What is the best model year in your opinion?

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THE *******!!!
Aha!!!! Something we can all agree on..... :blink:

AANNNDDD....he is YOUR ******* stepson. :bleh:

:rofl:
Point well taken! Si, mi Amigo MM2, it is just my own personal cross to bear. Sigh!

 
05 ABS....keeps me nice and toasty all winter long LMAO
Mmmmmm, my brain hurts and wants to know....which parts of you? :eek:

Do the math Mikey, you're a smart man LOL
Mike, I already have received a phone call this morning from ShinyPartsUp, wanting to know what parts Barb was referring to. With your being a Man of the World and all, you probably don't need help with this; but, you have my phone number if you do!

 
+1 - to the '04- '05. as the best bang for the buck

May we call you Scotty?

I'm figuring that you must be Scottish since:

a ) You say you toss the caber.

b ) Your original post specifically asks "What year would give me the best bang for the buck?" revealing your inner frugal nature. ;)

No you may not call me Scotty.I have just a drop of Scottish blood.Just enough to make me some what frugal.

The good news is that the 1st gens were sold under the PDP, meaning the original owners had to order them from dealers sight unseen. Many of these owners found out later that they really aren't the "touring" type of rider they had hoped they'd be, and so didn't put many miles on them. It isn't all that unusual to find an '04 or '05 bike with less than 20k miles on it.

What do you mean by not the type of touring bike they thought it was?Are we talking comfort levels of varying types from different model years or were they expecting say a goldwing type bike?
 
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What do you mean by not the type of touring bike they thought it was?Are we talking comfort levels of varying types from different model years or were they expecting say a goldwing type bike?
Not like a Wing or even better, an Ultra. Not as cushy. Pillion seat not as nice. Not as many on-board factory farkles.

 
Avoid Gen II bikes, IMHO they have electrical grounding problems. stick with Gen I, probabl2004. I had a 2005 with no problems, have 2006 AE and several electrical failures.

 
+1 - to the '04- '05. as the best bang for the buck

May we call you Scotty?

I'm figuring that you must be Scottish since:

a ) You say you toss the caber.

b ) Your original post specifically asks "What year would give me the best bang for the buck?" revealing your inner frugal nature. ;)
No you may not call me Scotty.I have just a drop of Scottish blood.Just enough to make me some what frugal.
Ok so Scotty it is then, :evilsmiley03:

The good news is that the 1st gens were sold under the PDP, meaning the original owners had to order them from dealers sight unseen. Many of these owners found out later that they really aren't the "touring" type of rider they had hoped they'd be, and so didn't put many miles on them. It isn't all that unusual to find an '04 or '05 bike with less than 20k miles on it.
What do you mean by not the type of touring bike they thought it was?Are we talking comfort levels of varying types from different model years or were they expecting say a goldwing type bike?

What I meant is the buyers didn't get whatever it was they expected. Some may have wanted a sportier SPORTtouring bike. Others may have wanted a more touring oriented sportTOURING bike, or maybe just a smaller Gold Wang? I didn't mean to infer that there was anything particularly wrong with the FJR. It is a great platform. Not without warts, mind you, but still great overall.

I just think that there will always be a percentage of people that will be disappointed when they finally do get to experience riding a bike that they bought without a test ride.

 
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What the Hell's wrong with Scotty! :p

Gen I, Gen II, or hopefully Gen III in a year or two. I suspect buyers remorse is the exception, not the norm.

 
The best year? Why the 2011, of course, complete with stock *****-grips! :evil:

 
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Dude, take a few moments out of your life (ya I know you will never get it back) to read some of these Gen I guys post before you decide to join the fray.

They have no hair left on their legs (either burnt it off riding or shaved off by choice)

They replace motorcycle rubber with car tires, yet still talk about how fast their Gen I's will go. Next will be the FJR trike conversion because the frail bodies are having a difficult time holding up a 2 wheeler, even on a car tire, do you really need to put your feet down at stops? Of course the Trike will have to be a Gen I, cuz it's fastest!

Not to mention they just angry in general...

If any of that interests you, you might have found your answer. :devilsmiley:

 
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Life is trade-offs and nothing is perfect. My Gen 1 05 does get warm. No hair burnt off of my legs and the boys are just fine thanks for asking. I rode with a Gen II guy on a summer day and was amazed at how cool his tank was while mine was hot! That said, I would not trade some heat for the electrical, ECU, and other problems I've read about with the Gen IIs. I'm still amazed how Yamaha can take a bike, fix the only major problem with it, and give it problems it didn't have in the first place!

I would like a 6th gear (overdrive); I'd like to not wonder in the back of my mind if ol Matilda will start to tick one of these days; I'd like a gas tank that didn't heat up in hot wx (how come it doesn't heat up in cold wx?) - but then I'd miss that wonderful feeling of filling the tank from 1/4 full on a hot day, that coolness between the legs is a wonderful thing!; I'd like stock heated grips; I'm happy having the faster Gen FJR; I'd love a cruise control. All of that said and comparing the +/- of Gen I and II, I'm happy with Matilda and don't see the advantage of moving from I to II. Now, if Matilda expires I will have to more carefully consider a Gen II, but if asked right now I'd try and find a low mileage 05!

I agree with Fred, either Gen with its warts is still a great bike.

 
FWIW on the tank heat "issue". When I stuck my Bagster tank cover on the bike it became a complete non-issue. Since then I can't feel any tank heat at all. The Bagster may not appeal to everyone style wise, but it is a function over form thing.

I also went ahead (more recently) and made an insulating blanket to go between the tank and engine, but I honestly couldn't feel any difference.

My lower legs don't get that hot because I've done the simple and cheap heat mods detailed elsewhere. Very easy.

As Jim said, I wouldn't trade the 1st gen "heat issues" for the 2nd gens electrical unreliability.

 
FWIW on the tank heat "issue". When I stuck my Bagster tank cover on the bike it became a complete non-issue. Since then I can't feel any tank heat at all. The Bagster may not appeal to everyone style wise, but it is a function over form thing.
I also went ahead (more recently) and made an insulating blanket to go between the tank and engine, but I honestly couldn't feel any difference.

My lower legs don't get that hot because I've done the simple and cheap heat mods detailed elsewhere. Very easy.

As Jim said, I wouldn't trade the 1st gen "heat issues" for the 2nd gens electrical unreliability.
+1, Gunny! I picked up my 2003 FJR "Miss Lucy Liu" in September of 2002. In May of 2003 I went with the Dale "Warchild" Wilson heat insulating blanket modification per his exact instructions. With the heat blanket and a tank bag on Lucy, the 1st gen heat issue is totally gone! No more than any other water cooled four cylinder in the Phoenix Summer with our 121F degree high temperatures!!!

Two Salient Points: 1) Fred W is usually always correct. 2) RadioHowie is not necessarily wrong, I think confused is a much better description. Syphilis contracted from Manatee *** is a very ugly thing!

 
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I'm used to the heat.I ride an 85 FJ now and it is HOT.Had a rep for it way back then.It was suggested to get a bigger oil cooler because it runs so hot.Never did and never have had any trouble except heat stroke in the summer if you are not doing 100 MPH.

 
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