New FJR rider tips?

[boomerang]

One of the biggest things that I had to get used to was SMOOTH throtle control. Especially when coming out of a curve and getting back on the gas. The FJR tends to want to be a little snappy when reapplying the gas. The way I solved this is by entering the curve in a lower gear then I would normaly. (3rd.instead of 4th.) or what ever! This keeps her in the power band and makes the transition much smoother.

When doing the twisties I like to stay off the brakes as much as possible, use engine drag as much as possible. And remember, she is heavey and will carry a lot of speed when approching a curve.

 

[boomerang]

One of the biggest things that I had to get used to was SMOOTH throtle control. Especially when coming out of a curve and getting back on the gas. The FJR tends to want to be a little snappy when reapplying the gas. The way I solved this is by entering the curve in a lower gear then I would normaly. (3rd.instead of 4th.) or what ever! This keeps her in the power band and makes the transition much smoother.

When doing the twisties I like to stay off the brakes as much as possible, use engine drag as much as possible. And remember, she is heavey and will carry a lot of speed when approching a curve.

 

[James Burleigh]

I think the four most important rules I try to follow when riding, which are corollaries to the Smith Driving Rule to Leave Yourself an Out are:

1. Maintain a speed that allows me to stop within my sight distance (works for twisty roads and off-ramps among other things).

2. Maintain a 3- to 5-second cushion between myself and the vehicle ahead of me. (This one worked pretty well for me this week on the freeway riding into work when suddenly ahead of me about four car lengths I heard a screech of brakes and saw in the no. 3 lanes a huge puff of white brake smoke billowing into the sky. Some knucklehead didn't see the traffic slow and had to slam 'em on. I had time and space to respond.)

3. Only throttle the goose when I have lots of space ahead of and beside me, or rather, no potential side conflicts like alleys and side streets.

4. Maintain a high visual horizon. (See no. 2 example.)

 

[nik.hisham]

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?

You're right about the oils surfacing when the rain starts. In fact, sometimes its visible (rainbow colored patches on the road) and sometimes, you can even smell it.

About riding normally in the rain, I was told to take something like 20% off of your normal riding, especially when in turns due to less grip. But I see people, especially on the smaller bikes, going at it as if it was bone dry.

Just thought I'd share an interesting clip I found -

- seems like the guy is quite aggressive even in the wet. And you can see him braking in turns as well. I guess he's well trained. So it does look like you get quite a lot of grip in the wet.

 

[FantasticJohnR]

I've had three FJRs and the only time I have ever dropped them is in the parking lot- this bike is very heavy- so at speed, no problem. But low speed parking lot maneuvers or even stupid loss of footing while standing still results in a drop. Be sure to mount some frame sliders as this will prevent any major damage from an accidental parking lot drop. And practice practice moving around at slow speeds- control the bike speed by dragging the rear brake in parking lots - not by turning off the throttle- as long as you have a bit of throttle on- the bike will want to stand up.

Enjoy the new ride!

 

[BikerGeek99]

1. Each side-case can hold about a case of beer, in cans. Bottles, about 18 or so per side case. Perfect for those evenings in the parking lot BS'ing at EOM, SFO, CFR, whatever... Just go to the rallies and have fun. You won't be sorry.

2. A clean bike is a ghey bike. Your bike, your call.

3. The silver '04s are the fastest. Bummer you got a slow-ass blue one.

4. Bust smells like old people. (If you don't know who Bust is, just keep looking around on the forum...)

 

[roger dodger]

Don't believe most of the hoopla....(03's are the fastest). My suggestion to encourage smoothness is to unwind the throttle return spring (once) and/or do the G2 throttle cam. I did the spring (twice) and have a nice, easy, soft throttle.

Keep riding in the open (away from cages/ BIG bubble around you) and practice everything 10 times. Slow speeds are tricky, but high speeds can hurt you. Practice .....practice ....practice ...and get a friend to ride with/ watch you.

 

[chivvalry]

Only throttle the goose when I have lots of space ahead of and beside me, or rather, no potential side conflicts like alleys and side streets.

Can't you get arrested for "throttling the goose" in public?

 

[Pepperell]

High beams during the day.

 

[wheatonFJR]

No matter how fun it appears...no pavement surfing...or ditch romping. :clapping:

 

[Mack]

No matter how fun it appears...no pavement surfing...or ditch romping. :clapping:

More good stuff. I like the bit about flashing the brake light. I'm planning on getting some miles under my belt and then taking a more advanced class.

And I'm going to ride- A LOT.

I think someone already mentioned it James but I will definitely back off on throttling my goose- on the bike at least

Is the G2 mod worth doing? Should I wait and ride it a while first or just do it? (I have an '06) I'm not going to jump into a $300 power commander mod just yet but I would go the $60 for the G2 if it would be helpful. I did notice on my test ride that this thing is a neck snapper and I'm wondering how that will be at speed/cornering (I pick up the bike in a few days.

