SICK of this bike!!

[BikerGeek99]

If I could (or wanted to) buy anything out there brand new right now, it would be another FJR.

Start watching your local CL.

I bet there's going to be a used '08 for sale soon. Only ridden by a little old lady to the liquor store and to church on Sundays.



:wacko:

Careful, though - it's been lowered and doesn't handle for ****.

:blink:

:crazy:

 

[Braenen]

Is pgrhodes1 a sockpuppet of Bustanut?

 

[Warchild]

Is pgrhodes1 a sockpuppet of Bustanut?

No, wait... this one is more apropos.....

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Joevelocity]

Best thread I have read in a while. :lol: A little something for everyone!

 

[ALDAWG]

Yup, I'm pretty sure you have all been TROLLED.....Quite funny considering how many members are following this thread. Is this the first time someone has come here talking **** about our beloved FJR? This is the way of a Troll....Please STOP FEEDING THE TROLL, and they will go away.....

 

[JT 384]

This gave me a good laugh and I think someone put a knot in her mitt. Who says the day can't get better as it moves along.

 

[Bounce]

I have trouble understanding how someone with 15 years of riding on 6 different bikes could have so much trouble riding the FJR.

sometimes it's not the years, it's the miles.

sometimes it's not the miles, it's moving past the same miles every time.

 

[old&slow]

Absolutely sick to death of this bike!! She is hitting the road next Spring if I can sell the *****. I’ve never loved or hated a bike so much in my life. Have dropped her twice because the ***** stalled on take off but the last straw happened last weekend. I have her lowered and worked extremely hard to dial in the suspension. We go on the first 3 day weekend ride and I load her up with about 30 extra pounds. Totally changed everything!! Tightening the shock did nothing. Worst ride I’ve ever experience on a bike in my life. Bounced around corners; impossible to hold a line. Scared the living HELL out of me!! Ruined one of the best loops I’ve ever been on. Hundreds of miles of twisting turns. Who in gods name would have thought a few extra pounds could have made such a difference. She is the 6th bike I’ve owned and I’m sick of messing with her. She is history as soon as I can make it happen. Good luck to the rest of you and hope you enjoy yours.

pgrhodes1 ,,,,,, Don't sugar coat it !!! ,,,, tell us how you really feel ..!!

" never loved or hated a bike so much in my life ,,," ????

I had a V-Max ,,, go like hell in a straight line,,, would pass everything except a gas station ,,, wouldn't stop

worth a damn ,, wouldn't corner worth a damn ,, couldn't pack anything more than a toothbrush...

Last time I got a little frisky in a corner with it and pushed it a little ,, I went thru the corner sideways...

that was it ,,, I sold it...

Personally I LOVE my FJR ,,,, But,,, If your's isn't right for you sell it...

Some folks out there just aren't happy with the best .... (j/k)

 

[Ignacio]

Yup, I'm pretty sure you have all been TROLLED.....

They're not a troll.

They're on other forums with the same handle and behind-the-scenes details all are consistent. There's even a trend of talking about a platform generally followed by a bike for sale.

Coming out with both barrels here though tends to draw people's attention. But this too shall pass......

I'll even venture a prediction that they'll find another bike, work on it for some time, post on another forum....an then get tired of that platform too...and maybe even make a fleeting remark about how they think that platform is a POS.

Not a big loss....it happens sometimes....and means there's going to be a well-priced used bike for sale in pgr's area.

 

[ahchiu]

I have trouble understanding how someone with 15 years of riding on 6 different bikes could have so much trouble riding the FJR.

sometimes it's not the years, it's the miles.

sometimes it's not the miles, it's moving past the same miles every time.

+1 you can have 15 yrs of riding and xxxxxx miles but, riding with bad habits / technique does not make you a good /experence rider, just a rider that has been riding that long with bad habits, I think her husband did something to her bike so she can't keep up with him and he's trying to tell her something.."GET OFF MY ***" like I said earlier the common denominator here is her, not the bike / bikes. I have ridden with a guy on a FJR 2 up and a trailer and he's setting a fast pace, It's a challange to keep up with him.

 

[bikerkash]

I would assume you must be kidding to get attention!!!

 

[old&slow]

I'd almost say an ERC course would probably benefit this person, I've never had a problem handing the Feej at low speeds but unless you are used to slipping the clutch or confident in your skills I can see how it would be a difficult bike to handle, As awesome as I think the Feej is, it does take some finesse at low speeds since she is a heavy beast... IMHO Sport Tourers are like that in general (With the possible exception of the VFR)
I took an ERC over this past weekend and the ridercoach pointed out something that I did unconsciously but never thought about is that sport tourers don't have the same handlebar lock to lock travel as other bikes so you need to do more lean bike only and slip the clutch in order to do slow speed tight turns. If you are not used to that, the bike CAN feel like he is describing...

