FNG's test ride impression

[Redfish Hunter]

This "Personality" issue is strange to me. Also, I grow more confused about what the OP's intentions were with this thread. If the FJR does not stir your soul when you ride it, then do not waste your money on it. Find a motorcycle that does excite you and appeals to your personality. I don't get upset when I see people riding something besides an FJR, I hope that they are riding what they want. A motorcycle is supposed to bring happiness, it is a luxury item. If that Ducati is what excites you, by all means get one.

As usual, I agree with SkooterG. I ride my ST1300 with it's George Jetson V4 and no personality and I love it. LOVE it. Nothing ever goes wrong, it is there when I need it, it always works. But...If I want excitement, if I want to have my hands shaking, my heart pounding, have trouble communicating in English, I get on the FJR. Every time I ride it I think how cool it is that my Dad rides this Badass Motorcycle. And yes, I have ridden faster bikes but I never rode one that fired me up like the FJR.

Another thought for you: Read the forums for the different motorcycles you are interested in. I find that the owner's personalities are a direct reflection of the motorcycle's personalities. The ST1300 forum is very tame, the FJR forum is more on the edge. I have no idea what the Multistrada forum is like.

 

[FJR Bill]

What everybody else said.

Read the recent posts about soul, I just posted there. Yes the windshield bounces around a bit but its not a problem. I have the stock windshield which I use for local hot temp rides as it provides good airflow. For trips I recommend a larger windshield which can put you in a turbulent free pocket of air. The only thing I liked better on the ST 1300 was I thought the stock windshield was superior to the FJR. My Cali Sci windshield I think is now equal to the Honda's.

Bill

 

[mr.paul]

Oh, I think everyone took this guy the wrong way. He is just confused.

A lot of good advice here. And I will add that I used to call my FJR "souless" as compared to my Vmax. If you have had a Max you know what I mean. But as much fun and "soul" my Vmax was, I opted for the FJR. The FJR is a better fit for what I do. And you will find it is what stirs Your soul, more than any imagined soul the bike has, that matters most.

I used to also have a ST1300 (wife's bike) and found it to be a very nice tourer. Actually liked the "Jetson's car" sound. Just not as much fun to ride for me. But I have a great deal of respect for that bike.

I really think that what we all need is at least 5 motorcycles. Yeah, that's the ticket. Then what ever mood my soul is in, it's flames could be fanned. Just a thought...

mr.paul, from Minnesota

 

[builderwill]

I understand what the OP said completely. I had come from a bandit when I bought my FJR. The bandit with the torque and short wheelbase was a wheelie machine and would yank your arms off at WOT.

I bought my FJR after a short test drive on a friends 2 years earlier and when I took my new to me FJR out on my first ride, I had a terrible case of buyers remorse. I think I used the word 'vanilla' instead of souless. But.... after dialing in the suspension better and getting used to throwing my weight into and running in the upper rpm band in the twisties, the ole FEEJ is far from soulless to me now. It's just so smooth it takes some getting used to.

PS - putting on a shortie windshield made a world of difference too. Even the stock screen felt like a barndoor to me.

 

[norflyer]

Gents,

been riding the B1600GT for 4700km per now.

Talking about personality is a funny thing. The Beemer does not have the half of the personality of my former Lady Bluie (FJR). It is nice to ride, yes, but there is something missing....

I will not add my disappointment about the Beemers drivetrain clickie/clack. They says it is cause the B. got a kind of inbuilt slipper clutch, but it annoying nevertheless.

MHO is that BMW has gone too far with all this nice to have features.

Enjoy your FJRs. I never let down a oppertunity to talk to a FJR rider, and discuss my former lovely Lady Bluie !

 

[LgFJR]

We got soul!......lol......soul like a cruise missile......most of us grin every day on these bikes.....but we've been assimilated and this may not be for you. A lot of guys have put touring stuff on the chain drives and enjoyed it. That may be the way for you. You may not think the FJR handles, I can guarantee there are a few guys here in SoCal that are simply blindingly fast on these things.....way beyond what you can imagine.

