Ultimate Sport Tourer

[Just Plain Dave]

Suggestions for the ultimate replacement?

Try a warmer state. It's on it's way to 75 degrees today.

I just finished 90 miles through the Hill Country in a tee shirt. And pants of course.

Thought I'd better close that door.

 

[Bounce]

Suggestions for the ultimate replacement?

Widder heated gear!

 

[Vulcan]

$30 for heated grips goes a long way towards making it always comfortable to ride.

Thanks for the link.....I had been looking for just such a controller. Placed my order today.

 

[JSimon]

The biggest problem I have in the cold is keeping my hands warm, you can bundle up to keep pretty much everything in check. On my FZ6 that is, haven't gotten the FJR yet, I'm sure it will only get better. The only real issue with the 6 is the wind, as light as it is you get whipped around a bit. Too bad Yamaha doesn't sell hard bags for it.

JS

 

[Windjammer]

After 75 miles of good snowmobiling you're sweating like a pig and wiped out for the day.

I ride snowmobile in Michigan's U.P. - and actually prefer if the wealther is cold when doing so. Between -10F and +10F is perfect. No electric clothing used, although the sled gives better wind protection for my legs compared to FJR. And I'm not bragging, but we regularly do 350+ mile days on the sleds, no problem. Heated grips on the sled are important, as we are riding between 45 and 80 mph on average.

How to stay warm on the FJR? Cold weather clothing has come a long way, it's not nearly as bulky these days and keeps you warmer. Warm clothing and heated gloves or grips should do it on the bike. I tend to avoid the bike when it's freezing out because it has no carbide runners, and lacks a 15" wide rubber track.

 

[Groo]

I put on a set of VSTROM handguards a la the FJRTech article, and they seem to be doing the trick in terms of keeping my hands warm sans electrics of any sort....

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

I would give up some wired up stuff myself. Does the ultimate sport tourer include all the trimmings of a full dressed touring bike, or does the sport tourer sacrafice some of that for the sporting side of it?

I know my BMW had no farkles. Not a one. No heated grips and I rode for 4 hours from Susanville, CA over Donner Pass to Orangevale in December with my riding gear on and I never got cold. It was 26 degrees at its coldest. Highway speeds.

I guess if I have to give up plugging every possible electrified farkle in, or if I have to be selective in the products that I buy, I'll put up with it to ride the FJR instead of the BMW's that I didn't like so much.

Others might not make the same choice as me...that's why we have choices

UST? FJR

 

[Ignacio]

I ride snowmobile in Michigan's U.P. - and actually prefer if the wealther is cold when doing so. Between -10F and +10F is perfect. No electric clothing used, although the sled gives better wind protection for my legs compared to FJR. And I'm not bragging, but we regularly do 350+ mile days on the sleds, no problem. Heated grips on the sled are important, as we are riding between 45 and 80 mph on average.

Little different where I sled in Priest Lake, Northern Idaho. You can spend an hour trying to make it a mile up to the top of some ridge line at 7,000 feet even with a 156" track, and longest day I rode was 92 miles. Only about 25 degrees so it was too damn warm.

I agree grips on a sled are the trick. For the FJR it seems like a waste of watts that a set of V-Strom handguards fix....leaving that precious juice for the Widders.

 

[Toecutter]

I put on a set of VSTROM handguards a la the FJRTech article, and they seem to be doing the trick in terms of keeping my hands warm sans electrics of any sort....

For the FJR it seems like a waste of watts that a set of V-Strom handguards fix....

 

[Ramblin Man]

https://www.hi-z.com/websit07.htm

check it out.

 

[designeraccd]

On my '03 FJR during the Winter I had it my Gerbing electric gear kept me tolerably warm for riding @ 2 hours or so in 20 degree weather. Not as warm as my GL1800 had kept me, but acceptable. Of course IF the new one has rectified the heat problem my '03 had maybe I won't be as warm...and therefore, hopefully, my '06 will stick around for years to come! DFO <_<

 

[nusman68]

-doesn't sound like you'll really be 'at peace' with the FJR; perhaps you should keep it, but add a 'Wing to the stable, because remember:

Powerful, 1300-watt alternator uses a dual-damper system to minimize alternator noise.

direct from Honda's website...

 

[ripdaddy]

I use a pair of Burton ski/snowboard mittens. They have individual finger pockets within the mitten so you maintain some dexterity, and a pocket on the outside that holds a chemical handwarmer. Effective for up to 4 hours at temps as low as the high 30's.

 

[Mogan]

So, 100% of our bretheren would not pick any bike other than the FJR for sport touring even if price were no object?

Really?

What about the new beemer GT. It has 945watts of alternator power, the big motor, awesome brakes, electronic cruise, etc. etc.

 

[Ignacio]

So, 100% of our bretheren would not pick any bike other than the FJR for sport touring even if price were no object?

If price were no object? Simple then. I would have an FJR, a K1200GT, a hangar full of other motorcycles, cars, my own personal jet, and a 6' tall hot amazon blonde as my personal aide.

But, back in the real world, the GT is a great bike.......just not worth $19K of my dollars when I can have a comparable bike for $14K. Throw in the other reality of somebody to work the harder stuff only 40 miles away vs. a small fortune 200+ miles away.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Having never used either one, I gotta ask...heated gloves AND heated grips???? Shouldn't one or the other do the job adequately? I have neither, just warm gloves, glove liners (easy to carry along in a pocket in case I need a little extra), and the relatively inexpensive and ever popular V-Strom handguards. So, do you really need both?? I must be missing something.

 

[Toecutter]

So, 100% of our bretheren would not pick any bike other than the FJR for sport touring even if price were no object?
Really?

I don't know about 100%, but I never even looked at Beemers. Was thinking about a 'wing, checked out the ST1300, discovered the FJR, done shopping. Price (or non-Japanese bikes) never entered the equation. I liked Cerulean better than Galaxy Blue, so I bought a used one.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

I don't know about 100%, but price was no object for me. If I liked another bike better, I would have bought it.

 

[FJRocha]

I don't know about 100%, but price was no object for me. If I liked another bike better, I would have bought it.

+1

 

[Pacman]

What bike wins these days?

I'd like the flexibility to ride at night (with HIDs) when it's cold (with full electric clothing). The FJR just won't do it.

Suggestions for the ultimate replacement?

Why don't you tell us? You've got two of the top picks and can't figure it out? <_< BTW, at night when it's cold.... I get in my car....