PDP removal creates influx of new riders?

[jim oneill]

Agreed, the pdp removal has certainly added a bunch of new riders. I bought my new 05 when my dealer preordered several for his employees and I was lucky enough to get one in 2 weeks.

I just bought an 08 with only 1 week wait. The dealer thus far this year has already sold 7 new FJRs and he told me he can basically get as many as he wants so I,m assuming we,ll be seeing a lot of black ones on the roads this year

 

[exskibum]

Well, at least in the days of the PDP, I could keep up with things on this board by only visiting it once a day or so. It's almost become a full time job, and I recognize maybe one out of two posters. Hell, TWN used to single handedly account for half the board's posts, but now even his ubiquitous influence has been sorely diluted.

 

[Duff]

Well, at least in the days of the PDP, I could keep up with things on this board by only visiting it once a day or so. It's almost become a full time job, and I recognize maybe one out of two posters. Hell, TWN used to single handedly account for half the board's posts, but now even his ubiquitous influence has been sorely diluted.

Ahhh, but the torch shall be passed and new "mega posters" and "fjr experts" will come along and relieve the burden of answering so many questions from the likes of TWN, Warchild, Iggy, Gun, etc, etc.

Perhaps we will all find more time to ride as the silver linning in this dark cloud of 08 noobs! :clapping:

 

[saread]

Man, I feel bad. I'm a lesser FJR rider for not having waited, and contempated, my FJR ownership while waiting for delivery. BULL-oney.

Nobody walking into a dealer is plunking down 14 G's or so because they like the color of the bike, regardless of wait time. There's way too many other bikes on the show room floor with more glitz and a lesser price tag for that type of buyer. And frankly, most folks that can walk in and plunk down the change ain't looking at FJRs, wait or no wait. The vast majority of people buying these things have got a clue about what it is they're buying and what it is they want from it. I got my bike the day I wrote the check for it. Studied and researched for about a year - but I got the bike the same day I bought it. Somehow I don't feel like a lesser being for not having waited - or being a newbie. Gonna have to wipe the smile off of my face before that happens.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Well, at least in the days of the PDP, I could keep up with things on this board by only visiting it once a day or so. It's almost become a full time job, and I recognize maybe one out of two posters. Hell, TWN used to single handedly account for half the board's posts, but now even his ubiquitous influence has been sorely diluted.

I waited 6 months for my '06 and don't regret it. The tenor of this forum has changed a bit, I think. For the most part I miss the constant humor of the regulars like TWN. More people "got" my dry humor back then, or maybe I'm just not as funny as I used to be. There is more noise on the board (maybe even of my own making sometimes?) now, IMHO. But still a good bunch. I also agree I poured over every post and article (print and electronic) for months before I saw my bike. I ended up knowing more than my dealer and still less than Kaitsdad, Jestal and others, who were very helpful getting me going on my way when it did come. I try to remember those days when I feel irritated with noob's, and gently point them to the Bin-O-Facts or a thread long-gone. Spellcheck seems to be a lost art, remember dogpiling people for horrendous (not small) spelling errors or writing in caps? And more posts seemed to be about the FJR rather than humor; the ratio seems to have reversed lately. And I also agree I can't keep up with all the threads and posts like I used to.......

Change is usually good, and the admins keep a check on the worst offenders to the collective good. Also IMHO.

 

[exskibum]

Somehow I don't feel like a lesser being for not having waited - or being a newbie. Gonna have to wipe the smile off of my face before that happens.

Hey -- I'd happily have your gorgeous '08 in a second! I was actually one of the first non-waiters, though it was still during the PDP days. I'd been coveting this bike for a while, but had seen few. One Friday afternoon, in Carson City, I walked in to buy a rear tire for my '97 Blackbird. And there on the floor was a new '05 FJR with ABS. My GF at the time encouraged me to do what I knew I didn't NEED to do (I already had a bike), and I bought it the next morning out of 3 they had. All three (mine and the two in the back shed being assembled) were sold within an hour of me arriving that Saturday morning to make the deal.

Back then (April '05), some dealers were starting to get wise to an opportunity and were getting extra bikes on the PDP list by using employees' names to sign up for the PDP. The dealers would then sell the extra FJRs off the floor when they came in. I picked mine up a week after I bought it -- on my 53rd birthday. :yahoo:

 

[FJR1300A]

Well I wanted one the first year they came out but couldn't afford it until now... how's that for a wait!?

You PDP guys have nothing on me!

B)

 

[airboss]

Waited 6 months for my 06, spent all summer riding, and praticing to become a master(waiter) baiter, and then Yamaha up and kills the PDP......................that just sucks! <_< :lol:

 

[sqidget]

Wow,

I must have had my head in the sand. I never knew that pdp ever took that long. :blink: I figured 3-4 weeks max. My bike was ordered by some one who was 6'6". When it arrived he said it was too small and bought a BMW. So I waited about 4 days for mine. :yahoo:

 

[HaulinAshe]

I still believe that the FJR is predominantly a male-oriented machine. As such and without PDP, it fills the classic male need for instant gratification. We all know that for every FJR sold, at least ten people are told how magnificent she is. Of those ten, two will want to get some for themselves. It's only natural!



So bring it on '08 noobs. Drive that price point down so that I can afford a new baby in 2010!

