The best farkle you ever had?

[rbentnail]

Throttle lock/cruise control

mp3 player

gps

 

[LKLD]

It's difficult to just pick one, as they all become more indispensable the more you use them. Since cruise comes standard on the (ultimate) Gen III, I can't call it a farkle, or it would be a hands down winner!

So the two I'm so glad I have, and use, would be the Zumo GPS and the Dorian TPMS.

 

[900gc]

Lots of stuff done to mine but I'll pick the top three that make the bike much more enjoyable to ride:

Fork upgrade, MV bar riser and a PCIII with a custom map.

 

[TomInPA]

The Clearwater Krista lights have given me a sense of safety and better visibility over the years, and I think the LEDs are my top choice. GPS, Radar Detector, Autocom have all played a role in keeping travel fun and ticket-free. The Penske shock and fork upgrade was an amazing improvement in handling and comfort. Heated gear and custom seat are essential comfort improvements.

Glad I didn't have to pick just one.

 

[gazza]

I have to say my heated grips are worth there weight in gold

Gazza

 

[Top_Speed1]

Handiest doohickies are Cruise and TPM, grips n seat warmers I'm not so hot on

Add-on farkles? for me has to be the simple battery tender tether. If the battery was not in such a bad place for accessibility, I would go a much different route.

 

[Aasland]

I'm going to revise my answer a little.

Picking a "best farkle" is tough, because how does one define "BEST" ?

The most expensive farkle would be the GP Suspension and Ohlin's. But I would have enjoyed the bike with a fresh stock suspension anyway.

The most used farkle, which make crossing the plains much less boring, would be the Sena.

The farkle without which the bike (2006) would be unrideable, has got to be the Power Commander. If that hadn't mitigated the "lurch" as well as it has, then all the other farkles would have been made to a non-FJR. Thus, in my book, the PC3 wins.

 

[Warpdrv]

well thank god not all gens needed the power commander.... fwiw

 

[Bungie]

Proper Farkle: Russell Day Long

Cost/Benefit Farkle: Throttle Lock

Best money spent on my riding: Advanced rider training (Lee Parks Level 1 & 2, FAST Race School)

 

[maggot]

I'll go with intercom as #1. Just because I'll more likely to ride without any of the other farkles but this one.

A fuse block and the autocom are the first things hooked up to any bike I've owned.

 

[Fred W]

Simple:Russell Day Long

3) Russell Day Long - or perhaps some other custom seat, whatever works best for you

1. Russell Day Long seats

1) Russell Day Long

2. Russell Day Long (I dont have one for my Gen III ) yet. Had one on the Gen I and loved it.

Another vote for Russell seat.

RDL

I couldn't live without any of my farkles..... the bike is so amazing, adding all those extras just make it the perfect bike....

RDL Seat

Proper Farkle: Russell Day Long

Need I say more?

The one farkle that makes the bike oh so much more enjoyable, was the RDL seat. Those that do not have one listed have probably never tried one. If they charged twice as much as they already do, I would still be tempted to get one for my next bike. That is how good they are.

 

[FJRat]

The other thing to mention is that you never find a RDL seat for sale...that tells you something.

I tried a long time ago a RDL low (a model that apparently they do not make anymore) and it was hard as a board so I returned it. My guess is that they did not do well with the 'low' and consequently do not make it anymore. I ask for one for the FJR and they do not have it.

The problem with the Russell seat is that you are then, sitting about three floors above your normal sitting position. Their seat is pretty high. If that does not bother you, they are the best seat in the house...they have some kind of spring around the edge. And by the way, these springs wear down with time and you have to have them refurbished if you do a lot of travelling (iron butt sitting)...that is, according to my friend who does a LOT of travelling on his Russell. I never had a Russell, do this is a hearsay...

 

[Twigg]

My experience of Russell seats (two, on two bikes) is that they don't raise you as much as legend would have it, at least once you are in the sitting position. Maybe 1/2" (which might matter to some). Actually, I rather wish the one on my FJR raised me a bit more, and when I get it re-furb'd, I'll ask for that.

The real problem is not the height, but the width. Compared to stock, and most aftermarket seats, they are very wide. They are designed to support right from the outside of your butt across the entire seating area, so the width is necessary. This can cause serious "feet-down" issues for the vertically challenged. One thing they can do is narrow the nose of the seat so folk can slide forward as they come to a halt.

Anyway ... worth saying but now back to our regular scheduled programming "Best Farkle"

 

[Brodie]

I don't know if many people would call it a farkle, as the bike needs something there, but the thing was nearly unrideable when I bought it new back in late '06 with it's stock windshield. The first time I turned it into a headwind, nothing I could do to that stock windshield made any difference. I nearly took the bike back to the dealer.

That weekend I rode to Sacramento to get a CalSci extra tall windshield. Once changed out, I haven't looked back since.

I've put a lot of things on my 2 FJRs through the years, but this essential item kept me on the platform.

Brodie

 

[FJRMGM]

Russell Day Long

Wilburs suspension

 

[TheZsdad]

(1) Whelen Lin3

(1) ClearWater Glenda's

(2) AK 20's

(3) Penske 8983

(4) MCL Highway pegs

 

[russperry]

RDL

AVCC (thank you Brodie for installing it)

Helibars triple

Rifle screen

These 4 turned the bike into a nice but limited range ride, into something I can ride 700+ miles and arrive at day's end in reasonably good shape.

 

[FJRat]

I am noting the amount of stuff that people have to install on these cycles in order to make them touring-worthy.

It seems to me that between the FJR, the C14, the ST owners alone there is a market for a straightup touring model...I wonder why there are many dedicated touring cycles on the market. Well, maybe I am overestimating the demand.

But I have spent a lot of money trying to take the 'sport' out of my sport-touring bikes

 

[Justin]

One farkle I can't live without:

 

[Fred W]

I am noting the amount of stuff that people have to install on these cycles in order to make them touring-worthy.
It seems to me that between the FJR, the C14, the ST owners alone there is a market for a straightup touring model...I wonder why there are many dedicated touring cycles on the market. Well, maybe I am overestimating the demand.

But I have spent a lot of money trying to take the 'sport' out of my sport-touring bikes

Oh... you are wrong. Oh so wrong. Very few, if any, of these favorite farkles take the sport out of these ST bikes. They just improve the comfort somewhat. When you twist the thing on the right the sport reveals itself to you right away.

You couldn't make a bike that has all the farkles already because no two riders want or need the same ones. Farkles are customizations that make the bike work for that particular rider, and no two riders are quite the same.

There are true touring models available. Most here would want little to do with them as they are relatively boring in comparison to the Fun Joy Ride's we all have.