Okay, I've been riding for 15 years. I have taken the beginner, the intermediate, and the advanced courses. I have put 9,000 miles on the FJR since she was purchased last year. 30,000 on the Suzuki I just sold. 15,000 on the FZ1 I sold before I purchased the FJR. I could go on and on but I'm getting tired of defending myself. So go ahead and keep saying I'm inexperienced and need confidence if it makes you feel better. I guess that is a lot better than admitting that the FJR sucks.

pgrhodes1 ,,,, Sorry about poking some fun ,,, The FJR IS a BIG bike,,, I'm 5'10" ,, 235 and I'M REALLY careful with the bike at slow speeds ,,

parking lots ,, gravel ,,, etc... The Kaw. Concours I had before the FJR seemed even taller and heavier ,,, and had me down once..

Bike aren't, " a one size fits all" like a ball cap.... .The Bike may not fit you ,,,, you may be happier with a smaller bike ,, or a different style bike...etc..

A standard ,, or a cruiser ,,,

And you're right the FJR SUCKS ,,,, we've all been drinking the Kool Aid here tooooo long,,, and are brain washed,,,, <_< :dribble: :blink:

And 4 pages of posts ,,,that fast ,,,,WOW,,,!!!!

 

[L2M]

To join the constructive side of this thread: Assuming her hands are small, she likely has the clutch lever set all the way in. At that point, my 07 will engage the clutch as soon as the lever leaves the grip...at all. Goofing around with that setting I did managed to stall the bike simply because I hadn't applied the throttle before my reflexes attempted to let up the non-existent slack in the clutch. Thankfully I'm 6'3" and dropping the bike wasn't a concern. As some have noted, if the idle adjustment is low, it is possible to stall as well if you don't open the throttle enough before releasing the clutch.

Others have also noted the tire pressure possibility and with good cause. Visual inspection is not enough to avoid performance impacting changes and gauges can break. Been there just last week. Gauge read 40psi but the bike didn't feel right. I pulled out a second gauge and that one read 28psi. World of difference.

One last though, this one more on the "pile" side of things but still meant to be constructive: The FJR has been a top performing sport-touring machine that has consistently rated at or near the top of its class in many motorcycle rags and had outsold any other single sport-touring model in the US at last check. To assume that the FJR, as a whole, is fundamentally a pile of trash because it doesn't work for you is simply illogical. I can sympathize with the, "This vehicle is a POS" mentality (Been there with my Ford before) but that doesn't mean it is a problem with the model. Just saying...

 

[exskibum]

If you reread her initial post, it's apparent that one of a very few things is wrong. If it were a one time occurrence (instead of the 9,000 miles she said she has on it with it sucking), I'd be inclined to agree that it sounds like improperly inflated tires. As it is, though, it's more likely either poor riding skills, something defective with the suspension and something (TPS or ECM) causing the throttle issue, or the bike is just badly set up and tuned. I'm guessing the last.

It "bounced around corners" after lowering and tuning the suspension and carrying 30 extra pounds?!? First, changing the geometry (lowering it) isn't optimal, but it can be done and made to work if it's properly set up. Second, it sounds like she was working at cross purposes trying to stiffen the rear shock ("tightening the shock did nothing") to counter a mere 30 additional pounds while I'd bet she's already much lighter than most of us (short and female isn't usually going to be 200+ lbs). "Bouncing around corners" is usually going to be a symptom of too stiff a spring, too much preload and/or too much damping. So, my money is on F'ing up the suspension set up and that a competent shop could have made that right, even if that meant correct springs and valving installed for her weight and riding style, with the lowering a part of that equation. Sadly, that seems not to have been the direction she chose.

As to the stalling? First, it's an I-4, not a 2 cyl. and it's fuel injected. Even though it's got plenty of low end torque, you do have to have consistent fine throttle control and it's off idle where any deficiency in that usually shows up. Could also be engine tune, idle speed, TPS or ECM, though. Again -- something that should be fixable.

Lastly, it IS a big bike, is a bit top heavy and slow speed maneuvers are not where it shines most. If you're not 6'4", then such things as gravel or sand underfoot make it easy to drop, especially if you stall it. That's just the way a lot of bikes are and a short rider has that to deal with on most non-cruiser bikes to an extent. As with almost anything mechanical, there is some adjustment and accommodation required of the operator -- getting some good things usually means compromising elsewhere.

Having said all that, it's also entirely possible that the FJR is NOT the mix of compromises and attributes best suited to her. But her attitude probably only makes that mismatch worse. Kinda like throwing clubs in golf -- only your own game suffers, you drive people away thinking you're nuts, and you give up the game because it's the game's fault. Seems to me that there's a perfectly serviceable FJR in Montana that's going to need to be restored to stock height and set up right by someone who is likely to get a pretty good deal next spring.

