Recommendations for FJR Alternative?

[RatoneMuerto]

I have a lady friend who has a Triumph Trophy 900. She likes the concept of a sport tourer bike, but she needs a bike that is lighter and has a shorter seat height than her Trophy and an FJR. She has trouble manuvering her Trophy at low speeds or when stopped, parking, backing, etc. For her, an FJR is too tall and heavy.
She wants a bike that has, or can have, a windshied tall enough to block most of the wind, luggage, low seat height, and light enough for her to feel comfortable at low speed. Basically, she wants an FJR that is smaller.

Any suggestions?

lots of choices but that depends on the budget.The new F series BMW is cool.The Triumph ST,Yamaha FZ1 or FZ6 just to name a few with the latter being esiest to lower of need be

 

[fjrokie]

My wife likes her SV 650. She had it lowered, added bags, gel seat and windshield. The SV has plenty of power and not very expensive.

 

[brazos parker]

I'm sure someone has already mentioned this, but, if not, then consider a Yamaha YZF600.

 

[Foxhuntr]

My wife loves her 2002 FZ1, which I lowered, added heated grips, GPS, Pazzo racing levers, Widder heated clothing, luggage rack and Tourmaster soft luggage. We've been on several 3-4000 mile trips and she loves it. She's 5'2" and 105 lbs. She wears boots with 1.5" soles.

 

[RebelRider]

You might consider the SV650..I had an FJR and it was a bit too top heavy for me. After I laid it down I knew I had to get rid of it. I got a gel seat for the sv which lowers it some as well. I have added a Givi windshield, heated grips, sliders, rear spools (for the rear stand I got for Xmas) and a tank bra. I plan to add a Givi 36 topcase in the near future. The bike has alot of low end grunt and will easily do 130 mph. Just something to consider.

 

[RebelRider]

You might consider the SV650..I had an FJR and it was a bit too top heavy for me. After I laid it down I knew I had to get rid of it. I got a gel seat for the sv which lowers it some as well. I have added a Givi windshield, heated grips, sliders, rear spools (for the rear stand I got for Xmas) and a tank bra. I plan to add a Givi 36 topcase in the near future. The bike has alot of low end grunt and will easily do 130 mph. Just something to consider.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

We lowered it with a Penske shock so my 5'4" wife is now flatfooted when on her FZ6 (picture is pre-lowering_

 

[Fencer]

Honda VFR isn't a bad option either, but it will cost a lot more than a FZ6.

+1, but will add DL650 :good:

I was going to add the DL

so

Gunny

I actually swapped bikes for a while with a buddy today. I rode his FZ6. I didn't really like it. but I think it was how he had it set up. Very loose throttle cable and a LONG throw clutch. I stalled the thing 3 times at a redlight GOING DOWN HILL. He had it like that on purpose.

 

[Ric in Sac]

+1 on the FZ6. However, you might wish to consider the Triumph Bonneville America.

 

[SR-71]

I had the same issue with my wife who is 5'4". Finding a seat height under 31" was tough! She fit a Ninja 250R and Ninja 500R perfectly, and was considering the 500. Luckily she got a chance to test drive a Ninja 500R at a dealership. After she got off the bike her first words were, "Is there something wrong with this bike? It doesn't have any power!" From that point, I knew finding something for her was really going to be tough! We needed something that handled well, was light, had upright seating, yet had a decent amount of power. She felt the small Ninja twin's were almost dangerously under-powered for real life highway use. She wanted to stay with something that had a sportbike look, but wanted an upright seating position. We were running out of options. Out of pure desperation we looked at Harley's and smaller Suzuki Boulevards. Seat height were low on these bikes but she felt they were too heavy and "flickable handling?" Well, forget it.

Finally we ran across a Kawi Z750S, which turned out to fit the bill nearly perfectly. We had the dealer add a lowering kit (2 inches), which brought the seat height down to about 29". The Z750S is a step above the 600cc class, and keeps up with my FJR very well. It's fairly quick (claimed 102hp), fairly smooth (inline 4), has decent handling, is fairly light; yet has upright seating, so she's fairly comfortable on it. We added a Corbin seat specifically made for the Z750S which helped lower the seat height a bit more. Too bad the Z750S doesn't have a slightly larger windscreen, but after-market screens are a possibility. Other than that, the Kawi Z750S fit the bill nicely.

