New '06 FJR A Owner

[SMC]

:yahoo: Hello Everyone,

I have joined all those who have preceded me when I took delivery of my new '06 FJR from Tony @ Yamaha Sportscenter on May 15th.

Some initial impressions:

1.) What heat?

2.) No turbulence, there was a definite pocket of quiet air behind the windshield.

3.) I have come to appreciate the gear indicator in the turny twisties with varying speed limits from 15 mph to 55 mph...a quick glance and you know whether or not your in the optimal gear.

4.) Metzler tires compare well with the Stones I had on my '05 FJR, no vibration, wiggling or wandering, tracked well in rain grooves, didn't wander on scored surfaces, adhesion was quite good and allowed me to take twisty turnies anywhere from 15 to 25 mph faster then posted speeds with confidence...only remains to be seen if they last as long as my Stones as I had 8,646 miles on them when I sold my '05 FJR and they still weren't near the wear indicators.

5.) GPS is a Godsend when you are traveling unfamiliar areas...especially at night! No more need to constantly look @ a map in a clear sleeve. Garmin 2730 with not only 2D and 3D visual maps, but has audio direction commands which is great! (Thank you Navcom 2000 for our member discounts!!!)

6.) Seat is an improvement over the '05 seat, more comfortable for longer periods of time....foam does not seem to be as hard. Unfortunately, even with the adjustable seat set on lowest setting I am still tippy toes at stop lights. I guess that is the eternal curse of being 5' 6".

7.) Gearing change works out about 3 mph @ 4,000 rpm in 5th gear. ('05 turning 4,000 rpm in 5th was going 70mph, '06 turning 4,000 rpm in 5th is going 73 mph-GPS verified)

8.) Throttlemeister is a wrist saver on the droning interstate slabs.

9.) If you folks are of the mind to do twisty turnies with no traffic (eleven vehicles seen in 50 miles?) go south from Harrison, AK on scenic highway 7 then: turn onto 16E then 27S, yes, Yes, YES. AK 7 has traffic but 16E and 27S are nearly deserted. I guarantee you sporting types will be able to consistently scuff those tires to the edges. Be careful as I had three near "meetings" with bambi crossing the road and a couple of chance meetings with logging trucks coming out of nowhere.

I can't say enough about Tony and all the people @ Yamaha Sportscenter in Texarkana, TX. I have dealt with Tony numerous times in the past when I purchased a new '05 FJR in September of '04.

His organization was extremely helpful, courteous, and big on CUSTOMER SERVICE back then and I am glad to say they have remained consistent in their customer service to this day.

Tony is a rare owner in that he is really knowledgable about his products and other aftermarket products for FJR's. If he doesn't know the answer he will find out or connect you with someone with answers to your questions. If you want something done on your bike, he will get it done (how many times have we all dealt with people that promise you something, but, don't deliver on the promises!)

Tony and his crew installed my: Stemstand, wiring harness for Garmin, adapter plate for Garmin 2730, Garmin 2730, Throttlemeister, Motovation sliders, and Powerlet harness and rear left single outlet and all of it was done professionally and finished. All wires routed correctly, bundled, and tied. Tony even went through great lengths to mount my GPS so that it didn't obstruct any idiot lights or gauges. If I didn't send all the needed materials, Tony and his crew took it upon themselves to get the right part to make it work. (Thanks Tony for getting the adaptor plate for the Garmin!)

Tony changed my oil, oil filter, and final drive oil after my "Motoman break-in" and when I brought my bike back for the 600 mile maintenance service...how many owners do that kind of work?

I definitely love this new FJR and everyone @ Yamaha Sportscenter in Texarkana!!!

Scott

 

[designeraccd]

The '06 FJR is an impressive, all around street bike isn't it? Only slight quibble: I'm not that impressed with the Metzlers compared to the BS 020s on my '03 FJR and '04 ST1300: in cold(er) weather they are a bit "greasy" feeling. Don't know how they do in rain, altho with the week's worth of almost nonstop cold rain I could have found out but chose not to in 40-50F temps.

New saddle and bar risers will improve my FJR for me altho this stock saddle is perhaps a bit better than my '03s which was rapidly replaced with a very supportive, comfy Corbin. Now if we would just get, wotzz it called?...oh...sunshine.........DFO :blink:

 

[SMC]

Even before I took delivery of the '06 FJR I was of the frame of mind that I would be replacing the original equipment tires with either the Avon St 45/46 that most of the people on this board think rather highly of or the new Pirelli Diablo Strada (with the "E" rear) tires as most people that have tried it seem to be of the frame of mind that it eliminates the shimmy or wandering the Avons seem to exhibit at slower speeds and still stick like crazy.

Just for grins I know that a few of you have gone on extended trips up to Alaska, and I would do it but for the stretches of unpaved highway...I don't want to beat the baby up, especially with the 18 wheelers coming in the opposite direction @ 65-70 mph throwing all kinds of stones up.

Was the Al-Can highway every planned to be completely paved from Vancouver up to Alaska?

Has anyone gone from the Dallas-Fort Worth area up to Anchorage and back and how many days did it take you to do that?