 

[Granger]

About 12 years ago, for several years, I owned a very impractical and sexy sports car (Mitsubishi VR4, 352HP, 4W-drive, 4W-Steering, double turbo, 6-speed Getrag shifter, a poor excuse for a back seat). It was humbling to drive, the car always had more capability than I will ever have. But I loved it, and I loved driving it. Eventually I looked at it and said "why do I own this? I can't drive it on snow/ice, or really do it justice where I live and drive", so I sold it, and no regrets (either in owning it or in selling it).

Then I decided it was time to upgrade my 2-wheel ride. I've always owned smaller street bikes, the largest was a Suzuki 650, but I was fearless in doing long distance rides on them (sore butt or not). This time I wanted something stirring but do not intend to drag the pegs in the curves or wake up the neighbors just revving it in the driveway. So I test-rode the ST1300, the Concours 1400 and the FJR. The Honda rode like I was wearing a suit to dinner, the Kawa felt top-heavy when leaned and thus bothered me in the tight corners where I had to slow down before exiting fast. The FJR felt just right, a very good "match", never out of control but always having a bit more if I showed that I could use it. So I bought one.

The bike is not perfect, I am already making adjustments to it for a better fit (I have short legs but still installed highway pegs, gotta have it). But I think I'll own this bike a long time, because it is much closer to the practical while also being exciting and just a shade more forgiving and capable than my humble abilities. BTW, I admit that I continue to yearn for occasional rides on my neighbors Ducati, but not for very long.

So my own conclusion is that motorcycle (and sports car) enjoyment is like beer or wine tasting: everybody has a different drink they prefer on different occasions and some of us, due to budget and space (and the wife's tolerances) have to pick just one bike to live with in multiple conditions, not all of them a perfect fit. It really comes down to "taste" and "feel", and yours is just as legitimate a criteria as mine.

See you on the highway,

Granger

 

[captaincautious]

I came off a GSXR 1000 which was one nice machine but after a friend let me test ride his FJR I was so impressed with the "overall feel" that I new that was the one for me. It is not a high performance sportbike or fullout tourer, just a bit of both and that is what makes it such a great machine. The thing about touring with a crotchrocket is well the touring. It's great when you get to the twisties, its just getting there. With the FJR you have that comfort factor you just don't have with a sportbike and peformance and handling which are still very impressive.

 

[Falko]

I think many, including myself, look at the lines of the FJR and the sport touring category and place too much emphasis on the sport side. I came over from a small Italian v-twin to the FJR. It was real culture shock. The FJR handles well, but it is a different type of handling and requires a different touch (or push as the case may be). I'd equate the FJR to driving a porsche Cayenne where as sport bikes are the real deal. If you climb on one of these things expecting it to take minimal effort for turn in and be extremely responsive, you're not going to get it. I was pretty disappointed when I first started on the FJR, but have honed in on the riding style it needs for the most part (and fixing the sticky clutch after driving up a convenient store side walk helps). The engine has about the best power range I've experienced for a 4cyl. Soulless, no, different, yes. If the FJR were the perfect bike for everyone, life would be a bit boring. I find the FJR to be a very good real world bike. Do my friends on their SS bikes smoke me in the corners? for the most part yes, they'll pull away, but nothing substantial. But whose bike does everyone want to switch off to a few hours into the ride?

 

[vandy]

Sometimes I just dont understand some of the people on this form...

Several times I have seen people get on someones case so bad that they left the forum for good and or left the FJR fold..

I know that some people grew up being a bully all there lives and it makes them feel better when they put others down but a little comon scence could be used.

Your friends can take a joke if they know you so go ahead and bash them and get bashed back.. its kind of fun.

But use your fricken heads sometimes please.

 

[steve'o']

So, I'm still relatively new to the FJR, 16 months to be exact. Had it for 2 months and did an 11 hr, 1100km trip. Now soul, hmmmm, would that be considered the pucker factor too? 'Cause if so, other than driving a sport bike, there probably isn't much out there that will draw your sphincter in to the pin hole with a twist of the right hand to redline in each gear. Suits my needs!

