New Rider And Looking At Fjr

[winger2b]

Hi everyone...

I'm a new biker chick (lic one yr but over 20k miles) and I'm looking at the FJR... I currently ride a Magna (750 V4).

How do you think the FJR is for a new rider?

Is there a way to lower the suspension... (I'm on the balls of my feet)

What is the maint like?.... I tend to do a lot of miles... (500+ a weekend and 110 a day for work)

Any other info would also be appreciated...

THanks in advance

Winger

 

[Toecutter]

Member No.: 700

Cool! The FJR can be lowered form what I remember but not sure where the parts are located. If you can fit on it you'll probably love it. It's great for those 500 mile weekends.

 

[winger2b]

Oh I thought I would throw this in too....

I'm looking at an '05 (brand new) ABS for just over $10k... I guess it's turning into a deal I just can't ignore....

Winger

 

[Bike Effects]

I have vertically challenged legs ( I wear 29" inseam jeans) and I am mostly on the balls of my feet, but not too big a problem.

 

[HIGHLANDER]

Welcome to the board winger2b..

Lowering has been done before, I think Dobias was one of the first to go that way. He seems to like it, but it does affect cornering clearance in the twisty sections.

I'd look into lowering and / or narrowing the seat. Some of the Brits on the international forum go that route.

Another option is Daytona Lady Star GT-X boots. These soles are built up about an inch, but you can tell from looking at them.

As far as being able to handle the bike, the cornering speed will sneak up on newbies pretty fast. On the Magna when you aproach the corner at 60mph you know it, but the FJR is so smooth and stable you'll be WAY over 60, before you realize it. Contol that right wrist willya ?

 

[radman]

Different links on the rear shock linkage, raising the tubes in the triple tree, and some minor seat mods (foam cutting, replacement, etc) can gain one quite a bit of additional room. Remember though that lowering the suspension also increases the likelyhood of machine contact with the road when spirited riding occurs. The Feej is a fairly heavy bike, control at rest can be tough if inseam challenged, not to mention push backs etc.

 

[luvtoride]

Howdy winger2b... WELCOME!

My name is Heidi... there are a few of us women out there on the FJR. One thing for sure this is a GREAT bike. Let me also say that it took me quite awhile to get used to her, too.

I am 5'-8" & have somewhere between a 31-32 inseam. When I first got her I didn't feel completely comfortable because I didn't have a lot of foot on the ground. (no bent knees) I just flat footed it but just didn't feel completely secure with this setup.

I solved a lot of this problem with getting some proper riding boots as they added just a bit to my height, got some experience with her & here I am... still riding Big & Silver (an '04). Also, my stock seat has broken in a bit, too. I've had my FJR just under a year now & in September I'll have 5 years riding experience.

I am assuming that you are riding a sporty bike now. A lot of the riding style definitely conveys. There are certain things that you don't do with an over 600 lb sport/touring bike that you can easily do with a 400 lb sport bike... but you'll find out shortly after doing some slow speed maneuvers.

If you haven't rode one yet & don't had any live experience with her you should know that she is very heavy while sitting still.... but the weight disappears once moving. My experience: trying to duck foot her around is especially difficult due to the fact that I don't have a lot of excess leg to ground distance. Also, if she's going down get out of her way 'cause she's going whether you want her to or not.

I've overcome a few of my inseam problems by being very careful how I park. Never park with your front end downhill & nowhere to go. You'll be stopping people that are walking by to push you backward. Hahaha!

Don't know too much about lowering the Feejer. I stayed with stock but I have heard about people doing mods to do so.

Good luck with your quest & remember, as radman says... any mods to suspension increases likelihood of scraping stuff that you'd rather not on spirited rides. It may be better to go with other methods (boots, cutting the seat down/thinning the seat)

Also, as highlander said..."As far as being able to handle the bike, the cornering speed will sneak up on newbies pretty fast. On the Magna when you aproach the corner at 60mph you know it, but the FJR is so smooth and stable you'll be WAY over 60, before you realize it. Contol that right wrist willya ?"

