FJR1300A as a first bike

[carolinafjr]

I'm considering a FJR1300 as a first bike puchase. Any opinions?

I have taken the MSF course and I have my motorcyle license endorsement. Other than the MSF course my only riding experience is a few daily rentals from my local HD dealer. (I hated the noise and vibration on the Harleys and would never consider one for purchase.)

 

[zzzzip]

I'm considering a FJR1300 as a first bike puchase. Any opinions?
I have taken the MSF course and I have my motorcyle license endorsement. Other than the MSF course my only riding experience is a few daily rentals from my local HD dealer. (I hated the noise and vibration on the Harleys and would never consider one for purchase.)

It would appear you got by on the HD ok, so... if you can ride the FJR like you rode the HD, you should be ok.

However, if you ride the FJR like it was meant to be ridden, you might consider posting this information first:

1. Next of kin

2. Living will

3. Preferred religious service

4. Preferred hospital

5. Medical allergies and DNR preference

6. Your physician

7. Photo of spouse (if you were well insured)

Seriously... it is a forgiving bike, but if it were me I'd get a little more time in the saddle before I bought this one. B)

 

[Saddletramp]

You are about to get dog-piled by the FJR masses that will tell you that an FJR as a first bike is a dumb idea & you will die for sure!

They will be partly right! :dribble:

Like all things, your self discipline & judgment will be the biggest factors in determining how well you get along with an FJR as your first bike. I think the FJR is very easy to ride because it handles in a very predictable manner. It has great balance & super brakes. Keep the rpm's under 5,000 until you get used to the feel of the bike & you'll be fine.

I have been a Flight Instructor since 1975 & the same question gets asked by new student pilots. I've taught beginning students in some pretty high performance airplanes & most did fine. Others crashed in small puddle jumpers (like Ercoupes). It depends on the person!

If you do buy an FJR, hopefully you can find an experienced FJR rider as a touter. Good luck!

 

[garauld]

Hmm, I'd think of it this way - so you've been skiing the bunny trail a couple times and now you want to take the high speed quad to the top and try out a black diamond trail. Yup, it's certainly doable, but IMHO, you better ski a few blues first... Pick up a decent used 1990's standard 500 or 750 and ride it for a year and then get the feejer. B)

 

[bramfrank]

+1

Riding requires an integration of talent, training and experience. You may have one or both of the first two, but you are woefuly shy of having a proper measure of the third.

No matter how mature you may be, all it takes is a single incident where you lose control - or a take lurch that causes an unanticipated twist of the wrist and you're down. I've been riding for 37 years - I track raced for 2 years way back when - I've got a bazillion kilometers under my belt and and I still managed to crash last year (sh*t happens - I was broadsided by a car that crossed the line in a right hand curve - left for him - and in attempting to correct hit the car following the offender head-on). Let me say that it isn't pleasant.

My strongest suggestion is that you get a smaller standard and a couple of tens of thousands of kilometers and a year or two of experience under your belt before moving up to anything with the power and weight of the FJR.

 

[James]

I'm considering a FJR1300 as a first bike puchase. Any opinions?
I have taken the MSF course and I have my motorcyle license endorsement. Other than the MSF course my only riding experience is a few daily rentals from my local HD dealer. (I hated the noise and vibration on the Harleys and would never consider one for purchase.)

IF you have a tremendous amount of self-control, and don't mind the scratches you may well get when you drop it while parking, ect. it could work. But you might be ahead to get a smaller, lighter, less powerful, cheaper, used bike for your first few months or so. Many people will do well w/any bike in the begining, but after they gain some confidence get careless & over-confident & find themselves in over their head in a particular situation- speed-wise, in an odd parking lot, turning on sand or gravel or something like that. The FJR is reasonably big, heavy, & fast. It has a lot of expensive plastic. It is real easy to find yourself stradling the bike & suddenly notice it's leaning over & you can't stop it. Or a very few seconds after you take off "something" is getting real close real quick & you're not quite ready to deal w/it. Experiance on a smaller, slower bike can pay off big time. You buy a car that's too hot for you to handle, something bad happens, you may well walk away with a racing heart. Do that on a bike & you don't walk away. Some have the self-control to do it, but it's real easy to slip-up, and the price can be high. As Clint Eastwood said in The Outlaw Josey Wales, "A man's got to know his limitations". I'm sure someone has gotten the FJR as a first bike, and done fine, but (and I'm resisting another Eastwood quote here) it's a lot of bike for someone w/no experiance.

James

 

[kaitsdad]

carolinafjr,

Brass ones. Big.

I purchased my 06a after a 30 year hiatus from bikes - my last being a CB750K4, which was considered a pretty hot bike in 1974. I did all of my crashing and burning on my first bike during high school. 90CC Kawasaki, IIRC.

I've met another rider that bought an 06A as his first bike (ever!) It's BigDolma's father in law - and as I watched him ride away, I almost couldn't look - I just said a little prayer, and hoped that all those hard things out there stayed out of his way. He's still with us, but I don't think he rides very often.

I think that you're experience with the HD rentals will do you well. You've done the MSF class, you've ridden some large displacement bikes (notice I didn't say high horsepower), and I think you may have an idea what the FJR is about.

When I put down my deposit last year on the PDP, I still had 6 months to learn everything I could. I've read just about every book out there about motorcycle safety, handling, etc., and I re-read them still - all good stuff.

