Looking at trading my 08 M109R2 for an 08 FJR...thoughts?

[bruinFJRguy]

I was thinking earlier when I first read your OP that you were slightly getting the better end of the deal. I didn't think this just because I love the FJR, but based on what I saw value-wise comparatively. On the other hand, there seems to be many more FJRs on the market, at least down here. And while 60k miles is by no means worn out, it is on the high end and I believe people will expect a better deal on a bike with that kind of mileage vs. one with, say, 30k. 50k seems to be the spot where resale becomes more difficult, at least down here. Unless your bike is approaching the same realm in mileage, I don't think he should expect a lot of cash going his way.

I will chime in on your experience, though. It'll take a minute, so bare with me... I grew up in London, ON and am familiar with the roads around SW Ontario. I rode a Shadow around that country plenty when I was a teenager. It's fine country, and riding a motorcycle on the straight county roads is as fun there as anywhere.

When I first rode the FJR, my initial reaction was similar to yours: I was underwhelmed as it wasn't the supersport monster I expected from a 1300, even in comparison to my experience on an FZ1. I test rode a 2014 in the spring of 2015, and even though it wasn't quite what I expected I was still very impressed. Alas, two months passed and I bought an FJ-09 instead as I fell in love with the torquey triple.

Fast forward 10,000 miles and about 1 year. I got the itch for something different for precisely the reason you did; my damn head was killing me from the buffeting. The engine ripped out of the hole, but the bike wasn't quite the smooth tourer I craved. I began to seriously wonder if I made the right decision, so I sought out a good used FJR, and joined the forum for info.

As luck would have it, a member had a posting directing me to a well kept 2008 with just over 50k on the clock. The thing was meticulously maintained and rode like new. The test ride the fella's took me on was not the 4 mile jaunt I did on the 2014 a year earlier (the earlier ride was more akin to county roads in SW Ontario). Instead we jumped on the freeway and I had it lit up in no time (you said you had it to about 100mph), we ho-hummed through town, and then we took it up to a mountain outside Palm Springs and let it rip in the twisties. The last part is where it really shined. I was sold.

The purpose in buying that 2008 was to decide whether I made the right choice in the FJ-09. But after about a month I decided to sell the FJR and cash out, not because I didn't like (it was the winner in my opinion by that time), but because the FJR was paid for, the FJ-09 wasn't, and I needed the money more in my bank account than in my garage. I felt the loss immediately as I watched it ride away. The FJ-09 is a very fun bike, don't get me wrong. But the FJR is just so much more refined. So I shopped around, found a great deal on a leftover 2015 FJR, and traded in the FJ-09. It was worth it.

You might not notice everything the FJR offers cruising around Strathroy. But I'm sure you will notice the difference when you go on some real tours. This is the ride I took today: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.1602044,-118.253713/Big+Pines/34.4458631,-118.1005916/34.2759574,-118.0320987/@34.3832691,-118.1258258,12z/data=!4m17!4m16!1m6!3m4!1m2!1d-118.1929675!2d34.2581215!3s0x80c2e965fb247bd9:0x4133a6af71eba758!4e1!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c316fd4b06517f:0x194a73a6c59d776c!2m2!1d-117.68917!2d34.37889!1m0!1m0!3e0

I can say with confidence it would not have been nearly as much fun on any cruiser I have ridden. I'm looking forward to actually putting some real miles on, and doing roads like this across multiple states; I don't think this would even be a consideration on the cruiser.

My long winded point is that the bike might not have been totally what you expected, but I think it will prove itself before long given the right circumstances. In any event, take all that for what it cost you ($0).

Of course, I think we all tend to like FJRs around here and are a little partial.

Good luck with your negotiations!

So, he stopped by tonight and after some bike-circling and jawing in the driveway, we test drove each other's bikes. (Which sounds dirty, but wasn't). I think we both liked what we experienced on the test drive, at least I did anyway. The FJR wasn't the high-revving supersport I was expecting, but I had it up over 100MPH in no time flat and it was smoooooooooth.
The power windshield was awesome. Full wind in town, zero wind on the highway.

We are both going to chew on it a bit and see what the price difference is we can agree on. (I'm sending some moolah his way)

Should know in a week or so if we can get er done.

3 of his buddies have 109's though, so I think he's feeling left out of his riding group..

I will update if/when we make this happen.

Thanks for all of your info and insight into the machine, it is appreciated!

Cheers,

 

[XWinger]

Hope it works out for you. The fjr is an amazing machine. I traded my 91 Goldwing 1500 for a low mileage 2004 fjr. The guy said the fjr hurt his neck and the riding position was too laid down on the tank for him. I remember the test ride well. I got out on the open road and cracked the throttle wide open in 2nd gear the front wheel came up! We cruised around for about an hour and i figured he would never go for it. I was shocked when he pulled off his helmet and said we have a deal!