If anyone is interested: if you qualify for membership (military, former mil, their family, federal employee, etc) I got a loan from Service Credit Union in Portsmouth, NH (you can do everything on line) for 4.14% which I think is and absolutely stellar rate.

Along those lines: any advice/is there something on the forum about insurance shopping? I plan to carry pretty high coverage, especially un/under-insured motorist (learned that lesson the first time around).

Cheers

 

[SacramentoMike]

" . . . any advice/is there something on the forum about insurance shopping?"

There is a whole subsection called "Insurance" on the main forum page, but to me, there are just too many variables to compare one person's costs and coverage to another's. You have to compare what one provider offers YOU to other providers. But with that said, my policy with Progressive includes road service for a VERY nominal extra cost, and towing is horribly expensive, especially if you're on the road and not in or near a city or dealership. Check the towing mileage limit when you're comparing. Mine is 150 miles, and I've used almost that full amount twice. At $5 per extra uncovered mile, it sure adds up fast.

 

[Pepperell]

Don't loan it to your brother in law.

 

[Fred W]

Here's the best piece of advice I've ever received, and I read it on this forum. Don't even remember who first said it, but it has stuck.

To put this in perspective, I am certainly not one of the "higher performance" riders around, but this is always in my mind when I ride. It has served me well on several occasions.

[SIZE=12pt]When something bad seems like it's is gonna happen, RIDE THE BIKE![/SIZE]

Most novice or returning riders underestimate their bike's capabilities.

They come into a corner too hot or some other situation arises that sets off their spidey sense.

They've listened to the MSF tell them "don't use your brakes when you're cornering" but they want to turn and brake at the same time.

They want to brake really hard but they think something bad will happen if they grab too much front brake.

They don't want to lean too far because the tires may lose traction

They see sand, rocks, gravel in the road and are afraid.

Do not bail out! Never bail out. RIDE THE BIKE. Trust the bike. Give it a chance to get you out of the trouble that YOU put yourself into. The bike is absolutely more capable than you think.

An inordinately large number of accidents for inexperienced (yeah that means people returning from hiatus) are single vehicle, with the bike running off the road or worse, into the opposing lane traffic.

Don't be one of those statistics. Your lane is safer to ride on than off the road. Trees don't move. And oncoming cars in the other lane on right handers are even worse. Do whatever you have to do to stay in YOUR lane.

RIDE THE BIKE

(sorry for such a serious post on a Friday... )

 

[wheatonFJR]

Don't loan it to your brother in law.

ooooh, now there's a story.

 

[BPFowler]

Take this class! Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic

+1

or at least read the book :yahoo:

Don't loan it to your brother in law.

Or your younger brother (did not see him again for 2 1/2 hours)

Or your son (he was gone for 4 hours)

 

[Bungie]

4. Maintain a high visual horizon. (See no. 2 example.)

Very good advice. Very. But it also applies to your number 1. Something, after riding since I was 14, Brody mentioned, and it seemed so obvious that as dumbfounded how I could overlook it. Basically, the farther ahead you can see safely, the safer it is to carry some speed. The flip side, and the most important, do not ride faster than the distance you can break to a safe speed.

I'll add one more bit of advice that applies to any bike.

Closing speed kills. e.g: See that gap in traffic? You can bet somebody that you can't see is going to left turn through it directly in front of you. See those two cars in the other lane that your rapidly reeling in? Count on one of them to switch lanes in front of you. Closing speed kills.

 

[SYB Rider]

There is a lot of good riding tips here for all. The one that stuck with me and has saved my bacon more than once (useful in cars also) is too look where you want to go and not in front of your tire and to drive in your own lane. So many people don't. Don't ride in the gutter lane always off the center lane but not so close you can't avoid one of the guys wandering across the lane. For some reason HD riders like to ride on the line. Use your six sense. Observe the other drivers. You often know what they are goinfg to do by watching head movements etc. Stay out of blind spots. Be careful when passing more than one car. The bottom line is expect the unexpected from all other drivers. I can go on and on.

If ever you get a chance, do some track days or a race school. Unbelievable fun and you tend not need to push the limits so much on the road. As of one week ago, I'm fortunate to have a FJR and a sport bike that will now be used for track days use only. Life is good.

 

[Denver_FJR]

2. Maintain a 3- to 5-second cushion between myself and the vehicle ahead of me. (This one worked pretty well for me this week on the freeway riding into work when suddenly ahead of me about four car lengths I heard a screech of brakes and saw in the no. 3 lanes a huge puff of white brake smoke billowing into the sky. Some knucklehead didn't see the traffic slow and had to slam 'em on. I had time and space to respond.)

