Yamaha`s better kept secret

[Kromm]

i do like the fact that even people who seem to have a knowlege of bikes still have to ask, "what is it?" which leads me to a question, what does the beautiful logo stand for on the tank? it looks like tuning forks to me? (musical) sport touring seemed a logical step for me. i am thrilled to still be riding in dec. here in idaho!!!!!!

They are tuning forks.. Clicky They make top of the line sound equipment also.

 

[DaveInMn]

Good thread. Lotsa good ideas and theories...

I bought my FJR last spring. I was currently riding my old trusty '94 BMW R1100RS and an '06 Roadliner S, but wanted a more spirited option. The Beemer and Roadliner run well, but a performance hole in my lineup needed to be filled (my rationalization at the time).

I couldn't be more satisfied with my decision. Although the FJR easily eclipses the Beemer in performance, the Beemer still has its place for me. Excellent handling, comfortable and very good performance. Also, it only costs me about $100/yr to license and insurance. The Roadliner, of course, is a different animal. Another excellent ride though. Super handler (for a cruiser), gobs of torque, very comfortable. Best of all, great fun to ride. I feel very fortunate to have these three options when I decide to go for a day trip or longer ride.

Another benefit from having these three is the in all my rides within about 100 (or so) miles from where I live over the last couple of years, I have only met/passed/been passed by 1 other FJR and 1 Roadliner. Having 3 excellent bikes that are unique in the area is another plus for me.

 

[jerome burley]

thanks kromm, i like the fact their logo expands such dimentions!

 

[beacher]

OTOH, in the 6 months that I've had my bike, I've had 4 guys stop me in the Safeway, and ask "Is that your FJR out front? Beautiful bike!", which of course, lead to fairly long discussions. . . So it seems as though the word is gettin' around.

 

[Fred W]

The other thing to keep in mind is that "Sport Touring" is a general term encompassing a range of motorcycle tools. I would say that the FJR (some snippage)... fills a narrow sliver of the application spectrum. Lucky for me, I fall into that sliver.

Well, sliver me timbers! Good one Fred! irate:

Arrrrgh, matey. irate:

(Guess today must be "talk like a pirate Saturday". I must'a missed the announcement. )

 

[Fred W]

I bought my FJR last spring. I was currently riding my old trusty '94 BMW R1100RS and an '06 Roadliner S, but wanted a more spirited option. The Beemer and Roadliner run well, but a performance hole in my lineup needed to be filled (my rationalization at the time).
I couldn't be more satisfied with my decision. Although the FJR easily eclipses the Beemer in performance, the Beemer still has its place for me. Excellent handling, comfortable and very good performance. Also, it only costs me about $100/yr to license and insurance.

I'm glad to hear that you (were smart enough to) kept the RS. I wish that I had (I wasn't so smart). I also had a 94.

I had just finally sorted out the surging problems at the same time that I had it up for sale. I did get a good price for it, so I can't complain, but that was a very capable, good handling ST bike. I wish I had that now so I could ride it on 1-up days and for my (lighter) son to ride when we tour together. But I sold mine in the quest for 4 cylinder smoothness. Bought an '01 Concourse,

which lasted only a few months, and then finally upgraded to the FJR, which has been a "keeper".

If is was an either - or situation, I'd still take the FJR any day of the week. But as an adjunct, I miss my telelever / paralever RS boxer oilhead.

 

[str8]

When I ordered my FJR from the dealer last February they all looked at me like I was from a different planet.

 

[fjrboomer]

I bought my FJR 12-4-07. It was one of two the dealer had left and the 08's were not due for another month or two. I got a better price on it and love it. The day I picked it up a friend on a Goldwing took me to get it. We rode 150 miles that afternoon and I was going easy on it for break in. He was amazed that I could leave him in the curves. He thought maybe he should get one but he has not.

I have only seen two other FJR's since I bought mine and both passed me on the highway so had no opportunity to talk to either one of them. I also get the response by people "Isn't that one of those sport bikes? What do you want to do kill yourself". I tell them that it is a sport tourer but that does not mean anything to them. So I tell them it is not my plan to kill myself but if it happens they will know I died happy!

 

[dragonchef]

I'm one of the guys who rode in my teens and 20's, then was off for about 15 years. When I decided I wanted to get back on, I went and poked around at the Suzuki dealer (last bike I had was a GS1000), and found nothing that interested me (they had crotch rockets and HD wanna-be's). I found this forum, and thas why I got the FJR. I did test sit the Honda ST, but it did not feel comfortable (too wide), and I really wanted to go back to an in-line 4.

I ride with a group of sport bikers over here, and they are always amazed how the FJR handles though the twisties. Rode with new guy a couple of weeks ago (20 years experience) who was on a Buell 1125R, and about halfway through he wanted to trade. This has caused problems for both of us as now I'm looking at at an 1125 and he's lookin at FJR's.

