New Member in Salem, OR

[C Harris]

First FJR purchase after a hiatus from riding. Last bike was a KLR which is a world apart from the FJR. The 2004 I just purchased has 9100 miles on it and was a single owner bike. Seller was a Yamaha mechanic for several yrs plus has several other bikes he rides, hence the low miles. I got it on Saturday and rode it home & it ran like a top. Need a prioritized to-do list before I put it to use. Any realistic suggestions would be well received. Paid $3500 for the bike, Corbin heated seats, tank bag and saddle bags.

 

[RiderJoe]

Well, congratulations to your new ride! You mentioned that the PO was a Yamaha mechanic. That’s good news (hopefully). Still, you should check out the bike thoroughly. Age of tires, rubber parts (hoses) quality, etc. Also, since the bike hasn’t been ridden a lot, I would recommend a change of all fluids too, so that you know that they are fresh and when they were changed - I am sure that you will ride the bike much more than the PO did, so knowing that info should give you a good base line to start, and you can begin your own scheduled maintenance.
I said “hopefully” about the PO being a good mechanic earlier. I wouldn’t count that as meaning much. When I worked in a bike shop, my bike was probably in worse shape than most bikes I fixed.

Welcome to the forum too!

RiderJoe

 

[BigOgre]

Nice shop there.

And nice find for you! RJ has some good advice above about getting baselines. Along with that thought I'm wondering if the PO, with his background, might have kept service records for the bike. Couldn't hurt to ask.

Will you be getting your hands dirty doing mechanical/maintenance stuff? If so look for a Factory Service Manual. Big help. Just over $100 new but with the age of the bike I'd imagine there's one or two sitting on a shelf someone may be will to part with for less. Put out a Wanted to Buy post. (FYI, '04s had a two part FSM with the ABS being it's own book.)

Did side bags come with it? I see a little rash on the fairing so maybe not? And while I'm firing at you, what's the black round knob for under the right grip?

But the biggest thing I can think of, and only because you asked, is to give that right throttle grip respect. You mentioned a hiatus and the KLR. You're in a different realm here. You might be cognizant of a little rust with your riding ability but also be aware the FJR has an earned reputation for being sneaky fast. Be careful not to let it get away from you until you learn its manners.

Best of luck with it. Hope it gives you many, many miles of smiles.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Welcome from metro Seattle! Congrats on the new (to you) '04, sounds like you found a good one. Already good advice...change all the fluids and enjoy the bike!

~G

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

Welcome aboard. I have relatives that live in Salem. Love that area. My dad grew up in Port Orford. Enjoy the bike and the pleasure it will give you on those Oregon backroads.

 

[PhatAir4Me]

Welcome to the fray from Bend OR!

Great place to start ---> https://www.fjrforum.com/threads/03-05-bin-o-facts-generation-i.167954/

Another great place to start is make our event in Baker City there are still rooms available and there is no better place than a gathering like this to drool over some farkles, talk story and perhaps make a friend or two!

Just a hop skip and a jump to right side of the mountain and some of the best riding in the state. The Why Not? 2023 ------> https://www.fjrforum.com/threads/the-why-not-2023-is-a-reality.180286/

 

[yakpilot]

Welcome to the group. I live in Keizer and also have an '04

 

[fastpappy]

Welcome from the Big Apple and congrats on your new ride. Enjoy!

 

[KevinLewis]

Hello and welcome to the forum from Dallas TX, you didn't mention the price on which you got the bike, please tell us that. BTW, congrats on your motorcycle, and I would suggest you add some luggage like saddlebags and a top case to this to make it look bulkier.

 

[C Harris]

Nice shop there.

And nice find for you! RJ has some good advice above about getting baselines. Along with that thought I'm wondering if the PO, with his background, might have kept service records for the bike. Couldn't hurt to ask.

Will you be getting your hands dirty doing mechanical/maintenance stuff? If so look for a Factory Service Manual. Big help. Just over $100 new but with the age of the bike I'd imagine there's one or two sitting on a shelf someone may be will to part with for less. Put out a Wanted to Buy post. (FYI, '04s had a two part FSM with the ABS being it's own book.)

Did side bags come with it? I see a little rash on the fairing so maybe not? And while I'm firing at you, what's the black round knob for under the right grip?

But the biggest thing I can think of, and only because you asked, is to give that right throttle grip respect. You mentioned a hiatus and the KLR. You're in a different realm here. You might be cognizant of a little rust with your riding ability but also be aware the FJR has an earned reputation for being sneaky fast. Be careful not to let it get away from you until you learn its manners.

Best of luck with it. Hope it gives you many, many miles of smiles.

That's the sellers shop. He had 13 bikes in it hence the low miles on the FJR. I will be working on it to the best of my ability. I'm a retired GC turned realtor who has time and likes to tinker so I'll be sure to get a FSM asap. I appreciate the heads up on the 2 part FSM.

Side bags did come with it and yes, there's a crack in the fairing where another bike fell into it along with a couple scuffs, but it hasn't been down (fortunately). The black knob is the heated seat temp adjuster for the Corbin seats.

And yes, a different realm completely from the KLR and manners are a great way to describe getting to know a bike! I had a 3 hr ride over Mt Hood to get it home and learned quite a bit during that little ride. Respect being the primary lesson which is true for each bike.

Thanks for the comments and thoughts! They're greatly appreciated!!

 

[C Harris]

Well, congratulations to your new ride! You mentioned that the PO was a Yamaha mechanic. That’s good news (hopefully). Still, you should check out the bike thoroughly. Age of tires, rubber parts (hoses) quality, etc. Also, since the bike hasn’t been ridden a lot, I would recommend a change of all fluids too, so that you know that they are fresh and when they were changed - I am sure that you will ride the bike much more than the PO did, so knowing that info should give you a good base line to start, and you can begin your own scheduled maintenance.
I said “hopefully” about the PO being a good mechanic earlier. I wouldn’t count that as meaning much. When I worked in a bike shop, my bike was probably in worse shape than most bikes I fixed.

Welcome to the forum too!

RiderJoe

Thanks for the consideration! All fluids in the process of being changed out, FSM ordered, farkle list started...does that ever end? Also, reading through the forum faq's to try to catch up on common topics before asking the redundant questions...

 

[C Harris]

Hello and welcome to the forum from Dallas TX, you didn't mention the price on which you got the bike, please tell us that. BTW, congrats on your motorcycle, and I would suggest you add some luggage like saddlebags and a top case to this to make it look bulkier.

Thanks! Edited the post to say I paid $3500 for it along with the bags, Corbin heated seats, a tank bag and a couple small items. I haven't seen anything for sale around me with under 40k miles and they're all priced between $4k & $6k so I feel great with the purchase.

 

[KevinLewis]

Thanks! Edited the post to say I paid $3500 for it along with the bags, Corbin heated seats, a tank bag and a couple small items. I haven't seen anything for sale around me with under 40k miles and they're all priced between $4k & $6k so I feel great with the purchase.

You got this much in 3.5k, this is crazy, what bags came with it?

 

[C Harris]

Looks like stock Yamaha hard bags with liner/soft bag. Everything inside says Yamaha . And yeah! 3.5 which is why I drove like a madman to get to it!

 

[feejerbkb]

Welcome.

I'm ~50 miles from you up in Oregon City.