If Yamaha/FJR listened to its customers..

[RadioHowie]

If they have to add on the options per your specs at the dealership, what's the difference between that and just doing it the way we all do it now?

EASY answer -- two simple words:

Manufacturer's warranty

 

[LAF]

If they have to add on the options per your specs at the dealership, what's the difference between that and just doing it the way we all do it now?

EASY answer -- two simple words:

Manufacturer's warranty

+1 on that, plus the plug and pray for CC would allow it to be purchased as a Dealer Installed Option, so I could get the part # and install it myself

I have no horse in the race, I will not need another bike for some time, and by then who knows what Yamaha may do on the ST front, if anything?

 

[carlson_mn]

I thought about everything that has been said in this thread and did a little photoshopping and developed this bike here. Oh I also added 'adaptive front headlights' to the want list.

I hope BMW doesn't copy our ideas for a new bike!

 

[SkooterG]

Well played Carlson!

My latest edition of Rider magazine came last week and they review the new Bimmer K16GT/GTL. All I can say is WOW!, I want a K1600GT. Sure, it's quite expensive but with all the stuff you get I don't actually think it's a bad value. And time will tell, but it looks like an excellent mile burner. I bet the bike will be huge in the IBA/LD Riding arena.

But fear not FJR peeps, it will be MANY years before I can afford one. Until then I will be quite happy with my personalized farkled GenI FJRs.

 

[beemerdons]

I thought about everything that has been said in this thread and did a little photoshopping and developed this bike here. Oh I also added 'adaptive front headlights' to the want list.

+1, Gunny! Ein schones Motorraden! Fantastic future FJR, this model could definitely find a home in BeemerDonS's garage. Danke Schoen, Deutschland Uber Alles!!!

 

[palerider]

So... Devil's advocate here, I see the appeal of your scheme, but I also see some little holes.

What happens with a situation where you need to signal your intent while riding down the freeway (or whatever you call it in Floriduh) and you need to make a lane change, but for whatever reason fail to cancel your signal after making the lane change. No shifting, so no cancellation. It actually happens more often than one might think (not just in those specific circumstances).

I'm sure that a turn signal cancellation system that works effectively on bikes could be devised. But it hasn't yet. And it would be a pretty complicated affair. It would actually be pretty fun to work up with something like that

Well, it's been done and left behind, probably because it was expensive to do well. My 84 Magna had as close to perfect a self-cancelling system as I think we're going to see, at least in terms of function; the drawbac was that it was COMPLICATED. It had a timer that worked in conjuction with a distance-sensor and a lean-angle sensor and something else--I can't remember what. When it worked, it was really great, near-perfect in almost every way. The only short--coming functionally was that you had to remember that it might turn off if you were on a slreet or a slab and went straight a little too long before making your turn or lane change; but that was easy to keep track of, and it performed flawlessly in every other way. When it performed. When it stopped working, though, trouble-shooting it was a bear because it was mostly a trial-and-error process of pulling and replacing sensors one by one until the problem went away, and those sensors were expensive..

GaryK

 

[TechJunkie]

Love my Feejer but If I could dream:

1) Cruise Control

2) HID Headlights

3) Better stock seat

4) Better stock suspension

5) Power Distribution Block in back of bike

6) Better windshield

7) Tire pressure sensors or low tire pressure warning

8) 60MPG mode when on the slab

9) Better tail rack that was actually usable

Not that I have really thought about it though.

 

[carlson_mn]

Well played Carlson!

My latest edition of Rider magazine came last week and they review the new Bimmer K16GT/GTL. All I can say is WOW!, I want a K1600GT. Sure, it's quite expensive but with all the stuff you get I don't actually think it's a bad value. And time will tell, but it looks like an excellent mile burner. I bet the bike will be huge in the IBA/LD Riding arena.

But fear not FJR peeps, it will be MANY years before I can afford one. Until then I will be quite happy with my personalized farkled GenI FJRs.

True, as far as new bike prices go, it's basically only about $5500 more than an FJR, and considering all you get it's a relatively good value. I think it also gets better mpgs. Having said that my budget for any motorcycle will probably never be more than $7k, what I paid for my bike when it was 3.5 years old.

The one thing that would make me cringe at going anywhere else is knowing there can't be a bike that's any easier to work on yourself than the FJR. Everything about the FJR is easy to do. Even the GenI OEM front brake pads are cheap and last forever. Just changed out the clutch fluid and all brake line fluids also, and I am so happy I don't have that linked brakes BS. Changed all 3 circuits in about 30 minutes. Friend who has an ST1300 with linked brakes said there about 9 different bleeder valves you have to mess with and do them in a certain order. I can't think of anything more pathetic than linked brakes on a grown-man's motorcycle like the FJR. Sure, maybe on a scooter or a Buell Blast I can understand the reasoning for linked brakes.

Sometimes my knees get tight on the FJR during long trips and it would be nice to have lower or more forward pegs (like GenII), but I already scrape my pegs in high speed corners while hanging off the bike, so it's all just a compromise. So I just stand up or stick my legs out for a bit to get the blood flow shifting through the knees.

