Yamaha Venture to FJR...

[RossKean]

The title says it all. I am currently riding a Yamaha Venture and I am pretty close to making a switch to a FJR 1300. I mentioned this in my "Introduction" post but wanted to throw it out there for comments from anyone who has done this. I'm 6'3" with a 34" inseam (200 lb) and the Venture is a good fit for me. Much roomier than a 'Wing or a HD Ultra Classic (wouldn't be a choice anyway). I find myself in want of more performance and handling and the FJR has a lot of appeal. I realize that riding position will be quite different but I am wondering how others (especially taller riders) have adapted. I ride a fair amount and need to be comfortable for long days in the saddle.

Thanks

Ross

 

[SwollenRaccoon]

I'm 6'3", 34" inseam, and 215 pounds, so we're pretty close in size. The FJR fits me perfectly, I think. I've done a 500-mile day at a fairly relaxed pace, and could have gone several hundred more. I have a bad disc in my lower back that occaisionally flares up, but the FJR has never caused a problem. I highly recommend one. Good luck!

 

[Pale Rider 07]

I have put a lot of miles on the Ventures and the Star Venture. After taking a break from riding, for several years, I decided to go with the FJR for my next bike. The FJR is an absolute blast so far. I can pack it down for long hauls, or keep it light and have some fun in the twists and turns. I loved the Venture, but now that I use the bike for most of my commuting, I enjoy having something a bit lighter and more nimble.

I was also worried about the change in riding position, but I think sitting straight with your feet directly below you is a more proper, and in my case, a more comfortable position. I have not done any long rides yet (just got the bike last week) so I'm not sure that I won't have some cramping issues, but I'm not worried about it. The only negative I can find is the common issue of a sore throttle hand. There are several links here on things you can do to help relieve this. I'll be reducing some of the tension on the throttle return spring this weekend. Hopefully that helps.

Good luck with your choice and if you go with the FJR, you won't regret it.

Dave

 

[irishcurtis]

Don't know if you are referring to a Venture Royale or a Royal Star Venture, but I rode a Royal Star Venture for 6 years before I bought the FJR. Nothing wrong with the Venture; my wife no longer travels by motorcycle, so I bought something lighter, sportier and definetely faster.

I am 6'2", 260 lbs with a 34" inseam and I am actually more comfortable on the FJR when travelling long distances (6+hours/day). I never got used to the "feet forward" riding position that the cruiser guys seem to like. I like having my feet under my hips when I ride. Standing up on the pegs on the Venture was a serious upper body strength proposal.

Obviously, the performance is completely apples-to-oranges. The one thing I do miss is the electronic cruise control. Shame on Yamaha for not including it like BMW does.

On a side note, the FJR is the first bike I've owned that I didn't buy an aftermarket seat for. This bike is a legitimate touring bike. It's also the fastest thing I've ever been on that didn't have wings.

Hope this helps

 

[timk]

I went from a 1st gen Venture Royale to a FJR 5 1/2 years ago. Luggage capacity was the biggest issue for us. legs were getting too weak for the Venture. Traded a little comfort for oomph and lighter weight. Still happy.

 

[BadPigg]

I went from a Royal Star Tour Deluxe (same as a venture without the fairing and top box) to a FJR a little over a year ago. I am 6'2" 260lbs with a 34" inseam. I too was worried that my back or lower back would be a bit strained by the new riding position.But that hasn't been the case. I do get some knee pain in my right knee after not changing positions for long rides but I just kick it out or hang it behind for a few seconds or do something impossible for me on the TD that is stand up on the pegs.

I had a Diamond R backrest and could not have ridden my TD without it. I have never felt any pain in my back from the FJR riding position. I've done a bunch of 500- 700 mile rides on this FJR but not much more. Those are comfortable trouble free miles! And the seat, stock windshield, handlebar height all work fine for me. I do have to watch my toes for ground obstructions though. Hitting something say a rock or a rabbit could be very bad to your feet. Hanging your heels on the pegs is ok for a relaxed position just dont get too comfortable with it.

I've done a 1300 mile one day trip on my TD, and it was not that difficult. I put over 40'000 miles on that bike in 3 1/2 years. And I'll tell you that was one great bike! But I too was looking for something sportier and lighter than that 800lb Tourer. I demo'ed the FJR for 5 years at every Star Day event hoping one day to make the switch from cruiser to Sport Tourer. To this day I dont know why I didnt start out on the FJR . I almost went for a Vee Strom as I wanted to explore many of the dirt roads I pass by. But went to my old lust. The new SuperTenere 1200 might be the next logical choice for me in the future, maybe ,in a couple of years.

