New forum member & considering switch from cruiser to FJR- need help

[eye.surgeon]

I would greatly appreciate some feedback on my situation from you guys. I'm 38 and recently got back into riding a year ago by buying a new Suzuki boulevard cruiser (my last bike before this was a 1986 honda interceptor when I was a teenager). When I bought the cruiser I was thinking I would put a couple thousand miles on per year putting around the area on the weekends.

Well as it turns out I've put about 5500 miles on it in the first year, and instead of short rides, the thing I have discovered that I really enjoy is going on 200-300 mile rides on a Saturday morning through the California interior and central coast. Recently it has occurred to me that I am really using my cruiser like a sport-touring bike.

So I am considering selling the cruiser and buying an FJR.

Two problems. Firstly I hate the 2007 color. Hate it. I like silver,blue, or just about any other color but whatever the heck they want to call the 07 color, we all know it's purple. No offense to any owners, color choice is a personal thing and doesn't slow the bike down at all And no, I don't want the AE.

The other problem is that I really enjoy the leisurely smell-the-roses aspect of cruising. I like to go more or less the speed limit and see the beautiful countryside as I ride. I'm not a grandpa but I am not going to pull wheelies and scrape my footpegs. I did that on my interceptor and those days are over for me. Wife, kids, all that stuff. I'm not sure if this riding style would be better served by my cruiser. I ride purely for pleasure and not commuting, going to the store, etc. Just Saturdays primarily by myself.

Buying used is an option if only for color choice but there seems to be a relative dearth of used FJRs on the market that I would consider, ie. with less than 7000 miles or so on the bike in like new condition, and has to be in California thanks to our 'special' emission requirements. Preferably silver, which pretty much means an 06. Another thought is to wait for the 2008 model but nobody seems to know what color that will be. It's got to be better than plum crazy though.

I would greatly appreciate some insight from those that have switched from a cruiser, thanks in advance!

 

[Silver Penguin]

I hear what you're saying - the cruiser is OK but....... and the 07 color isn't for everybody. I don't care for it at all.

My return to riding was via Yamaha's VStars, first the 650 and then the 1100. Great bikes, but not the best for the twisties. I wanted to ride further, and faster. The FJR seemed ideal.

Pro - better handling in the twisties. Footboards don't scrape. Power (with a capital P). Larger fuel tank. Lockable, detachable bags. Fun factor. Hose, wipe and ready to ride instead of polishing chrome for hours.

Con - seat height and top heavy (a big consideration for the vertically challenged). Deceiving speed i.e. you think everyone else is in slow-motion because you're not going REALLY fast.

Believe it or not, the FJR can be ridden gently, while smelling the roses. It can be a very sweet, easy to ride tourer. Just this weekend, mine was on virtual autopilot as we came home from a long and tiring ride. On the other hand, a twist of the wrist will bare the beast's fangs, and watch out.

Jill

 

[John_Dumke]

The other problem is that I really enjoy the leisurely smell-the-roses aspect of cruising. I like to go more or less the speed limit and see the beautiful countryside as I ride. I'm not a grandpa but I am not going to pull wheelies and scrape my footpegs. I did that on my interceptor and those days are over for me. Wife, kids, all that stuff. I'm not sure if this riding style would be better served by my cruiser. I ride purely for pleasure and not commuting, going to the store, etc. Just Saturdays primarily by myself.

Others may disagree, so I would like to here other opinions. There is always a certain rhythm or cadence to a vehicle. The speed at which a vehicle is happiest. You know that speed, when going slower the vehicle says "Come on, You can pick it up", and going faster the vehicle says "I don't really like going this fast, this might be dangerous".

Certainly, a driver's skill level and own personal rhythm might influence the rhythm of a vehicle, but in my opinion, a vehicle definetly has a sweet spot.

