Test ride soon, reliability doubts...

[dzuber76]

So I'm due to take a test ride today or tomorrow. I'm looking at a 2005 FJR with 30K miles that's listed for $4999. It shows a scratch on the front fairing, but the dealer says it has never been wrecked, is mechanically sound, and they have all the maintenance records. This seems like a REALLY low price! I'm really interested in getting a FJR. I think it's exactly the bike I need right now. I have a Honda VTX 1300 that is my only transpo and I think the FJR might be better suited for me. My issue is this: the VTX has never given me a single problem. It's never failed to start, despite the weather. Never died on me. Never required any significant mod to make it run well. Now that I've been lurking here doing research, it's making me wonder if I'd be making the right choice in switching. The passion for the FJR on this board is obvious. Even over on the VTX board, riders that have both say go for it. But there is no "Technical/Mechanical Problems" sub-forum on the VTX board. So, should I worry about reliability?

Sorry if I'm posting in the wrong place. Thanks,

DZ

 

[PeterK]

DZ

I bought a 2006 in July. I had a Yamaha Roadstar which I loved but was ready for a change. The Roadie was a cold hearted beast and needed lots of warm up after starting reluctantly in cold weather. I'm in Ontario Canada. Just put the bike away for the winter however went out many times in 46-50 degree mornings. No issues and rediculously easy to start with electronic fuel injection and computer on the FJR. Starting procedure....push start button! This is the most amazing bike I've owned and I love it! So long as you are happy with it's current state of repair and condition, go for it!

I know this is not a technical answer which you may be looking for but just my 2 cents.

Good Luck with you choice. Also, riding in lower temps is MUCH more comfortable on the FJR. I don't have heated grips or seat. Just stock.

Hope this helps.

Peter

 

[FJR919]

I had owned an '05 FJR for years before getting my '08. I've also been on this board a fairly long time. I would not be the least bit concerned about any FJR's reliability. Good luck with your new bike!

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

...Now that I've been lurking here doing research, it's making me wonder if I'd be making the right choice in switching. ...there is no "Technical/Mechanical Problems" sub-forum on the VTX board. So, should I worry about reliability?

The FJR Forum has been characterized by Yamaha Motor Corp., USA (Cypress CA) and dealer service managers all-over as: "a bunch of internet mal-contents." Which, translated, means that "no stone is left un-turned" when it comes to operating, servicing, modifying, and praising or criticizing the FJR on this Forum. Unfortunately, sometimes the 'dirty laundry' is hanging-out for all to see (what little there is).

I guess?, it comes down to whether or not you're comfortable with all that information?

There's a reason shops don't let customers in the back-room... :blink:

 

[Harvey]

DZ,

That's a great price for a great motorcycle.

Go for it.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Very simialr to your other thread, at least my answer below. Also for $4999, sounds like a sweet deal IMO.

Also research CCT issues, listen for cam chain noise. Not all the Gen1 bikes are tickers (a Gen1 issue with the valves) or have CCT issues, but it's out there. I would say no worries. Many brand bikes have different quirks about them mechanically, etc.

DZ - Welcome from SoCal.
Lets see.... IMHO the 2005 is the best year FeeJ made. :yahoo: OK, I'm a little biased. The Gen2s are also nice bikes especially the newer ones.

What to look for....

I bought mine used in 2007 with about 25K. You have one with 30K. I've seen a few with less miles, but mostly they have far more miles on them. There are hand full of 100K and a few 200K mile bikes on this forum. I would expect nothing less then 100K from my bike. I maintain it well and also do my own wrenching, that helps save $$ and you know it was done right.

Your VTX is shaft drive so you should be used to that. The FeeJ has some great torque and power. Also handles extremely well in the twisties. IT is a heavy bike, no worse then your VTX, but handles like a nimble sporty bike. I like it and think you will too. The riding position is more upright, and tons of farkles to improve and customize to your liking.

I use mine mainly for commuting (only 17 miles each way) and love it. It's comfy on long rides (I have a custom seat, get one, it's worth it), and the bike is just a blast. There is a lot written about heat from the engine on your legs, it's not bad at all, and you get used to it. My old air cooled Duc never gave off much heat compared to this, but my friends GSXR does the same thing with lots of heat pouring out the sides.

Try it, you'll like it.

Good luck.

