Mature Riders and FJR's

[Jim Dandy]

38 years young here (dumb punk who doesn't know his A55 from a hole in the wall), and the FJR is my latest ride, call it the new UJM. 10 Years ago I had both a CBR900RR and a Goldwing, for my mood swings. I think the FeeJer is the best of both worlds.

Started on a UJM, went to sport bikes, then cruisers, back to sport bikes, then a full dress, now I am somewhere in the middle in my opinion. :yahoo:

 

[FJRski]

Wish I had one when I was young

 

[djsmith1000]

54 - first bike.

Ditto - Just call us mature squids.

Pickles & djsmith - there's only one question to you guys: How are your knitting skills?

54 and still skatin'!

Im not old enough to knit yet. Need to be potty trained first!

 

[Malve]

This may have been covered in one of the previous 161 replies and will probably just be lost in the mix anyway but...

In many regards, and of the available choices/alternatives, the FJR is a practical bike for all of the reasons that we discuss regularly (balance of performance vs. creature comforts) ... not practical like a Saturn or a machine washable suit but practical none-the-less.

It appears as though the demographic of the forum members, in terms of age and experience, would probably mirror the bell curve of some other and unrelated measure of practicality... meaning that a very small portion of 22 yr olds tend to be practical (or mature) yet not all 50+ year olds are either.

Another point on the subject of affordability: In addition to the high expense associated with owning an FJR and touring in general, for many of the mature owners, the FJR might not even be the first choice of bike if limited to one but has been added to the "stable" with the larger budget generally associated with older riders.

 

[Figstr]

48 years old here - I almost feel like I'm still wet behind the ears with some of you geezers out there :lol: . I"ve been riding since I was 18 - so 30 years for those that may be mathamatically challanged . I know I am - I had to use my fingers and toes, along with my cat's fingers and toes to figure that one out. I've been on cruisers all my life and started on on a Kawi KZ400 in 1977. I currently have an 05 Warrior that will be traded for my first sport-type bike in the next week or 2. I've never really been a fan of sport bikes, but there's something about the FJR that screams comfort. I've never been on one, but it just looks like a great LD bike for both myself and the wife. So after talking to a couple people who have been on them, I decided it was the way to go. My impressions of the FJR were further reinforced by what all the members say here - so in simple terms: I CAN'T WAIT TO GET MINE!!! :yahoo:

 

[Clark Kent]

I really don't think riding a bike has anything to do with practicality. If one was practical they would never have a bike. It's just not Practical.

CK

 

[Khunajawdge]

I really don't think riding a bike has anything to do with practicality. If one was practical they would never have a bike. It's just not Practical.
CK

I actually bought my fifth bike (after a long hiatus) to "park it" in overcrowded parking lots, at work and downtown. That was 10 years ago. Am now on my 8th motorcycle (in my lifetime). Now I can find the wide open spaces without much effort at all (He He He)

I'm 56.

No, 57?

Don't ride a skateboard anymore though! :blink:

 

[AZrider]

Nine pages! Wow!

Signed up for Medicare last week. Will turn 65 next month. Rode my first bike in high school. Bought my Bultaco in college and rode lots of miles to work and school. Bought a Suzuki X-6 Hustler (break through bike at the time) and that was my favorite bike, just something special about that bike. Had a Honda 450 later and liked that bike as well.

15 years later people were still ragging on me about being responsible etc having kids. Sold my 78 Yamaha 650 and had a knot in my stomach when the guy rode off. Kept my word though until the kids grew up, and I had grandkids. Then one day at work another graybeard let me ride his bike.....scolded me for not riding. Bought the BMW, something missing. Bought the ST-1300 still not quite sure about what's wrong. Rode a 2005 FJR and all of the old memories, lights and whistles start kicking in. The FJR has enough (more than enough actually) sportiness and power to make it a fun bike (acceleration reminded me of the X-6) and enough maturity to handle long trips and 2-up riding so the wife doesn't feel left out.

I think Yamaha has done more than they might imagine in the design of the FJR.

AZ

 

[gary442]

Gezzzzz. I'm 62 and still ridding.....wife continues to want me to stop ridding - I guess making cookies is more fun to some people. Actually met a guy a few years ago during a stop at Dudley's Bakery in the San Diego mountains who had just picked up his new BMW R1150 ( I think) and he was 86 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TruWrecks]

Tis the love child of a union between a Hayabusa and a Goldwing.

A.K.A. The "Gentleman's Sportbike" B)

 

[clock655]

I'm 30 and the FJR is my fifth bike. I just got my 06A about a month ago and am loving it! I have to admit though that after reading the replies to this post, I must be a much younger rider for the FJR than typical.