 

[El Toro]

You know, this neck issue is something of a red herring.

In my experience, the windscreen has a big impact on riding fatigue.

But why the M109 wouldn't have an adequate windscreen comes as a surprise to me (won't be my first surprise incidentally).

On the FJR, I've really had a big improvement in comfort when I discovered the touring windscreen, and I would never go back to the original.

But I wonder if there is a helmet issue in play too?

The helmet has a very big impact in long ride comfort. A lot of guys swear by one brand or another. There are many good ones out there. But there are also some serious clunkers. Just because a helmet meets DOT or Snell standards doesn't mean it's going to be comfortable on a long ride.

I settled out many years ago with the Shoei NeoTec and the Schuberth C3, choosing one or the other for rides based on their color (my Shoei is black and my Schuberth is white so when my wife comes along with her black Schuberth, I would choose the black Shoei as a fashion statement).

These days, I have to admit that I can tell the difference between the two, and on a long ride, I am going to reach for the C3. Obviously YMMV.

For the OP though, I hope his wife likes the FJR too, and I suspect that he'll have a chance to sort out whichever bike he ends up with. But don't forget the helmet aspect too. It's important, and not just for its safety specs.

Edit: And another thing I remember from the days when bikes fought with me .... I used to wear suspenders, and on a long ride, my shoulders and neck would ache, and my hands would go to sleep sometimes. For whatever reason, probably for something unrelated, I ditched the suspenders. My wife is not a fan, and that might have had something to do with it. But what happened was nothing short of miraculous. No suspenders, and these pains and the sleeping hands went away. I suspect that there is a bundle of nerves that were being pressed by the suspender elastic, and this was exacerbated in the riding position. So the point is that sometimes it's not the bike that's causing the discomfort.

 

[audiowize]

How many miles are on your m109? With 60,000 miles, there are not going to be a lot of buyers for that FJR. How do the values compare locally?

If he can't produce paperwork to show that the valves were at least checked, you shouldn't buy the bike. Despite other anecdotal evidence presented in this thread, every FJR I have inspected for valve clearance has required adjustment (4 bikes).

 

[WTP07]

He has a full service history for the bike, it's all been done since the day it was imported by one local shop. So no worries there. In doing some research on the values of FJR's in the area, I think it should be very nearly a straight up trade. I will be talking with the owner a little later on this week. I will let you all know if we can get this deal done. There is another one not too far away that is a 2009 with 30,000 KMS on it (60k less) and he only wants $9000 for it. I may go that route if I can sell mine outright.

Thanks again for the input folks!

RB

 

[Allen_C]

An '09 for $9k sounds expensive, but I do not know what they sell for in your area. Here in the Midwest, that would sell for about $6k.

 

[bruinFJRguy]

An '09 for $9k sounds expensive, but I do not know what they sell for in your area. Here in the Midwest, that would sell for about $6k.

$9k CDN is about $6800 US. Value maybe holds slightly higher in Canada due to higher initial price, but I don't know. There's probably some room there.

 

[RossKean]

An '09 for $9k sounds expensive, but I do not know what they sell for in your area. Here in the Midwest, that would sell for about $6k.

Canadian prices are higher; especially with the current difference between the US$ and CDN$. Still, not bad but not a smokin' deal @ $9000.

 

[WTP07]

On a semi-related note, I took a buddy's 08 ultra classic out for a test drive last night. It was very.....informative. Ugh. Maybe when I'm 80. Slow. Sluggish. Top heavy. Comfy for sure, but so is my couch. And my couch corners better. Lol. I'm sure HD makes a fun bike to ride. This wasn't it though.

 

[Panotaker]

I bought an 08 early this summer for $6K, with 18,000 miles on it. I think the only difference between the 08 and the 09 is the color. Both are jet black, but the 09 is all black, and the 08 has silver trim. Personally I like the 08 black/silver trim better. Like some one said early on, the 08 had all the bugs worked out of it, so I would look for an 08 or newer. I added the McCruise cruise control to mine, and it was money well spent. It makes a lot easier to go on long rides with the option of turning on the cruise control. Around here (Austin Texas) everybody either has a super loud Harley, or a super loud Sport bike, so I do most of my riding by myself, since I don't fit in either category, which is fine by me. An 08 with 60,000 miles is not many miles for an FJR, but it is a lot of miles for a used bike, so price it as a high milage bike. Personally, I wouldn't trade, I would sell your bike, and take the money and buy a low mileage bike. There are plenty of them out there, unless you just can't find anybody that wants to buy your bike.