 

[dzuber76]

The FJR Forum has been characterized by Yamaha Motor Corp., USA (Cypress CA) and dealer service managers all-over as: "a bunch of internet mal-contents." Which, translated, means that "no stone is left un-turned" when it comes to operating, servicing, modifying, and praising or criticizing the FJR on this Forum. Unfortunately, sometimes the 'dirty laundry' is hanging-out for all to see (what little there is).I guess?, it comes down to whether or not you're comfortable with all that information?

There's a reason shops don't let customers in the back-room... :blink:

Very simialr to your other thread, at least my answer below. Also for $4999, sounds like a sweet deal IMO.

DZ - Welcome from SoCal.
Lets see.... IMHO the 2005 is the best year FeeJ made. :yahoo: OK, I'm a little biased. The Gen2s are also nice bikes especially the newer ones.

What to look for....

I bought mine used in 2007 with about 25K. You have one with 30K. I've seen a few with less miles, but mostly they have far more miles on them. There are hand full of 100K and a few 200K mile bikes on this forum. I would expect nothing less then 100K from my bike. I maintain it well and also do my own wrenching, that helps save $$ and you know it was done right.

Your VTX is shaft drive so you should be used to that. The FeeJ has some great torque and power. Also handles extremely well in the twisties. IT is a heavy bike, no worse then your VTX, but handles like a nimble sporty bike. I like it and think you will too. The riding position is more upright, and tons of farkles to improve and customize to your liking.

I use mine mainly for commuting (only 17 miles each way) and love it. It's comfy on long rides (I have a custom seat, get one, it's worth it), and the bike is just a blast. There is a lot written about heat from the engine on your legs, it's not bad at all, and you get used to it. My old air cooled Duc never gave off much heat compared to this, but my friends GSXR does the same thing with lots of heat pouring out the sides.

Try it, you'll like it.

Good luck.

Yeah, I may be dogging this a little, but I just want to make sure I know what I'm getting into. Thanks to all for the quick responses. If the bike is sound and the deal is right I'm on it.

 

[03HiYoSilver]

dzuber,

Just to help you with peace of mind, get the VIN# and call Yamaha 800-962-7926 to get the warranty work details from them. This will also let you know if the dealer is telling you the truth.

Good Luck with you decision.... this is a Terrific Bike!

 

[old&slow]

...Now that I've been lurking here doing research, it's making me wonder if I'd be making the right choice in switching. ...there is no "Technical/Mechanical Problems" sub-forum on the VTX board. So, should I worry about reliability?

The FJR Forum has been characterized by Yamaha Motor Corp., USA (Cypress CA) and dealer service managers all-over as: "a bunch of internet mal-contents." Which, translated, means that "no stone is left un-turned" when it comes to operating, servicing, modifying, and praising or criticizing the FJR on this Forum. Unfortunately, sometimes the 'dirty laundry' is hanging-out for all to see (what little there is).

I guess?, it comes down to whether or not you're comfortable with all that information?

There's a reason shops don't let customers in the back-room... :blink:

"Mal-contents" ,,,,really ???? about a bunch of folks and a forum that sings the praises of Yamaha and the FJR..?? .. :blink: :blink:

,,,, except for just a couple of posts that I have read ,,, everyone is VERY positive about the FJR ...

Haven't put that many miles on my 08 ,,, but so far it has been a good bike ,,,,, A buddy has a 06 with more miles on it ,, so far it's been

a good bike .... the reason I got my FJR is because I rode his 06 a couple times...

Never rode an 05 so, Don't know about it,,, but I love my 08..... :clapping:

 

[palerider]

The FJR Forum has been characterized by Yamaha Motor Corp., USA (Cypress CA) and dealer service managers all-over as: "a bunch of internet mal-contents."

Where'd you hear this?

 

[Ignacio]

But there is no "Technical/Mechanical Problems" sub-forum on the VTX board. So, should I worry about reliability?

Don't take the presence of that thread as a weakness. We're just not afraid to tackle the small number of issues head on. And most of the posts in that area ending up being farkle add-ons that don't have "Yamaha" stamped anywhere on them.

Also, what we call about seven specific model issues in this thread and this community actually has worked so several of those issues were fixed by the company under recall!

No bike is perfect......most are less reliable than the FJR. There's also a reason the FJR is the increasingly preferred choice for the Iron Butt Rally. They're just frickin' bulletproof and RARELY leave a person stranded.