I did track days and rode sportbikes in my teenage years and then took a brief brake from riding all together in college. Once I graduated though, I had to get back in the saddle and wanted to take the wife along as well. She encouaged me to persue metric cruisers mostly for her comfort which I must admit I enjoyed. I did miss the speed/power capabilities of sportbikes though and have been thinking of the FJR since it's introduction. Now that I finally have one, I must say that it is truly one of the best compromises (if not THE best) of performance and comfort available. From my days on a cruiser, I learned that comfort and luggage capacity are definite nice-to-haves and from riding sportbikes, power and speed is nice as well. This bike just has it all!

I think I'm just ahead of the curve by figuring out what the best all-rounder is before I'm into and past my 40s... 50s... 60s...

 

[FJR919]

48 years old and have been riding for 35 years; 32 of them with a license. Like many my age, I started with a Honda CT70 and in less than a year I had my first full size motorcycle (for the time anyway) a Honda SL100. My FJR is one of four motorcycles I currently own, which includes an'06 FZ1, an '03 919, and an '01 XT225. I enjoy all of them.

 

[What Next]

57 guess I'm middle age for this crowd.

 

[Clark Kent]

I'm 30 and the FJR is my fifth bike. I just got my 06A about a month ago and am loving it! I have to admit though that after reading the replies to this post, I must be a much younger rider for the FJR than typical.
I did track days and rode sportbikes in my teenage years and then took a brief brake from riding all together in college. Once I graduated though, I had to get back in the saddle and wanted to take the wife along as well. She encouaged me to persue metric cruisers mostly for her comfort which I must admit I enjoyed. I did miss the speed/power capabilities of sportbikes though and have been thinking of the FJR since it's introduction. Now that I finally have one, I must say that it is truly one of the best compromises (if not THE best) of performance and comfort available. From my days on a cruiser, I learned that comfort and luggage capacity are definite nice-to-haves and from riding sportbikes, power and speed is nice as well. This bike just has it all!

I think I'm just ahead of the curve by figuring out what the best all-rounder is before I'm into and past my 40s... 50s... 60s...

Sorry to tell you son, but the way the this country and the world are going, you may not be around to be 60!

CK

 

[Ross Miller]

Yo im 20 and while the fjr isnt my first bike it might as well be i bought a ninja 250 in october 06 to learn how to ride. 1800 miles later i realized how much the bike sucked on the highway and (sucked in general) then in march i got an 07 black cherry. You could probibly label me as a "young punk" as i alreay put some black light bars in the wheelwell and installed a "eclipse" license plate cover which is totally awsome. And i vow that the day turboing the fjr becomes available i will do it.

 

[dcarver]

I really don't think riding a bike has anything to do with practicality. If one was practical they would never have a bike. It's just not Practical.
CK

I actually bought my fifth bike (after a long hiatus) to "park it" in overcrowded parking lots, at work and downtown. That was 10 years ago. Am now on my 8th motorcycle (in my lifetime). Now I can find the wide open spaces without much effort at all (He He He)

I'm 56.

No, 57?

Don't ride a skateboard anymore though! :blink:

Come on KJ, I have a skateboard you can borrow.. let's tear up the campus and have some fun!

 

[djsmith1000]

Yo im 20 and while the fjr isnt my first bike it might as well be i bought a ninja 250 in october 06 to learn how to ride. 1800 miles later i realized how much the bike sucked on the highway and (sucked in general) then in march i got an 07 black cherry. You could probibly label me as a "young punk" as i alreay put some black light bars in the wheelwell and installed a "eclipse" license plate cover which is totally awsome. And i vow that the day turboing the fjr becomes available i will do it.

Dang! beat me by two years.... so close. I like the turbo idea! Hmmmm..... maybe its time to design a kit!!!!!!!!!! Put all the farkle hoes to shame!

 

[BostonFJR]

48 here. First bike was a '76 CB550 Four at age 19, then a CX500. A hiatus for a while, then a '76 Goldwing which I still have. Finally the FJR this year. I was never all that interested in a sport bike, though I do like speed. Had thoughts of a BMW tourer for a while, but pretty much settled on a finding a good used Valkyie when the FJR grabbed my attention. Seemed like a great blend of sport and touring, without too much compromise on either. I am enjoying it, but weather and time have not lent themselves to long rides yet. Of course, the engine doesn't redline at 14 K, and it is a lot heavier than a pure sportbike. It is still getting my attention when I roll the throttle a bit, however.

I may yet end up with a Valk for change of pace down the road; I just think they are beautiful.

 

[Sport-tourer 1956]

51 here......this bike is a blast to ride :clapping:

 

[Tight Lines]

58 here! Life is too short to spend it in the slow lane.