blackarrow
Well-known member
I bought a new first generation Gold Wing in 1979 and have been riding it for 28 years. Obviously I love this motorcycle but it has been laid up increasing amounts of time trying to find parts, and when a repair is beyond me for lack of tools or whatever other reason it is also increasingly difficult to find a mechanic qualified and willing to do repairs.
With some sadness I came back into the market for a new motorcycle a few months ago. The sadness quickly turned to disappointment and even some resentment as I visited dealer after dealer and saw mostly cruisers with a smattering of sport bikes. Where did all the great, all around well balanced motorcycles go to? New Gold Wings are unparalleled for their specific purpose but they have evolved in a direction that is no longer desirable for my particular taste.
In a world of motorcycles forced into specific genres clearly the sport-touring category was my best (maybe only) fit. After a great deal of reading I decided on an FJR. My closest Yamaha dealer, Road, Track and Trail Cycles in Muskogee, had one on order and would call me when it came in. My resolve began to waver in the intervening months, but my wonderful wife insisted we go look at it a week ago Saturday. Troy, the owner, invited me to a test drive.
Well, you all know how the first ride on a FJR goes. I was absolutely stunned, almost speechless. The dealership was closing up so I had to wait until Monday to take delivery.
Monday morning I took delivery. During the ride home (only 40 miles or so) my knees began to ache, my right hand went through several cycles of numbness, and I found the buffeting and wind noise problematic (had 30-50 mph crosswinds). I knew beforehand these things could be problems from plenty of reading on this forum, and that break-in, fiddling, farkling, and adaptation eventually addresses all these issues. Well I had every intention of going back to work that afternoon, but needless to say, never made it. I just had to go out and ride! I'm very fortunate to live in the scenic Illinois River valley nestled in among the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. I'm surrounded by lots of great motorcycle roads. After being impressed by the prodigious power of the FJR, a couple of hundred miles of twisties revealed incredibly smooth, predictable, and stable handling. The end of the day found me washing bugs out of my beard. I was in quite a lot of pain, too, but nothing could wipe the legendary FJR grin from my face.
Tuesday it rained ferociously all day.
Wednesday I actually rode it to work for the first time. Revelation for the day was how easy it is to ride this very heavy and very powerful motorcycle at low speeds in stop in go traffic. The torque monster engine has absolutely no complaint when ridden slowly and sedately at low rpm. Handling is surprisingly light and imminently controllable at low speed. At a dead stop I need to be mindful. The comfortable stationary lean angles are narrower than my Gold Wing and when it starts to go it goes with a vengeance.
Thursday I rode back to Muskogee to tend some unfinished business. It was another very windy day and the high temperature was 51. The Vetter fairing from my Gold Wing spoiled me, and once again I found the buffeting and wind noise around my helmet annoying. My helmet tries to twist about quite a lot in the wind. The wind also moves and shakes my glasses. Even the chill was approaching uncomfortable levels. For a reference point, I'm six feet tall. Probably this fall, when the weather turns cold again, I'll opt for a larger aftermarket windshield. I bought a face shield for my helmet and that helped quite a lot. I moved the seat to the high position and it helped my knees significantly. They still hurt quite a bit after only fifty miles or so but it's not the searing pain it was initially. I don't fault the FJR on this point, obviously I have bad knees. If need be, eventually, I'll lower the pegs, but hopefully it won't come to that. I'm optimistic in my belief the FJR is breaking me in even as I am breaking it in. It takes a little while for the body to adjust to a new riding position, at least for those of us having lost the flower of youth (I'm 54). Later that afternoon, riding back from work, I just couldn't make myself go straight home and had to go out and ride. How glorious! It's been awhile since I've had this much fun and I'm relishing every moment.
Friday I spoke at an honors and awards assembly at the university. All through the assembly I kept pleasurably anticipating riding off into the cool clear night at the end. After the assembly I rode out with one of the vice presidents. He has a Harley with loud pipes. After a few miles I just couldn't take it anymore so I waved, smiled, and left him in the dust. His Harley brought the phrase "great sound and fury, signifying nothing" into my mind. There's a quality I love about the FJR that I don't quite know how to express. It is an exquisite combination of confident quiet understated elegance with barrier breaking capability in every performance category. About as far away from a Harley with loud pipes as you can get.
Saturday was beautiful and found me circumnavigating several area lakes. I experimented a lot with windshield position and riding postures. Let me tell you the bugs around here ought to be registered as lethal weapons. After nearly thirty years behind a barn door fairing when a bumblebee hits my helmet at speed it sounds like a close range gun shot and startles the daylights out of me. My right hand only keeps going numb. The only difference from the left I can figure are the throttle body cables. I wouldn't have thought they would transmit that much vibration, but who knows? Maybe I have to grip it harder because of the throttle return springs.
This morning being Sunday brings us to a full week. Revelation for the day was speed (what else?). Being surrounded by a lot of hilly two lane roads I really appreciate the FJR's superb passing power. My first pass was a modest fifth gear roll on from about fifty and I was shocked when pulling back into my lane to be doing eighty five, in seemingly no time flat, and with such smoothness I never even noticed. Today I yielded to temptation to go into triple digit territory briefly, and was astonished at how stable, planted, and capable the FJR was at high speed.
