Initial Impressions

[greywolf]

Well after many years of lusting , I finally picked up my new 09 FJR this morning and took it for a 125 mile initial ride.

The engine is exquisite , smooth and more power than I'd imagined

The transmission is excellent

The handling is stellar.

The seat makes a rock look comfy - Corbin on order ( I've had them on my last two bikes)

The windshield was not a problem - CEE Bailey -3 "dark smoke on order for summer use.

The handlebar position put my right wrist to sleep , even all the way back- Heli Triple clamp on order

The grips are WAY too small diameter- Grip Puppies on order .

Overall I'm very pleased . It is an oustanding example of engineering and elegance.

 

[sixpack42]

Well after many years of lusting , I finally picked up my new 09 FJR this morning and took it for a 125 mile initial ride.
The engine is exquisite , smooth and more power than I'd imagined

The transmission is excellent

The handling is stellar.

The seat makes a rock look comfy - Corbin on order ( I've had them on my last two bikes)

The windshield was not a problem - CEE Bailey -3 "dark smoke on order for summer use.

The handlebar position put my right wrist to sleep , even all the way back- Heli Triple clamp on order

The grips are WAY too small diameter- Grip Puppies on order .

Overall I'm very pleased . It is an oustanding example of engineering and elegance.

Yep, new to the FJR world and agree with everything. Heli installed, Sargent ordered, Cee Bailey installed, and grip puppies are next!

 

[lnewlf]

Yup on the seat- it is hard, curved opposite of the way a human arse is, and slides one foward to the dismay of the twins.. Just put on a Corbin [in vinyl so that it doesn't soak up water] and it is the mutz nutz... Also like the fat puppies.

 

[JamesW]

Yep, pretty much the same only I went with a sargent seat, only got the drivers half and it is working out great. Did not get the non-slip surface as I like to move around a bit on the hot days, which we have not had yet!.

 

[greywolf]

I'm only doing the riders seat , ordered it in thier "charcoal grey carbonfiber" finish (nylon impregnated over leather) I haven't had any problems with the leather Corbins I have, I put a cover on it when I'm on trips.

I plan on getting the "Smuggler" later this summer .

Update- I picked the bike up Saturday morning. Finished the break-in today . I took Sunday off to ride my Harley (didn't want to make her jealous) . I'm slowly getting use to the Ergo's , putting the weight on my feet helped the wrist pain, and I managed 220 miles of twisty mountain roads today . ( including Hwy 129 over Blood Mtn - the Georgia end of the "Dragon" and the Richard Russel / hwy 348 .

She is a beautiful machine , and I'm absolutely lovin in.

 

[tag2501]

You also may want to consider bar end weights - I have the Manic Salamander and they make all of the vibration go away when combined with the grip puppies.

 

[greywolf]

I'll wait on the heavier bar ends until after the new Heli Triple clamp is installed it's shipping 6/4 , they say it helps reduce the vibrations .

 

[Sharif]

Some additional initial impressions from another who is new the FJR ownership:

Steering feels heavier than the CB700 - I feel like particularly at low speed, you just have to lean the FJR over much harder than on the CB to get it to turn.

Love the torque. The CB700 didn't wake up until around 8K. The FJR is just a twist of the wrist and there is plenty of torque to get things moving. Really easy to get smooth starts away in first gear. Seems to like very quick shifting - any hesitation, and the throttle seems a bit choppy.

I feel like I'm still getting used to the nuance of balancing the bike on power going into curves - a slight twist and the bike squirts forward on all that torque. It really likes to lean.

I'm much more comfortable moving around on the CB700 than the FJR, hanging off a bit in the curves, but that's probably a function of mileage and my comfort level.

I skip shift frequently on the CB700, but just don't have to on the FJR - loving the big block torque - nice.

I can't wait for the open road.

-Sharif

 

[greywolf]

The power is amazing , my other ride has me a bit spoiled on torque as it has 111 lbs ft at the wheel, but is nowhere near as quick as it is hauling an additional 140lbs. 820 miles on , and 4 days of vacation left to rack em up.