More FJRs going down?

[Knifemaker]

I think making a generalization like that using 30 days worth of data is the problem. Drops may be random, but can peak and fall like anyting else over time. I know when I joined here while being a "waiter" there were very few, if any reports of tip overs.

I doubt seriously that any bike is "accident prone" , it's all rider **** ups and **** just happening...

KM

 

[TriggerT]

I dropped my V-Max 3 times in the 8 years I had it. Dropped, not laid down. I have now dropped my FJR once, and REALLY hope it wont happen again. I have also ridden my FJR more in the last month than I would have normally ridden my V-Max in an entire season.

 

[user 3386]

A riding buddy of mine has an '04 FJR (with Power Commander making 150hp) and he almost dumped it a few weeks ago on a hairpin freeway on-ramp. I was riding behind him as he accelerated away from the apex, and I watched his rear tire spin and loose traction. Luckily he barely regained control and stayed upright.

Right afterward he pulled off to the side and stopped, breathing hard. I pulled up next to him. He insisted I check his rear tire for bald spot or flat. Nothing there. He asked if there was oil back there. Nope. He asked my opinion about how that happened, so I told him: "Steve, my '99 ST1100 is less than 100hp. You have 50% more in a lighter, fuel injected FJR. Face it, dude, you just hammered the throttle too hard." He didn't like it, but it's the truth. (This guy recently traded his full dresser BMW LT for the FJR, leaving me, my ST and my '98 Wing with serious FJR envy.)

Me thinks perhaps some FJR riders go down because they forget what can happen when you release all those ponies at the wrong point in turn.

Lee

 

[worldbound4now]

Crap guys, the insurance companies are reading this thread. Expect rates to go up next month.

 

[Grievous Angel]

I don't know, I would like to see some statistical data. If the feej were really more likely to get dumped, I would think our insurance rates would be more akin to those of the sportbikes. Since the insurance companies live and die by the stats, we would be paying if such were a reality.

The FJR is a new bike. Maybe they guessed early on and lumped us in with the Concours, ST, Wings, etc. If they really keep up with it bike-by-bike, your scenario might become a reality.

 

[NSFJR]

+1 exskibum
I can absolutely never underestimate the potential for a low speed dump on this bike, especially when my pillion is on board. I'm 5'8", 170lbs and at least 25% of the time I stop, it's precarious. I've gotten to the point where I perform the California stop at intersections- something I would never do before. Contrast this to my KZ650C which I routinely sail into the garage after a ride with the kickstand fully deployed and simply let the bike plop over on the stand without touching my feet to the ground first. I plan on installing lowering links this winter (of course modifying the kickstand angle) because it's just a matter of time till the bike goes over, again.

I am 5'8" and 160, and 64 years old. I am on my second FJR (04 and 06). On each one I lowered the seat about one inch at the rear by cutting the foam, tapering upwards towards the front, and narrowed it up quite a bit on the sides. The result is I can, in most instances, get my foot down either mostly or full, flat foot, which goes a long, long way to enhancing no-tippie confidence. A side benefit is, when this mod is done, I no longer get pushed into the tank. It's a CHEAP and effective farkle.

 

[EXPDSGT]

I don't think FJR's crash that much. Read the papers. Older guys (and gals) get some $$$$ and decide they want their first bike and of course they go buy a Harley. Well they don't have any/much experience and many crash very soon. Due to the wonderful stopping ability of the Harley many are killed. Many more are seriously injuried. Yea, there are more Harley's out on the road but they crash more too and IMO it's because of this reason.

 

[petercwelch]

I now have 3600 miles on my 06A. Dropped it while coming to a stop at 2 mph by using the front brake with the wheel turned a little bit. Should have been more careful. I am five seven 155. Got a Corbin seat which probably lowers it about an inch. Top heavy but wonderful machine. I am now EXCEEDINGLY careful at each stop and have come to feel comfortable. Once it is over a little bit, I can't hold it up so the secret is, don't let it get over too much. When it is moving though, what a joy.

 

[boogahboogah]

From a personal point of view, I might not have admitted I dropped my bike, twice, at 0 MPH, if I were a few years younger. Stuff happens, and I don't seem to care what others think as much as I used to. Glad I got those sliders though, just got a few minor bag scratches.

Since this forum feels like a pretty close knit group, it's like talking to a good friend here, and I don't BS good friends...

Oh, yeah, 22,500 miles in 14 months.

 

[Grievous Angel]

From a personal point of view, I might not have admitted I dropped my bike, twice, at 0 MPH, if I were a few years younger. Stuff happens, and I don't seem to care what others think as much as I used to. Glad I got those sliders though, just got a few minor bag scratches.
Since this forum feels like a pretty close knit group, it's like talking to a good friend here, and I don't BS good friends...

Oh, yeah, 22,500 miles in 14 months.

I guess there's two completely different scenarios, and I'm not as concerned about the tipovers. That's easy enough to explain. Heavy bike, kinda tallish, the gas tank rides up high (they didn't put a "fake" tank there and hide a tank somewhere lower, like on my PC, to lower the center of gravity), the battery is up high, so it is a very tippy bike.

The real crashes are more concerning, and I think folks are right about people overdoing the throttle. I had my wheel slip a little bit while goosing it on a lane change--not a heart-racer, but enough to remind me that "this is not your father's Oldsmobile."