With this in mind I would say that an FJR1300 might be a faster bike than you might want, but this is just a guess. Personally, I am ecstatic that the FJR has a slower rhythm than my old sport bikes. Because I simply drive too fast. Can anybody beat this..... 5 tickets, 5 states, + one evading a cop, all in one day. But consider a GSXR. First gear good to 60mph, top speed of 160+mph. Ad to that road racing experience & what the hell is wrong with 120mph in the right circumstances. Even 80 feels down right slow.

So the fact that the FJR actually makes me feel good "almost" going with the flow of traffic "sometimes", is a great relief. It doesn't even like to wheelie. This is good!

For me the sweet spot of the FJR is multifacited. Around town the engine is very sweet around 3,000rpm and I can clip through traffic, with ease. Not blaze through traffic, like it's traffic combat. The FJR also has beautiful highway pulling torque. When you are driving 75mph, it just feels soooo good to wick it up to 85-90 mph. And throw the windshield up and you can cruise all day at 90-100mph, where the engine is simply sweet and smooth.

So for me the rhythm /cadence of the bike, while still fast, is quite a bit slower than a full on sportbike, that just begs to be ripped through the gears, or even slower than my BMW 540i with 6spd manual, which never hints at the fact that I might be besting the posted limit by 30+ mph.

However, for me it is the perfect compromise between speed and keeping my license. For somebody that wants to cruise, there might be more appropriate choices. What do other people think?

 

[painman]

I think a good answer to this one is keep the cruiser and keep an eye out for a low mi. 06 or if you can't wait there's not that much plastic to take off the bike for a repaint on a 07 and if you did that you would be in a very small minority and that would be coooooool not looking like every other bike. Everyone's different and naturally the funds are sometimes the deciding factor. That is my suggestion, have the best of both worlds, cruiser, and FJR, what ever your mood, it works for me. PM. <><

 

[eye.surgeon]

Thanks for the input. A little more information on my situation. First I am 6 feet tall/218 pounds and can flat-foot pretty much any bike. Also it's not like I don't like to drive fast--my daily driver is a BMW 545i and I generally drive very fast. So who knows, I may really enjoy driving my bike fast. It just hasn't been an option on my cruiser with an 805cc engine

Other bikes I have considered: ST1300 (seems too geared towards all-day freeway riding for my taste), BMW sport touring bike (probably the best choice for my style of riding but seems way overpriced, although I can afford it if I want it).

 

[FJRinFL-Dale]

Love my 05 and the BLUE and 33,500 plus miles in 18 months! I hear you on the 07 color.... just not for me and I dont like the redesign of the fairing either... they took away that wing finned look.... Anyway... EBAY!! I see 4 bikes on there right now $12k for NEW 06 1300 AE in Wisconsin, an 05, 04 and 03...

Good luck with the search!

FJRinFL-Dale Jupiter Florida

 

[cywolv]

I moved up from an 05 C50 about 3 weeks ago. The bikes are 2 different beasts. The bully is a cruise and smell the roses bike, and it does it well. Don't get me wrong I love that bike, but I wanted a little more. The FJR is a blast like others have said. It will cruise at a cruiser pace( does that make sense?) but it really wants run!! It is great having the ability to flick the throttle and being out of the way of any hazard in a blink of an eye. The FJR is much better in the twisties as well, you will feel more comfortable on it even going slow. It really loves them. I just love the color of the 07 as well, I also liked the blurple color of the M109. So I am a little off..... Something else to consider, it seems to be alot more expensive ( in the words of the Sport Touring bubbas) to "FARKLE" the FJR versus "moding" the Bully. Do I miss my Bully... No, not really, I only had it a year as well. I wished I had gone bigger when I returned to riding. I ride 2 up alot and the 800 was just not big enough. Just wanted to give you some of my thoughts hope it helps..

Are you the same Eye.surgeon as on the VR board?

 

[skyway]

You might put up an offer in the wanted section (prior to the purchase of an '07) for a swap of tupperware for someone with '06 blue, or 06/07 AE silver, for your brand new 07 cherry?

personally I would pass on painting a brand new set of fairings.

Also look for a out-of-state bike with greater than 7.5K miles and you'll be good to go.