 

[gski02]

I had the same issue with my wife who is 5'4". Finding a seat height under 31" was tough! She fit a Ninja 250R and Ninja 500R perfectly, and was considering the 500. Luckily she got a chance to test drive a Ninja 500R at a dealership. After she got off the bike her first words were, "Is there something wrong with this bike? It doesn't have any power!" From that point, I knew finding something for her was really going to be tough! We needed something that handled well, was light, had upright seating, yet had a decent amount of power. She felt the small Ninja twin's were almost dangerously under-powered for real life highway use. She wanted to stay with something that had a sportbike look, but wanted an upright seating position. We were running out of options. Out of pure desperation we looked at Harley's and smaller Suzuki Boulevards. Seat height were low on these bikes but she felt they were too heavy and "flickable handling?" Well, forget it.
Finally we ran across a Kawi Z750S, which turned out to fit the bill nearly perfectly. We had the dealer add a lowering kit (2 inches), which brought the seat height down to about 29". The Z750S is a step above the 600cc class, and keeps up with my FJR very well. It's fairly quick (claimed 102hp), fairly smooth (inline 4), has decent handling, is fairly light; yet has upright seating, so she's fairly comfortable on it. We added a Corbin seat specifically made for the Z750S which helped lower the seat height a bit more. Too bad the Z750S doesn't have a slightly larger windscreen, but after-market screens are a possibility. Other than that, the Kawi Z750S fit the bill nicely.

New for 08..the restyled Suzuki Katana 650. Full fairring, decent riding position, based on the old 750. If my wife ever makes up her mind, that's most likely what I'll get her!

 

[Clark Kent]

I have a lady friend who has a Triumph Trophy 900. She likes the concept of a sport tourer bike, but she needs a bike that is lighter and has a shorter seat height than her Trophy and an FJR. She has trouble manuvering her Trophy at low speeds or when stopped, parking, backing, etc. For her, an FJR is too tall and heavy.
She wants a bike that has, or can have, a windshied tall enough to block most of the wind, luggage, low seat height, and light enough for her to feel comfortable at low speed. Basically, she wants an FJR that is smaller.

Any suggestions?

NOW DON'T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY! :hypocritesmiley:

But, after all these fine suggestions, you still can't find a good fitting bike, give some cosideration to getting a different size lady friend.

Believe me, it's just as fun getting a new lady friend as getting a new bike. :yahoo:

But, if your married, it will cost you a whole lot more than a new bike! :angry2:

(This does not apply to OrangevaleFJR--His wife is a REAL KEEPER!! What a lovely photo.) He should be happy to have her, let alone one who will ride with him. (she should have any bike she wants!) OrangevaleFJR, you are one lucky guy! :yahoo:

CK

 

[kuklaki]

I'm jumping into this party a lil late, but hey, I just joined so wasnt here when it started

With that said, I've been quite happy with the SV. She does quite well in sport touring mode-I've got some soft Nelson Rigg saddle bags, cargo net, touring tail bag, expandable tank bag and of course my backpack. With all of that added on, I'm good to go for any trip.

For comfort, I bought a Sargent seat from E-bay. I tell ya, my hands wear out before my butt does.

Here she is when we went out to our farmhouse in AL. She isnt wearing all of her touring gear, just enough for the weekend.

If you wife likes hard bags, there are plenty of choices for those as well-Givi makes a nice set iirc.

 

[user 6393]

I have a feeling that there is a significant unrealized market for a smaller sport-touring bike. A lot of women and some men would buy it. Maybe one day one of the bike manufacturers will produce one that has:
900-1000 cc

Seat height 29-30"

tall windshield

hard luggage

wet weight: <450 lbs.

upright riding position

ABS (of course)

A bike like this would make a good commuter bike, as well as a sport-touring machine.

Wet weight could be higher and I'd still be fine with it, as long as it is under say 550 wet, but I'd like to add a shaft drive instead of chain to the list of wants for that bike.

I agree that it is a hugely unrealized market.

 

[Jackson]

The great ideas keep coming! Thanks!

She still has not made up her mind. Recently she's lusting over the Moto Guzzi Breva 750. It only weighs 401 pounds (dry), but the seat height is 31", so it would have to be lowered, by using a different seat or other means. She has not ridden one yet, so there's still a lot of unaswered questions.

 

[user 6393]

The great ideas keep coming! Thanks!
She still has not made up her mind. Recently she's lusting over the Moto Guzzi Breva 750. It only weighs 401 pounds (dry), but the seat height is 31", so it would have to be lowered, by using a different seat or other means. She has not ridden one yet, so there's still a lot of unaswered questions.

If you plan to tour with it, you might have issues with repairs while you away from your home dealer. Not too many Moto Guzzi dealers strewn across the continent yet. Just something to consider...

Also, naked's aren't the most comfortable for the long haul. You'd liekly be doing a bunch of farkles for the long road.

It is a hot looking machine tho...

 

[SockMonkey]

My wife bought a Kawasaki Ninja 500R for herself last week (she found a new '06 in the kawasaki green), and loves it. She's been out riding the twisties in the Oregon foothills practically every day since.

Getting back on the subject, a lot of women are buying the BMW F800ST (according to the local BMW dealer). While it's a bit spendy for an 800cc middle-weight Sport-Tourer, it sure is a nice bike once you get it loaded up with all the options.

 

[IRBR]

You didn't mention her inseam which is the critical measurement for getting a person's legs on the ground.

I can specifically recommend the Suzuki SV650S:

https://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/SV650...cs/Default.aspx

It doesn't offer luggage but it is a very easy bike to ride. The seat height is 31.5 inches AND a trim shop can easily sculpt it lower and trim the sides of the seat to narrow it which is an excellent way to get a person's feet on the ground.

