N/Line Dash - who's got one and what are you thoughts?

[BLS]

I'm getting ready to start dumping $$ into my new toy.

On the list:

Frame Sliders

FZ1 Mirrors

GPS (probably a Zumo 665)

Radar Detector

Heated Grips (I thought all of the FJR's came with them, but i don't appear to have them)

New Seat (something has to be better than the stock one)

My biggest concern is mounting the electronics on a solid, aesthetically-pleasing manner.

The N/line mount seems pretty trick, so I was wondering what others thought about it.

A couple of other questions I have:

Bar risers: On my 2008, do I HAVE to buy the tree riser for like $300? Can't just do the bolt on mods like the Gen 1 bikes?

Power Distribution: If I want accesssories up front on an N/Line mount, but maybe want power for heated jacket, etc., should I run one (fuse block, power strip, etc) to the rear too?

Seats: I know Russell's are the much preferred seat, but I don't know if I need to spend that much. I'm curious if I can get a more comfortable seat for less (such as a corbin??) or should I just bite the bullet and get the Russell? Right now, this bike is STRICTLY commuter to work and back, but I'm finding when I get home, the trip was too short, and I want to keep going. I am already itching for a trip, so I KNOW the seat has to go.

Highway Pegs: They aren't very far forward. Are they worth it?

ANY info you can provide would be great.

 

[A41Billy]

Heated grips were optional 0n '06-'10. Standard 2011 and up. Seat choice is going to be very subjective, like oil and tires. You can get aftermarket grip warmers fairly cheap.

 

[Pete Bansen]

My biggest concern is mounting the electronics on a solid, aesthetically-pleasing manner.

The N/line mount seems pretty trick, so I was wondering what others thought about it.

I bought one for my Gen 1, mounted it and found that it just didn't do it for me. I use several different GPS units (but only one at a time) mounted to a RAM-bone attached to the tank bolts and a V1 attached to a RAM ball on the front brake perch. I have another RAM ball mounted on the left side (mirror mount hole) that can be used for a GoPro camera of a second GPS. It works for me - other folks like having everything on the shelf - it's really a matter of personal preference; there is no "best way".

Seats: I know Russell's are the much preferred seat, but I don't know if I need to spend that much. I'm curious if I can get a more comfortable seat for less (such as a corbin??) or should I just bite the bullet and get the Russell? Right now, this bike is STRICTLY commuter to work and back, but I'm finding when I get home, the trip was too short, and I want to keep going. I am already itching for a trip, so I KNOW the seat has to go.

Bite the bullet and get the Russell. Here's the difference: you buy the Corbin for about the same money as a Russell. The seat is built on their pan and doesn't fit the bike all that well, but you're excited about having a new seat, so you go for a ride. It's painful - you call Corbin. They say that you "need to give it a chance to break in and for you to get used to it". You do, for a month. Still painful. Call Corbin - tell them the seat is still painful. They respond, "Gee, I guess you shouldn't have bought it. Have a nice day."

You have Russell make a custom saddle for you on your pan that actually fits the bike and weighs a third of what a Corbin pan weighs. Try it out, ride it for a month, allow the seat to break in and you to get used to it. Find that it's painful. Call Russell. They say "send it back to us with detailed notes on the problem, we'll fix it." They do.

Buy the Russell. You'll only spend the money once.

Pete

 

[BLS]

My biggest concern is mounting the electronics on a solid, aesthetically-pleasing manner.

The N/line mount seems pretty trick, so I was wondering what others thought about it.

I bought one for my Gen 1, mounted it and found that it just didn't do it for me. I use several different GPS units (but only one at a time) mounted to a RAM-bone attached to the tank bolts and a V1 attached to a RAM ball on the front brake perch. I have another RAM ball mounted on the left side (mirror mount hole) that can be used for a GoPro camera of a second GPS. It works for me - other folks like having everything on the shelf - it's really a matter of personal preference; there is no "best way".

Seats: I know Russell's are the much preferred seat, but I don't know if I need to spend that much. I'm curious if I can get a more comfortable seat for less (such as a corbin??) or should I just bite the bullet and get the Russell? Right now, this bike is STRICTLY commuter to work and back, but I'm finding when I get home, the trip was too short, and I want to keep going. I am already itching for a trip, so I KNOW the seat has to go.