I have probably 30 combined years riding all kinds of bikes and this bike just plain fits and brings plenty of smiles. I test ride and demo any bike I can but I have yet to ride the BMW 1200GT or the Kawasaki Concours and have read that those bikes are close to the FJR.

But for now I have no regrets in owning this FJR.

 

[07fjrTom]

I have done extensive miles on the venture and enjoyed it much. The handling and brakes are lacking, but it is very comfortable and I like the radio. That having been said, I love my FJR! It can be ridden all day with no comfort issues, and is night and day more fun to ride than the VRS. It lacks cruise and the stereo obviously, but I would still prefer the FJR on a long trip and there is no comparison in the hills, twisties, or in town riding.

The transition should be an easy one.

 

[RossKean]

Lots of great responses. It seems there are quite a few people of larger stature who have some experience with both the Venture and the FJR. (Mine is a 2002 Midnight Venture) I am a little concerned about shifting because in addition to my height, I wear a size 14 boot which may be a but difficult to get under the shift lever. (In the thread from my introductory post, someone mentioned that the shift lever can be raised a bit to make it easier to get under it?) I have to say I almost always use the heel-toe shifter on the Venture (heel to up-shift).

I don't think I am going to miss the riding position. While I can manage 600+ mile days on the Venture, I get a little stiff and sore after awhile. I suspect the FJR will be similar but with different muscles getting sore. I realize I can play with seat height a bit (two positions). Some people have suggested that handlebar risers could help with the ergos but I wouldn't do anything along those lines until I had some hours in the saddle. Is there an option for highway pegs to get the legs stretched out from time-to-time?

I don't think I'll miss the cruise control - I don't use it very often anyway. Might be a good thing to have on the FJR in the interest of preventing "performance awards" but I can certainly manage without it.

I never use the CB radio so that's not an issue and I think I can manage without the cassette deck. Although quality isn't the best, I will miss the stereo - I plug my GPS with MP3 player into the bike's aux input so I can enjoy tunes along with spoken directions from the GPS. I have never ridden with earbuds or helmet speakers before so I guess I'll have to see how that works for me. The screen on my GPS isn't bright enough to read in full sunlight so I rely upon audio prompts for the most part. I know I can find a lot of information on a site search, but does anyone have any particular recommendation on earbuds that are good for full-face helmets - perhaps even ones that block some ambient noise as well.

I originally bought the Venture because I thought I might be able to interest my wife in some 2-up touring but she has not had much interest in riding any distance while I ride well over 20,000 miles per year. I would love to have a reliable machine with a little (OK, a lot) more speed, power and vastly improved handling. As a BIG tourer, the Venture performs reasonably but I suspect it will feel like a farm tractor after the FJR.

Thanks for all of the input!

Ross

 

[Scooper]

Lots of great responses. It seems there are quite a few people of larger stature who have some experience with both the Venture and the FJR. (Mine is a 2002 Midnight Venture) I am a little concerned about shifting because in addition to my height, I wear a size 14 boot which may be a but difficult to get under the shift lever. (In the thread from my introductory post, someone mentioned that the shift lever can be raised a bit to make it easier to get under it?) I have to say I almost always use the heel-toe shifter on the Venture (heel to up-shift).
I don't think I am going to miss the riding position. While I can manage 600+ mile days on the Venture, I get a little stiff and sore after awhile. I suspect the FJR will be similar but with different muscles getting sore. I realize I can play with seat height a bit (two positions). Some people have suggested that handlebar risers could help with the ergos but I wouldn't do anything along those lines until I had some hours in the saddle. Is there an option for highway pegs to get the legs stretched out from time-to-time?

I don't think I'll miss the cruise control - I don't use it very often anyway. Might be a good thing to have on the FJR in the interest of preventing "performance awards" but I can certainly manage without it.

I never use the CB radio so that's not an issue and I think I can manage without the cassette deck. Although quality isn't the best, I will miss the stereo - I plug my GPS with MP3 player into the bike's aux input so I can enjoy tunes along with spoken directions from the GPS. I have never ridden with earbuds or helmet speakers before so I guess I'll have to see how that works for me. The screen on my GPS isn't bright enough to read in full sunlight so I rely upon audio prompts for the most part. I know I can find a lot of information on a site search, but does anyone have any particular recommendation on earbuds that are good for full-face helmets - perhaps even ones that block some ambient noise as well.

I originally bought the Venture because I thought I might be able to interest my wife in some 2-up touring but she has not had much interest in riding any distance while I ride well over 20,000 miles per year. I would love to have a reliable machine with a little (OK, a lot) more speed, power and vastly improved handling. As a BIG tourer, the Venture performs reasonably but I suspect it will feel like a farm tractor after the FJR.

Thanks for all of the input!