If the lady wants something with more power, she might consider a Suzuki GSXR in any engine size. The seat is one of the most modifiable of any motorcycle and specifically lends itself to the modifications I mentioned above for the SV650S seat.

My wife is 4'10" tall. She rides a 2006 GSX-R1000. We had the suspension professionally modified to lower the bike for her. But the big improvement was the seat modifications which cost about $150 at a trim shop.

IRBR

 

[krashdragon]

You didn't mention her inseam which is the critical measurement for getting a person's legs on the ground.
I can specifically recommend the Suzuki SV650S:

https://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/SV650...cs/Default.aspx

It doesn't offer luggage but it is a very easy bike to ride. The seat height is 31.5 inches AND a trim shop can easily sculpt it lower and trim the sides of the seat to narrow it which is an excellent way to get a person's feet on the ground.

If the lady wants something with more power, she might consider a Suzuki GSXR in any engine size. The seat is one of the most modifiable of any motorcycle and specifically lends itself to the modifications I mentioned above for the SV650S seat.

My wife is 4'10" tall. She rides a 2006 GSX-R1000. We had the suspension professionally modified to lower the bike for her. But the big improvement was the seat modifications which cost about $150 at a trim shop.

IRBR

OK, also getting into theis discussion a little late...

Sold the FJR, too many bikes, and as we get older..... the FJR is a BIG bike... way easy to ride, tho.

I had mine lowered...7/8 in shorted Wilbers shocks and fork springs, Kabota link, shaved the seat ( so much I had to take off the center stand...

but it was also getting to be just a handful stopping at gas stations, riding over gravel roads and stuff like that.

29" inseam really isnt' quite enuf to really feel comfortable... of course I could take up weightlifting and build up again, but I'd rather ride!

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it always seems either to be raining or cold, windy and raining when I'm on long trips.. or so friggin hot the asphalt is melting!

I have a 2002 Suzuki Bandit, 1200... it's 4 cyl, carbed if anyone told a previous poster it's a 2 cyl, they're wrong. About 98 hp. 2002, the new ones a EFI.

It's been lowered a bit, links , shorter front springs and seat shaved, but it's not really a touring bike. Might have to do for the time being.

One of my friends got a used BMW 650 something or other, She said after riding her Harley cruiser the BMW is much easier and lighter. But she doesn't do much over 300 miles a day due to various physical problems.

I'd like to try the Triumph ST for a touring bike, lowered a bit and different seat... It's almost a liter bike <BG>125 HP

I also have a Triumph SpeedMaster, same as the 07 America engine wise, but the SM has forward controls, different seat and bars..my next project is mid controls.... You do have to take off the AIS and rejet, but it's a nice bike... Not to be mistaken for a sport tourer, but will cruise all day at 85...

It just wont' do the triple digit thing like the FJR! <G> About 65 HP compared to 145HP... But no windshied, just a full face, cruising about 75-85 (East coast, too many cops and Sunday drivers) tucked my boot heels on the passenger pegs and was pretty comfy. Only about 350 miles each way tho, short ride.

The thing that really suprised me, NO buffeting form the trucks! I got a nice windshield for my next trip, did have buffeting, but was riding around Buffalo,and it was windy that day. Got blown around a few times, but so were the trucks.

One thing tho, altho touring bikes are generally heavy ( the FJR is the same weight as my Harley), I dont' see why a mid sized touring bike wouldnt' sell..

After all, the sport bikes aw WAY lighter, you do get blown around on them as well, you just learn to adapt.

For what it's worth, JMHO....

Mary

 

[Silver Penguin]

One thing tho, altho touring bikes are generally heavy ( the FJR is the same weight as my Harley), I dont' see why a mid sized touring bike wouldnt' sell..After all, the sport bikes aw WAY lighter, you do get blown around on them as well, you just learn to adapt.

For what it's worth, JMHO....

Mary

You make some good points Mary. My inseam is about 27" (on a good day) and learning to adapt is about my best option. My FJR is lowered by 3/4", which helps but using the center stand now needs two people and a block of wood. Had to have the side stand modified too, AND the bike will ground on the bigger speed bumps.

The GSXR is a nice bike, and very light, but the seating position isn't the most comfortable for a long ride. I have a Kawasaki Ninja 650R which is light (398lbs dry) and has a similar seat height to the FJR. Mine is not lowered and I do OK with it. It takes a leap of confidence to ride anything with only a pointed toe on the ground, but the lighter bikes are easier.

The Ninja copes with all legal speeds with ease, and a bit more to boot. The wind buffetting gets bad past about 80-85mph. Gas range is about 150 miles on a tank, if you're brave enough to run it well into the reserve without a gas gauge. The stock seat is .....well, stock!

It's definitely a consideration for an FJR alternative, for smaller riders. When I ride mine, I entertain thoughts about not keeping my FJR but then I think the other way around when I ride the bigger bike.

Jill