New to forum and ?'s about FJR

[pso]

Folks: I was stranded by my 06 Buell Uly on a back road for the second time now. When the FJR first came out I was interested in it however the heat problems and a few other minor issues kept me away from it. I purchased a used 01 Goldwing, great bike. Now After all these years I am again intersted in the FJR and was wondeing what years were the most significant for improvments, corrections to problem or refinements and also what are the major issues confronting the different years? Also how difficult are these bikes to work on? How about valve adjustment difficulty and frequency? Also are there any significant problems to look for that are in the model or just specific years. Seems like each model or year of every manufacturer has some querks. Also what about the auto transmission? I have arthrites in my left thumb and find that clutches are becoming more difficult for me. The reason I am going to get away from the Buell is that I need a very dependable bike. I ride with 2 other fellows and we are only on the back roads in some realy back areas and I cannot afford to break down. I plan a ride across Canada East to West in a year or two and want a bike that I can count on.

 

[Geezer]

Folks: I was stranded by my 06 Buell Uly on a back road for the second time now. When the FJR first came out I was interested in it however the heat problems and a few other minor issues kept me away from it. I purchased a used 01 Goldwing, great bike. Now After all these years I am again intersted in the FJR and was wondeing what years were the most significant for improvments, corrections to problem or refinements and also what are the major issues confronting the different years? Also how difficult are these bikes to work on? How about valve adjustment difficulty and frequency? Also are there any significant problems to look for that are in the model or just specific years. Seems like each model or year of every manufacturer has some querks. Also what about the auto transmission? I have arthrites in my left thumb and find that clutches are becoming more difficult for me. The reason I am going to get away from the Buell is that I need a very dependable bike. I ride with 2 other fellows and we are only on the back roads in some realy back areas and I cannot afford to break down. I plan a ride across Canada East to West in a year or two and want a bike that I can count on.

Some good places to start:

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=8660

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=4295

The most significant changes were between the two generations. Since you are concerned about the heat then you probably want to look at the Gen 2 - starting with 2006.

The bikes are fairly easy to work on. Valve adjustments can be done yourself without too much difficulty if you know what you are doing. The interval for me is 50k, and I may skip the one at 100k because the valves seem to hold their adjustmet very well. Others will tell you to do it more often. In general the FJR is very reliable, but there are some issues that you need to keep an eye on.

The cam chain tensioner can be a problem, but it will give you notice in the form of some 'marbles' noise coming from the right side. The Gen 1's had some 'ticking' problems, which was premature valve guide wear, but the ones prone to get this problem have probably been repaired by now. Use care when shopping if you look at a Gen 1 and listen for 'the tick'. The Gen 2 bikes have 'spider' connections for ground wires, and they tend to corrode and overheat, which can cause all sorts of electrical gremlins. Not too hard to fix and probably something you want to consider doing before it acts up. Lots of threads about that on the forum. Follow this forum for a few weeks and you'll hear about most issues and how to avoid or repair them.

 

[Slade]

Also what about the auto transmission?

Just a word on the AE "electric shift" model. You can use your typical foot shift or the left handlebar "paddle" shifters. The bike takes care of the clutch work. Not an automatic by any stretch. You can stop in 5th gear or bounce off the rev limiter in 1st. It won't shift till you tell it to.

Having been stuck in construction traffic the last couple of weeks I can tell you it's a great feature. Takes some practice to get your timing down but when you do it's butter smooth.

I have an 08 AE and love it. :yahoo:

These forums have been great. Recommend reading as much as possible.

 

[anarchoxen]

Sounds like my Guzzi. She stranded me one too many times. Has to go now!

 

[Meltdown]

For the vast majority of users, the bike is as reliable as an anvil. I wouldn't hesitate to take mine anywhere. The only 'problem' I've had with mine is having enough time to ride it.

 

[majicmaker]

For the vast majority of users, the bike is as reliable as an anvil. I wouldn't hesitate to take mine anywhere. The only 'problem' I've had with mine is having enough time to ride it.

+1

I agree!! You will think you died and went to heaven!! :clapping:

 

[sixpack42]

New to the FJR and love it. I traded for an 08 AE and took me about 10 miles to get use to the auto clutch.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

+1 on the comments so far. Also, the first couple or three years of the Gen II bikes had a bit of a twitchy throttle, also well documented here on the forum. The G2 replacement throttle cam and/or throttle spring unwind seems to fix that for most. I believe Yamaha changed the throttle cam on the '09 and up (?) models and that eliminated the problem.

The standard model is a fantastic all-around bike, reliable as they come, and capable of many years and many miles of comfortable fun. The number of LD riders on the forum are as clear an endorsement as you'll get for the durability, comfort and reliability of the FJR. There are several on the forum with more than 100K miles on them and they are still going strong.

I've got an '06 AE and it's been a fantastic bike. The first ones off the line (of which mine is one) had a problem with a weak mounting lug on the shift actuator that should be fixed by a Yamaha tech bulletin. Mine let go (the dealer didn't do the mod before delivery) and Yamaha replaced it no questions asked even though the bike was out of warranty. The issue was was fixed on subsequent bikes (over serial # 300-ish) and as far as I know hasn't been an issue since. The AEs can be had for a steal, since folks seem biased against the lack of a clutch lever... that's an advantage if you're interested in one.

Hope this helps

Griff

 

[krotchrocketgrampa]

before you go out and buy an fjr , check this forum for how hard fjr1300 are on front tires, got a new 09 and at 9,2k am on my 3rd set of tires,its a good bike,but eats front tires,if I had researched it more before I bought one, I never would have,thats not sour grapes,but if you can live with it eating tires ,buy one but do some research first,this site is full of stories about trying to find a front tire that will last more than 3,5 to 4.0 k, there will be a lot of people who will say this is not true but just reads the posts about tire wear.