Very true.. take this advice to heart. This bike has A LOT of power... it's a bullet with a seat! But very touring capable, also. I've put over 10,000 miles on mine since purchase. Be oh so careful with that throttle. Easy she goes!

If I can ever offer anything about the bike from a woman's perspective don't hesitate to get in touch... just PM & I'd be glad to help out.

Heidi

Oh, BTW... $10,000? Sounds like a fine price! Be sure to ask about the extended warranty, too. See if they can work you a good deal on that one. 'Tis a good piece of mind.

 

[Saddletramp]

I can answer this one because my wife is a regular rider of our FJR1300. In fact, she logged the first 1,000 miles on it when we got our 05 last fall.

My wife is only 5'4" and around 140 pounds but she is in pretty good shape & is fairly strong from her horse training activities. She started riding five years ago on a Yamaha XT225 dual sport but quickly got bored with it. I got her a new 1100 V Star on our anniversary three years ago and she liked it fine for a year or two then....she rode my Valkyrie. She declared the Valkyrie her new ride & told me I could do whatever I wanted with the V Star! I still couldn't get her interested in trying out my FZ1, she said it scared her to even look at it. Well, last spring I made a deal with her. She had purchased a big black percheron horse that she thought I should be riding so I told her I would ride the percheron if she would ride the FZ1! I'm still struggling with my 1,800 # percheron but she loves the FZ1 to death. The FZ1 became her primary ride so I traded her V Star for the FJR1300.

In summary, anyone can ride any bike as long as they understand their own limitations & the capability of the bike they are riding. My wife still prefers the FZ1 over the FJR1300. She said the FJR feels heavier & slower!

After logging 20,000 miles on a Magna, you are sure enough ready for an FJR ridden with prudence!

Remember a Honda 50 is the worlds safest motorcycle.....IT BARELY HAS ENOUGH POWER TO KILL YOU!

 

[luvtoride]

My wife is only 5'4" and around 140 pounds but she is in pretty good shape & is fairly strong from her horse training activities.

Good Lord saddletramp! 5'-4"??? I am completely amazed & impressed, also. Can she touch the ground at all??? On one side maybe??? Wow!

 

[Bike Effects]

...inseam challenged

I'll have to remember that one!

 

[Pappy]

I'm 5' 6". Ditto the bits about planning stops - this includes paying attention to the slop of the road at stoplights. I never duck-foot - don't tink I could if I wanted to - I usually just get off and pull back.

Double-ditto the power bit. It's amazingly smooth and the power comes in a rush - before you know it you're over a hundred. It's very confidence-inspiring and regularly grind pegs (which I NEVER did on any other bike I've had) 'cause it's just a rock-steady machine in turns. It is a little shy of clearance compared to other sporty bikes out there so I wouldn't recommend lowering it. I wanted to at first but quickly realized it isn't any more difficult to maneuver at slow speeds than any of the other four rides I've had.

At that price and with 20k of experience, I'd go for it. I dropped my Bandit 1200S like a hot rock when I found my ABS Feej for a little over 11k. Go for it!

 

[Saddletramp]

My wife is only 5'4" and around 140 pounds but she is in pretty good shape & is fairly strong from her horse training activities.

Good Lord saddletramp! 5'-4"??? I am completely amazed & impressed, also. Can she touch the ground at all??? On one side maybe??? Wow!

My wife is indeed 5'4" and reminded me that she always wears her Joe Rocket motorcycle boots but still can only touch on the balls of her feet. She can't stand flat footed. She said the FJR is easier to touch than the FZ1 is.

Funny story: I once talked her in to riding my KTM 640 dual sport. She feared after riding it for 30 minutes or so that if she stopped it would probably tip over. I was following behind on her V Star when she finally found a tall curb, stopped, & got off of the KTM. She then told me I'd have to ride the damned thing home cause that was her one & only ride on it. She was right...it was!

