.

 

[FriscoJim]

If you hate cruisers and plan on doing 2-up city/urban riding you aren't going to find much of a selection. Sport tourers tend to have higher seat heights and aren't as passenger friendly. Even your cruisers that are designed with a comfortable passenger in mind tend to be top heavy (Venture, Ultra, etc.). Bigger torque #'s usually are found on the cruiser type bikes and not a higher reving sport-tourer. I can't think of any bike that would be ideal for 2-up city riding other than a cruiser type bike. Good luck.

 

[markjenn]

I'd guess the ideal two-up two-wheel city vehicle is one of the bigger scooters, like a Yamaha Majesty or Suzuki Burgman. Light weight and narrowness are probably the most valuable assets for a city bike which makes most full-size sport-touring and cruiser bikes just generally clumsy and bulky.

If the majority of my riding was two-up urban, I'd probably get a scooter. But all bikes are compromises so if you plan on doing a lot of different things with a bike, I wouldn't be too quick to optimize for a single mission.

I don't know if I agree that one of the low-slung cruisers is necessarily a better city bike than a FJR. Yes, the FJR has more 2-up tipover potential, but if you have reasonably good balance and bike handling skills and your pillion is reasonably competent, tipovers should be a very minor risk. And there is a more to a good two-up city bike than avoiding tipovers: power, luggage, seating, brakes/ABS, etc. That's what makes the scooters so great for this ... they're light and narrow, but have decent luggage. And the CVT makes stopping and starting easy.

Within the sport-touring category, I think the ST1300 is probably a better two-up bike and Honda has paid more attention to minimizing tipover damage. So you might want to add this to your list.

- Mark

 

[sparky3008]

Sorry that you are looking for a specific 2-up bike.

As someone that has done both I personally do not enjoy 2-up for many of the reasons you are stating.

I love my fjr for myself and if my 14 year old daughter gets on I don't have much problems but my wife is 5'11" and to heavy IMHO for the fjr 2-up.

We did well on a Electra-Glide Harley but they are still high center and even from someone that can leg press over 900lbs and is 6' tall keeping that bike up is not something I would want to do everyday 2-up.

If you are small and your girl is small then you are lucky in my opinion and I have seen many say 140lbs guys with tiny girls riding sport bikes and that would probably work out fine.

Much of these types of questions are personal choice and specific to you.

If you look on this forum long enough you will find a few that ride all the time 2-up and for them it is perfect but I tend to think they are in the minority.

Now I have never ridden a GoldWing (yet) but I believe they are much better balanced for 2-up than probably anything else you will find and everything else is a compromise but if you are just doing short in city rides this is overkill.

Every bike is a compromise, you have to figure out what is most important.

I do mostly highway riding so I wanted something that would not get pushed around on the highway at 80+ and yet was still nimble on the sideroads. A Goldwind or Electra Glide is a perfect highway bike but doesn't meet MY needs for sideroad fun. I like a sport bike look and the awesome speed but an R6 would not have been comfortable on my wrists or backside and I would have quickly grown upset with it. I compromised and went half way. I hope you can find the bike that meets as many of your needs/wants as you can. You will find many on this forum couldn't find that 1 bike and have several

This whole concept is what most wives don't understand about someone needing more than 1 bike, go figure...

Good luck and enjoy whatever you decide...

 

[Getsum]

I’m 5’7”, 210lbs with a 29” inseam and my wife is 5’2” and about 135lbs, and I have no problems riding through the city with her back there. I can hardly notice her back there, and both of my feet are actually flat on the ground when I stop with her on the bike.

But, I have no idea how that compares with the other bikes available today. The last bike that I had and did a good amount of 2-up riding was an older Honda CB650 and before that was a CB400. My friend from work rides with his wife all the time and he rides a BMW 1200, which might be an option.

I looked really hard at the Honda ST1300 and the FJR and there so damn close that I couldn’t imagine one being that much better than the other in this regard, maybe in carrying capacity?

Man, I see so many people riding 2-up on their Harleys on the weekends in San Diego and many only have those little ‘*****’ seats. That looks pretty uncomfortable to me, but I’ve never actually ridden one.

 

[sparky3008]

I’m 5’7”, 210lbs with a 29” inseam and my wife is 5’2” and about 135lbs

All I can say is "You lucky devil"

 

[Getsum]

Haha!

 

[afterburn]

This whole concept is what most wives don't understand about someone needing more than 1 bike, go figure...

Looking at the average girl's shoe collection, they should understand perfectly!

 

[SD929RR]

I only ride the FJR two up. I put a ohlins rear shock for my weight plus my wifes and traxion springs up front and revalved. I have no problem riding in the city or anywhere else but the stock suspension sucked for two up since I'm no light weight. With my wife and I its close to 440 lbs. I don't have a problem with the wife she knows how to ride passenger and thats a big part of it when your two up. I bought the FJR solely to ride two up on I have 11,300 in one year on it. Of that mileage maybe 600 is solo. I have a CBR1000RR and that is my bike of choice for solo rides. Good Luck looking for a bike.

Shaun

05FJR

CBR1000RR

 

[sparky3008]

I only ride the FJR two up. I put a ohlins rear shock for my weight plus my wifes and traxion springs up front and revalved. I have no problem riding in the city or anywhere else but the stock suspension sucked for two up since I'm no light weight. With my wife and I its close to 440 lbs. I don't have a problem with the wife she knows how to ride passenger and thats a big part of it when your two up. I bought the FJR solely to ride two up on I have 11,300 in one year on it. Of that mileage maybe 600 is solo. I have a CBR1000RR and that is my bike of choice for solo rides. Good Luck looking for a bike.

Shaun

05FJR

CBR1000RR

Hey SD929RR,

My wife being 5'11 and only guessing at her weight her but at least 180lbs finds that the rear seat on the fjr is A: to small meaning from my back to the tie down bars. She ends up with her back jammed into it. No to mention the suspension or handling because she won't even go out on it because of the room/comfort issue.

I don't mean to diss the fjr because it is by far the best bike I have ever owned but just not the 100% perfect bike for 2 up in my opinion.

 

[SD929RR]

One other thing I did add that seemed to help her was the rear peg extenders seem to give her more leg room. My wife said the sport bikes were hurting her back so that is why I bought the FJR. You have to keep the women happy.

Shaun

05FJR

CBR1000RR

 

[pronomian]

The fjr is top heavy?

Mike

 

[sparky3008]

The fjr is top heavy?
Mike

As opposed to what?

Is it top heavy compared to a cruiser? Yes

Is it top heavy compared to a XR650 or any other sport tourer BMW etc? No about the same.

Now let me clarify on that a little. I not saying that one can't be more than the other or the way a BMW feels at low speed might be better even though it seems top heavy or whatever. Pound for Pound the fjr is about average for this in this class of bike...

 

[pronomian]

The fjr is top heavy?
Mike

As opposed to what?

Is it top heavy compared to a cruiser? Yes

Is it top heavy compared to a XR650 or any other sport tourer BMW etc? No about the same.

Now let me clarify on that a little. I not saying that one can't be more than the other or the way a BMW feels at low speed might be better even though it seems top heavy or whatever. Pound for Pound the fjr is about average for this in this class of bike...

Ok, top heavy compared to a cruiser is not good. If it is comparable to the bmw sport touring RT, then it is not bad.

Mike