 

[eye.surgeon]

Anyway... EBAY!! I see 4 bikes on there right now $12k for NEW 06 1300 AE in Wisconsin, an 05, 04 and 03...
Good luck with the search!

FJRinFL-Dale Jupiter Florida

I see those bikes as well, but the problem is I live in California and can't register any of those bikes in this state. Has to have over 14k miles or something like that. We have our own emissions requirements here. So it has to be a CA bike.

I moved up from an 05 C50 about 3 weeks ago. The bikes are 2 different beasts. The bully is a cruise and smell the roses bike, and it does it well. Don't get me wrong I love that bike, but I wanted a little more. The FJR is a blast like others have said. It will cruise at a cruiser pace( does that make sense?) but it really wants run!! It is great having the ability to flick the throttle and being out of the way of any hazard in a blink of an eye. The FJR is much better in the twisties as well, you will feel more comfortable on it even going slow. It really loves them. I just love the color of the 07 as well, I also liked the blurple color of the M109. So I am a little off..... Something else to consider, it seems to be alot more expensive ( in the words of the Sport Touring bubbas) to "FARKLE" the FJR versus "moding" the Bully. Do I miss my Bully... No, not really, I only had it a year as well. I wished I had gone bigger when I returned to riding. I ride 2 up alot and the 800 was just not big enough. Just wanted to give you some of my thoughts hope it helps..Are you the same Eye.surgeon as on the VR board?

Very interesting insight seeing as we are coming from the same cruiser. And yes, that's me on the VR board.

 

[skyway]

Because I simply drive too fast. Can anybody beat this..... 5 tickets, 5 states, + one evading a cop, all in one day. But consider a GSXR. First gear good to 60mph, top speed of 160+mph. Ad to that road racing experience & what the hell is wrong with 120mph in the right circumstances. Even 80 feels down right slow.

2 words: radar detector. :lol: Thats either plain bad luck, or reckless abandonment of your drivers license? :huh: Cannonball?

 

[FJRinFL-Dale]

Here is one in Florida for you. Looking at the tires... Michelin Pilot ROAD.... Great ires and Jeff asking great prices with tons of extras...

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...&hl=russell

has 19k miles on it! That gets you past your 14k in CA.

 

[Lake Powell]

Thanks for the input. A little more information on my situation. First I am 6 feet tall/218 pounds and can flat-foot pretty much any bike. Also it's not like I don't like to drive fast--my daily driver is a BMW 545i and I generally drive very fast. So who knows, I may really enjoy driving my bike fast. It just hasn't been an option on my cruiser with an 805cc engine
Other bikes I have considered: ST1300 (seems too geared towards all-day freeway riding for my taste), BMW sport touring bike (probably the best choice for my style of riding but seems way overpriced, although I can afford it if I want it).

Other than the obvious depth of post graduate education, I too share much of your background. Same height and weight (maybe 10 more pounds) and I also had an Intercepter. My daily driver is a Volvo S60R and even though it's a Volvo it has been pumped up to 400hp, it's a miracle I'm not in jail. As an airline pilot you would think I would get my speed fix at work.

My last street bike was a 03' BMW K1200rs, good bike. Sold it after 2 years and got away from bikes for a while and the urge hit me again. I went and tested the new BMW's and they were pretty good. The FJR is quite a bit superior. Not just on the price point, I can afford the BMW, but because it does everything as well or better. I've had the bike a short while and just love it. Not to mention there are far more options available to customize your ride to your particular tastes.

The color, well, when the color for 07' was announced I wasn't too thrilled and started to try and find a 06' in blue. Primarily do to logistics a 06' was out of the question. I ordered the 07' with the intent of trying to pick what color I would have it painted.

I have had more complments on how rich the color looks, and after I washed my bike today and looked at it in the sun I have truly grown to admire the color.

My advice, go get the 07' ride it through the summer and when winter hits see if you really need a different color.

Good luck with your decision and as you have already found out if you don't like it you can sell it quickly.

