Torn - Need Advice on FJR or Other

[Graham Downunder]

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

That is a very good suggestion. Mine would be buy second hand FJR ride it for a year or so then test ride a second hand Ninga and see if it impresses you enough to part with the money . FJR will run for a long time and have a much higher quality than Kawasaki IMO . My mate is short and has got ride of his Triumph GT ( he has had about 6 Triumphs in 3 years ) and bought a Ninga . I never found any of the Triumphs comfortable yet he did . The Ninga I have only sat on and it feels lighter and I could easly ride it for a 6 hours but the FJR I have I road for 17 hours from where I bought it to home . Around town the Ninga would probably be a better bike because of weight ,but the FJR is something you can live with for years and ride distance so it is up to you but we all get older

 

[J. Parrie]

Buy them both and sell the one that collects dust.

 

[majicmaker]

Buy them both and sell the one that collects dust.

Damn! This man is a Freakin' Poet. :dirol: :drag: :good:

 

[East coast Rob]

Dude, buy the Ninja it's an awesome bike. Lots of guys here have had bad ass sport bikes at one time "many still do" but when the FJR bug hits you'll know it. The FJR is a bad ass sport bike as well just more refined.

 

[someguy]

https://static.blogo.it/motoblog/kawasaki-z1000sx-2011-foto-ufficiali/big_7kawasaki_z1000sx_2011_08.jpg

found this pic...

i've never been on the Ninja...

it's an interesting option.

i have 30 inch inseam and have no prob on the stock FJR...

and having sat on a sargent seat, seemed even better as the seat edges drop off differently.

came from a VFR (along with a long long list of various other bikes)

for me, the FJR is truly the ultimate do it all machine...

it commutes beautifully, i find it light on it's feet and have no problem aroun town.

it will do long road with ease

and it will carve the twisties with amazing confidence

the build quality is exceptional.

the ninja is sexier... but that's about where it ends for me...

maybe maybe maybe someone will let you ride theirs...

if you find yourself in SE tennessee, you can take mine for a spin... seriously.

 

[Steel_Gin]

I am 5'8" with a 30" inseam and thought the same thing you did, it's too high even when the seat is all the way down. I have read in this forum over the months people shorter than me and shorter inseam are riding the FJR with no issues. My attitude was if they can do it so can I. I'd say my foot is about 2/3s flat and I can move the bike around fine in the garage or parking lot when sitting on it. My biggest worry, there are a couple slippery spots on the garage floor; Doesn't matter if you are 5'7" or 7', if your foot slips or you step in a pot hole and the bike leans that extra degree or two than normal she is going down. Then it's a matter of what is damaged more your pride or the bike.

Just to clarify, the pothole mishap didn't take place on my FJR but there was an audiance. :glare:

Jump on the FJR and ride it for 100,000 miles.

 

[Fred W]

While both bikes are technically "sport touring" machines, they definitely occupy opposite ends of the spectrum, with the Kawi being more towards sport and the Feejer more towards touring. So what it really comes down to is what will you be doing on the bike?

If you'll be doing primarily day rides with maybe an overnighter thrown in then I could see someone being very happy with the Ninja. But for any longer distance touring, like week long (or longer) vacation rides away, the FJR would be the tool of choice for me.

I'm sure that you could adjust the riding position to whatever you desire on either bike, but the FJR just starts out more comfortable. The FJR has more faring protection, which is important if you'd be riding in inclement, or cold weather, but also makes the bike feel hotter in the deep south in mid summer. And a bullet proof drive shaft is nice to have if you plan on covering major miles at a whack. Also, if you ever intend on carrying a passenger, the FJR winds that hands down.

OTOH, the weight difference of the two bikes is pretty big. So if your primary goal is strafing the corners one up in the twisties, you may be happier with the lighter, smaller Ninja. I've never been a big fan of Kawasakis in general, having owned a couple in the past. I always though that they were more crudely engineered and poorly assembled. But that probably has more to do with my perceptions of the bikes I owned than any general truth.

 

[FJR Bill]

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!