At the end of the week my concise four word description of the FJR: stupendously powerful, stunningly civilized.
With some sadness I came back into the market for a new motorcycle a few months ago. The sadness quickly turned to disappointment and even some resentment as I visited dealer after dealer and saw mostly cruisers with a smattering of sport bikes. Where did all the great, all around well balanced motorcycles go to? New Gold Wings are unparalleled for their specific purpose but they have evolved in a direction that is no longer desirable for my particular taste.
In a world of motorcycles forced into specific genres clearly the sport-touring category was my best (maybe only) fit. After a great deal of reading I decided on an FJR. My closest Yamaha dealer, Road, Track and Trail Cycles in Muskogee, had one on order and would call me when it came in. My resolve began to waver in the intervening months, but my wonderful wife insisted we go look at it a week ago Saturday. Troy, the owner, invited me to a test drive.
Well, you all know how the first ride on a FJR goes. I was absolutely stunned, almost speechless. The dealership was closing up so I had to wait until Monday to take delivery.
Monday morning I took delivery. During the ride home (only 40 miles or so) my knees began to ache, my right hand went through several cycles of numbness, and I found the buffeting and wind noise problematic (had 30-50 mph crosswinds). I knew beforehand these things could be problems from plenty of reading on this forum, and that break-in, fiddling, farkling, and adaptation eventually addresses all these issues. Well I had every intention of going back to work that afternoon, but needless to say, never made it. I just had to go out and ride! I'm very fortunate to live in the scenic Illinois River valley nestled in among the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. I'm surrounded by lots of great motorcycle roads. After being impressed by the prodigious power of the FJR, a couple of hundred miles of twisties revealed incredibly smooth, predictable, and stable handling. The end of the day found me washing bugs out of my beard. I was in quite a lot of pain, too, but nothing could wipe the legendary FJR grin from my face.
Tuesday it rained ferociously all day.
Wednesday I actually rode it to work for the first time. Revelation for the day was how easy it is to ride this very heavy and very powerful motorcycle at low speeds in stop in go traffic. The torque monster engine has absolutely no complaint when ridden slowly and sedately at low rpm. Handling is surprisingly light and imminently controllable at low speed. At a dead stop I need to be mindful. The comfortable stationary lean angles are narrower than my Gold Wing and when it starts to go it goes with a vengeance.
Thursday I rode back to Muskogee to tend some unfinished business. It was another very windy day and the high temperature was 51. The Vetter fairing from my Gold Wing spoiled me, and once again I found the buffeting and wind noise around my helmet annoying. My helmet tries to twist about quite a lot in the wind. The wind also moves and shakes my glasses. Even the chill was approaching uncomfortable levels. For a reference point, I'm six feet tall. Probably this fall, when the weather turns cold again, I'll opt for a larger aftermarket windshield. I bought a face shield for my helmet and that helped quite a lot. I moved the seat to the high position and it helped my knees significantly. They still hurt quite a bit after only fifty miles or so but it's not the searing pain it was initially. I don't fault the FJR on this point, obviously I have bad knees. If need be, eventually, I'll lower the pegs, but hopefully it won't come to that. I'm optimistic in my belief the FJR is breaking me in even as I am breaking it in. It takes a little while for the body to adjust to a new riding position, at least for those of us having lost the flower of youth (I'm 54). Later that afternoon, riding back from work, I just couldn't make myself go straight home and had to go out and ride. How glorious! It's been awhile since I've had this much fun and I'm relishing every moment.
Friday I spoke at an honors and awards assembly at the university. All through the assembly I kept pleasurably anticipating riding off into the cool clear night at the end. After the assembly I rode out with one of the vice presidents. He has a Harley with loud pipes. After a few miles I just couldn't take it anymore so I waved, smiled, and left him in the dust. His Harley brought the phrase "great sound and fury, signifying nothing" into my mind. There's a quality I love about the FJR that I don't quite know how to express. It is an exquisite combination of confident quiet understated elegance with barrier breaking capability in every performance category. About as far away from a Harley with loud pipes as you can get.
Saturday was beautiful and found me circumnavigating several area lakes. I experimented a lot with windshield position and riding postures. Let me tell you the bugs around here ought to be registered as lethal weapons. After nearly thirty years behind a barn door fairing when a bumblebee hits my helmet at speed it sounds like a close range gun shot and startles the daylights out of me. My right hand only keeps going numb. The only difference from the left I can figure are the throttle body cables. I wouldn't have thought they would transmit that much vibration, but who knows? Maybe I have to grip it harder because of the throttle return springs.
This morning being Sunday brings us to a full week. Revelation for the day was speed (what else?). Being surrounded by a lot of hilly two lane roads I really appreciate the FJR's superb passing power. My first pass was a modest fifth gear roll on from about fifty and I was shocked when pulling back into my lane to be doing eighty five, in seemingly no time flat, and with such smoothness I never even noticed. Today I yielded to temptation to go into triple digit territory briefly, and was astonished at how stable, planted, and capable the FJR was at high speed.
At the end of the week my concise four word description of the FJR: stupendously powerful, stunningly civilized.
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