DesignFlaw06
Well-known member
Alright, I'm re-introducing myself here.
I registered on here a while back to simply do my homework and figure out what type of bike is right for me. At that point, I had pretty much decided that the FJR was it, but I also wanted to see what was possible on it, such as farkles, general information, recalls, years to buy, prices, etc.
My first go around:
https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=117288
But at the time I had my 2002 Honda Nighthawk 750. It was my 2nd bike and loved riding it, but I was starting to outgrow it. However, with the wedding coming up at the end of May and then being laid off a week later, money was tighter than before so I was pretty much stuck with the Nighthawk for the time being. And with my new found time off, my buddy and I decided to take a long weekend trip out to Rhode Island to visit some friends. He works for a company that allows him to take company vehicles for personal use and they pay for gas. So since that wasn't an issue, we decided to haul our bikes to ride along the east coast with them. So with his company car, and my dad's enclosed trailer, away we went. I took my wife along too, since she was able to get a long weekend too from work. We took the most direct route possible from Muskegon, MI through Canada out to Woonsocket, RI. Left at 11 PM (when my wife got out of work) and drove all night. Border patrol stopped us both times and asked us to open the trailer. When we arrived at our hotel, I opened the door to the trailer to find Nick's 1100 Katana resting on the side of my bike. DOH! One of his straps came loose, and his front brake lever fell into my fuel tank. Put a nice dent in it and scratched everything else on the way down. His brake lever broke off, making his bike unrideable. Mine was still rideable, just a little less fuel capacity. And I know, shame on us for not checking the straps more often. No excuse for it.
Took some pictures just in case insurance needed something.
Looking up prices, a new gas tank was $850! Nighthawk is no longer made, so parts are harder to find and prices go up. So then it became a mess with the insurance companies. Where does it fall? Company vehicle hauling someone else's trailer where the contents inside is another person's motorcycle that hit mine. Nick and I decided that we would split the deductible, whatever it was, since we were both there for the tie down, neither of us checked it, and there was no sense in trying to point fingers or blame. Easiest way to solve the problem without jeopardizing the friendship. Ultimately, it was my insurance company that covered it as a comprehensive claim. $100 deductible.
Now by this point, I was joking around about getting an FJR when they total my bike. It never crossed my mind that there was enough damage to total the bike out. When I went to drop it off at the dealer, I joked with him about totaling it out so I could get my new bike. And figured while I was there, I went to go look for an FJR that I knew they had on the floor earlier. I talked with a salesman for about 20 minutes and went to go leave. At that point, the service guy grabbed me and said "Be careful what you wish for." They had been on my bike for that 20 minutes and were up to almost $3000 in parts! I paid $3000 for it 4 years ago, there's no way they won't total it. Crap.
This happened at the end of August. I had already found a new job by then, but told them this was a pre-arranged trip that they had to give me the time off from. So money wasn't a huge concern anymore. But my wife and I had decided that she needed a new car before I got to have a new bike. Of course that was when I had a bike already. Now I'm bike-less. The insurance company gave me $2865 for my bike and then let me buy it back for $800. It still runs fine, but cosmetically poor. I sold it to my brother for the salvage price of $800. I'm too proud to ride a damaged bike, and he doesn't have the money to buy a decent motorcycle. So his plan is to work on the tank this winter since he has time for that stuff. It's really the deal of the century for him.
I scoured Craigslist, CycleTrader, eBay, and couldn't find anything. Basically it would really need to be a steal to convince my wife to get a bike before her car. So as my hopes dashed for the FJR and riding season winding down, I looked more and more for her car. I figured if I got her car, then we could get my bike come spring, even though prices would be a little higher. Ended up finding a Chevy Equinox that met our criteria and bought that. Sweet, the car's out of the way, so I can focus on the bike. But still, I had to keep it in reason since we have our honeymoon to Hawaii coming up. Stumbled across an 08 FJR that was maybe 2 hours away with less than 10k miles listed for $9500. But when I called on it, the guy waffled back and forth and then was concerned about dealing with the lean on it through Yamaha. He came up with one excuse after another, but I kept after him. Eventually he would sell it to me but for $1500 higher than the original post. Screw that! Then I found an 06 in Atlanta, GA and that had most of the accessories I wanted for $8k. I was all set to fly down and buy it, but the deal eventually fell through when he wouldn't take a deposit. Talked to him on a Thursday and offered him a $100 deposit if he would hold it til Saturday. I could get a flight from Detroit for $120, fly down and ride it back. I'd have the balance with me, cash. But he wasn't willing to do that, and I wasn't willing to risk going through all that trouble.
