New FJR rider tips?

[Mack]

Hi all,

There may be an existing post on this, if so let me know....

I just bought a 2006 FJR. Haven't ridden in years and my last bike was a Honda Magna back in the day An old lady turned me into a hood ornament (the last thing I saw was blue hair) and that cured the riding bug for a while.

I just took an MSF course to shake the rust off. Any of you vets have FJR specific or general riding tips for a newbie? Looking to enjoy my new bike without killing myself

Yes, I have sliders....

Thanks in advance!

 

[kawabeemer]

Repeat after me, "I am invisible, and they ARE out to get me". This attitude should help you navigate thru the hordes of distracted, unseeing, and sometimes just stupid, cage drivers.

Good luck with your new bike.

 

[nik.hisham]

Hi Mack,

Congrats on the new FJR! I'm sure you'll love it. I'm completely new to riding myself but one thing I learned after a close call the other day - don't hug double white lines in the center of the road when turning a blind corner.

Here's my close call =>



Ride safe!

Nik.

 

[cwa]

The rust is not shakin off yet, the training is great, but you need some miles. be careful. biggest thing I have noticed with the FJR coming from the old school stuff like the 70's GS's, KZ's and the Gen 1 Vmax is having a bike this heavy that is so nimble. You need to ride to your abilities and not the FJR's for now.

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Mack,

Welcome back to the cycling world!

-Know yourself, your limitations and be AGATT

-Know your bike and keep it maintained

-Keep ahead of traffic and don't let them crowd you (watch the rear view mirrors almost as much as the front)

-Keep your bike in the torque curve while in traffic so you can maneuver quickly

-Stay Right of the Center lane when approaching Blind Curves

-Know where the Revenue Enhancement areas are and get a good R.D.

And have fun... this bike will treat you well!

 

[highcountry]

Hi Mack,
Congrats on the new FJR! I'm sure you'll love it. I'm completely new to riding myself but one thing I learned after a close call the other day - don't hug double white lines in the center of the road when turning a blind corner.

Here's my close call =>

That certainly turned the pucker factor up a couple of notches, Nik. I had a cage do the same thing to me a couple of months ago and it wasn't even a blind curve. :angry2:

 

[bikerskier]

Don't let Bustanut or ODOT get behind you. Or so others on this forum have said...

 

[bikerjim]

Be careful at first on giving it throttle. This bike can be scarey fast in an instant, especially going into a corner. Take your time getting used to the speed potential, it is easy to go too fast . Expect cagers to try to get you, as you already know. Lots of good info here to take care of your FJR, enjoy the ride!

 

[Pale Rider 07]

Congrats on the new ride. This is a new style for me as well, but some of the old rules still apply. Own your lane, don't live in the blind spot and use the FJR's power to get you out of trouble, not into it. This ride is wicked fast.

 

[TheZsdad]

Repeat after me, "I am invisible, and they ARE out to get me". This attitude should help you navigate thru the hordes of distracted, unseeing, and sometimes just stupid, cage drivers.Good luck with your new bike.

+1 "I am invisible" and at times when you must be visible like stop lights, I make awkward movements like scratching my head with my foot.

Anything to get attention. :yahoo:

 

[escapefjrtist]

Practice, practice and more practice to get the skills and muscle memory back. Use empty parking lots for slow speed drills and learning how the bike and controls feel.

Good luck with the new ride.

--G

 

[Mack]

Thanks for the great posts. That was a scary video!

I've read a lot about "twitchy throttle" and powerband on the FJR. Any advice on shifting patterns/RPM?

Thanks!

 

[SacramentoMike]

". . . at times when you must be visible like stop lights, I make awkward movements like scratching my head with my foot.Anything to get attention. :yahoo:

I can't do that, but I always hit the Hyper Lites when I'm sitting at a light as someone approaches from behind. Nice bright flashy things, they are.

Careful Mack.

 

[SnowAviation]

I don't know what the MSF course teaches you but go out and practice hard braking from moderate to

high speed. The speed this bike is capable of, combined with it's weight, can catch you off guard.

 

[MojaveFJR]

Major issue with the feej for me, mostly a rider phenom, is the smoothness at speed. One day you will look down and you will be doing 90 and tach'n less than 5k. Keep the speed undercontrol for a bit till you get used to her.

Another thing this bike will do, as it is top heavy, is turn in on your during slow speed manuevers. This isn't the bike you used in the MSF course. Find an empty parking lot and do some slow speed manuevers. This will come in handy during parking, getting gas and, other places where you need to slow it down and still move the bike around.

As stated, the FJR is sneaky fast, smooth and, plenty of power. If not properly controlled she will spit you off for being stupid and, stupid hurts.

Ride and treat her well and she will do the same for you.

Congrats on getting back into the saddle. You have one of the best motorcycles in the market, IMHO of course, unbiased by the fact that there is one in the garage. And it is a great two up machine.

 

[Geezer]

Toecutter is our forum champion of keeping right. As others have said, keep to the right in blind curves.

When stopping for a light or stop sign or whatever, keep one eye in the mirrors. Leave room in front of you to move if necessary, plan an escape route around or between the cars in front of you.

Make yourself visible. I wear hi-viz gear. I know that's not for everyone, but I like it. Waggle back and forth in your lane once in a while to make sure the car behind you remembers that you are there.

Make sure your brake lights work well, and use your brakes when being followed closely even if you don't really need them to slow down. Downshifting is great and fun, but the guy behind you might not realize you are slowing if he doesn't see the brake light.

When a car is waiting to pull out ahead of you keep a close eye on their wheels. You will see their wheel turn much earlier than you will notice the vehicle actually moving forward.

I'm sure there are many other things I do out of habit, but those are the ones that come to mind.

 

[07fjrTom]

I think the most important thing when starting out is to ride often and apply all safety techniqes. Familiarity and making good habits second nature are crucial to survival out there. Make it a point to ride every day whether you need to or not.

 

[stevec677]

A while ago I was speaking to a racer about riding in the rain. I have always been nervous about riding in the rain. He said be real careful for the first hour that the rain starts as it brings up oils etc. to the surface, but after that you can ride "normal" except for one thing. You can lean/turn or brake in the rain, but not both at the same time. I'm not sure if ABS will effect this rule, but since I incorporated this rule into my wet weather riding, I have not had any issues. Has anyone every heard this before? Any opinions?

 

[3dogs]

Take this class! Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic