Wide open sweepers or tight twisties

[Bokerfork]

Is it just me or do others find this troubling? Having a little over 150K miles total riding experience with a variety of bikes and over 35 years of on again off again experience, I can't get comfortable on the tight twisties. The Feej and I are like drawn butter on the wide sweepers but put us down a narrow canyon and everything feels wrong. I want to believe it's the bike; that it's more at home on the open road. But I want to know for sure. Is it the Feej? Or do I just need more practice in the canyons?

 

[El Toro]

Practice makes perfect, but lets face it ... the FJR is a sport TOURING kinda bike. It weighs close to 650 pounds, and its wheelbase is over 60 inches. It is not going to be at its best carving through switchbacks and decreasing radius turns.

Get a CBR600RR, or even a Kawasaki Ninjette (250), or a Ducati Hypermotard, and your practice will make perfect more quickly.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Personally, I enjoy the physical challenge of wrestling the big girl in the twisties. The FJR is not going to snap and rail, but if you do a lot of pre-positioning, brake extra-hard and extra-early, she will rail a Yamaha corner for you. The reward is when you hit it just right and get a front tire lift, pulling the reins around the apex with all that torque and sacrificing rear rubber.

Man!!! That's good stuff!

 

[Silver Penguin]

Yes please - to both wide open sweepers and tight twisties. Practice, practice then practice some more. The more you do it, the more fun it is (as the actress said to the Bishop).

Jill

 

[bikerskier]

I am extremely happy with my 05 (Wilburs shock and GP fork springs) in both sweepers and twisties. Just set up your ride differently in your head and find a ride rythym that gets you anticipating the turn in and man you will love the twisties. I am not saying it beats my VFR in twisty handling but its does a hell of a good job for its size and weight. And I'm north of 60!

 

[madmike2]

Hmmmmm....most of us had a real good time on Stewarts Point/Skaggs Spring Rd. last Saturday. :yahoo:

I mean, here we were in YOUR back yard and you didn't come out to play!?!?!? Take some lessons!?!?!?!

El Toro nailed one part of the equation, the FJR is a rather large vehicle. Jeff and Jill stated the other side of that coin: Technique and practice! As Jeff said, once you get the technique down and can navigate through tight stuff smoothly without actually "forcing" or "wrestling", it becomes more fun!

Maybe you just need to slow down a couple of "clicks" and find the "smooth" zone. Once you have that mastered, you can twist the right wrist a bit because you will know what the bike is going to do rather than trying to force it as you might be able to do with a smaller bike.

 

[Auburn]

My goal is to wear out a tire on the edges before the center. Only been able to do it twice. I like the tight twisties. You don't need to have alot of speed to have a lot of FUN!

Practice is the key

 

[HuskyRider]

Practice makes perfect, but lets face it ... the FJR is a sport TOURING kinda bike. It weighs close to 650 pounds, and its wheelbase is over 60 inches. It is not going to be at its best carving through switchbacks and decreasing radius turns.
Get a CBR600RR, or even a Kawasaki Ninjette (250), or a Ducati Hypermotard, and you're practice will make perfect more quickly.

+1 rode a 2008 hypermotard last weekend, what a blast on the tight twisties but sucked at highway speeds (My next bike for sure). The FJR will only earn you a crash club decal when pushed too hard, maybe some of you are proud to be a member? not me, I'll get the right tool for the job.

 

[UberKul]

Personally, I enjoy the physical challenge of wrestling the big girl in the twisties. The FJR is not going to snap and rail, but if you do a lot of pre-positioning, brake extra-hard and extra-early, she will rail a Yamaha corner for you. The reward is when you hit it just right and get a front tire lift, pulling the reins around the apex with all that torque and sacrificing rear rubber.
Man!!! That's good stuff!

Disclaimer; posting under the influence. :dribble:

Jeff for president!

There is nothing like the bars snapping to attention for a direction change which comes early and often! :yahoo:

Maybe you just need to slow down a couple of "clicks" and find the "smooth" zone. Once you have that mastered, you can twist the right wrist a bit because you will know what the bike is going to do rather than trying to force it as you might be able to do with a smaller bike.

So true, if the smooth won't come to you you have to go back for it. There are days that even with all the body-english this 195 lbs can muster, the Feej has been like trying to tip a Hummer.

Its Goat Trail Madness for you my friend, tight, twisty, bumpy crap only a masochist would love but damn good practice and confidence inspiring. Probably happening Oct this year depending on rides others put together.

 

[Niehart]

Jeff moves all over that bike in the corners. Fun to watch but hard to keep up ..

 

[NNorth]

Is it just me or do others find this troubling? Having a little over 150K miles total riding experience with a variety of bikes and over 35 years of on again off again experience, I can't get comfortable on the tight twisties. The Feej and I are like drawn butter on the wide sweepers but put us down a narrow canyon and everything feels wrong. I want to believe it's the bike; that it's more at home on the open road. But I want to know for sure. Is it the Feej? Or do I just need more practice in the canyons?

took me a few runs at first,not used to such a large bike, but was chasing the kids one day and finally just decided to do it! worked awesome!..thing is on rails for a tanker! give me the twisties! after a few weeks I can now run this as fast as my solo bike! Practice is all...