Ross

I too came from a Venture (60,000 miles) and still have a 2008 Road Star along with a new to me 2004 FJR (2500 miles). I'm still getting used to the FJR but it's quickly becomming my favorite bike to ride. I'm 6'1" tall

Scoop

 

[RossKean]

I too came from a Venture (60,000 miles) and still have a 2008 Road Star along with a new to me 2004 FJR (2500 miles). I'm still getting used to the FJR but it's quickly becomming my favorite bike to ride. I'm 6'1" tallScoop

I had a 2004 Roadstar before the Venture. In some ways, I liked it better than the Venture but I expect the FJR will be an entirely different beast!

Ross

 

[ShawnKing]

I went from a Royal Star Tour Deluxe (same as a venture without the fairing and top box) to a FJR a little over a year ago. I am 6'2" 260lbs with a 34" inseam.

Damn! We're like twins! Same former bike and almost the same size.

I too was worried that my back or lower back would be a bit strained by the new riding position.

It did take some getting used to for me but it wasn't a huge issue.

 

[ShawnKing]

I am a little concerned about shifting because in addition to my height, I wear a size 14 boot which may be a but difficult to get under the shift lever.

Size 13 here. Takes some practice but wasn't an issue for very long for me.

I don't think I'll miss the cruise control - I don't use it very often anyway.

I used mine constantly on my Tour Deluxe and *really* miss not having it on the FJR. For me, it's less an issue of speeding tickets (although I gotten my share of those and cruise control wouldn't have helped) and more an issue of comfort on long trips on the slabs.

does anyone have any particular recommendation on earbuds that are good for full-face helmets - perhaps even ones that block some ambient noise as well.

I use the expensive ones from Shure. Well worth the price and they do a great job of lowering ambient noise but still allowing me to hear traffic.

the Venture performs reasonably but I suspect it will feel like a farm tractor after the FJR.

Dude...you have *no* idea. The FJR scared the crap out of my first time I twisted the throttle hard.

 

[Willie]

Lots of great responses. It seems there are quite a few people of larger stature who have some experience with both the Venture and the FJR. (Mine is a 2002 Midnight Venture) I am a little concerned about shifting because in addition to my height, I wear a size 14 boot which may be a but difficult to get under the shift lever. (In the thread from my introductory post, someone mentioned that the shift lever can be raised a bit to make it easier to get under it?) I have to say I almost always use the heel-toe shifter on the Venture (heel to up-shift).
I don't think I am going to miss the riding position. While I can manage 600+ mile days on the Venture, I get a little stiff and sore after awhile. I suspect the FJR will be similar but with different muscles getting sore. I realize I can play with seat height a bit (two positions). Some people have suggested that handlebar risers could help with the ergos but I wouldn't do anything along those lines until I had some hours in the saddle. Is there an option for highway pegs to get the legs stretched out from time-to-time?

I don't think I'll miss the cruise control - I don't use it very often anyway. Might be a good thing to have on the FJR in the interest of preventing "performance awards" but I can certainly manage without it.

I never use the CB radio so that's not an issue and I think I can manage without the cassette deck. Although quality isn't the best, I will miss the stereo - I plug my GPS with MP3 player into the bike's aux input so I can enjoy tunes along with spoken directions from the GPS. I have never ridden with earbuds or helmet speakers before so I guess I'll have to see how that works for me. The screen on my GPS isn't bright enough to read in full sunlight so I rely upon audio prompts for the most part. I know I can find a lot of information on a site search, but does anyone have any particular recommendation on earbuds that are good for full-face helmets - perhaps even ones that block some ambient noise as well.

I originally bought the Venture because I thought I might be able to interest my wife in some 2-up touring but she has not had much interest in riding any distance while I ride well over 20,000 miles per year. I would love to have a reliable machine with a little (OK, a lot) more speed, power and vastly improved handling. As a BIG tourer, the Venture performs reasonably but I suspect it will feel like a farm tractor after the FJR.

Thanks for all of the input!

Ross

Ross

While this my not be directly applicable I will say it any who. In my 3rd riding life I bought a Kawi Nomad. Put 43K on the puppy and thought no bike could possibly be more comfortable. With the miles getting up there, I bought a back up bike, 2006 Kawi Concours. At first the ergos were awkward, slight forward lean, legs tucked back a hair. That bike now has 47K on it and the Nomad simply didn't get ridden any longer. The Connie for comfort, expecially on multi day trips had it all over the Nomad. Went from riding on my heels with my legs out in front of me to a more natural sitting position with the legs slighly tucked behind me. The Nomad went up for sale. In the NE I think a cruiser bike with 43K miles on it was simply considered used up. In fact it was just broken in. Long story short, I didnt want to carry the Nomad over the winter and traded it in on a 2007 FJR. My sitting position is actually more up right on the FJR than the Connie, but if I had gone from the Nomad to the FJR my impression would have been similar as the jump to the Connie. Power is an understatement for the FJR, handing is superb and braking is unbelievable.