You wrote "...for around town trips."... Personally I think the Ninja and FJR are total overkill for this type of driving. You don't need nor will you use the high performance of these two bikes. I vastly prefer my Ninjette 250 to my FJR for around town use. For you desiring power yet comfort I believe you'd do well looking at a Bandit. Buy a aftermarket screen, some bags and you have an upright bike much lighter than the FJR but just as comfortable for city rides and equally powerful. I think the Bandit is severe overkill too but its light, well priced, and the engine is bullet proof. Don't think I'll convince you to buy a Ninjette, but its my around town bike of choice.

Bill

 

[150Fuelie]

Taking a second look at the type of riding you do, pick up an FZ-1 and get some soft bags for it.

 

[kamal]

That is a very good suggestion. Mine would be buy second hand FJR ride it for a year or so then test ride a second hand Ninga and see if it impresses you enough to part with the money . FJR will run for a long time and have a much higher quality than Kawasaki IMO . My mate is short and has got ride of his Triumph GT ( he has had about 6 Triumphs in 3 years ) and bought a Ninga . I never found any of the Triumphs comfortable yet he did . The Ninga I have only sat on and it feels lighter and I could easly ride it for a 6 hours but the FJR I have I road for 17 hours from where I bought it to home . Around town the Ninga would probably be a better bike because of weight ,but the FJR is something you can live with for years and ride distance so it is up to you but we all get older

Graham.

What's a Ninga? Must be an Aussie model

"Sorry"

Al

 

[pktan]

Very interesting topic here, I am actually considering the samething. either Z100SX or FJR1300.

I am riding Honda CB400 for 5years now, time to upgrade, been looking around, and there are a lot of options, personally I prefer sport tourer.

In Singapore, we have couple of highway, but all limit to 90KM/H. From one end to another end of the island, it only took 45mins.. :lol: The only touring option we have is ride up to Malaysia, Thailand or further.

I am looking for something I can ride within the city as well as do a bit of touring; Having this in mind, I am looking for: -

1. Big gas tank (I need something to last me a week at least)

2. Good FC 16KM/L or more

3. Wind Shield

4. Top box, not really fancy side box as I ride in city most of the time, and I need to squeeze through cars a lot.

5. low maintenance

6. Touring capability (ride from Singapore across Malaysia and right to Thailand, around 800KM)

Z1000SX vs FJR1300

1. 19L tank (very small) vs 24L

2. 15-16KM/L (I am ok with this) vs 19KM/L (WOW)

3. Manual vs Electronic (ok with either one, but FJR have more coverage)

4. Side box cost SG$1800 vs standard for FJR (I will install top box on either one, anyway)

5. Chain vs Shaft (no brainer)

6. Both should be good but I can sit like a king on FJR for sure

Cost (in SGD)

Z100SX (29,000 OTR)

24,800 (Machine) + 7% GST (Tax) + 2,000 (Tax) + 1,200 (Insurance) + 260 (Road Tax) + 1,800 (side boxes)

FJR1300 (33,000 OTR)

27,200 (Machine) + 7% GST (Tax) + 2,000 (Tax) + 800-1,000 (Insurance) + 300 (Road Tax)

So the price different is about SG$ 4,000.

Although the FJR not as good looking as Z1000SX, but the build quality is much better.

Honestly, I already have my mind set, now, left only 1 question...

This question is...

...

...

...

...

What color?? :yahoo:

 

[Pepperell]

To the OP; Ninja. My neighbor across the street has put a zillion miles on his, seldom rides for less than a day. His motto: BRP (Back Roads Period). He rode his out to Colorado and back traveling on less than 50 miles of Interstate. Fit and finish of cosmetic parts is not the greatest, but Kawasaki mechanicals have proven themselves to be durable.

On either bike you can have a custom seat made that can alter the position for you. Where you don't plan on much multi-state travel, the Ninja should be fine. I commute about 10 miles to work, and the FJR is rather bulky for short run stuff. Most of my non-commute miles are 2 up, and tend to be 4 to 8 hour runs. I also tow a trailer for camping trips, so the FJR lends itself well to this task.

Good luck on whatever you choose.

