Soon to be owner seeking help

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

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TopherGuns

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Apr 16, 2014
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Location
Barrie, Ontario Canada
My name is Chris form Ontario Canada. Spring is eventually coming and I am excited.
I currently ride a Honda 250CBR ( stop laughing at me ) it was a good starter.
This Saturday I am going to look at a 2003 FJR that i put a down payment on. Have not seen the bike yet because it's a 4 hour drive away.
Can someone PLEASE tell me what I should look for before i sign the dotted line an commit to buying this bike.

 
Big jump going from a 250 to a 1300...MUCH more bike.

You may want to buy a used 650 or so cc bike and ride it for a few months then sell it and get the FJR.

Just a thought.

 
My first streetbike was the infamous GPz 750 turbo. Ride it carefully and you will be fine. I own a 2003 myself. Mine was built and sold in 2002. IIRC FJR's were sold in Europe from 2001 on. I claim Silver was delivered to America accidentally and has cams made for cruising the autobahn. Silver currently has 113,000 miles on it and I have only had to change the cam chain tensioner. That is the other issue that the Gen 1's have by the way, a weak cam tesioner spring. New ones have a green (or blue?) dot to show they are the upgraded version.

 
Hopefully you have at least ridden some larger bikes..

CBR 250
30.5-inch seat height. Weight 359 pound cw
hp: 13 torque 16 ft-lb

FJR
32+ inch seat height. Weight w/o bags 642 pounds cw
hp: 140+ torque 99 ft-lb

If it were me, I'd request a current FJR rider to accompany me on the inspection/purchase, and even perhaps escort me home.

Check out the sub-forum here

 
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How many miles, err, kilometers? Check the usual things, tires, brakes & rotors, the steering head moves smoothly side to side, no evidence of front fork leaks, rear suspension does/doesn't damp well (aftermarket shock?). Because of the way Yamaha has done the front brake reservoir the fluid will appear black, just be sure that it is full. The transmission should shift smoothly from gear to gear. The FJR does go THUNK when initially shifting into first gear.

Ask when the last valve check/adjustment was done. (And, do you have any documentation such as shop slip or receipt.) The check is only done every ~42k kilometers but the check and especially the adjustment is expensive.

Listen to the left side of the engine, near the exhaust/cam area when it is warm, you don't want to hear a rattling sound, sometimes described as a ticking noise(1).

If it is a private sale see if you can find out from the owner if the bike sometimes feels like it has a little miss when accelerating hard in second gear, or perhaps better, ask if the owner notices anything unusual when accelerating hard in second gear(2).

Check the clutch lever by slowly pulling it in and letting it out, it should move smoothly, easily and should not have a notchy feel at any point in the pull and release(3).

One key should work everything. Ideally, the seller will have 2 keys and a key tumbler that is to be installed in a Yamaha trunk. Oh s#hit, if this Canadian FJR has an immobilizer be sure the owner has the RED key. If the motorcycle has an immobilizer but the owner does not have the RED key, that would be a near deal breaker.

If you do purchase the bike, stop back and we can recommend some maintenance items that are often overlooked that you really do want to have done.

I'll pile on with the others in previous posts, the FJR is a handful with its weight and power, R E S P E C T I T. Some have started out with the FJR as their first bike and both bike and owner have survived the experience but that doesn't mean that it is recommended. Even as a second bike after some experience on a 250, the FJR still isn't recommended as the next step.

Look over the suggestions in this thread. You may want to call the seller and ask them about some of the inspection things we have mentioned before driving 4 hrs to look at the bike.

(1) A few '03 and '04 FJRs had valve stem seals that were too tight which starved the valve guides of oil which led to wear. The valve stems rattle in the guides creating the noise I suggest you listen for. When the valve stems start to rattle some oil will start to migrate into the headers and when the wear is extreme oil can be seen at the exhaust pipe tips. A motorcycle with this condition will run perfectly fine and it will be reliable but eventually, due to oil consumption it will need to be fixed which requires the cylinder head to be removed and sent to a machine shop for new guides and revised stem seals.

(2) Not unique to the FJR can be second gear issues due to bent shift forks or worn gear dogs (that locks the gears together). In the very rare cases where there is damage, under hard acceleration only, it will start out feeling like an engine misfire as the gears pop out and back together again. As the damage progresses it will get to the point where the gear simply pops out and disengages under hard acceleration. This is something you should not try yourself if you test ride the bike because the FJR is a ferocious beast in the lower gears and you are unprepared for what a FJR can do right now. Really! If you ask the seller if it pops out of gear they most likely will give you an answer you want to hear.

(3) This is a minor thing, if the clutch lever feels rough or notchy it is a very simple and inexpensive fix, don't let it bother your buying decision. The brass bushing in the lever pivot can gall if not maintained and causes a feel issue. This is one of the common overlooked maintenance items.