Bite the bullet and get the Russell. Here's the difference: you buy the Corbin for about the same money as a Russell. The seat is built on their pan and doesn't fit the bike all that well, but you're excited about having a new seat, so you go for a ride. It's painful - you call Corbin. They say that you "need to give it a chance to break in and for you to get used to it". You do, for a month. Still painful. Call Corbin - tell them the seat is still painful. They respond, "Gee, I guess you shouldn't have bought it. Have a nice day."

You have Russell make a custom saddle for you on your pan that actually fits the bike and weighs a third of what a Corbin pan weighs. Try it out, ride it for a month, allow the seat to break in and you to get used to it. Find that it's painful. Call Russell. They say "send it back to us with detailed notes on the problem, we'll fix it." They do.

Buy the Russell. You'll only spend the money once.

Pete

Thanks for the honest input Pete.

Looks like I'll be getting the Russell.

 

[SacramentoMike]

I think highway pegs are a no-brainer. But I recommend extensions for them too. Otherwise, the shape of the fairing forces your calf to press uncomfortably against the sharp edge of the plastic when your feet are on the pegs--at least on the Gen I--don't know if that changed after '06. I have Kuryakyn offset extensions and footpegs like these that I was lucky to find here on the forum--since their prices are outrageous. I like that the offsets move the pegs a little higher and farther out, but especially because they stick out farther to the side.

The benefits of the highway pegs are in the variety of position choices they give you (I often just alternate feet on them), and getting your legs out of the hot engine blast for some welcome cooling in the wind--don't overlook that. Sometimes I just lay one leg out almost straight and balance the back of my ankle on the rubber pads. Carefully. The non-slip rubber pads are another good reason I went with the Kuryakyn pegs and not the plain metal Wild Bill pegs. Even though they look like I stripped them off somebody's Harley. (They fit on the Wild Bill mounting plates.)

 

[MegaWatts]

Highway Pegs: They aren't very far forward. Are they worth it?

ANY info you can provide would be great.

How far is your commute? I have highway pegs on my '05 and find that on long rides they help relieve stiff legs on long rides. When I'm on a long ride I usually just use them from brief stretches to change riding position once in a while, but cruise mostly on the stock pegs. How much do highway pegs cost? It could be an expense to postpone until you have a trip planned.

 

[NightShine]

Highway Pegs: They aren't very far forward. Are they worth it?

Yep. Although one might not think so just looking at them, it makes a huge difference to have another place to put your feet. It let's you lend your driver's pegs to your passenger when you can safely do so. And I even find myself resting the back of my heels on them to completely straighten my knees from time to time.

I like Wild Bill's highway peg mounting brackets, but I'm not a fan of the particular folding pegs he offers with them. They are too short given the design of the Gen 1 fairing, as it's too easy to hit your knees. Much better pegs are offered by Kuryakyn that extend further out (example).

The obvious safety tip is to make certain that the the pivot point for whatever folding peg you install is as close to the mounting plate as possible.

 

[BLS]

Highway Pegs: They aren't very far forward. Are they worth it?

ANY info you can provide would be great.

How far is your commute? I have highway pegs on my '05 and find that on long rides they help relieve stiff legs on long rides. When I'm on a long ride I usually just use them from brief stretches to change riding position once in a while, but cruise mostly on the stock pegs. How much do highway pegs cost? It could be an expense to postpone until you have a trip planned.

My commute is either 22 or 27 miles (depending on which office I'm working out of), but I do also travel to client sites, which can sometimes be over an hour.

Seems like the pegs are worth it; so now the question is, do I NEED the Wild Bill mounts or does someone else make a mount and peg combo?

 

[RiderX]

I am by no means a long distance wizard, but doing more lately. I don't use the highway pegs much for an hour or two ride. I do like them a lot for longer rides where I'm constantly changing weight distribution, lean forward, feet, etc. to prevent achees before they show up.

I have a Russel seat NOT made for me (but similar sized person) and am pleased. Haven't done many miles on it yet. It does raise the seat and you have to slide forward to get feet down (I'm 5'11", YMMV). I have a Rick Mayer seat being custom made now so I can report back at the end of the summer with a few thousand on each. Rick has dropped his prices $100 this year, so you can't beat the price especially if you are under 200#. Seems like bigger riders "more prefer" the Russel sprung seat. Again I'll have a better ride report 2 months from now. All very subjective when it comes to seats and tires.