By now, I've pretty much given up assuming that I'll just have to wait. But browsing CycleTrader, looking at the same bikes I've been looking at for almost a month now, another 06 pops up. Listed for $7400 out in Buffalo, NY. Expecting something to be wrong with it, I called anyway. Turns out it was a Honda dealer selling it. I asked him what was wrong with it, and he assured me it was flawless. It only had 7600 miles on it. I asked him if he could send me some pictures, which he did. They weren't the greatest pictures and in some lower light. But enough to tell there weren't any major scractes or dents. I called him back, and asked what what they'd take for it out the door if I bought it today. He said $7000 and I said make it $6800 and you have yourself a deal. (I like to beat up on price.) He started with this sob story about how they're closing the dealarship and they're just trying to liquidate the inventory. And I said for $6800, you can have one less bike on your floor. This was on a Wednesday, so I said I can give you $100 deposit and have a certified check there on Saturday. Of course, he puts me on hold to talk to the sales manager or whatever. Comes back, says the bike is mine. Sweet!
So that Saturday, my 12 year old cousin (he'd never been to Canada or Niagara Falls before) and I got up at 5 AM and headed to Buffalo in my Dakota. When we got there, I asked to take it for a ride first. Everything worked great and the bike was in excellent shape as he promised. There was some charity event going on and while I was buying the bike. While I was gearing up for the quick ride, I had 3 other FJR riders come up and say Hi. It was pretty cool. Then there was a 4th guy who game up to me and asked if I was the guy from Michigan. I replied yes, and he says "You stole my bike!" Apparently, he had looked at it on Tuesday and went home to talk it over with his wife. He was all set to but it, but the salesman he dealt with wasn't there on Wednesdays, which is when I called. I put the deposit down, and the bike is mine. I just swooped in at the right time I guess. But he already had a Goldwing and he walked out with an ST1300 while I was there. If I had an ounce empathy, I might care. But I don't.
Got home late Saturday night and unloaded this the next morning:
Went for a quick ride because I couldn't wait, and then got the plate and such on Monday. Turns out my buddy Nick also bought a new bike that same day. He bought an 08 Sprint ST, not knowing I was buying this one. All I can say is that I'm enjoying it. I've had it for 2 weeks now, and I'm almost at 1000 miles. I just wish fall wasn't so close. There only annoyance that I have is that the speedometer scale just doesn't seem practical. I mean 50 MPH is where you'd normally expect 0 MPH. Nothing that bad, but I used to design instrumentation for motorcycles, ATVs, and such and I have an eye for it. But I'll get over it, if I haven't already. There are some other things I want to do, and I knew that going into it.
- The trunk and the passenger backrest are a must. I told my wife that I would get a backrest for her, so I figure I'd also like the trunk space.
- Comm System - Ultimately I want GPS, MP3, and an intercom on the bike. Then I'd like a CB Radio for bike to bike. Originally I wanted to do a wireless system, but that may be less practical and certainly more expensive now. J&M's CB looks nice, but I haven't found decent pictures of the install yet and they're pretty pricey. I'm leaning towards StarCom1 Digital and wiring the Midland CB Radio up. But the only pictures I've seen there have the radio mounted on the handlebars. To be honest, I don't like the way that looks. I would rather put the Midland in the storage compartment on the left hand side (why can't there be one on the right too?). I'd basically set the channel before a ride if I needed to change it wouldn't need to worry about it. But I haven't seen anyone do anything of that nature either.
- Cruise Control is something I desperately want. It'll help with the comfort factor and it's something that would improve the overall experience. But I want something that will disengage when the brake is pressed. I'm not a fan of any of the throttle lock systems. Audiovox CC is probably what I'll go with. I'm not sure the difference between that and MC Cruise is, but MC Cruise seems to be much more expensive.
- Windshield isn't big enough for me. I'm 6'4 and I need a taller windshield. Easy enough to swap out, just need to do more homework on which kind to buy.
- Handlebar risers are being considered. I'm curious about how much of a difference it really makes. Just an inch sure doesn't sound like much, but it may be all the difference in the world. The more upright I can be, the better. Anything else that can give me that upright position would be considered actually.
- Grip warmers would be useful, especially now. I didn't think I'd want them, but I've got a 40 minute commute now. Gets cool in the morning.
The cruise control and hopefully a start on the comm system are what I plan on doing this winter. I doubt I'll have a GPS unit right away since the motorcycle ones are pricey. But I can slowly add that on if I desire. And I think cruise control will be a big help with the comfort factor. If everything goes right, my dad's garage will be heated and that's where I'll store it and work on it.
Sorry for the long post, I'm just excited and wanted to share my story. If anyone has any suggestions for additonal farkles or different brands to help my experience, I'm open to them. I've already found a ton of information on this site by lurking all summer. Hopefully, I can start getting some more specific information.