 
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Keep the 250 after you get the FJR. You'll love having a light little bike to toss around.

I like to think that I'm a good rider (at least my Flatlandistan standards) but the last time I was in the redwoods and klamath mountains there was this little CBR250 that kept gaining on me in every corner. No clue who it was, but it underscores just how capable these little quarter pounders are.

 
I believe Bungie has his '04 on the market as well - with the '04, you get bigger brakes and ABS (can't remember if Bungie's is an ABS model or not).

 
I currently ride a Honda 250CBR ( stop laughing at me ) it was a good starter.
I am not laughing.

I started, close to 30 years ago, on a 90cc scooter. I had a CB250 for a while, and it was good. I still miss it sometimes.

I recently went from 500 to 1300, and that was a big step up. There were some teething issues, and I ended up dropping (at 0 kph) the bike several times as I was truly not prepared for the extra weight.

In short, you are looking at a bigger step up, so be careul.

 
I've got an '04 and I think it'll run forever because FJR's are super reliable. However, when purchasing a bike that old you want it to look very clean and well maintained. If it appears shabby stay away. Years of poor maintenance will ruin anything.

 
You will be very happy with your FJR. Keep in mind that an '03 is now almost 12 years old, so don't pay too much and check it over carefully for age related issues like dry rubber and wear from lack of lubrication.

Regarding the move from a 250 to a 1300, it depends on how many miles you have ridden that 250. If you had it one season or less, then you are taking a giant step and need to be very careful with the FJR because of the difference in size, power, weight, and weight distribution. The FJR is top heavy and falls over very easily at low speeds in inexperienced hands. Never try to stop while the handlebars are turned.

 
Pssh. So many warnings about the move from 250 to 1300.

I learned on my buddy's 1050 (Triumph Sprint) and my FJR is my first bike. Best thing I ever did for learning how to ride it was fly to Phoenix to buy it and ride it 3000 miles home.
uhoh.gif


Just be careful and you'll be fine.

 
I live near Barrie and can provide assistance if needed. I wouldn't make that big a jump, but many have.

Pm for a phone # if you want a hand with anything.

 
First of all A HUGE THANK YOU !!
The group is awesome!
I will be keeping my CBR250 for jumping around town. Got it new in 2011 and put on lots of KM. last summer toured all around Ontario on 3 and 4 day adventures. Not very comfortable on a CBR.
Did a lot of test rides of larger bikes of all shapes, brands and CC's . I absolutely fell in love with the FJR. If there was an FJR with 500CC i will take it. However that wont happen.
I'm not into speed or crazy riding and i am very cautious. It's the comfort, style, and reliability im looking at.
Hoping to take this bike across Canada some time.
Anyhow, deal is not signed yet. Going to look at the bike tomorrow and all your advice will defiantly help.
Thank you
Chris

 
Advice if you do buy...

Do Not grab a handfull of throttle for a really long time, work your way up to it (if at all...maybe it's not in your personality)... and... Make sure the tires are warm before you get enthusiastic with it.

I've been on bikes since about 7 or 8... I'm 43, I like to think I ride pretty well, have had lots of bikes... medium street, large dirt, etc... Went from a KLR that I'd wheelie, donut, ride in snow... whatever whenever... but never had anything with this much raw torque.

I left work one day, after having the FJR for 6 months and feeling pretty confident with it, rolled on it real hard to get my acceleration fix after a long day... the rear tire unexpectedly came loose (and quick like),and the bike got all out of shape(thinking..OUCH this is gonna...)... rolled off the throttle.. and luckily, it snapped gently back to straight and level flight. Great Machine... I got lucky.. and learned some respect, and not to do dumb **** with cold tires.(I'm trying to learn not to do dumb **** at all...but it's difficult for me. I admit i have a problem.. thats a start right?)

Good luck, the FJR is a very nice motorcycle to own in every aspect.

 
I'm not laughing either. I own a 250 Kawi and a FJR. They are two good bikes to own as they serve two very different purposes. I'll always own a small bike like the Kawa. Everybody has rightfully cautioned you about the tall weight of the FJR. I'm short of leg and the only reason I haven't yet dropped my FJR is my decades of experience on other heavy/tall bikes. Your Honda 250 experience will not be too helpful in that requard.

However if you are tall (I'm 5'8") you might be just fine adjusting to the bigger bike. Best wishes if you buy the FJR, it's a great long distance traveller. Don't fear the power of the FJR, respect it. What I mean is at low RPM the bike is tame but strong. At higher RPM improper throttle imput might scare the hell out of you. So take time learning it's power curve. Keep us posted.

Bill

 
Finally got to see the bike today and put the sold sign on it. Sounded great, felt great, no ticking sounds in the engine. I totally understand the power and felt it when I shifted into 1st at a stand still. That is defiantly something to respect.

 
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