 

[someguy]

i think you ran him off... only a member for a week and gone.

alas...

i think he poorly articulated what he was really trying to say...

cleary a young man, in need of some old world wisdom...

which some provided here...

hope he comes back...

with the bike that makes his heart pound... whatever that is

 

[carlson_mn]

I just do a ton of wheelies to keep it interesting on the FJR. The better you get at them it makes riding the big bike even more fun.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I did not see where he was treated that badly, I have seen some pretty mean and ugly posts here. This thread was tame by comparison. The man did not get excited by the FJR, it is good that he found out before he paid his money. My motorcycle is a luxury, I am not going to spend money on one I don't like. I would hope that the OP felt the same way. If he also found he did not like this forum, then he was able to head off more future heartache. I hope he finds the bike that has "personality" or "soul" or whatever it is that he is looking for. While I completely disagree with his desire to own the Ducati, it is not my money he is spending. If he decides to get the FJR and stay with us, great. If not, I wish him the best.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I don't think anyone was "mean" on this thread. By God, if the guy is asking for opinions, he's gonna get them here. No whiny-gash crying...geez, it's one of the Forum "rules".

Really.

The little kids forum is down the hall past the potty.

 

[Goodman4]

Maybe just my opinion, but I actually thought everybody was being fairly polite, all things considered. Auron, when I read your first post where you called our dear bikes "soulless" I ducked my head and thought you were going to get massacred. But for this passionate forum, it stayed fairly on point. Everybody got a little defensive, but what do you expect? Call my wife plain and I'd probably punch you, even though she'd be quick to argue that she's no supermodel (except to me). People stayed on the logical side of the argument and remained mature about it for the most part.

Anyway, I think I do comprehend what you are feeling and were trying to say, because the FJR is not a super sport. It's way more sport than I was prepared for or will ever need. But as others have said, it is about perspective. I could say it lacks character because it so much quieter than my cruiser, but that would not be relevant to you. Character is relative.

So my advice to you, Auron, is to be glad you stirred up some passion on the forum, but not worry about it. Then try to answer a question:

How important is comfort on a long ride?

That's not the only factor for an FJR, but in my opinion, you would be happier with the many lighter super sport options if LD isn't the driver. There's a great chance you would find the zone for this bike and get used to the ride and I would bet you'd love it. But if it would eat at you that it takes a little more to dig in the turn or that it has just a little less HP on the front end of the flick, this isn't for you. The FJR is on the other end of the spectrum for me. I rode the VTX tonight for an hour and it put a smile on my face without me having to break the law the whole time. But after our first 1000 mile ride on the FJR a few weeks ago, we are talking Colorado or Montana. That's what I bought it for and she's a beauty for that.

Good luck in finding what you are looking for and I hope you let us know (in a semi-polite way ) what you end up with at this stage of your journey.

- Paul

 

[TheBlueStreak]

Hey, How about waiting for the new Triumph, take a look: https://www.webbikeworld.com/triumph-motorcycles/2013-triumph-trophy/

 

[TheBlueStreak]

PS. I strongly agree with the weight and flickability, lack there of, with the FJR. I had a 2008 and sold it for the same reason. Now I have a 2011 Bandit 1250FA with GIVI bags and it is as comfortable and cuts up the corners. I also have a 2010 Goldwing that does pretty good at the corners too!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SkooterG]

PS. I strongly agree with the weight and flickability, lack there of, with the FJR. I had a 2008 and sold it for the same reason. Now I have a 2011 Bandit 1250FA with GIVI bags and it is as comfortable and cuts up the corners. I also have a 2010 Goldwing that does pretty good at the corners too!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah. That Goldwing will just run circles around the FJR!

Troll.

 

[steve'o']

All things considered, one has to decide what they want the bike to do, and what they want to use it for. If you are looking for flat out speed, than go the ZX14, or Hayabusa. If you want to run through the twisties at wrap factor 1, then maybe a 600 or 1000 sport bike or something a bit more exotic. All these bikes do something very well. But if you want a bike that does more than one thing well, then I think the FJR is the ticket. Again I am far from being experienced on this bike, but with some subtle changes that some members have done, ie: suspension, exhaust, fuel processors, air filters, etc, this is an all round exceptional bike. To top it all off having this forum with the experienced members willing to help and provide information on mechanical and maintenance issues, well that's priceless.