Scott

 

[AdamJ]

I did the Alcan last year, riding from Sacramento to Anchorage and back. I had a Concours at the time, which handled it all very well except for a side bag latch failing and causing the bag to jump the mount. From Dawson Creek to AK, I'd guestimate the road is 98% paved, with the unpaved sections being road which was torn up for repairs (repaving). The only places where oncoming trucks were ever a problem for me were through the short stretches of recent chip-seal patches on otherwise paved roadway, where the gravel was still loose and the oncoming vehicles didn't need to slow down. Through the longer construction sections vehicles slowed down enough not to cause flying rocks to be a huge concern. A headlight protector is must, of course. I took 7 days in each direction to\from Sacramento. I would have no concerns doing it on the FJR, but I wouldn't do it on a brand spanking new one

 

[TAPnTX]

I am hoping to make that journey to Tony's place soon!!! Congratulations on the new bike!!!

Todd

 

[throttlejockeyTJ]

It's nice they set up the amenities on the bike than just getting it ready to ride. That made for a nice experience. TJ

 

[Groo]

SMC,

You might want to add your comments on Tony and YamahaSportCenter to the Yamaha Dealership listing down at the bottom of the forum...

Congrats on the new bike!

 

[SMC]

I did the Alcan last year, riding from Sacramento to Anchorage and back. I had a Concours at the time, which handled it all very well except for a side bag latch failing and causing the bag to jump the mount. From Dawson Creek to AK, I'd guestimate the road is 98% paved, with the unpaved sections being road which was torn up for repairs (repaving). The only places where oncoming trucks were ever a problem for me were through the short stretches of recent chip-seal patches on otherwise paved roadway, where the gravel was still loose and the oncoming vehicles didn't need to slow down. Through the longer construction sections vehicles slowed down enough not to cause flying rocks to be a huge concern. A headlight protector is must, of course. I took 7 days in each direction to\from Sacramento. I would have no concerns doing it on the FJR, but I wouldn't do it on a brand spanking new one

Thanks for the reply Adam J, you wouldn't happen to remember what your total mileage was and do you remember what your average mileage a day was?

Did you have to replace your tires half way through the journey? What kind of gear was indispensible?

Any insights as far as refueling stops, lodging along the way?

Thanks for the info.

Scott

SMC,
You might want to add your comments on Tony and YamahaSportCenter to the Yamaha Dealership listing down at the bottom of the forum...

Congrats on the new bike!

:yahoo: Thanks for the suggestion and yes I will do that. That's the least I could do for such a consistently stellar dealership.

Scott

 

[Harvey55]

I rode my KLR to Deadhorse, AK. in 2002. Total round trip miles from NE Oklahoma was 10,000. The main roads and the Alcan are paved. It's the numberous construction zones that are a pain. Workers could be putting in the large rock, small rock, gravel, dirt, chat, or watering in the dirt. Our worst site was watered in dirt. It was 2 inches of mud on hard pack. The Vulcans, I was with, were wallowing. No problem for the KLR. We did a 22 mile stretch of tar and gravel, but it was a few days old. If you want to go to the Artic Circle or further north, the pavement ended 25 miles north of Fairbanks. That has probably changed. Get a current copy of The Milepost. Going south into BC we took HWY 37. It's supposed to have 100 miles of gravel now. It's also used by the paid drivers returning rental RVs to the states. Watch for flying gravel. I would not ride a new bike to Alaska unless that is why you bought it. That's why I bought the KLR, but it was a year old. I wouldn't ride a steet bike either. But a lot of people do. I sold the KLR. I now have a 650 V-Strom for that type of trip. I am planning a Newfoundland ride on it in the next year or two. Whatever you ride, prepare well.

Harvey

 

[Harvey55]

P.S. To answer some of your questions.

6 days from Calgary to Fairbanks. I was with a group of seven Vulcans, one chase vechicle with trailer, and two teenagers riding shot gun. We did sit down breakfasts, lunches and dinners. We rode in the rain some everyday but the last day. It was raining that morning but stopped before we got on the road.

Tires should be available in larger cities but will be more expensive than you are used to. You can call bike shops in advance to verify.

Long daylight hours can lead to long riding days. Don't push yourself just because it's still light.

Fuel:There are plenty of places that sell regular. High octane harder to get.

Motels,hotels, and camping are plentiful too. Small towns will have few beds.

Necessary gear: Personal opinion here- Wet/cool weather stuff. If you don't have a good suit, get one. One you may wear daily for the entire northern part of the trip.

Headlight protector.

Tankslapper kit or anything to help prevent gravel chips.

Anything to protect the bike in a low speed or tip over crash.

Handguards

I get cool easily so I also had heated grips and heated vest. My KLR was well protected, too.

Cell phone to call ahead and reserve a room. Our chase vechicle driver handled that.

Read other forums on trips to Alaska or Canada. There is a lot of info to be found.

And as I said in first post - get a current The Milepost. Can be found at bookstores or order it on the net.

Harvey

 

[Harvey55]

P.S.S.

We stayed at North Woods Lodge on the west side of Fairbanks. Owner is motorcycle friendly. It has a hostel sleeping loof, tent sites, and cabins. I stayed in the Tool Shed. It is close to the lodge. It had a twin bed and was cheaper than a cabin. Hostel is popular with foreign youngsters. It is not your normal campground. Everyone was quite friendly.

Harvey

Sites to check: welcometoalaska.com

AlaskaOne.com

 

[SMC]

Thanks Harvey 55 for your time and the wealth of information. Sounds like you did it up right riding with a group, chase/support vehicle. The websites you provided will be a great starting point for info.

Nice to know there is lodging and gas available all along the way.

Always thought a ride to Alaska would be a great adventure. Will have to do some big time research and planning as I am one of those "lone riders".

Scott