Another thing might be sense of speed. On my Pacific Coast and Zr-7, speed felt a lot faster. . . so maybe I was less apt to run into a corner too hot, or something like that. This bike feels like it is CRAWLING at 60-70 mph, in a way.

Definitely not a good first bike for anyone.

 

[boogahboogah]

Yeah I think you're right there too, G A. I've really scared myself a few times early on when I was still finding out about 'steady throttle input' coming out of a corner. Took me awhile to get used to coming into a corner hotter that I did with my old 75HP cruiser.

I was cautioned by my dealer to 'take it easy' for the first 1000 miles, probably because of the HP difference. Luckily I took their advice to heart & didn't get rash until I was more used to the bike.

 

[DrEvil777]

Its a big top heavy bike. My riding buddy calls his FJR Oprah. Big, powerful, effective. I love my FJR, but is most certainly the big sister to my R-1.

I know that a lot of FJR riders try to ride it like a sportbike, which it most certainly is not. I actually got to work on an FJR rider in the ER who admitted to pushing the limits of his FJR and he found them quickly.

This same discussion used to pop up on the old (shall not be named) forum. Lots of idiots talking about their crash, trying to blame the bike (bad forks, frame failure) but admiting that they entered a 30 mph corner at 80 mph and woke up in the hospital! Duh!

Cruise sportbikes.net and there is plenty of admissions to crashes, lay downs and drops.

I think most people are embarrased to admit accidents, but they are truly learning events.

But, I do think that there are lots more low speed accidents/drops with the HD riders. All that heavy chrome at slow speeds makes for danger. All that leather fringe, oh my!

 

[Dan23]

For the record, I dropped my '06 a few weeks back and suffered my first motorcycling injury in 40 years of riding.

I have not posted regarding the incident previously since it really is no one's business but my own. I don't feel like dissecting the incident since none of you were present, nor will you likely be present if there is a next time.

Not everyone gets on the internet to discuss every hangnail.

The reason I decided to respond to this thread is to give pause to think to riders in general. I'm not going to bother with a more exact description of circumstances, except to say be very careful riding with bags packed, a passenger, and encountering an oily, off-camber intersection that you didn't realize was also WET... even carefully approached at 5 or 10 mph. **** happens.

Life goes on, bikes get fixed, healing takes time but thankfulness that my passenger was uninjured and that my personal damages were not worse... last a lifetime.

 

[onlyblue]

Well, I do think the FJR is a bit more unwieldy at a stop in an unstable situation than a lot of other bikes, certainly more so than any other bike I've owned (including my currrent two, I've had 5 big road bikes going back 35 years). It's top heavy, and once it gets past a certain point, there's no holding it up. It's a LOT more unwieldy to me than my Blackbird, and that's not a small bike. The strange thing to me is that the FJR is surprisingly agile on the pavement at speed for such a big bike that is somewhat top heavy, yet I have to be extra careful in gravel or on any uneven surface without good footing when at a stop or at 1 or 2 MPH. If I was a 6'4", 250 lb. linebacker, I'm sure it'd be a lot easier to throw around, even on sandy or gravel surfaces.
As to get offs, that's another story, and I won't offer my perspective on that one, especially since we don't have any kind of statistical basis to know that get offs are more frequent on the FJR than for other bikes or bikes in general.

I completely agree with this. For the first time ever, I almost dropped a bike while almost stopped. I've been riding since 1967 and have never had a bike want to tip over while I was sitting on it with feet down. Fortunately, the only damage to my virtually brand new 06' FJR was a small scuff mark on the underside of the right exhaust can. Here's what I learned, stay away from the from brake lever while the fork has large turn angle. I am VERY careful while manuevering the scooter at very low speed. You to be to.

 

[ponyfool]

If in fact FJRs are going down at a higher rate than before, someone from an FJR group should hire my ex-wife to represent it....she never went down!

 

[Mogambo]

+1 exskibum
I can absolutely never underestimate the potential for a low speed dump on this bike, especially when my pillion is on board. I'm 5'8", 170lbs and at least 25% of the time I stop, it's precarious. I've gotten to the point where I perform the California stop at intersections- something I would never do before. Contrast this to my KZ650C which I routinely sail into the garage after a ride with the kickstand fully deployed and simply let the bike plop over on the stand without touching my feet to the ground first. I plan on installing lowering links this winter (of course modifying the kickstand angle) because it's just a matter of time till the bike goes over, again.

You probably already do this, but I will say it anyway. When I am coming to a stop, say..for a stop sign, or a traffic light that is already red, and I am ready to now stop the bike, I only use the back brake. It makes for a much smoother stop, especially two up. But.....I'm sure that you already do that. Just my two cents.

 

[twowheelnut]

Newton was right, gravity hurts.

 

[falcon]

Here's what I learned, stay away from the from brake lever while the fork has large turn angle.

I noticed this also. It does like to lunge if you grab some brake and the bars are turned at all.

 

[Bounce]

Crap guys, the insurance companies are reading this thread. Expect rates to go up next month.

not if you ain't part of the problem.

Its a big top heavy bike. My riding buddy calls his FJR Oprah

fat, condescending, and flatulent?

 

[Dan23]

>>Newton was right, gravity hurts.<<

Yeah... and bikes only got two wheels. They won't hold themselves up, you have to do it for them.