 

[twowheelnut]

I still believe that the FJR is predominantly a male-oriented machine. As such and without PDP, it fills the classic male need for instant gratification.

:huh: Mechanical Viagra?

 

[HaulinAshe]

:huh: Mechanical Viagra?

Absolutely!!!

:lol: :laughingsmiley: :rofl:

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

I still believe that the FJR is predominantly a male-oriented machine. As such and without PDP, it fills the classic male need for instant gratification.

:huh: Mechanical Viagra?

I thought that involved a hand pump?

 

[Duff]

I still believe that the FJR is predominantly a male-oriented machine. As such and without PDP, it fills the classic male need for instant gratification.

:huh: Mechanical Viagra?

I thought that involved a hand pump?

I thought it was popsicle sticks and duct tape! :dribble:

 

[NoCage]

Waited 6 months for my 06, spent all summer riding, and praticing to become a master(waiter) baiter, and then Yamaha up and kills the PDP......................that just sucks! <_< :lol:

It must of been frustrating to spend all summer practicing as a master-baiter.

Besides the "de-tuned engine" stories, it was always funny when pics of any shipping disaster were posted as FJR's going into the ocean, and false stories of delays, etc. :assassin:

 

[madmike2]

Man, I feel bad. I'm a lesser FJR rider for not having waited, and contempated, my FJR ownership while waiting for delivery. BULL-oney.

And I think you've missed the tenor of the discussion. We are not lamenting the new owners, but we do celebrate those who wrote letters to get Yamaha to import this platform and then were willing to participate in the PDP to even OWN an FJR. These ladies and gentlemen, who bought and rode their FJRs are the reason for the popularity and THAT is the driving economic force that caused Yamaha USA to drop the PDP and sell it from every showroom.
So pardon us if we get a little wistful for the days when someone who actually bought an FJR had studied and read and searched for every scrap of information they could find about the bike before they ordered it and waited for delivery. The posts and the questions were much different then because even newbies had educated themselves about the bike. There weren't many questions asking, "How do I get this bike on the centerstand?", or complaints about different brands of farkles. There weren't many and those that were available came from Europe or were "home made" and offered to other owners. It was a different community and every owner "seemed" to be better informed.

Studied and researched for about a year - but I got the bike the same day I bought it. Somehow I don't feel like a lesser being for not having waited - or being a newbie.

You prove the point of the original post. YOU did study and knew about the bike before you purchased it. I'm supposing you won't find many surprises (except for the pure joy of riding the FJR) and if you do you are probably the type to look for an answer before posting a thread asking how to make the windshield go up and down.
I don't think anyone is saying YOU are lesser (in fact, the "collective" is better for new and informed participants), but there are so many new owners who haven't bothered to research the FJR before purchase, or even follow the instructions when they registered on the forum: Read the Bin-O'-Facts; Read the link on "How To Search"; Read the Forum Guidelines.

I think the point is, owning an FJR was more precious in those days. Not that they are common now, but I believe many new owners simply saw it and wanted it and haven't done the homework you obviously did. And it shows!

 

[fjrchik]

I stumbled upon a used 03 at DFW Honda in August of 04. My neighbor and riding buddy had a ST1300 and we had been discussing what to upgrade me to. I loved the looks of the FJR way more than any other ST out there. Only the Triumph ST gave me a reason to look at something else and that didn't happen more than twice. So I bought the 03. Then as I put the miles on, the bike became very noisy and I feared I had a ticker. I can't say for sure, but Yamaha wouldn't take care of it so I had a decision to make. I also hate silver, so I put my money down on an 06 the first day I could, in the end September 05. Then I sold my 03. I went 4 months without a bike! Talk about horrible!

Then he arrived. April 7th, 2006. The waiting was over and my life was about to change even more owning this bike, than it did owning the 03.

I do miss the old days of this forum. Odot, MikeH, Bearly Flying, Woodstock and I chasing each other all over the place posting like crazy. We'd have at least 4 threads going at a time. Was so much fun....

 

[Radical]

I'm making my wife wait 18 months for her first ride so don't tell her this is gone.

 

[CCook82]

Waited seven months on PDP for 05. Like the catsup commercial - anticipation, but also frustrating too. Put only 30,000 miles on it - loved everyone of them. Picked up very low mileage used 06 recently. Probably will sell 05 at some point, if I can get the damn snatch out of the 06 - G2, sync, and spring unwrap so far. Power Commander here we come.

Have to sue me for non support though for three years as regards the Forum. Am only now beginning to feel like I am in it rather than on the fringe. Some individuals are really the backbone.

Good group, but I have seen a transition in folks too. But see no reason subgroups can not coexist peacefully. CC

 

[NightShine]

My personal experience was a bit cheated. Even though I bought my 05 with 0 miles on the ODO, I actually bought it in the spring of 05 from a dealer who had "cheated" on the PDP by ordering a couple bikes under employees names.

My experience was similar to yours, Duff, in that the dealership was circumventing the whole PDP thing. In the spring of 05 I was in the market for a replacement bike, researched the internet and began lusting over the FJR. When I finally decided to go order one a few weeks later, the local dealer had one literally coming in the next afternoon. The salesman had ordered one as his own "personal" bike (uh huh), but had decided to sell it. But at least I got the chance to throw a leg over the bike before I put any money down...