How does your FJR steer?

[ugar-6]

I test rode an 08 FJR today and may buy it. It's a fair deal but not a great deal. However, it's VERY close to me. I rode it and it rode pretty good. However, at low speeds, the front tire turns into the direction you are turning. At speeds it turned kind of like a sportsbike. Is this normal? I noticed the front tire pressure was a little low but not too bad. I didn't see anything wrong with the forks nor did I feel fork oil on the legs. I just want to make sure this is normal before I drop the change. Everything else on the bike seemed pretty spot on as far as performance goes.

 

[Hawkerplt]

Tire pressure being "a little low" makes a big difference. I run 42 rear and 40 front with PR2 tires.

I noticed some of what you discribed with the Z6s not as much with the PR2.

Check the tire pressures often and enjoy your new FJR...

 

[madmike2]

Tire pressure, tire wear and tire brand multiplied by rider technique all factor in to the issue.

For instance, when I had Avons on my bike I absolutely had to "un-steer" my bike in slow corners (25 mph in my neighborhood).

If one is slowing during low speed corners it will cause the bike to "fall in" while opening the throttle will cause it to "stand up".

Mine is rather neutral running 40+ lbs air pressure front and rear.

 

[RenoJohn]

How does your FJR steer?

**With the handlebars**

Some people seem to overlook the obvious, it is important to start at the basics.

OK, seriously, front tire pressure makes a HUGE difference, the bike is fat and heavy. A few lbs low will make a world of difference

 

[NSrider]

My 08 does the same thing, I have had three different brands of tires on it and have played with the pressures as well. I even had the front suspension upgraded by GP Suspension but nothing seems to help, it still handles like crap in slow speed turns. Makes me wish I had kept my FZ1.

 

[wfooshee]

Changes as the tire wears, as well. Those "comfortable" lean angles dig grooves off center in the front tire, and it will "fall" into them, then resist more steering input.

 

[FJRBluesman]

How does your FJR steer?

Steer.... Like a cow??? :dribble:

 

[rydmohr]

Just like a sportbike only heavier. Designed to be a little top heavy for better turnin, makes it a little difficult at slow speeds like it wants to fall over. At the same time the bike handles mid to high speed corners smooth as silk. Enjoy!

 

[Allnight]

I had been having what sounds like the same problem...every time I leaned into a turn, at any speed, the bike wanted to turn sharper. Yes, power could overcome it, but there was no way to achieve any kind of equilibrium like I had gotten used to.

Next oil change, the dealer didn't want to let me drive away, the front was so deeply cupped. He said the front had under 30 in it when the checked it. D'oh just doesn't cover it.

So, that day, I ordered the 90 degree angle valve stems (I've posted pics, somewhere) since that was a major hinderance to checking the pressure. I also "got the religion" about tire pressure. I don't usually worry about what it is, as long as it's over 40. When I add air, I usually take the front up to 44-46, which makes the bike like to turn in parking lots. Rear has been steady at 42.

I looked into TPMS but was having trouble spending $300 to replace the little pencil tire gauge. Some are cheaper, sure, but I was looking for particular mounting in the dash.

Anyway, keep air in the tires, and the problem'll go away, I'd expect.

Oh, and stay away from steers on the fjr...they're a lot bigger, a lot heavier, and they're generally just plain pissed off 'cause they got "fixed."

 

[FJRless]

Perhaps I'm reading your post too literally but what I hear you describe is normal. Steering is in the direction of the turn until you reach a certain speed, then obviously you counter-steer.

 

[Bogus]

Perhaps I'm reading your post too literally but what I hear you describe is normal. Steering is in the direction of the turn until you reach a certain speed, then obviously you counter-steer.

Au contraire...Countersteering initiates the turn. Anyhow, check out this lengthy thread about someone who recently purchased a used FJR, and had some steering issues with it. His problem is now solved :yahoo:

 

[FJRless]

Perhaps I'm reading your post too literally but what I hear you describe is normal. Steering is in the direction of the turn until you reach a certain speed, then obviously you counter-steer.

Au contraire...Countersteering initiates the turn. Anyhow, check out this lengthy thread about someone who recently purchased a used FJR, and had some steering issues with it. His problem is now solved :yahoo:

I think your confusing your thread with symptoms in this post. There is no comparison that I can see. When I'm manuevering in a parking lot or moving my bike around my garage I steer the direction I want to go. It's not possible to do otherwise.

 

[bigjimbiker]

I test rode an 08 FJR today and may buy it. It's a fair deal but not a great deal. However, it's VERY close to me. I rode it and it rode pretty good. However, at low speeds, the front tire turns into the direction you are turning. At speeds it turned kind of like a sportsbike. Is this normal? I noticed the front tire pressure was a little low but not too bad. I didn't see anything wrong with the forks nor did I feel fork oil on the legs. I just want to make sure this is normal before I drop the change. Everything else on the bike seemed pretty spot on as far as performance goes.

I admit tire pressure is probably the main culprit but another could be the suspension settings on the forks. When I first started riding my 08 it felt sort of like you described but after stiffening up the setttings the handling immediately improved, as did my confidence...bigjimbiker

 

[specialk]

your issue about difficult turn in was the first thing I noticed about the FJR coming from my FZ6. I noticed that the tire pressure was 35 psi when I got the bike so I upped that to 39 as stated in the manual which did not help the cupped tire (metzler). What made a HUGE different was a brand new dunlop roadsmart. I remember driving home from the tire store thinking that the bike was transformed (very light steering which I like). Now with 2k miles on the tire, even with 39 psi, I can feel it trying to turn in more at low speed. I say based on this that the tire has the most to do with it, with wear being the second closest cause (assuming pressure is constant, though pressure has not made a huge impact in my opinion).