 

[HotRodZilla]

If we're wishing...I would like a night-vision heads up display in my helmet. With an updadable, programable radar detector.

Other than that, I love my bike, and will probably never get rid of it unless I am forced to. Even after nearly 4 years, I love seeing that bike in my garage, and get all excited every time I fire her up.

Cruise control would be nice, but for what she is, she is perfect.

 

[Fred W]

OK, since we are off into the blue sky dreaming mode, and it's Friday, I guess there is one factory option that I know all FJR owners would want to pay for at (almost) any cost. Yamaha needs to come up with some special paint that is totally invisible to radar and lidar, but is extremely HiViz to the human eye. Yep, if they came up with that they'd sell a million of 'em.

 

[ctfjr]

My vote is for a built in radar detector and while I'm dreaming, may as well add built in gps. Tires that last 25K miles would be nice - ok I'll take 15.

Ok, I admit it I'm a girly man. I vote for self cancelling turn sigs & cruise control also.

 

[LAF]

Well played Carlson!

My latest edition of Rider magazine came last week and they review the new Bimmer K16GT/GTL. All I can say is WOW!, I want a K1600GT. Sure, it's quite expensive but with all the stuff you get I don't actually think it's a bad value. And time will tell, but it looks like an excellent mile burner. I bet the bike will be huge in the IBA/LD Riding arena.

But fear not FJR peeps, it will be MANY years before I can afford one. Until then I will be quite happy with my personalized farkled GenI FJRs.

Yes the Rider article will make one drool for sure. The GT is 22,000 and the GTL is 25,000. I will get a chance to ride one this summer as a friend is getting a GTL. I will make a decision as to start saving for the 2nd or 3rd year release of them. That said it is not an LT that competed with the Gold Wing, it is not that type of motorcycle any longer. It really is a ST on steroids with the associated cost attached. I have been in lust for a GTL since I totaled the LT but cost kept me from waiting on it and first year production was another.

The FJR is perfect for me in it's cost, and it has the less is more thing going on, and I do love the bike. You are talking at least 11,000 more for a bike like the GTL and that is a lot to be justified for me, then lets go into maintenance cost, but you can not beat a 3 year warranty either.

Bottom line is the FJR is a great bike and all the wishing is great but do not look to Yamaha for the majority of these wish items, you better start saving for the GTL to get them. And then let the Kool Aid sipping begin.

Still out there is the nagging question, will the final drive hold up? BMW been building 6 cylinder motors forever so I do not question that, but if the FD ever becomes suspect I will be done lusting for it. Been there and wore that BMW t-shirt.

My FJR rocks!

 

[road runner]

OK, since we are off into the blue sky dreaming mode, and it's Friday, I guess there is one factory option that I know all FJR owners would want to pay for at (almost) any cost. Yamaha needs to come up with some special paint that is totally invisible to radar and lidar, but is extremely HiViz to the human eye. Yep, if they came up with that they'd sell a million of 'em.

Fred

That's the best idea ever. Once they do that then a flux capacitor that runs on garbage would be the shit.

 

[Bounce]

The one thing that's hardest to do (reliably) after market is the alternator. Put on an 1100watt one and we can do the rest.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

These have been used (specially fabbed cover, pulleys, and belt) on M/Cs (when things get bad enough...):

(well over 1K Watts)

 

[Bounce]

cobbled up external alternators, hanging off of cantilevered brackets, using extended belts ain't quite the same thing as what i was thinking. i sold my 83 & 84 Wings for a reason.

 

[palerider]

I gotta say that the more I think and read about this, the more I like things just the way they are. With all the factory options offered by BMW, everybody ends up riding in Teutonic lock-step (no, not "goose-step") on the exact same bike. But over here you have all these different permutations we can show (off) to each other and all these manufacturers to scope out and all these discussions and arguments about the merits of this and the demerits of that, and the amazing creativity and resourcefulness shown by the FJR community and the makers of all these different offerings. There's a synergy that arises from all that. And while I do get the argument about the factory warranty covering the factory-installed options, outside of isolated reports of the AudioVox CC going bad, how many farkles have really needed to be warrantied? So dream on, all you factory-installed dreamers, but leave me and my FJR alone. I've decided I like farkling a la carte.

Except for the self-cancelling turn signals.

 

[Crash Cash]

The one thing that's hardest to do (reliably) after market is the alternator. Put on an 1100watt one and we can do the rest.

Or how about just adding a plain voltage & amperage readout to the fancy display, so you don't have to guess how healthy your charging system is. I don't think that would be too expensive or difficult. And I'm not talking about idiot lights, but maybe something like adding volts & amps to the temp/avg-MPG/curr-MPG rotation.

 

[SkooterG]

These have been used (specially fabbed cover, pulleys, and belt) on M/Cs (when things get bad enough...):

(well over 1K Watts)

You mean like this? (As seen just before the start of the 07 IBR - Don't think this bike finished, but I could be wrong)

 

[Fred W]

That looks safe...