New FJR Article

[Big-D]

Just received my new copy of the December edition of Road Runner Motorcycle Tour & Travel magazine, what I believe to be the best magazine on the market with their plentiful articles and excellent photography. Anyway, there is a new article about the '09 FJR that describes the bike very well as they travel in and around Jackson Tennessee. If you get a chance, check out the article.

I envy those of you that live in the South East because there sure is a lot of beautiful riding areas and mile upon mile of great roads that seem specifically built and designed with motorcyclist in mind. I have always felt when you live in Colorado, a prerequisite of living there is to own a motorcycle, which is still very true. But you can say the same for those of you that live in the South East also.

 

[copterchief]

I just got back from a sunset ride through Bluegrass horse country. I feel truly blessed that I can just hop on the bike, take a turn out of my little town, and be on the twisties past beautiful thoroughbred farms and historic distilleries heading down to the KY river and back while dinner's on the stove. Every part of the SE has it's own beauty characteristics and it is nice that most of it in my part of the south is full of curving country roads through rolling hills. But I've only been to AZ once, in the Sedona and Red Rock Canyon, and have to say it is some of the most spectacular country I've ever seen (twisties or not).

 

[bigjimbiker]

Thanks Big-D, I checked out that article and you're spot-on...bigjimbiker :yahoo:

 

[Intech]

I just got back from a sunset ride through Bluegrass horse country. I feel truly blessed that I can just hop on the bike, take a turn out of my little town, and be on the twisties past beautiful thoroughbred farms and historic distilleries heading down to the KY river and back while dinner's on the stove. Every part of the SE has it's own beauty characteristics and it is nice that most of it in my part of the south is full of curving country roads through rolling hills. But I've only been to AZ once, in the Sedona and Red Rock Canyon, and have to say it is some of the most spectacular country I've ever seen (twisties or not).

My brother and I enjoyed the riding in your neck of the woods last year. Unfortunately it was rainy the first day in KY, but the roads were still excellent. I was amazed at the horse barns. They were nicer than a lot of the homes we rode past. We took in the Maker's Mark distillery and some historic sites as well. Great riding!

 

[beemerdons]

Big-D: Dan I agree with you: Road Runner Motorcycle Touring & Travel is one of the best "ADVenture" magazines out there!

But, does this quotation from page 17 bug you, as much as it pisses me off: "Normally, I'm a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to five-speed gear boxes, especially on touring machines. (Yamaha, give us a six-speed!) But once off the soapbox, I'll begrudgingly allow that the FJR's light-shifting, five-cog unit really does work well." Statement is pure bullshit!

Author Chris Myers is as wrong as all of the other scribes that sing this same tune: Over seven years of ownership of my 2003 "Miss Lucy Liu" and at no time have I ever thought she needed a six-speed. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on a 1974 R90S, I owned "Dieter" my 1974 R90S for twelve years and over 100K miles; and I never found the need for 6 gears!!

 

[Bounce]

I could be wrong but my impression is that the bulk of riders pleading for a 6th gear come from a background of "high strung" bikes that have all their power in a narrow band (usually way up high). The 6 gears they got used to are needed to keep the bike "on power" in a wide bunch of situations.

The FJR's power band is so wide that it does fine without a 6th gear. With care, it can go from zero to 110+ mph in 3rd. Most have noted that an additional 6th would either be so high as to only be used above 80 or that the existing high/low boundaries would be kept and the different gears simply set more closely together (resulting in more stirring over any given section of road).

IOW: A 6th gear to assuage the conditioning of former sporters would bring little to the table.

And, yes, Fred, I wear my Curmudgeon badge proudly!

 

[Fred W]

But, does this quotation from page 17 bug you, as much as it pisses me off: "Normally, I'm a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to five-speed gear boxes, especially on touring machines. (Yamaha, give us a six-speed!) But once off the soapbox, ..."

Not only is that statement BS, it doesn't even make any sense.

A "curmudgeon" is defined as "a surly or miserly person."

They would therefore prefer a 5 speed transmission as they would not want to pay for an unnecessary 6th gear. In fact a curmudgeon would likely prefer the 4 speed gear box on my R60/5. Now that is a curmudgeonly transmission if ever there was one...

 

[fjrob1300]

That's the greatest Magazine ever. It puts you right there! I've been to many of the places that they have written about.

I keep telling my wife we should move to West Virginia or Tennessee or Kentucky when the kids all move out. I think she's slowly getting on board. 2 out and 2 to go! :yahoo:

 

[Big-D]

Big-D: Dan I agree with you: Road Runner Motorcycle Touring & Travel is one of the best "ADVenture" magazines out there!
But, does this quotation from page 17 bug you, as much as it pisses me off: "Normally, I'm a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to five-speed gear boxes, especially on touring machines. (Yamaha, give us a six-speed!) But once off the soapbox, I'll begrudgingly allow that the FJR's light-shifting, five-cog unit really does work well." Statement is pure bullshit!

Author Chris Myers is as wrong as all of the other scribes that sing this same tune: Over seven years of ownership of my 2003 "Miss Lucy Liu" and at no time have I ever thought she needed a six-speed. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on a 1974 R90S, I owned "Dieter" my 1974 R90S for twelve years and over 100K miles; and I never found the need for 6 gears!!