 

[old&slow]

To join the constructive side of this thread: Assuming her hands are small, she likely has the clutch lever set all the way in. At that point, my 07 will engage the clutch as soon as the lever leaves the grip...at all. Goofing around with that setting I did managed to stall the bike simply because I hadn't applied the throttle before my reflexes attempted to let up the non-existent slack in the clutch. Thankfully I'm 6'3" and dropping the bike wasn't a concern. As some have noted, if the idle adjustment is low, it is possible to stall as well if you don't open the throttle enough before releasing the clutch.
Others have also noted the tire pressure possibility and with good cause. Visual inspection is not enough to avoid performance impacting changes and gauges can break. Been there just last week. Gauge read 40psi but the bike didn't feel right. I pulled out a second gauge and that one read 28psi. World of difference.

One last though, this one more on the "pile" side of things but still meant to be constructive: The FJR has been a top performing sport-touring machine that has consistently rated at or near the top of its class in many motorcycle rags and had outsold any other single sport-touring model in the US at last check. To assume that the FJR, as a whole, is fundamentally a pile of trash because it doesn't work for you is simply illogical. I can sympathize with the, "This vehicle is a POS" mentality (Been there with my Ford before) but that doesn't mean it is a problem with the model. Just saying...

Grandma told me to marry a girl with small hands,,,, when I asked her why ,, she said because it will make your **** look bigger,,,,

Sorry ,, had too many beers this afternoon ,,, I'll go now,,,, :clapping: :yahoo:

 

[user 213]

72 posts and only a couple of pertinent comments about tire pressure and L2Ms well reasoned post.

Stalling you say? 72 posts and none of you *** hats ever thought to ask what her idle speed is set to?

L2M offered some interesting comments about the lever and engagement. I'd add that most FJRs have what I consider to be excessive slack in the throttle cable too. Makes it harder to be smooth with throttle movements. Reducing the slack or free play can make a big difference. Note that it feels a lot tighter engine off, the engine running. Adjust and try it, then re-adjust as needed.

Lowered bike handles like crap with extra weight? 72 posts and no one thought to offer that it is possible to lower a bike too much, and that it's almost a necessity to replace the rear shock for extreme lowering so that you have better travel and an adjustable pre-load to deal with weight changes?

Yeah, her opening post sucked. She's venting instead of stating problems and asking questions. BTDT, it happens. Nice dog pile.

 

[Phugedaboudet]

I thought changing geometry by lowering was a "last resort" and extreme changes in handling were to be expected?

I can't flatfoot my 07 at stops but I don't want to fuxx0r the lean angle or screw up the ability to get over atrocious speed bumps here at work. so I leave the height where it is.

Put on a G2 throttle tube, new grips, kept the butterflies sync'ed, only time I've stalled it is screwing up a launch at a light to beat a hoon thru a 2 into 1 merge. Dropped twice due to parking lot stupidity but then I did the same to my old Ninja 600 once too.

Bike's a beast but not for everyone. Maybe it's a personality conflict..my FJR demands my time and money and attention, if I had a woman who rode, they'd always be fighting each other. Tho maybe that would be cool too....

 

[Bustanut joker]

Damn! I knew I hadn't been drinking enough, I missed this thread :dribble:

The FJR is the only scoot I've ever owned that made me need/want to shave my Anus... Not a bad thing considering how many "Busts Shave your Anus at Home" kits I've sold..

****! if Yamaha gets wind of this, I bet a cease and desist order can't be far behind... Speaking of witch, I need a shave

:jester:

 

[Phugedaboudet]

there were references to idle speed by the second page and lowering issues mentioned by the third.

Paging White Knight to the White Courtesy Phone...no damsel in distress here.

72 posts and only a couple of pertinent comments about tire pressure and L2Ms well reasoned post.
Stalling you say? 72 posts and none of you *** hats ever thought to ask what her idle speed is set to?

L2M offered some interesting comments about the lever and engagement. I'd add that most FJRs have what I consider to be excessive slack in the throttle cable too. Makes it harder to be smooth with throttle movements. Reducing the slack or free play can make a big difference. Note that it feels a lot tighter engine off, the engine running. Adjust and try it, then re-adjust as needed.

Lowered bike handles like crap with extra weight? 72 posts and no one thought to offer that it is possible to lower a bike too much, and that it's almost a necessity to replace the rear shock for extreme lowering so that you have better travel and an adjustable pre-load to deal with weight changes?

Yeah, her opening post sucked. She's venting instead of stating problems and asking questions. BTDT, it happens. Nice dog pile.

 

[wheatonFJR]

72 posts and only a couple of pertinent comments about tire pressure and L2Ms well reasoned post.
Stalling you say? 72 posts and none of you *** hats ever thought to ask what her idle speed is set to?

See post #17. Not that she cared.

I thought many of the posts were helpful (none of mine of course) and gentle...but she responded to none of those except to say she was an experienced rider and the bike was dogsh!t.

So she led the charge down dogsh!t alley herself...