 

[JBad]

I test rode an 08 FJR today and may buy it. It's a fair deal but not a great deal. However, it's VERY close to me. I rode it and it rode pretty good. However, at low speeds, the front tire turns into the direction you are turning. At speeds it turned kind of like a sportsbike. Is this normal? I noticed the front tire pressure was a little low but not too bad. I didn't see anything wrong with the forks nor did I feel fork oil on the legs. I just want to make sure this is normal before I drop the change. Everything else on the bike seemed pretty spot on as far as performance goes.

I experienced something similar when I switched from Dunlop D205 to Dunlop Roadsmart dual-compound tires. The difference in handling was amazing - and scary. The beautiful, neutral handling I had taken for granted disappeared. With the new tires, the bike had a tendency to "fall in" when making slow speed turns -- particularly tight U-turns -- and responded sluggishly when starting high speed turns. High speed turns required greater pressure on the bars to initiate the turn, then required more bar pressure to hold the intended line.

The handling felt so terrible, I didn't wait for the tires to wear out, I used them on a long trip (no choice, no time to change them) and then replaced them when I got home. I switched to Michelin Road Pilot 2 dual-compound tires and handling immediately went back to being great.

The FJR handles so nicely when dialed in. Turn in at slow speeds should be natural and intuitive, with no surprises. High speed handling is even better, with an easy, neutral feel. Turn in should feel light and it should hold the line without drama. Tire pressure is important, but tire design also plays a role.

 

[Auburn]

Keep in mind this is a very simple explanation of steering.

Steering on any motorcycle is a compromise between overall wheel length and the rake and trail of the front end. The shorter the wheel base as with sportbikes, or the steeper the steering head angle (steep rake, less trail) the more unstable or faster turning the motorcycle. The twitchy-ness is more noticable at speed then when moving slower. Sometimes it will feel like the bike "falls" into the corner.

The FJR has a longer wheel base then most sportbikes in general, is heavier, has more trail and less rake (less steering head angle) then a sportbike. Therefore, it steers heavier, turns in slower and is more stable at speed.

To figure out how much trail you have or to compare from bike to bike, draw a line straight down the fork tube to the ground and then measure from that point back to the center of the front wheel contact patch. That distance is the trail. It is measured in millimeters. (this is a rough approximation)

All of this ssumes that you have proper tire pressures and sizes mounted up on the bike. Another thing that will cause changes in feel is the changes that happen when you change tire brands. Not all tire are the same size even thought they may say they are 120/70-17 or 180/55-17. The overall hieght and circumfrence can be different. For examply on my Honda RS 250 GP bike, I would switch occaisionally from a Dunlop slick to a Bridgestone slick. In the rear the Bridgestone was 10mm taller. The circumfrence was larger too. This affected the suspension and gearing for the bike drastically. There is a good article by Ed Sorbo (long time AMA pro racer and mechanic) in the March 2010 Roadracing World magazine that talks about all of the effects that happen to a motorcycle from a simple thing like changing tires. Tire profile can also have a great effect on steering. In the above example, Dunlop front tire slicks had more "triangle" shape, which aids the feeling of falling into the corner. Where the Bridgestones were rounded in profile and had more of a smooth transition into the corner.

EDIT: my point is to illustrate there are many more things than just tires that affect how the bike handles

 

[RadioHowie]

Keep in mind this is a very simple explanation of steering.
Steering on any motorcycle is a compromise between overall wheel length and the rake and trail of the front end. The shorter the wheel base as with sportbikes, or the steeper the steering head angle (steep rake, less trail) the more unstable or faster turning the motorcycle. The twitchy-ness is more noticable at speed then when moving slower. Sometimes it will feel like the bike "falls" into the corner.

The FJR has a longer wheel base then most sportbikes in general, is heavier, has more trail and less rake (less steering head angle) then a sportbike. Therefore, it steers heavier, turns in slower and is more stable at speed.

To figure out how much trail you have or to compare from bike to bike, draw a line straight down the fork tube to the ground and then measure from that point back to the center of the front wheel contact patch. That distance is the trail. It is measured in millimeters. (this is a rough approximation)

All of this ssumes that you have proper tire pressures and sizes mounted up on the bike. Another thing that will cause changes in feel is the changes that happen when you change tire brands. Not all tire are the same size even thought they may say they are 120/70-17 or 180/55-17. The overall hieght and circumfrence can be different. For examply on my Honda RS 250 GP bike, I would switch occaisionally from a Dunlop slick to a Bridgestone slick. In the rear the Bridgestone was 10mm taller. The circumfrence was larger too. This affected the suspension and gearing for the bike drastically. There is a good article by Ed Sorbo (long time AMA pro racer and mechanic) in the March 2010 Roadracing World magazine that talks about all of the effects that happen to a motorcycle from a simple thing like changing tires. Tire profile can also have a great effect on steering. In the above example, Dunlop front tire slicks had more "triangle" shape, which aids the feeling of falling into the corner. Where the Bridgestones were rounded in profile and had more of a smooth transition into the corner.

EDIT: my point is to illustrate there are many more things than just tires that affect how the bike handles

The well thought-out, well-written treatise above is BS. Sorry, A-FJR.

EVERYONE knows motorcycles steer by voodoo.

 

[Auburn]

EVERYONE knows motorcycles steer by voodoo.

I thought it was PFM...

pure f***in magic :good: :haha: :haha: :haha:

 

[cwa]

You all need to drink more