I have found that most serious riders who are past thier 20's, not hooked into HD's have a healthy respect for our machine. Over here, the FJR is just right for the great mountian roads and length of an average "day" ride. Wings are too big, and the rocket guys start complaining after about 2 or 3 hours...

 

[HotRodZilla]

Very few people around here know what an FJR is. If the topic of what I ride comes up and I just say "FJR" I get looks of confusion. I have to explain that it is a Sport Tourer like the new police bikes. Then they all nod and say, "Oh...ok." If I say "Yamaha FJR" they say, "Oh...a sport bike". Again, I have to explain. Part of the problem is I think I have only seen maybe 8 Feejers in the Albuquerque area since I started looking for one in April, 2007. The people who do know what they are really admire them. A few times I've had a guy explaining to his SO or friend that its Yamaha's amazing ST. Either way, I don't care...I love it and people who ride bikes other than HDs (and even a few of them), know how good they are. Oh...BTW, today was the first time someone asked me if it was a Beemer, which I thought was funny cuz it says Yamaha on it. I guess they don't look. They are just impressed with the bike.

Yamaha should advertise more.

 

[SilverHound]

I find that when talking to "non-motorcycle people" they usually only know two references to bikes. Harley or Ninja. That's probably why I don't waste a lot of time trying to talk to non-motorcycle people about bikes. :blink:

 

[Tbird]

I find that when talking to "non-motorcycle people" they usually only know two references to bikes. Harley or Ninja. That's probably why I don't waste a lot of time trying to talk to non-motorcycle people about bikes. :blink:

...ditto

Most non-riders, when walk into a business with my gear on, ask me if I ride a "Harley" (cruiser) or a "crotch rocket".

It's too hard, and takes too long to explain the FJR to most folks. However last weekend I was on the FJR and rolled

through an intersection where the firefighters were taking collections. One of them, as he was approaching me, said

"Nice FJ". So he knew! Right then I knew he was a motorcycle guy.

 

[dcarver]

On the bit I quoted: I think you're partly right. I suspect the bigger influence is the emergence of comfy, good handling, large displacement "adventure" bikes. I think the GS's, KTM's, etc. are siphoning off riders from all other segments, but primarily from sport-touring riders. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if my next bike is a large dual sport -- just to try something different. I'm not looking seriously at the moment because a new bike isn't in the budget, but I've started to develop serious bike lust in that direction. Either that or keeping the feejer and getting a smaller DS, like a WR250R, to start playing more in the dirt.

Or something in between, like a DL650?

 

[2WheelTiger]

It's been my finding that people who don't understand the S/T niche tend to think motorcycles are for riding around town. When I tell them about coast-to-coast trips, riding to Alaska, or zipping two states away, they're likely to say something like, "On a motorcycle? You're crazy."

My June trip from Seattle to Dallas and back, through Yellowstone, was met with two basic reactions: One was "Wow! That's insane" and the other was pure jealousy. Jealous people were in the extreme minority. It seems the spirit of adventure and accomplishment is dying in this country. Many seem to think National Geographic is just a Discovery Channel show.

I'm sorry to say that these people will never know what we know or experience what we live.

Yes, S/T is a narrow niche, but it's occupied by adventurous souls.

 

[Potential]

It's not just sport-touring that's a small niche; nearly everyone is on a cruiser (be it Harley or Japanese) or a fully-faired sportbike, particularly the CBR or GSXR. There are many other bikes but they are very rare from what I have seen. It's too bad because I assume (probably unfairly) most motorcycle riders here gravitate to cruisers or sportbikes for image and not because they're genuinely their favorite bikes. I mean, on CraigsList I see tons of sportbikes and cruisers with $3000+ in mods being sold with only 700 miles on them! They're sold after they've just barely been broken in even though they have performance mods like exhaust, ECM reprogramming, air filters, etc. It's retarded.

Well I guess I got off on a tangent.

 

[RadioHowie]

I kinda a chuckle when I read some posts about salespeople being "dumbasses", ignorant about their product, etc.

I wonder, you guys who beat up so hard on dumbass salespeople, what kind of businesses YOU are in. I'm guessin' businesses that don't employ salespeople.

I've been in the radio business 41 years, and anyone who knows anything about commercial radio is that the ONLY thing we make money on is advertising. That is, selling NOTHING! Yep, a business that sells absolutely no tangible product. We sell minutes, not doodads. And for the very successful company that I work for, we have MANY salespeople who regularly make 6 figure salaries on commission alone.

And you know what? Each and every single fucking one of them is a dumbass. Ignorant monkeys. Completely incapable of taking a piss without instructions. Can't attach a file to an email. Call the I.T. guy 'cause their printer isn't working and it's only out of paper. Don't know the DJ's names. Don't know what kind of music we play. Complete and utter fucking nincompoop morons. The hiring criteria boils down to ONE single pre-hire test: They're handed a mirror and see if they can fog it up. If they breathe, they have a job.

