Torn - Need Advice on FJR or Other

[mikelebron]

Hello all, I have narrowed my selection down to the FJR 2011/2012 and the Ninja 1000 2012 (want ABS)...

I love both bikes but can only have one... Right now I am riding a Harley VROD and never fell in love with it over the 6 years.... with the new riding season I want a new bike..... I had a CBRF4i before the VROD and loved it but didnt like the lack of wind protection and the somewhat aggressive riding position... The VROD has again no wind protection and many other things I dont like about the bike...

The net net is the FJR and the Ninja 1000 fit the bill

1. Wind Protection

2. ABS

3. 5 Gallon or greater tank for around town trips - nothing out of state is necessary

4. Sport look, Sport Suspension and moderate power (dont need to go 0 to ludicrous speed but want a little umph.)

5. Possible to Carry bags or take them off and look sporty

As you can see both bikes fit the bill with the Ninja edging out because I am only 5'7 and have a rough time dealing with the height (wide seat is actually the issue) and the weight of the bike (over 100 lbs heavier then the Ninja)...

Im looking for someone to lead me to a direction - Demos are a nogo due to New York insurance - No dealers will give one...

Anyway... I look forward to your comments for the FJR or for the Ninja (if you have any experience with the bike)..

Thanks!

 

[LgFJR]

FJR riders do tend to be on the XXL side....most other bikes feel like a ten speed when you ride something different. Since you've elected to visit an FJR board we are all going to be prejudiced, best bang for the buck, and all around rocket powered cycle is what the FJR is. Not much can touch it. Electric window, 6.6 gallon tank.......felony speed range in seconds....its all good. The newer ones have a switch to lower the seat a little, so that might be helpful. If you go with the FJR order the SLIDERS immediately and thank me later. Don't go home without them, they will save you mucho denero later..... :blink:

 

[majicmaker]

Hello all, I have narrowed my selection down to the FJR 2011/2012 and the Ninja 1000 2012 (want ABS)...

I love both bikes but can only have one... Right now I am riding a Harley VROD and never fell in love with it over the 6 years.... with the new riding season I want a new bike..... I had a CBRF4i before the VROD and loved it but didnt like the lack of wind protection and the somewhat aggressive riding position... The VROD has again no wind protection and many other things I dont like about the bike...

The net net is the FJR and the Ninja 1000 fit the bill

1. Wind Protection

2. ABS

3. 5 Gallon or greater tank for around town trips - nothing out of state is necessary

4. Sport look, Sport Suspension and moderate power (dont need to go 0 to ludicrous speed but want a little umph.)

5. Possible to Carry bags or take them off and look sporty

As you can see both bikes fit the bill with the Ninja edging out because I am only 5'7 and have a rough time dealing with the height (wide seat is actually the issue) and the weight of the bike (over 100 lbs heavier then the Ninja)...

Im looking for someone to lead me to a direction - Demos are a nogo due to New York insurance - No dealers will give one...

Anyway... I look forward to your comments for the FJR or for the Ninja (if you have any experience with the bike)..

Thanks!

Well Mike, there might be some Ninja owners among us but, this a Forum for the FJR. These are Fire Breathing Rabid Dog Lovers of the FJR. That being said, it all depends on what you want to do with it. If you want the sportier look, feel and ride. (the Ninja has a pretty aggressive riding position too). The big difference is that on the FJR, you will get the "Sport" but, you also get what I think is the Best riding position on two wheels. You can go to California on this thing in comfort and still be on a Rocket! I'll let someone else chime in now!

 

[Dunk43]

Hello all, I have narrowed my selection down to the FJR 2011/2012 and the Ninja 1000 2012 (want ABS)...

I love both bikes but can only have one... Right now I am riding a Harley VROD and never fell in love with it over the 6 years.... with the new riding season I want a new bike..... I had a CBRF4i before the VROD and loved it but didnt like the lack of wind protection and the somewhat aggressive riding position... The VROD has again no wind protection and many other things I dont like about the bike...