Thanks for looking,
Tim
I registered on here a while back to simply do my homework and figure out what type of bike is right for me. At that point, I had pretty much decided that the FJR was it, but I also wanted to see what was possible on it, such as farkles, general information, recalls, years to buy, prices, etc.
My first go around:
https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=117288
But at the time I had my 2002 Honda Nighthawk 750. It was my 2nd bike and loved riding it, but I was starting to outgrow it. However, with the wedding coming up at the end of May and then being laid off a week later, money was tighter than before so I was pretty much stuck with the Nighthawk for the time being. And with my new found time off, my buddy and I decided to take a long weekend trip out to Rhode Island to visit some friends. He works for a company that allows him to take company vehicles for personal use and they pay for gas. So since that wasn't an issue, we decided to haul our bikes to ride along the east coast with them. So with his company car, and my dad's enclosed trailer, away we went. I took my wife along too, since she was able to get a long weekend too from work. We took the most direct route possible from Muskegon, MI through Canada out to Woonsocket, RI. Left at 11 PM (when my wife got out of work) and drove all night. Border patrol stopped us both times and asked us to open the trailer. When we arrived at our hotel, I opened the door to the trailer to find Nick's 1100 Katana resting on the side of my bike. DOH! One of his straps came loose, and his front brake lever fell into my fuel tank. Put a nice dent in it and scratched everything else on the way down. His brake lever broke off, making his bike unrideable. Mine was still rideable, just a little less fuel capacity. And I know, shame on us for not checking the straps more often. No excuse for it.
Took some pictures just in case insurance needed something.
Looking up prices, a new gas tank was $850! Nighthawk is no longer made, so parts are harder to find and prices go up. So then it became a mess with the insurance companies. Where does it fall? Company vehicle hauling someone else's trailer where the contents inside is another person's motorcycle that hit mine. Nick and I decided that we would split the deductible, whatever it was, since we were both there for the tie down, neither of us checked it, and there was no sense in trying to point fingers or blame. Easiest way to solve the problem without jeopardizing the friendship. Ultimately, it was my insurance company that covered it as a comprehensive claim. $100 deductible.
Now by this point, I was joking around about getting an FJR when they total my bike. It never crossed my mind that there was enough damage to total the bike out. When I went to drop it off at the dealer, I joked with him about totaling it out so I could get my new bike. And figured while I was there, I went to go look for an FJR that I knew they had on the floor earlier. I talked with a salesman for about 20 minutes and went to go leave. At that point, the service guy grabbed me and said "Be careful what you wish for." They had been on my bike for that 20 minutes and were up to almost $3000 in parts! I paid $3000 for it 4 years ago, there's no way they won't total it. Crap.
This happened at the end of August. I had already found a new job by then, but told them this was a pre-arranged trip that they had to give me the time off from. So money wasn't a huge concern anymore. But my wife and I had decided that she needed a new car before I got to have a new bike. Of course that was when I had a bike already. Now I'm bike-less. The insurance company gave me $2865 for my bike and then let me buy it back for $800. It still runs fine, but cosmetically poor. I sold it to my brother for the salvage price of $800. I'm too proud to ride a damaged bike, and he doesn't have the money to buy a decent motorcycle. So his plan is to work on the tank this winter since he has time for that stuff. It's really the deal of the century for him.
I scoured Craigslist, CycleTrader, eBay, and couldn't find anything. Basically it would really need to be a steal to convince my wife to get a bike before her car. So as my hopes dashed for the FJR and riding season winding down, I looked more and more for her car. I figured if I got her car, then we could get my bike come spring, even though prices would be a little higher. Ended up finding a Chevy Equinox that met our criteria and bought that. Sweet, the car's out of the way, so I can focus on the bike. But still, I had to keep it in reason since we have our honeymoon to Hawaii coming up. Stumbled across an 08 FJR that was maybe 2 hours away with less than 10k miles listed for $9500. But when I called on it, the guy waffled back and forth and then was concerned about dealing with the lean on it through Yamaha. He came up with one excuse after another, but I kept after him. Eventually he would sell it to me but for $1500 higher than the original post. Screw that! Then I found an 06 in Atlanta, GA and that had most of the accessories I wanted for $8k. I was all set to fly down and buy it, but the deal eventually fell through when he wouldn't take a deposit. Talked to him on a Thursday and offered him a $100 deposit if he would hold it til Saturday. I could get a flight from Detroit for $120, fly down and ride it back. I'd have the balance with me, cash. But he wasn't willing to do that, and I wasn't willing to risk going through all that trouble.