If Yamaha did give the FJR a 6th gear, I'm sure people like Chris Myers would expect a 7th. I'm completely happy with the 5-speed I have, it's got that sweet spot for cruising down the highway at 90mph and still gets excellent mileage, so what a sixth speed would give wouldn't be worth the additional cost it would undoubtedly add.

 

[RaYzerman19]

The sidebar about the FJR was right on, I couldn't have agreed more. I'm really loving this bike, and it would be hard to pry me off it. I do want to test ride the new Connie 14 for 2010, but I already know I won't buy one at least for a few years. Nothing better for me than a Gen2 FJR. As for the 5 speed, it's just fine. The more experience I get with this bike, I think I want to fix the fuel injection issues, then it would be almost perfect.

 

[buf2phx]

But, does this quotation from page 17 bug you, as much as it pisses me off: "Normally, I'm a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to five-speed gear boxes, especially on touring machines. (Yamaha, give us a six-speed!) But once off the soapbox, ..."

Not only is that statement BS, it doesn't even make any sense.

A "curmudgeon" is defined as "a surly or miserly person."

They would therefore prefer a 5 speed transmission as they would not want to pay for an unnecessary 6th gear. In fact a curmudgeon would likely prefer the 4 speed gear box on my R60/5. Now that is a curmudgeonly transmission if ever there was one...

Not to go all "English teacher" on you,but there is an OR in your definition. So,if we consider the author to be a surly person when it comes to 5 speed gear boxes,the statement makes perfect sense. I'm not saying I agree with his opinion,just his word usage.

Mike

 

[wheatonFJR]

That's the greatest Magazine ever. It puts you right there! I've been to many of the places that they have written about.
I keep telling my wife we should move to West Virginia or Tennessee or Kentucky when the kids all move out. I think she's slowly getting on board. 2 out and 2 to go! :yahoo:

Hey Rob...when you move down there, I might already be in Upstate SC...we'll be neighbors!

 

[Checkswrecks]

I could be wrong but my impression is that the bulk of riders pleading for a 6th gear come from a background of "high strung" bikes that have all their power in a narrow band (usually way up high). The 6 gears they got used to are needed to keep the bike "on power" in a wide bunch of situations.
The FJR's power band is so wide that it does fine without a 6th gear. With care, it can go from zero to 110+ mph in 3rd. Most have noted that an additional 6th would either be so high as to only be used above 80 or that the existing high/low boundaries would be kept and the different gears simply set more closely together (resulting in more stirring over any given section of road).

IOW: A 6th gear to assuage the conditioning of former sporters would bring little to the table.

+1

Which is why they get lousy gas mileage, by keeping the revs up. Then they wonder why others claim to get better mileage - oh - that must be the bike's fault, too.

They need a shave from Busta.

Sheesh

 

[Bungie]

I keep telling my wife we should move to West Virginia or Tennessee or Kentucky when the kids all move out. I think she's slowly getting on board. 2 out and 2 to go! :yahoo:

Take me with you .. Dad.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I keep telling my wife we should move to West Virginia or Tennessee or Kentucky when the kids all move out. I think she's slowly getting on board. 2 out and 2 to go! :yahoo:

Take me with you .. Dad.

So YOU'RE my brother from another mother...eh?

 

[TheRepairMan]

I could be wrong but my impression is that the bulk of riders pleading for a 6th gear come from a background of "high strung" bikes that have all their power in a narrow band (usually way up high). The 6 gears they got used to are needed to keep the bike "on power" in a wide bunch of situations. -snip-

I'm not sure either, but I can vouch for the smaller cc bikes having less grunt thus requiring more ratios. The combination of short passing zones in the mountains where I live and the 998cc engine of my FZ1 occasionally leave me digging hard with the left foot to gain the momentum needed to make a safe and efficient pass from lower speeds. The problem is if you drill down too far the bike will then shoot you around at an almost uncontrollable rate entering the next corner. Once you commit to the pass there isn't a lot of time to mess around looking for the right gear.

I say a 5 speed box is better because it requires less work, especially with the higher torque power plant of the FJR. The longers for a 6th gear are probably just looking for a less hectic engine drone while cruising, and I think Yamaha could continue to satisfy that need easy enough by spacing out the gear ratios just a little bit further.

-R

 

[Big-B]

I would have liked Yamaha to have gone with a 6-speed instead of spacing out the gears more on the Gen 2 bikes. I like to crank it open off the line and actually do notice the difference in the taller first gear on the gen 2.

Maybe they could pick up another 5-10 MPH on the top end too.

 

[GalaxyBlue]

All i read is blah blah blah 6th gear!

Getting close to NEPRT material!

 

[fjrob1300]

I keep telling my wife we should move to West Virginia or Tennessee or Kentucky when the kids all move out. I think she's slowly getting on board. 2 out and 2 to go! :yahoo:

Take me with you .. Dad.

So YOU'RE my brother from another mother...eh?

ummmmm I'm not going there boys!