Sell cheap or make modifications

[liljohn]

I've been trying, with no success, to sell my pristine 2003 FJR. Given its condition, I'm asking $5K, but I'd take $4. No bites. I don't like the bike because it doesn't fit me. I'm not unusually tall (6-foot-2) but my height is in my upper body. The sporty bars are so low my lower back can't take more than an hour in the saddle, despite 1-inch risers.

Here's the philosophical question: Would it make more sense to sell the bike for a pittance to a dealer (I figure I'd only get a couple of thousand) or invest a few hundred in lengthening the wires and hoses to permit me to raise the bars by a really significant amount? I'm picturing maybe three Heli risers on top of each other. The bar position is honestly the only thing I don't like about the bike. It has the Gen 2 CCT and all new fluids. She runs great.

For what it's worth, I paid about $5K for it last year and have had $500 worth of maintenance work done.

I live in the northern plains where sporty bikes aren't much in demand. Given the flat, straight highways, most people prefer big, slow cruisers where accelleration and handling don't matter.

Any opinions?

 

[Geezer]

You can spend a couple of hundred to raise the bars and try to make the bike fit you better if you really like it enough to get comfortable riding it. Otherwise, if you are willing to take a couple of grand from a dealer why not offer it here for a lot less than your 5k asking price?

 

[BIODSL]

liljohn...I'm not too keen on the concept of trying to raise the FJR bars more than what you have. Might work, might not. Hopefully some other members with experience can chime in here. Tells us about the bike you're willing to sell for 4 grand.

 

[wfooshee]

By the time you raise the bars that far you may have interference with the tank, since the risers move the bars back as well as up.

Patriot and some others have 2 sets of risers stacked.

If your lower back hurts, I would venture that you could improve your posture by keeping your back straighter, carrying more weight with your legs, and lean forward to the bars at your hips, not your back. Also, carry no weight on your hands and arms. Until I practiced that and learned to ride that way, I always had pain in the lumbar area, and between my shoulder blades.

Pivot at your hips, not your back.

 

[SkooterG]

IMHO, you are priced too high. You paid too much when you bought it. High-mile bikes are hard to sell. Ask Niehart - it took him about a year to sell an 06 with a bit more mileage. IIRC, he was asking around $5700. Don't know what he eventually sold it for.

Advertise $4300 and maybe you'll get some bites. Oh, and no offense, but from the photos I saw the bike is not 'pristine'. I don't think any bike with 45k miles will be 'pristine' or will 'look showroom new'.

 

[Patriot]

2 sets risers to produce straight up n down riding position

bars moved 3.5" back and 2.5" up

eezy peezy...all hoses and cables stock with no issues over many years using the mod on my '04

Wild Bill highway pegs, Sargent Seat with Airhawk Seat Air Pad, and a passenger seat Nelson Rigg Weekender bag I can lean back against make 1000 mi days a breeze

 

[liljohn]

I'm in Northern Indiana and the bike is in the classifieds section. If someone wants to make an offer, I'm certainly not wedded to the $5K price. I'll consider anything.

 

[Bounce]

Did you specify OBO or "willing to negotiate" in the different places you've listed it? Some people are from areas where prices are firm unless specified otherwise.

 

[garyahouse]

Guess I'm going to go against the grain here. I think you're making a mistake. Keep the bike, man. You've got a wonderful machine and your only problem is the location of the handlebars? Maybe you can stack em, as stated above w/no additional modifications. If not, any good machinist can whip you up a set of risers to put those handlebars exactly where you want em. That's where I got mine. Gen 1's are easy to make. Mine rotate in about 10 degrees as well as sit higher; they sit about 3 inches closer to me than they did stock. HUGE DIFFERENCE.

Granted, having the arteries lengthened isn't 20 bucks, but you'll be sacrificing a lot less than trying to sell a great machine for a loss. Plus you'll be able to really enjoy a really great bike. For what it's worth, once school starts, many bikers are thinking, "Summer's over." And in your neck of the woods, it means prices begin to go down, and there are fewer buyers.

l'd like to add that sitting up straight made a huge difference for me as well. Shoulders back, stick your tummy toward the tank, arch that lower back forward. It really works. Set the cruise, try to ride it more often with one hand on the bars and with one shoulder back. That makes the biggest difference of all for me. Once I got the hang of sitting up straighter, and with the aid of a taller windscreen, I can ride all day with no problems. I used to really hunch my back when I rode, which come to think of it, was not a good habit anyway.

Hope that helps

Gary

darksider #44

 

[GA CYCLE RIDER]

for price comparo...I just sold my good condition 05 abs model. 50,340 miles. never down. as nice as it could be for the miles. wilbers shock, sliders, heli bars, super brace, radiator guard, fender extender. Sold for 4600 last week.

 

[wfooshee]

Guess I'm going to go against the grain here. I think you're making a mistake. Keep the bike, man. You've got a wonderful machine and your only problem is the location of the handlebars? Maybe you can stack em, as stated above w/no additional modifications. If not, any good machinist can whip you up a set of risers to put those handlebars exactly where you want em. That's where I got mine. Gen 1's are easy to make. Mine rotate in about 10 degrees as well as sit higher; they sit about 3 inches closer to me than they did stock. HUGE DIFFERENCE.

Granted, having the arteries lengthened isn't 20 bucks, but you'll be sacrificing a lot less than trying to sell a great machine for a loss. Plus you'll be able to really enjoy a really great bike. For what it's worth, once school starts, many bikers are thinking, "Summer's over." And in your neck of the woods, it means prices begin to go down, and there are fewer buyers.

l'd like to add that sitting up straight made a huge difference for me as well. Shoulders back, stick your tummy toward the tank, arch that lower back forward. It really works. Set the cruise, try to ride it more often with one hand on the bars and with one shoulder back. That makes the biggest difference of all for me. Once I got the hang of sitting up straighter, and with the aid of a taller windscreen, I can ride all day with no problems. I used to really hunch my back when I rode, which come to think of it, was not a good habit anyway.

Hope that helps

Gary

darksider #44

Basically he's saying the same thing I did: Lean forward at the hips rather than slouching your back forward.

 

[SquareHead]

Patriot,

I like your idea of stacked risers. I notice your bike is a 2004. I have a 2010. Do you, or anyone else, know if this will work on Gen II ?

Thanks Much,

Chris