 

[TomInPA]

I went from a Suzuki C90 to a FJR. The C90 was like a slow loud tractor, and it just was never intended for touring. Yet I spent a lot to modify the fuel capacity, luggage and power. FJR out of the box was fast, quiet, agile, safer and carried my luggage by design. Depending on what kind of riding you like, the FJR may be more amazing than you realize. Standard ABS, adjustable windshield, big power reserves, and able to corner without striking hard parts. One consideration is if you go 2-up you're going to eventually want an aftermarket shock.

 

[SwollenRaccoon]

In the past 3 months, I have done these things;

1) Left early in the morning, rode almost all back roads, with as many turns as possible, to have lunch with my brother and his son, 230 miles away. Took a twenty minute break half way there, just to top off the tank, have some water and a snack, and to bask in the glow of the knowledge that I have the right bike, and made the superior decision to make this little unnecessary day trip on a beautiful day. Had a great lunch, then rode back roads all the way home, getting home about two hours before supper. On a weekday, out on these back roads, serious progress is possible. Got home refreshed, and had a smile that lasted all evening.

2) A couple weeks ago, I took a day off work, and set out about 8:00AM. Rode back roads for about 180 miles to stop and have lunch at a bar and grill owned by a childhood friend. The only disappointing part was that he was touring Europe with his wife, but I knew before I left that he may not be at work anyway. Lunch was great. Rode home on back roads, at a very "efficient" pace. Got home by 3:00 in the afternoon, and once again, smiled for hours. After supper, I mixed a sizeable cocktail in my bubba mug, went out to the garage, turned on some music, and spent fifteen or twenty minutes cleaning the bugs off the FJR.

3) In early summer, rode with a couple friends 700 miles in one day, to spend three days of ecstasy in the Ozarks of Arkansas. Ruined a set of tires, but enjoyed every second of it.

4) Gone on numerous day rides alone and with friends. Priceless days.

Once you buy the FJR, you will find yourself doing similar things, just because you can.

 

[WTP07]

Well, that deal is dead. He wanted $1000 on top of my bike and wouldn't budge from that number. So, back to the search.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[rushes]

Well, that deal is dead. He wanted $1000 on top of my bike and wouldn't budge from that number. So, back to the search.
Thanks for the help guys!

Can't blame him. 08's are the best year.

I would've wanted your bike and $2,000.

Try to sell your bike and keep looking.

Great deals on nice bikes come up all the time. :thumbsup:

 

[bruinFJRguy]

There's always another bike just around the corner.

Happy hunting.

 

[RossKean]

If you have the money (or can borrow), it probably would work out better to buy a bike now that its nearing the end of the season - some good deals are available if you look. Consider waiting until spring to sell the cruiser at a better price.

 

[falsus nomen]

FJRs to me are like Honda Civics. Not in speed. But at 90,000 miles they are just getting broken in.

This is the story of how I bought my FJR. I also ride a Triumph Street Triple(heavily modded), and I do love me some naked fun.

I had been looking for another bike, and had cash in hand and was looking for something with comfort, easy riding, lots of power, but still good in the tight and the sweeping corners. I had ridden VFR 800/1200s, SVs, VTX1800, busas, vstars, rocket IIIs, R1100RS, all sorts of bikes, and I couldn't find one that I should get. I had buddies recommending bikes, never found anything I liked.

So, I was dating this girl, and she wanted to come out and ride with me. I needed something to ride she would be comfortable on, and I knew my naked Triumph would not do it. One guy I ride with who is a total BMW homer told me "you like power, but you want a bike to feel like your little mean ******* (my triumph). Go ride an FJR, I think that is the perfect bike for you." So I jumped on Craigslist, and found a 2004 FJR for 4200, with 46k on the clock. I went and rode it, loved it, and bought it the next day. A week later, this girl showed up on my doorstep, and I took her for a ride. We did 8 hours the first day, mostly on highway 1. A few hours in, i felt something on my back, and was trying to figure out what it was. She took her gloves off, so she could take pictures of the cliffs we were riding by. She was totally comfortable, just chillin, shooting pics off the back of the bike, like it was nothing, as I was bombing down highway 1.

I have put 20,000 miles on my FJR since then, and only 2600 miles on my mean modded up street triple.

 

[WTP07]

Well....he messaged me back tonight and the deal is back on. LOL. His GF told him to quit dicking around and pull the trigger. She likes the M109 and got him to accept my offer.

So both bikes go in for safeties on Monday and we will swap at some point next week!

I'm pretty stoked!

Once I have it all done I will post some pics when it hits my laneway.

Thanks again guys, I appreciate the help and all the help in the years to come I am sure!

*insert happy dance*

 

[RossKean]

I see you already changed the info under the avitar! Congrats. Maybe see you on the road sometime!

 

[HotRodZilla]

NICE!!