Lot of great tips but I'm reminded of this one daily so I'll add my own $.02. It amazes me to see folks following the car ahead with less than a one second gap, no wonder we have so many mass pile-ups. Not only will a 3-5 second gap keep you from plowing into the knucklehead in front, but will also prevent a squeeze play from the cager behind.

Oh yeah, and respect the bikes weight all the time, low speed, highway speed, even maneuvering in garage or driveway.

 

[SDMac]

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.

The MOST important point is perfectly and clearly described by kawabeemer above...

I've just gotten back onto the new Feejer as of Monday this week. AWESOME piece of Machinery!!!

Had an FJ12 starting back in '86 for eight years until child number two was on the horizon.

I surrendered her that year, and have missed her terribly every summer since then...

Of course you already know about defensive riding - BUT - after just FIVE days this week with my new Baby, I have had two close calls, and yesterday one that scared the "Ship" Outta Me!!

Number One:

- Four Lane City Intersection - Opposing traffic Pickup turns right while I keep an eye and distance from him while turning left into the left turn lane. OK - he's behaving...

- 300 feet later while gently easing by on his left and NOT AT ALL in his Blind Spot - I could see his face in the mirror - WATCH for that ALWAYS!!

- he starts coming onto me at a "medium" lane-change pace

- Thankfully, I had an empty Left Turn lane to abruptly vacate into

- F@#%#@%$ MORON finally notices what he's done and makes apologetic hand gestures

- Unbelievably, I was able to give him a "Wave of Forgiveness" a second or two later...

- I musta been in one F@#$%#$% of a good mood after a couple of hours on the new scooter to do that - wouldn't ya say???

Number Two:

- Brain Dead Freeway Driver!!!

- I am gently passing on a downhill right-hander that is tight enough to make you "feel the curve" when in a cage

- My Fairing is absolutely right beside this Brain-Dead F#@$#@'s head when he starts coming onto me!!!

- He NEVER LOOKED AT ALL - Dirty Cotton Rocksucker!!! F$#%#$(*

- I'm faced with vacating the outboard side of the passing lane

- Vibrating along what I'll call the "Rumble Strip" grooves carved outside of the Lane I'm looking face on into the concrete wall that separates the two directions on the Freeway in this corner

- I'd estimate 2 feet of asphalt from the "Rumble Strip" and the 3 foot high wall

- The "Genius" clued into reality momentarily once I was over there and got back into his own F$#%&(*&* Lane

- Again - Apologetic Hand Gestures = "Sorry and Go Ahead"

- That time I had a hard time not slowing down after looking at that wall and putting about a one-foot long dent in his door as deep as I could possibly physically manage

- The dent would have been in his head, not his door, if I could have done that while he was in his cage!!!

Number Three:

- I'm on the Outboard Lane of a Freeway Off-Ramp

- Slightly AHEAD of this F&*&$# Brainless Dipship, I have a left front fender coning into my right mirror and right rear quarter!!! WTF!!!!!!

- I have a few milliseconds to decide between leaving the lane and trying to continue the turn into the 3/4 inch crusher run stone shoulder and losing her entirely - with almost zero traction - or standing her back up to vertical and "Riding Her In Upright"

- My brain and the Front Brake Lever chose the latter...

- Better to "Ride her in Straight Up" than to take the chance of a lowside in the large gravel on the shoulder...

Even though it broke my heart to hear the "Thwack-Thwack- Thwack" of two feet of some kind of thin-stemmed shrubby crap whacking about on my new Baby's Lower Fairings, it DID beat the crap out of trying to continue the turn and losing her completely in that loose 3/4 inch gravel if I continued to try making the bend... Someone was looking down upon me to make that decision and "Ride It In" upright rather than losing it in the gravel...

Having hammered on the binders, I likely went into the weeds at about 20 mph and there were only a couple small bumps on the way in, before I could get back up onto the road...

If I carried a Sledge Hammer in the Bags - that F$%%&^'n SOB would no longer have a skull to hold his brain in place!!! Nor would he be a functioning human being!!!!!!

Sooo... What's the Moral of this Story???

1) Kawabeemer is DEAD RIGHT - You ARE BEYOND INVISIBLE to brainless Cagers!!! Never, Never, Never, Ever forget that!!!

2) Never, Ever, Ever, Ever ride your Bike like you might (as I regularly do - drive a car) and EASE past cages...

3) Flick the right wrist momentarily and get at least 50+ feet ahead of them if your speeds are similar

4) They are ALL Death Threats as soon as they learn how to turn the Ignition Key...

ENJOY your new Beauty!!!

You'll Love Her!!!

I'll not bet on that, as I know as of this week that there is absolutely no other possible reaction to her power, handling and versatility!!!

Shiny Side Up!

Scott