What's my point? it's simple. Salespeople, at least good ones, don't have to know a goddamn thing about what they sell. All they have to do is be good salespeople. That's it. You've heard the old expression "he could sell an icemaker to an eskimo"? That's a good salesman. He doesn't have to know how the icemaker works, what the icemaker is made of, how long the warranty on the icemaker is, what problems are intrinsic to that particular icemaker. He only has to be a good seller. Someone who knows how to close a deal.

Today was a PERFECT example of what I'm talking about, and it relates right to discussions in this thread.

I had to supervise and produce a 3 hour "remote" broadcast at our local motorcycle superstore. Kawasaki/Honda/Yamaha/Piaggio/KTM dealer. Place was packed. I wandered in during a lull and a salesvulture swooped down on me, all smiles and handshakes. "How can I help you?" "I'd like to see the new Concourse" I tell him.

He immediately takes me over to a row of lined-up ZX10s and 14s. Not a Concourse in the bunch. And proceeds to "sell" me a new C14 with his patented pitch, with no Concourse in sight. I play stupid and ask him "which one is it?" "All of them" he says. What a putz! Obviously didn't know Zedshit from Conshinola! Yet in the course of the three hours we were at the dealership, he sold 8 units! EIGHT!!! What you wanna bet the owner couldn't care less he didn't know the diff between a Z14 and a Concourse?

It's US, the consumer, that needs to be knowledgeable, not the poor shmuck who writes the order. And beating up on them is about as fulfilling as beating up on a Harley. About as satisfying as pushing some kid in his wheelchair down the stairs.

So you guys taking pleasure on beating up on salesmonkeys at bike dealerships.....cut them some slack for ****'s sake. They're probably making more money than you. :****:

 

[Draggon Rider]

Last year I was on a Yamaha V-star custom, I loved the bike but it didn't serve my purpose. I wanted to carry a passenager, tools and stuff I need for work or what ever, I was looking for saddle bags, and a better passenager seat, sissy bar, etc. I realized what it would cost me for all these addons and thought I might as well buy a new bike, because the V-Star was underpowered for what I wanted it to do. Also on the weekends I ride with a group that ride mostly Sport bikes, and I was tired of being left behind. I was torn between a cruiser and a sport bike.

A light turned on in my head when I saw the FJR, I could carry all the stuff I wanted and I could dump the bags and ride with Sport Bikes.

So last weekend I finally got to live the second half of my reasoning for buy the FJR. I dumped the 200 pounds of dead weight (also known as my other half), stripped off bags and trunk and went rideing the in San Bernardino Mountains with my Sport Biker buddies.

What a blast!!! But I now know it takes more than just a big engine to take these twisties at high speeds. :lol:

Sitting at Starbucks before the ride a guy in a car looked at my bike and said "1300 CCs?" and with a big grin on my face I just notted, to which he reply "WOW" Some times it's the little things that make your day...

 

[SilverHound]

What's my point? it's simple. Salespeople, at least good ones, don't have to know a goddamn thing about what they sell. All they have to do is be good salespeople. That's it. You've heard the old expression "he could sell an icemaker to an eskimo"? That's a good salesman. He doesn't have to know how the icemaker works, what the icemaker is made of, how long the warranty on the icemaker is, what problems are intrinsic to that particular icemaker. He only has to be a good seller. Someone who knows how to close a deal.

Well Howie, while you seem to be very passionate in your response I would have to say that you could not be any more wrong. I am one of the posters who commented on a salesman being a dumbass and I also have spent the last...oh...28 years of my career in the sales profession. Good sales people not only need to know how to sell but they also need to know the features and benefits that their product or service provides. Granted, they don't necessarily need to know down to the engineering level how it works but they have to at least know what the value is to the customer.

What I was referring to in my post was a salesman who didn't know his product or how to sell, which is a combination that most assuredly will not make him salesman of the year. I would also venture a guess that people who are in sales and are good sales people are more critical of other salespeople because we have a keener understanding of what differentiates the good from the mediocre or the bad. So when I am faced with what I consider bad salesmanship or no salesmanship I do not feel compelled to cut them any slack or to buy anything from them.

So you guys taking pleasure on beating up on salesmonkeys at bike dealerships.....cut them some slack for ****'s sake. They're probably making more money than you. :****:

I doubt that very much and I also find your story about the motorcycle salesman selling eight bikes in 3 hours to be dubious although convenient to emphasize your point which is also inaccurate.

 

[worldbound4now]

Is today friday?

 

[RadioHowie]

Well Howie, while you seem to be very passionate in your response I would have to say that you could not be any more wrong.

Well Hound, I work for a company that employs about 40 "Million-Dollar Club" members who ARE complete dumbasses, yet are also fantastic sellers, who say YOU could not be any more wrong.

I also find your story about the motorcycle salesman selling eight bikes in 3 hours to be dubious although convenient to emphasize your point which is also inaccurate.

Oh Christ! I'm cut to the bone! You don't believe me?!?! I guess I'll just have to kill myself now.

Send my goodbyes to Skoot, Rad and Iggy, wontcha?

Oh, and tell Bustanut to :****: off, m'kay?