The net net is the FJR and the Ninja 1000 fit the bill

1. Wind Protection

2. ABS

3. 5 Gallon or greater tank for around town trips - nothing out of state is necessary

4. Sport look, Sport Suspension and moderate power (dont need to go 0 to ludicrous speed but want a little umph.)

5. Possible to Carry bags or take them off and look sporty

As you can see both bikes fit the bill with the Ninja edging out because I am only 5'7 and have a rough time dealing with the height (wide seat is actually the issue) and the weight of the bike (over 100 lbs heavier then the Ninja)...

Im looking for someone to lead me to a direction - Demos are a nogo due to New York insurance - No dealers will give one...

Anyway... I look forward to your comments for the FJR or for the Ninja (if you have any experience with the bike)..

Thanks!

This sporty enough ?

 

[HotRodZilla]

I say, buy the Ninja.

 

[CheesyRider]

I was all set to buy a Ninja 1000 before I got the FJR. The cost of insurance on the Ninja is what took it out of the running. Have you compared insurance costs?

 

[mikelebron]

Guys I appreciate the feedback! and yes Dunk... its a hot looking bike... I was at the dealer for 2 hours today sitting on both and they had one that looked exactly like that.. and honestly ended up not making a decision.. wanted to do more research... unfortunately I have exhausted Youtube and Google and now am in both forums (FJR and Kawi)... So far those who have ridden both say that the Kawi (other then the seat) is a light weight FJR with an ever so slightly lean more forward - I agree after sitting on both - not a radical difference between the position actually.

HotRodZilla - could you give me more feedback as to why you say the Ninja?

Honestly so far no one has said FJR over the Ninja who has ridden the Ninja.. I just havent found any that road the Ninja and said hell no... FJR all the way...

Again... thanks for the comments!

 

[TomInPA]

If you lean more to sport the Ninja Z1000SX, If you actually want functional touring or 2-up, FJR1300. The bikes are not all that comparable. Chain vs shaft, 125 lb weight difference, 4.0 gal vs 6.6 gallon fuel, Optional vs standard bags, and the Ninja gets surprisingly poor fuel economy and range. Good luck with the choice, it's mainly dependent in what you want from the bike.

 

[HotRodZilla]

HotRodZilla - could you give me more feedback as to why you say the Ninja?

I'm just being an asshole. People come here all the time wanting us to convince them to buy an FJR. That's just dumb! What I want in a bike may not be what you want in a bike. Nonetheless, we all tell them to buy the FJR, so I thought I'd go a different route. Haha...

Honestly, the build quality of a Kawasaki compared to a Yamaha would be enough to sway me to the Yamaha. Kawasaki has a reputation for building crap and putting it in a pretty wrapper. BUT...if YOU like it, well...

I like the FJRs shaft drive, included saddle bags, electric windshield, larger tank, and better ergos. But you said you weren't interested in out of state trips, so maybe that stuff's not important to you. The Ninja is cool, but I'd take my FJR over one 7 days out of 7.

 

[majicmaker]

And the riding position over many many miles will make a Big difference Trust Me. I have a friend who had one. He owns a Busa now. But, he needed to take a lot more breaks then I did. Also, if you have a Sweetie behind you, she'll like the back seat a lot more too. Just a few thoughts!

 

[mikelebron]

Well... I guess riding both is really the only way im going to make the decision... I will see if I can convince the stealership to let me ride both and hold my VROD as collateral...

You guys make great points and I believe its going to boil down to how far I am going to ride and whether my wife will be riding with me (she has ridden with me in 12 years 3 times total)- if its more then a few hundred miles then the FJR hands down.. if its just an around towner then the Ninja is probable not a bad choice.....

Honestly I weigh towards the Ninja only because of the wrong fit but love the features of the FJR - its like getting a Ford Mustang OVER Ford Tauraus SHO...

Anyway... Will report back after some dealer convincing...