Yes you can put risers on rather than replace the entire triple clamp. Folks have used Genmar and Motorcycle Larry risers for a 2008. I replaced the whole triple with a Heli as Motorcycle Larry was out of stock and it was time. Very happy with the Heli and with either product you get several threaded spots for ram balls. Risers can further be added to the Heli as many have done and has two adjustable positions: a little comfort and sport or touring mode.

I chose to put a single fuzeblock under the seat and plumb the wires forward under the gas tank. Others have done this but there is no right answer. A distribution block of some kind can certainly fit forward on a Gen2 as can individual fuzes and longer battery screws!

Have fun.

 

[BLS]

I am by no means a long distance wizard, but doing more lately. I don't use the highway pegs much for an hour or two ride. I do like them a lot for longer rides where I'm constantly changing weight distribution, lean forward, feet, etc. to prevent achees before they show up.

I have a Russel seat NOT made for me (but similar sized person) and am pleased. Haven't done many miles on it yet. It does raise the seat and you have to slide forward to get feet down (I'm 5'11", YMMV). I have a Rick Mayer seat being custom made now so I can report back at the end of the summer with a few thousand on each. Rick has dropped his prices $100 this year, so you can't beat the price especially if you are under 200#. Seems like bigger riders "more prefer" the Russel sprung seat. Again I'll have a better ride report 2 months from now. All very subjective when it comes to seats and tires.

Yes you can put risers on rather than replace the entire triple clamp. Folks have used Genmar and Motorcycle Larry risers for a 2008. I replaced the whole triple with a Heli as Motorcycle Larry was out of stock and it was time. Very happy with the Heli and with either product you get several threaded spots for ram balls. Risers can further be added to the Heli as many have done and has two adjustable positions: a little comfort and sport or touring mode.

I chose to put a single fuzeblock under the seat and plumb the wires forward under the gas tank. Others have done this but there is no right answer. A distribution block of some kind can certainly fit forward on a Gen2 as can individual fuzes and longer battery screws!

Have fun.

Tons of good info. Thank you!!!

 

[user 28803]

Definitely lots of great info here!

 

[Hudson]

Nline is a great product, I really like it. It places the GPS up high enough that you are not having to look down, and it doesn't crowd the view of the Speedo/Tach/Guages like having lots of ram mounts on the center stem does.

Only two dislikes: you can't use the handguards with the shelf, and if you frequently open up your upper fairing, working with the screws gets to be a bit of a pain, but those are minor complaints. New design has improved stabilty and eliminated bouncing.

 

[MartyA]

Since added an Escort X50 on the right side.

 

[BLS]

Since added an Escort X50 on the right side.

Looks great! That's what I'm looking for!

 

[suar]

I think highway pegs are a no-brainer. But I recommend extensions for them too. Otherwise, the shape of the fairing forces your calf to press uncomfortably against the sharp edge of the plastic when your feet are on the pegs--at least on the Gen I--don't know if that changed after '06. I have Kuryakyn offset extensions and footpegs like these that I was lucky to find here on the forum--since their prices are outrageous. I like that the offsets move the pegs a little higher and farther out, but especially because they stick out farther to the side.

The benefits of the highway pegs are in the variety of position choices they give you (I often just alternate feet on them), and getting your legs out of the hot engine blast for some welcome cooling in the wind--don't overlook that. Sometimes I just lay one leg out almost straight and balance the back of my ankle on the rubber pads. Carefully. The non-slip rubber pads are another good reason I went with the Kuryakyn pegs and not the plain metal Wild Bill pegs. Even though they look like I stripped them off somebody's Harley. (They fit on the Wild Bill mounting plates.)

 

[suar]

Do you have any photo's of your highway pegs, with the Kuryakyn extensions, that you could post?

I have only had my FJR for two months, and am about to go on my first significant trip ... with some trepidation about comfort on several consecutive long days, as I am used to having footpegs and other creature comforts. The FJR is near stock, with no creature comforts other than what Yamaha built into it in the factory. Highway pegs are near the top of my wish list ... so I'm curious to see what your Kuryakyn highway pegs set up is. Thanks!

 

[SacramentoMike]

Do you have any photo's of your highway pegs, with the Kuryakyn extensions, that you could post?

Shucks, why not?

Right side. Note Wild Bill's mounting plates.

Left side.

With peg folded in.

I've never scraped them, as some have expressed worry about. Maybe it's just the way I ride.