By now, I've pretty much given up assuming that I'll just have to wait. But browsing CycleTrader, looking at the same bikes I've been looking at for almost a month now, another 06 pops up. Listed for $7400 out in Buffalo, NY. Expecting something to be wrong with it, I called anyway. Turns out it was a Honda dealer selling it. I asked him what was wrong with it, and he assured me it was flawless. It only had 7600 miles on it. I asked him if he could send me some pictures, which he did. They weren't the greatest pictures and in some lower light. But enough to tell there weren't any major scractes or dents. I called him back, and asked what what they'd take for it out the door if I bought it today. He said $7000 and I said make it $6800 and you have yourself a deal. (I like to beat up on price.) He started with this sob story about how they're closing the dealarship and they're just trying to liquidate the inventory. And I said for $6800, you can have one less bike on your floor. This was on a Wednesday, so I said I can give you $100 deposit and have a certified check there on Saturday. Of course, he puts me on hold to talk to the sales manager or whatever. Comes back, says the bike is mine. Sweet!
So that Saturday, my 12 year old cousin (he'd never been to Canada or Niagara Falls before) and I got up at 5 AM and headed to Buffalo in my Dakota. When we got there, I asked to take it for a ride first. Everything worked great and the bike was in excellent shape as he promised. There was some charity event going on and while I was buying the bike. While I was gearing up for the quick ride, I had 3 other FJR riders come up and say Hi. It was pretty cool. Then there was a 4th guy who game up to me and asked if I was the guy from Michigan. I replied yes, and he says "You stole my bike!" Apparently, he had looked at it on Tuesday and went home to talk it over with his wife. He was all set to but it, but the salesman he dealt with wasn't there on Wednesdays, which is when I called. I put the deposit down, and the bike is mine. I just swooped in at the right time I guess. But he already had a Goldwing and he walked out with an ST1300 while I was there. If I had an ounce empathy, I might care. But I don't.
Got home late Saturday night and unloaded this the next morning:
Went for a quick ride because I couldn't wait, and then got the plate and such on Monday. Turns out my buddy Nick also bought a new bike that same day. He bought an 08 Sprint ST, not knowing I was buying this one. All I can say is that I'm enjoying it. I've had it for 2 weeks now, and I'm almost at 1000 miles. I just wish fall wasn't so close. There only annoyance that I have is that the speedometer scale just doesn't seem practical. I mean 50 MPH is where you'd normally expect 0 MPH. Nothing that bad, but I used to design instrumentation for motorcycles, ATVs, and such and I have an eye for it. But I'll get over it, if I haven't already. There are some other things I want to do, and I knew that going into it.
- The trunk and the passenger backrest are a must. I told my wife that I would get a backrest for her, so I figure I'd also like the trunk space.
- Comm System - Ultimately I want GPS, MP3, and an intercom on the bike. Then I'd like a CB Radio for bike to bike. Originally I wanted to do a wireless system, but that may be less practical and certainly more expensive now. J&M's CB looks nice, but I haven't found decent pictures of the install yet and they're pretty pricey. I'm leaning towards StarCom1 Digital and wiring the Midland CB Radio up. But the only pictures I've seen there have the radio mounted on the handlebars. To be honest, I don't like the way that looks. I would rather put the Midland in the storage compartment on the left hand side (why can't there be one on the right too?). I'd basically set the channel before a ride if I needed to change it wouldn't need to worry about it. But I haven't seen anyone do anything of that nature either.
- Cruise Control is something I desperately want. It'll help with the comfort factor and it's something that would improve the overall experience. But I want something that will disengage when the brake is pressed. I'm not a fan of any of the throttle lock systems. Audiovox CC is probably what I'll go with. I'm not sure the difference between that and MC Cruise is, but MC Cruise seems to be much more expensive.
- Windshield isn't big enough for me. I'm 6'4 and I need a taller windshield. Easy enough to swap out, just need to do more homework on which kind to buy.
- Handlebar risers are being considered. I'm curious about how much of a difference it really makes. Just an inch sure doesn't sound like much, but it may be all the difference in the world. The more upright I can be, the better. Anything else that can give me that upright position would be considered actually.
- Grip warmers would be useful, especially now. I didn't think I'd want them, but I've got a 40 minute commute now. Gets cool in the morning.
The cruise control and hopefully a start on the comm system are what I plan on doing this winter. I doubt I'll have a GPS unit right away since the motorcycle ones are pricey. But I can slowly add that on if I desire. And I think cruise control will be a big help with the comfort factor. If everything goes right, my dad's garage will be heated and that's where I'll store it and work on it.
Sorry for the long post, I'm just excited and wanted to share my story. If anyone has any suggestions for additonal farkles or different brands to help my experience, I'm open to them. I've already found a ton of information on this site by lurking all summer. Hopefully, I can start getting some more specific information.
Thanks for looking,
Tim