 

[carlson_mn]

If you can physically handle the FJR and like to ride on longer day trips, get the FJR. Very proven and reliable. The Ninja will be noticeably faster than the FJR, but the FJR is also very fast. The Ninja will be much more expensive in insurance and probably get about 5mpg less. I don't like chains if you ride a lot. If you are mostly just an in-town guy, get the Ninja.

Two things. The FJR can really handle its own on twisty roads and handles great. However, someone who may be smaller or weaker I think may have a tougher time with it. I'm 6'2 and 200lbs and sometimes I'm having so much fun on it but realize I'm using my whole body to throw it around...

 

[TripperMike]

Number of times I have had to adjust the chain on my FJR....

ZERO

 

[captaincautious]

Probably too late,but here is my two cents. My buddy has the naked version which is an excellent motorcycle. I would describe it as plenty quick, light handling with a busy front end. I came from an 07 gsxr 1000 which fit the bill for performance. I had cortech saddlebags which I would use on trips and had added helibars for a little more upright angle. After riding a friends FJR I was so impressed I traded my gsxr for a new FJR. There was simply no comparison with my gsxr for an "overall performance combination". That said the ninja leans much more towards the gsxr. It simply depends on how much high performance versus sport tourer YOU want. As others have said: shaft drive and electric windshield and a more compliant suspension along with two-up potential (not much for two-up on the ninja except around the block) are very nice to have. Either bike is a great ride. It's all in figuring out your preference.Good luck!

 

[willboe]

Everything you have said strongly favors the FJR (IMHO) with the exception of the 5'7" part. Even with the seat in the low position, the stock driver's seat is a bit wide at the front which makes the 'effective' height a bit greater. Surely a Yamaha dealer will let you sit on an FJR (kickstand up) so you can judge your reach. If you, or the dealer, are concerned about your personal altitude, they can have a staff member straddling the front wheel. If that feels marginal to you, add the cost of a custom seat to the price, or buy the (not what you say you want) Ninja. Good Luck, and I hope you love whatever you choose.

 

[CheesyRider]

Honestly so far no one has said FJR over the Ninja who has ridden the Ninja.

I've ridden both, and I say FJR! However, The Ninja 1000 might be a better bike for you if you find the weight of the FJR intimidating. Have you considered a Triumph Sprint GT? It seems to have everything you want, weighs quite a bit less than the FJR and I bet it is a lot cheaper to insure than a Ninja 1000 as most insurance companies are pricing it the same as a Ninja ZX-10R. If the Triumph has too much of a forward lean, you can get a handlebar conversion kit for it.

 

[150Fuelie]

Last year I had a concours 14. Couldn't pass up the $3000 rebate. I quickly realized how cheaply it was built. The quality of components used is rediculous in my opinion.

 

[kamal]

Mike.

For what it's worth, I'm only your height with a 30" inseam and I have no problem with the FJR. Can't comment on the Kawi as I've never ridden one.

I liked the FJR, but was unsure what to buy, so I bought an '04 with low k's (like miles). My reasoning was, if I don't like it, I haven't put out a lot of cash, I'll just flog it and buy something else.

Now, every time I go for a ride, I come back with this stupid grin - the bike is excellent!

I've been riding for fifty years, this bike is the most fun I've ever had - and, sadly, my only source of fun

Go FJR!!

Al

 

[Armand]

Mike. What do U want out of your bike? I've never been on a Ninja, but I can't say I've seen one fully dressed with bags and a touring wind shield Did 1 1/2 yrs research on sport/touring bikes and the Ninja didn't appeared on the radar for long distance. Have 30 inseam also, but a set of Kubota lowering links took care of that. Ppl always tell me what a Great looking bike. Take the bags off and you have a pretty mean street machine. Want to do 8 hrs, the bike will eat up the miles.

https://2wheeltuesday.com/2009/06/yamaha-fjr-rider-john-ryan-breaks-record-for-traversing-north-america/

IMHO U have the best of both worlds with this bike.