 

[J-DADDY]

Boker-

The FJR actually handles quite well considering the size/weight of the machine.

One thing that really perked up the handling of my '05 in tighter stuff was changing the suspension settings

as discussed earlier on this forum. I'm pretty sure the settings will be different for your '07 compared to the '05.

Do a quick search for yourself, incorporate the changes and you'll be amazed at the results, assuming your settings are in the "as delivered" mode.

Also, putting the rear suspension in the "hard" mode will help in the twisties.

Good luck and enjoy your ride!

JC

 

[Jagermeister]

Practice & Focus. Tight twisties require more of both.

Sweepers are my favorite, but twisties can also be fun, if I'm in the zone. If not, the frustration reminds me to get my mind back on the ride.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

Sweepers are my favorite, but twisties can also be fun, if I'm in the zone. If not, the frusteration reminds me to get my mind back on the ride.

+1. Some days ya got it, and some days you don't. I was amazed on my trip through the Blue Ridge Parkway that even during the same day after a break, I'd feel out of the groove and just had to settle back in. Just find the days when you're in the zone to push your comfort zone a little. The more time you can feel a LITTLE uncomfortable, you'll feel more comfortable with it. Keep on truckin'!

 

[noob]

well if you guys don't mind a vote from a wanna be fjr owner...

tight twisties for sure. ya just can't get leaned over enough in the sweepers if yer not close to (or in) triple digits... I love deals gap and surrounding roads. sweeeeeeeeet

 

[Big Sky]

My wife and I just rode 978 miles of every kind of twisted road in western Montana and Idaho Panhandle last weekend. Many curves posted at 45, 40, 35, 30 and even 25 and 20 mph. The Big Feej will do it, even fully loaded. We ran most of these at 15 to 20, sometimes 25 mph over; never had a sphincter clench. One stretch up to Elk City (where the pavement ends) and back was fantastic - 50 miles of curve after curve after curve. We hit a beautiful rhythm - did the Big Dance; a real tango. What exiliration! What all have said above is true, but I would add proper anticipation - set-up - for the turn entry is crucial; you must always look, think and act ahead of the time to initiate. Make your turn exit function as the set up for the next turn entry. Also what was said above: slow down to go fast - slow down until you get smooth, then notch it up. By the way, this weekend was the first time out on Pirelli Diablos. Great handling characteristics: neutral steering, very stable lines, confidence inspiring tires. Chicken strips barely 1/4 inch wide two-up with bags loaded. Only touched peg feelers, boot soles a couple of times.

 

[RenoJohn]

Personally, I enjoy the physical challenge of wrestling the big girl in the twisties. The FJR is not going to snap and rail, but if you do a lot of pre-positioning, brake extra-hard and extra-early, she will rail a Yamaha corner for you. The reward is when you hit it just right and get a front tire lift, pulling the reins around the apex with all that torque and sacrificing rear rubber.
Man!!! That's good stuff!

LOL fun stuff. and it certainly does sacrafice rear rubber when you get ride the fat girl that hard.
fun thread. You certainly can have fun with the bike in the tight stuff, but if you want to keep pace with more agile bikes you're going to work much harder than those pilots. Jeff and Uber's posts relate to that. I've wrestled the gal through all kinds of goat trails and while tequnique and familiarity with the gal will help ...it takes a hell of a lot of strenght to get that thing where you want it sometimes ...she is just a damn heavy bike. Those wheelies out of tight corners are silly fun and always make me smile. You really have to work yourself and the bike hard to keep (spirited) pace in the tight stuff, the rubber and brakes will be a smokin' ...and the rev-limiter is a common aquaintence.

Oh, and yes, the suspension does help a bit. Ohlin's rear and RaceTech front for me. Both are stiff as a honyemoon weiner (stole that from schmidty)

 

[James Burleigh]

I used to think the bike was the constraint in my (in-)ability to negotiate tight, technical twisties--till I rode with RsvlFeej. It's me. It's you. There are methods that can be learned. I recommend books and classes and practice.... Jb

 

[Daddydukes]

You want to try throwing something heavy around, take a K1200LT through the tight turns. That's nearly 900 pounds, but it sure handles great for a bike that big. Scrapped the sides of my boots on many a turn.

Having come off of that, I don't find the FJR as heavy as some of you do. I'm sure a sportsbike handles better, but I'm having a blast on this "light weight" bike.

My best suggestion is to keep your arms relaxed. Often when we get a little tense in the twisties our arms tighten up and that will really throw your timing off on a turn. Stay relaxed. If that means slowing down a little then do it. We're not riding on race tracks and don't know what's on the other side of that curve.

I've watched a video of a guy on a Goldwing blow the doors (metaphorically) off of sportbikes on the Dragon. Having taken a GXR 1000 around Virginia International Raceway, I can tell you, virtually every motorcycle has capabilities beyond most riders abilities. I would guess your problems with the tight turns are you and not the bike's ability, but that's nothing to worry about. Stay relaxed, slow down to your comfort level and practice. You will be amazed at your improvement.

Keith