I will catch a lot of **** about this post and will get dog piled real hard,but facts are facts just read and make up your own mind

 

[majicmaker]

before you go out and buy an fjr , check this forum for how hard fjr1300 are on front tires, got a new 09 and at 9,2k am on my 3rd set of tires,its a good bike,but eats front tires,if I had researched it more before I bought one, I never would have,thats not sour grapes,but if you can live with it eating tires ,buy one but do some research first,this site is full of stories about trying to find a front tire that will last more than 3,5 to 4.0 k, there will be a lot of people who will say this is not true but just reads the posts about tire wear.
I will catch a lot of **** about this post and will get dog piled real hard,but facts are facts just read and make up your own mind

That many tires on so few miles? I'll bet none of them were Michelin PR2's. Buy a set and you'll be a happy camper. Just Sayin'

40k and I'm on my 4th Set which are brand new!! You will never want to buy anything else! Happy Trails.

 

[Roy Epperson]

I will catch a lot of **** about this post and will get dog piled real hard,but facts are facts just read and make up your own mind

So what tires are you running, have you set your suspension up correctly or are you running the factory setup? You state no facts just a rant.

The worst mileage I got was 7Kmiles on the OEM tires. Since then I gotten in excess of 13Kmiles on several sets of PR2s.

Just saying..... better mileage than on previous cruisers

 

[RadioHowie]

I will catch a lot of **** about this post and will get dog piled real hard,but facts are facts just read and make up your own mind

12,000 miles on my last Avon Storm front. Hope my new PR2 lasts as long and performs as well. The Storm didn't get squirrelly until the last 1000 miles. I NEVER thought I'd see that kind of mileage out of a motorcycle tire.

 

[HotRodZilla]

before you go out and buy an fjr , check this forum for how hard fjr1300 are on front tires, got a new 09 and at 9,2k am on my 3rd set of tires,its a good bike,but eats front tires,if I had researched it more before I bought one, I never would have,thats not sour grapes,but if you can live with it eating tires ,buy one but do some research first,this site is full of stories about trying to find a front tire that will last more than 3,5 to 4.0 k, there will be a lot of people who will say this is not true but just reads the posts about tire wear.
I will catch a lot of **** about this post and will get dog piled real hard,but facts are facts just read and make up your own mind

Why don't you just trade the OP for his Buell. Then he will have a reliable bike and you won't have to buy so many front tires.

FWIW, YOU are doing something wrong if you are eating tires that fast. My shortest run on the OEMs was 5.6k and I got nearly 7k out of my Roadsmarts. If you are using sportbike tires, bad suspension, or tires that are under inflated, you're gonna burn through them like crazy. Seems like you enjoy griping, but haven't looked for a logical solution.

For the OP...Any year of this bike you buy will take you reliably for miles. I'm not sure what you mean my "back roads" in your oiginal post, but be cautious of this bike on dirt. She's heavy and some of that weight it carried a little high. It will not tackle fire roads like a Ulysseys.

Like you said, each year has its quirks, but I have never had any of the issues brought up here. My throttle is fine, no spider issues, no ignition issues, no ECU issues; however, I had my recalls done when they came out, so maybe I just beat the problems to the punch. Like any machine, things can go wrong, but there are lots of bikes here with lots of miles and they run just fine.

Good luck.

 

[CRMH Eagle]

I consider myself an average mechanic at best. I can change the oil, clean out the k&n air filter, sync the throttle bodies, change plugs, lube the drive shaft, change the final gear oil, take the wheels off, and can easily take off all the outer shell fairings and plastic. Next week I'm learning how to replace tires myself without having to pay the bike shop.

If you can perform basic mechanical work then you can work on the fjr.

One HUGE plus for the bike is the resources on this forum which was a big deciding factor for my purchase. People here are friendly to assist and guide. Everyone who I have emailed regarding their opinion on something or assisting me in a mechanical duty have been very helpful.

And most important, the FJR is a BLAST to ride!! It puts a smile on my face every time I take her for a spin. You can ride leisurely down the road or hit the curves and have a little fun. Someone else said it best that though the FJR isn't really good at one thing, it's VERY good at a lot of things. I have found the bike to be very reliable.

 

[maddad]

Actually an enjoyable bike to work on. Great quality, just hate dealing with the plastic awful easy to break a tab, so requires special care I expect like any plastic on a bike.

Have had 4 different sets of ties. All real different outcomes. Had to put on some Pilot Powers in Miami, lasted about 3,000 KM, but stuck like glue. Pilot Road 2's almost perfect for the bike. Even with the hard center, she'll wheelie on a wet road and can't seem to make the back end slide no matter how hard I try.

 

[Greb]

The grounding spider issue for Gen II bikes has been the only reason I've lost confidence in my FJR. It hasn't happened to me but for others it has stranded them with little to no warning. There are good fixes that forum members have been coming up with.

It is an amazing bike and I wouldn't hesitate buying another one. It doesn't eat tires, but there was an issue with this bike running Bridgestone 021 as OEM tire since that particular tire did wear prematuraly. I currently have 9K on my front pilot Road 2.

 

[pso]

CR-That is the stuff that I do mechanicaly thanks. I also use PR 2's on the Uly and like them alot. I was not thinkig about soft dirt, prhaps at most gravel but mostly back roads not super hiways. Thanks for the input folks. Seems like just the spider ground is the only problem. I also have not read anything about the heat issues since its first or second year, so I suppose that has been solved? So any year with an AE us good but the last few years 08 onwards are the best for updates and tweeks?