 

[Ignacio]

I see those bikes as well, but the problem is I live in California and can't register any of those bikes in this state. Has to have over 14k miles or something like that. We have our own emissions requirements here. So it has to be a CA bike.

and

///has 19k miles on it! That gets you past your 14k in CA.

No, it's 7,500 miles....as Skyway already mentioned. CA limits out-of-state bikes to used ones with more than 7,500 miles.....not 14,000. Clicky here for a quote from your own DMV on the subject.

 

[Hud]

Hi

Almost the same story except I'm 60+ came back to m/cycling, bought a Suzi Interceptor 1500cc cruiser - it was too slow, too heavy, lousy brakes and not enough touring range and I found I rode far greater distance than I expected to. So bought the FJR - a great bike and loved it :yahoo:

BUT:- I don't scratch, dont travel at hyper speed and the bike is actually too big for what I need/want. I'm sitting on a 150mph bike when the speed limit is 70mph; It is heavy and high, it isn't as comfortable as the cruiser. So may be changing it for a smaller one eg. a Triumph Sprint (though do prefer shaft drive!), Suzi Vstrom 1000 (or 650) giving me better dirt road capability (and saving $1000's). My advice For What Its Worth - get a bike that meets your needs, for a 200/300 mile trip the FJR may be overkill (I do 500 Mile trips a day). IF the FJR meets your needs it is probably the best large capacity sports tourer around.

Stress again fjr is a phenomenal bike but on the road its almost too much.

HTH

Hud

 

[eye.surgeon]

My advice, go get the 07' ride it through the summer and when winter hits see if you really need a different color.
Good luck with your decision and as you have already found out if you don't like it you can sell it quickly.

That is an interesting suggestion. Wouldn't be the first time I have 180ed on a color preference. Maybe I should give the color a second look.

I see those bikes as well, but the problem is I live in California and can't register any of those bikes in this state. Has to have over 14k miles or something like that. We have our own emissions requirements here. So it has to be a CA bike.

and

///has 19k miles on it! That gets you past your 14k in CA.

No, it's 7,500 miles....as Skyway already mentioned. CA limits out-of-state bikes to used ones with more than 7,500 miles.....not 14,000. Clicky here for a quote from your own DMV on the subject.

Oops, thanks for the correction.

 

[eye.surgeon]

This is the bike I am currently riding, FYI.

 

[eye.surgeon]

Hi
Almost the same story except I'm 60+ came back to m/cycling, bought a Suzi Interceptor 1500cc cruiser - it was too slow, too heavy, lousy brakes and not enough touring range and I found I rode far greater distance than I expected to. So bought the FJR - a great bike and loved it :yahoo:

BUT:- I don't scratch, dont travel at hyper speed and the bike is actually too big for what I need/want. I'm sitting on a 150mph bike when the speed limit is 70mph; It is heavy and high, it isn't as comfortable as the cruiser. So may be changing it for a smaller one eg. a Triumph Sprint (though do prefer shaft drive!), Suzi Vstrom 1000 (or 650) giving me better dirt road capability (and saving $1000's). My advice For What Its Worth - get a bike that meets your needs, for a 200/300 mile trip the FJR may be overkill (I do 500 Mile trips a day). IF the FJR meets your needs it is probably the best large capacity sports tourer around.

Stress again fjr is a phenomenal bike but on the road its almost too much.

HTH

Hud

Good advice, something I need to consider. Interesting you found your cruiser more comfortable than the FJR, usually I hear Sport touring riders say the opposite. I actually find my cruiser pretty comfortable (after a lot of mods/farkles).

 

[Graham Downunder]

If you do not like the color consider adding the silver strips like the Australian bikes , we are lucky we have a choice of colors , but the blue is my choice.They only give you one color so someone can say you are ridding last years model !. I would also look at a good second hand bike ( do not sell your currnt bike till you are happy ) , you could also rent one for a few days and then decide if you like it .

 

[vol210]

Very interesting insight seeing as we are coming from the same cruiser. And yes, that's me on the VR board.

And another one here. Switched over last September after eyeballing the feejer for over a year. Had to keep the handle though, just had it too long to change

Jim