 

[Geezer]

Back when I bought my FJR I had similar needs to what you are looking for. I wanted something that went fast, could carry my laptop back and forth to work, and I also wanted minimal maintenance which led me to fuel injection and shaft drive. This was to be primarily my commuter bike.

Well, once I decided on the FJR and put a few tanks of fuel through it I quickly became a long distance rider and have been all over the country on it. What I'm saying is that if you decide on the FJR, I doubt you will be able to confine yourself to only NY state.

 

[150Fuelie]

How carbon covered are those hard bags going to get with that funky looking exhaust shooting right at them?

 

[roger dodger]

I rode the Kawi during a Good Times test ride and thought 'what a hoot'! Light, quick, firm on everything (especially the seat). Then after 20+ miles of local highways and byways, I got back on my FJR and rode home. I immediately felt comfortable w/ the higher bars, wider seat, and smooth (not as zippy) power.

I own an old KZ1000 and a friend asked me to come for a visit (in ND). Then a rally came up, and a friend said 'meet me in St Louis' and I bailed on both of them. I moved to Sport Touring (Connie/FJR) and hardly ride the KZ much over 100 miles on a good weekend. It seems like a great 'city bike'. But when I need to cross states (went to Boston in 2011) I know the FJR works better than anything I've tried. YMMV

 

[live to ride]

You are deftl. looking at two diffrent bikes thats forsure. Of course we all are going to say the FJR is the best choice as its one of the greatest bikes ever produced. At one time I was in the same boat as you torn between sport and touring. So now I ride the FJR for all my long trips and I oppted for the 06 zx14. Its a great bike also and still gives that sport bike feel. So maybe an option is, instead of one new bike, 2 used bikes!!(thats what I did..lol)

Cheers..

 

[Aasland]

To pktan:

Having visited your part of the world (Indonesia, Malaysia, Tailand, Taiwan), and "forced" to pick between the two, I'd pick the Z1000. Besides the issues you listed, the FJR puts out serious heat with awesome weather protection. Both of these items are 100% undesirable in your part of the world (unless it is raining). I can't imagine a worse punishment than having to negotiate Singapore/Jakarta/Kaula Lumpur traffic on a hot heavy throttle-lurchy FJR1300.

But .. I think either bike is overkill. While I understand that you will be a 'king' on either bike compared to the millions of scooters in your mix, you don't have the wide open spaces where that power can be used or appreciated. In your shoes, I would rather consider a DL650. It is much lighter, much simpler, much more nimble, much more airflow, longer gas range, smoother throttle, suspension to handle rougher roads, and less expensive. It has half the power of the FJR/Z1000 but you would rarely use the upper half anyway.

 

[Aasland]

To the OP:

If the Ninja 1000 were available when I was shopping for a bike, and the insurance wasn't excessive, I would have purchased one instead of the FJR1300.

I'm not saying the FJR is a "bad" bike - it's just that I like something lighter and sportier rather than heavier and tourier.

I would trade now if I could, but I have too many miles and too many broken gears to sell the FJR as it is (plus it's the wife's turn to buy the next bike ... THEN I get save for another one). In the meantime, I'm still enjoying the FJR. It's not like I hate riding it.

 

[DennisJ]

Hi, I'm 5'11" and ~165 pounds, Haven't ridden a large Ninja, rode a small one during Safety

Training classes.

FJR has the handling, brakes, range that fill my needs pretty closely. Read all the reviews I could find -not many out there, hung out on the forums and read everything good and bad that was said. Sat on the FJR, the Honda offering in 2010 and a couple of cruiser types just to see. FJR was my choice by a wide margin. Live in the Seattle area so I do a lot of riding in damp/wet conditions. Haven't had any concerns so far. On original Bridgestone 021 rear, replaced the front with a 023 GT at 7500 miles. Still had a couple of thousand miles left but hit a sale and knew I was going to be doing some 500 mile day trips and didn't want tire condition to be a worry. Run 2 pounds higher than inflation pressure shown on swing arm. Adjusted the suspension early when I found the suspension setup guide by HaulingAshe. Very happy with my choice. Dennis

 

[carlson_mn]

From all the videos of SE Asia I've seen I would take a VStrom 650 over an FJR for sure...