 

[exskibum]

Sounds like a sweet deal to me. My '05 has somewhere between 32 and 33K miles on it now. Best bike I've ever owned or ridden in 40+ years. If I ever retire it, I'll almost certainly buy another FJR to replace it.

Like anything mechanical, you have to maintain it. And this forum certainly provides the resources for what to watch out for, and what to do to avoid certain problems. The '05 has the potential to tick and to have cam chain tensioner (CCT) problems. Yamaha has a new CCT that takes care of the latter, and has been repairing tickers even out of warranty. I got both done on mine in July, and have NOTHING to complain about. No charge, basically a new head job for free, and with the TPS (throttle position sensor that never gave me any problem) recall and top box retrofit, Yamaha has kept my bike newer than any other manufacturer ever has.

For $5,000 there's anything that compares (and I'm not even addressing the performance package it offers)?

 

[Big Sky]

My wife and I have owned around 15 bikes over 30 years, but have chosen to make just five of them our "main rides." Only one of those, besides the FJR, ever exceeded 30,000 total miles. I've had the '03 FJR seven seasons and it has 57,000 trouble-free miles on it (oh, I can't lie: a fork seal went out at about 30,000). I intend to keep it and continue riding it. Funny, since we acquired the FJR, our average yearly miles have been increasing and pretty dramatically. Before the FJR, from about 5-6,000 to now 8,000-plus and we're 54 and 58 years of age and live in a place where we get five decent months and two marginal months: it just keeps getting better. If I could only have one, the FJR would be the one.

Go for it, have fun, be careful.

 

[Wanderer]

Threads like this are why I feel compelled to post these

EDIT: In case I didn't state it in the linked thread, my 03 has 74k on it and only the thermostat has been replaced. it was working properly, I just wanted the peace of mind after a coolant change coming out funny. Nothing on that bike has ever broken, worked improperly or given me any reason to trust it to carry me safely through the remotest parts of this country. I'm coming up on my 3rd valve check and I fully expect them to be in tolerance just as the 26k and 60k were.

 

[dzuber76]

Threads like this are why I feel compelled to post these
EDIT: In case I didn't state it in the linked thread, my 03 has 74k on it and only the thermostat has been replaced. it was working properly, I just wanted the peace of mind after a coolant change coming out funny. Nothing on that bike has ever broken, worked improperly or given me any reason to trust it to carry me safely through the remotest parts of this country. I'm coming up on my 3rd valve check and I fully expect them to be in tolerance just as the 26k and 60k were.

Point taken.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'll take my test ride soon and evaluate this bike individually keeping in mind all the points y'all have made, as well as the few specific issues this forum has informed me to look for. Thanks! :thumbsupsmileyanim:

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

The FJR Forum has been characterized by Yamaha Motor Corp., USA (Cypress CA) and dealer service managers all-over as: "a bunch of internet mal-contents."

Where'd you hear this?

It can be found (I think?) waay-back in posts during the "Ticker" drama (in fact, I think those were the exact terms used?).

To this day, dealer service managers and service technicians tend to turn a 'deaf ear' to customers who preface a question with: "I read on the internet ...".

To the OP's original concern (and this has been addressed here too -- and in 'Ignacio's nearby post): Someone happening upon this Forum, for the first time, and perusing the topics being discussed, could -- easily (some days more than others) -- arrive at the conclusion that 'there's alot of problems with those bikes'.

When, in fact, the opposite may be true (maybe?, just alot of discussion of a few problems...?)

 

[FJReady]

an '05 with 30K for 5K. My advice: grab it.

I have an '05 with 58K on it. It's been rock solid reliable. No starting issues, no trouble whatsoever. Yamaha did a great job in the engineering department I think.

I had the TPS replaced under recall and I elected to replace the CCT when the valves were getting adjusted just because the labor was free at that point. Cheap insurance to replace it.

I think that is a good deal. The FJR is a great bike. Go for it.

 

[zorkler]

hAVE A 05 , 29K , only thing was the ingintion switch ,and 1 recall , 5k is a deal and a half the book on that bike has to be more than that

 

[dzuber76]

Well, I made the trade today. Just took my first ride and all I can say is smooooooth! Getting used to the differences, but I'm extremely happy about the trade. Got an incredible deal! I don't know if I can post pics on the forum, but I'll post em up soon if I can. Thanks for all the help in making the decision and I'm sure I'm gonna get a ton of valuable info from this board. Thanks!