One of the admins on this board, the highly respected and revered Beeroux, (be nice guys, I'm trying to suck up here ! ) told me to be careful - if I recall his statement to me, (forgive me, this may be a paraphrase) it was:

"Be careful - cause the FJR will go from zero to hurt faster than you can imagine."

And he's right - it can.

But I think I can safely say this - if you buy the FJR, you will absolutely love it - but you must respect it. Every time I climb on mine, I go into 'combat mode'. The operation of that machine is primary, it must be your only focus. I've found that when I don't do that, I start making newbie mistakes.

Don't ever become to comfortable with your ability to operate this machine.

Let us know what you decide. Lot's of support on this forum.

 

[Farkles]

Ok I know that when I get mine that is has to be treated with respect. I ride a XS1100LG (haven't ridden it in 2 years). But It does have power, and as long as I don't abuse it I am ok untill I get reused to things.

I can't wait to get used to the FJR but now will be more cautious. :yahoo:

 

[TalioGladius]

Honestly no. Too heavy and too powerful. That's not a forgiving combination for a new rider.

 

[ponyfool]

Much of it depends on your maturity level.

There are things about a 1300cc high horsepower motorcycle that you need to consider:

Weight- This is not a light bike. If you have little to no experience with motorcycles, be expected to have it fall over on you until you have an intrinsic instinct to keep it up while going slow or stopped.

Speed- Yes, the speed is dictated by your throttle response, but having a bike that can get you into trouble before you are even aware trouble is coming is a huge reason there are so many single vehicle motorcycle accidents.

Experience- Although riding and driving are drastically different skill sets, if you are an aggressive driver, even just a little bit, you will likely tend to be a more aggressive rider. Without the experience of smaller or dirt bikes, that can lead to an accident. If you are a naturally defensive driver, you may be slightly ahead of another noob in the learning curve, but always remember, you are invisible on a bike, and there is nothing surrounding you to protect you.

I have always suggested that someone get a cheap dual sport so they can take it off road, and learn how to handle a bike that is sliding, etc, but also have the ability to gain street experience, and to do it for at least a year. But, that's just my opinion, and I've been wrong before.

 

[zzzzip]

Carolina-- have you considered a pre '06 FZ1?

That is what I started riding again on after about 25 years off a bike. My early experience consisted of small street standards and dirt stuff. I rode it a year and about 5000 miles before I got the FJR. Found them to be similar in handling/power and seat position (it is a standard).

Also bought a VStar 1100 to see if the wife would like riding with me. She did, so I sold both and went to the FJR in late '04, since she wanted nothing to do with the FZ1.

It too can bite you, but I recognized I was a piss poor rider then as well as now, and stayed within my limits. Not to say that you are too.

B)

 

[brazos parker]

I rode some while I was young. Then, took time off for a career. Before I started riding again, I took the MSF Basic Riders course, bought a used Yami YZF600 (what I called an "FJR Jr."), rode it for 13 months before selling it and stepping up to the FJR. Turns out, for me, it was an easy transition.

No advice here, just my experience.

EDIT: Oh yeah! I did drop the YZF600 in a visitor's center parking lot...foot slipped on oil/gravel while backing into a parking spot and down we went.

 

[Derek]

please consider these two facts. you need more seat time to get your skills up. you will probably drop your first bike.

your skills will develop much faster on a smaller lighter bike. trying to do tight figure eights and other parking lot practice is not what this top heavy bike likes, and it will let you know that in short order.

those mid size bikes are alot of fun. i hope you'll give it some more thought. how about an 08 fjr?

derek

 

[bpoirier]

I started my motorcycle career with a Yamaha 650 V-Star (drove it for a year). The next year I bought a Honda VTX1300 (drove it for two years). Then the clouds parted, I PDP'd,waited, and received a brand new FJR this year.

I would strongly suggest you learn on a small bike and build the skills. That in itself is an ego builder. I would also never go on the road without reading everything you can about skilled riding. David Hough is your guy to read, for sure...

All the best, keep in touch. I can't wait to see your 2008. You get the drift.

RIDE ON!

Bill Poirier

THompson,CT

 

[chornbe]

I'm considering a FJR1300 as a first bike puchase. Any opinions?
I have taken the MSF course and I have my motorcyle license endorsement. Other than the MSF course my only riding experience is a few daily rentals from my local HD dealer. (I hated the noise and vibration on the Harleys and would never consider one for purchase.)

No. It's a raging beast in disguise. Get a Suzuki GS500 and do a year on that. Seriously. I love the FJR and I recommend it to any and everyone I can. But it is NOT a beginner's bike. Not by a long shot.

 

[BBIII]

I don't know why but for some reason I smell a troll. I'm not going to try and talk you out of buying an FJR as a first bike because only an idiot would argue with an idiot.

 

[carolinafjr]

All,

Thanks for the feedback. I think I'll look for a lower performing bike to gain experience and consider a FJR in 2008. (Maybe red will be available then.)

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

FZ6

YZF600R

One of them.

 

[Rogue]

All,
Thanks for the feedback. I think I'll look for a lower performing bike to gain experience and consider a FJR in 2008. (Maybe red will be available then.)

Very good idea. There are allways some who can jump on an FJR or even a R1 or Busa type bike as a first bike and never have an accident or problem............. But those are 1-1,000,000!

Get at least 5,000 safe miles on the road before jumping on a high power bike.