 

[Woodstock]

Funny story:  I once talked her in to riding my KTM 640 dual sport.  She feared after riding it for 30 minutes or so that if she stopped it would probably tip over.  I was following behind on her V Star when she finally found a tall curb, stopped, & got off of the KTM.  She then told me I'd have to ride the damned thing home cause that was her one & only ride on it.  She was right...it was!

:lol: Necessity is the mother of invention, and all that.

 

[winger2b]

THank you everyone for your comments... I love my Magna... I really do... It just seems something is missing I suppose... THere are huge advantages to the FJR... longer fuel range, better light, better brakes... as far as power goes... I'm a pretty relaxed rider... I like short bursts of power to get up to speed on the highway... (that's mostly what I ride during the week) but I like leasurly jaunts through the twisties in the mountains... (I let hubby go have some fun and catch up later)Hubby asked me this morning what is was about the Manga I didn't like... I said I love it it's just different (it's a power cruiser)...

I do have another question for you all... WHat does your ins. run?? Our quote seemed aufully high? Also... how long do the tires last and what other items NEED to be tended to for high mileage riding??

I've got a week or so to figure this whole thing out... WHen the bike comes in I'll go for a ride on it... no other dealers would let me take one out... (bugger heads) but I did get to paddle a little in the showroom...

Well I guess I have more thinking to do...

Thanks again...

one very confused Winger

 

[Bounce]

...inseam challenged

I'll have to remember that one!

Some of us are inseam challenged in spite of being taller. It's because of the cut of out jib.

As for the FJR for a new rider. How new? Clearly not a completely new rider because she already owns another bike. Just remember how much it costs to replace plastic every time you drop a bike with this type of design. One saddle bag alone is more than half a grand and a bag will nearly always take a hit when you go over.

I always recommend bikes that are less costly to drop to newer riders.

BTW: The Magna is a nice bike. But it ain't a "power" anything. Keep that in mind when considering the 650 lb rocket sled that is the FJR.

 

[sparky3008]

I do have another question for you all... WHat does your ins. run?? Our quote seemed aufully high?

I had an 1100 VStar before this bike and was with Progressive at a little over $500. The coverages were like $300,000 $100,000. Anyway I had signed all the papers and was ready to ride out of the dealership and figured I had better call my ins first.

I was not ready for the quote of $2000 a year for this thing and if you know progressive they want it in 4 installments. Even lowering the coverage closer to state minimums the lowest they would go on a "sport" bike was $1600.

Anyway I found Sentry and they covered my bike for $368 a year.. Now I lowered my coverage and raised my deductible to $250 but this worked for me...

Good luck.

 

[sparky3008]

One more thing. If you are on the balls of your feet and the bike is straight up you are doing pretty well. I am 6' and I have to think about getting my feet all the way down. Usually to be comfortable I am on my toes also. Biggest thing to remember about any bike is when coming to a stop make sure the bike is straight up and down and don't stop on gravel if you can avoid it.

I recently came back from Colorado where I rented an Electra Glide and at over 1400lbs with 2 up and all the pull overs on gravel I was very nervous about every stop and took them very slow and made sure I was straight. At a combined weight of over 1400lbs there is no way I could have kept it up if I was the slightest bit leaned over coming to a stop.

Good luck in your decision,

 

[deanw]

but the weight disappears once moving.

fftopic:

No offense, but I hate when people say that. It doesn't disappear, but the machine is well balanced and you don't notice it. Trust me, it's still there, ready to spring back to the forefront of being noticed as soon as you let it get off balance.

I'd suggest having the seat cut down before I'd muck with the suspension, because it can be done cheaper and won't affect handling- but if you go the suspension route, there are options out there, including a shock with an adjustment for height.

 

[luvtoride]

QUOTE (luvtoride @ Jul 24 2005, 07:16 PM)

but the weight disappears once moving.

No offense, but I hate when people say that. It doesn't disappear, but the machine is well balanced and you don't notice it. Trust me, it's still there, ready to spring back to the forefront of being noticed as soon as you let it get off balance.

once the bike is moving over about a 15 mph speed the gyroscopic effect works pretty darn well. Sorry the comment irritates you.