As far a 2up riding, your wife may find the FJR more comfortable than the Venture. My SO had a chance to ride around on the Nomad for short jaunts, but then we set out of a 6000 mile journey. She loves the Connie. Being short she has more trouble getting on the FJR, but once on it she loves the FJR as well. She saw a significant improvement in her comfort over the cruiser.

One thing you will be able to do easier is to stand up on the pegs while riding and stretch them legs out and relieve the butt. Just a minute will do wonders. That was essentially impossible for me to accomplish on the Nomad.

Now I am a short and envy your 6+ft height. I wouldn't consider myself an agressive rider, but appreciate the FJR for it's predictability into the twisties. The throttle has earned me some near performance awards.

My guess is once you acquire the FJR, and get a couple hundred break in miles..Breakin you in that is ...you will say to yourself, I will never be able to go back.

Enjoy

Willie

 

[Scooper]

I too came from a Venture (60,000 miles) and still have a 2008 Road Star along with a new to me 2004 FJR (2500 miles). I'm still getting used to the FJR but it's quickly becomming my favorite bike to ride. I'm 6'1" tallScoop

I had a 2004 Roadstar before the Venture. In some ways, I liked it better than the Venture but I expect the FJR will be an entirely different beast!

Ross

I like all the Star models. Started out on a Venture then got a gen. 1 Royal Star to go with it. Then my wife started to ride her own so the Venture was too much bike for the fun factor. I got the Roady for a change of pace after a Stratoliner and the wife is now on a 1300 V-Star. The Feejer is for solo rides or when my grown sons want to play as they have a CBR600 and a FZ1. It's good no matter what I take out

Scoop

 

[RossKean]

I too came from a Venture (60,000 miles) and still have a 2008 Road Star along with a new to me 2004 FJR (2500 miles). I'm still getting used to the FJR but it's quickly becomming my favorite bike to ride. I'm 6'1" tallScoop

I had a 2004 Roadstar before the Venture. In some ways, I liked it better than the Venture but I expect the FJR will be an entirely different beast!

Ross

I like all the Star models. Started out on a Venture then got a gen. 1 Royal Star to go with it. Then my wife started to ride her own so the Venture was too much bike for the fun factor. I got the Roady for a change of pace after a Stratoliner and the wife is now on a 1300 V-Star. The Feejer is for solo rides or when my grown sons want to play as they have a CBR600 and a FZ1. It's good no matter what I take out

Scoop

I wouldn't mind keeping the Venture - a very different sort of ride. Unfortunately, I can't support two bikes at this time. If I get the FJR, I'll have to find a new home for the Venture.

Ross

...Dude...you have *no* idea. The FJR scared the crap out of my first time I twisted the throttle hard.

Looking forward to it!!!

 

[Charlie Hoss]

The title says it all. I am currently riding a Yamaha Venture and I am pretty close to making a switch to a FJR 1300. I mentioned this in my "Introduction" post but wanted to throw it out there for comments from anyone who has done this. I'm 6'3" with a 34" inseam (200 lb) and the Venture is a good fit for me. Much roomier than a 'Wing or a HD Ultra Classic (wouldn't be a choice anyway). I find myself in want of more performance and handling and the FJR has a lot of appeal. I realize that riding position will be quite different but I am wondering how others (especially taller riders) have adapted. I ride a fair amount and need to be comfortable for long days in the saddle.
Thanks

Ross

MEM lives right around the corner. I'm SURE she'd be more than happy to let you take her 07 out for a spin. Right ME?

 

[RossKean]

The title says it all. I am currently riding a Yamaha Venture and I am pretty close to making a switch to a FJR 1300. I mentioned this in my "Introduction" post but wanted to throw it out there for comments from anyone who has done this. I'm 6'3" with a 34" inseam (200 lb) and the Venture is a good fit for me. Much roomier than a 'Wing or a HD Ultra Classic (wouldn't be a choice anyway). I find myself in want of more performance and handling and the FJR has a lot of appeal. I realize that riding position will be quite different but I am wondering how others (especially taller riders) have adapted. I ride a fair amount and need to be comfortable for long days in the saddle.
Thanks

Ross

MEM lives right around the corner. I'm SURE she'd be more than happy to let you take her 07 out for a spin. Right ME?

Already traded some emails with MEM! Unfortunately, her bike is lowered and I would raise mine, if i could. (hers wouldn't be a good fit) Anyway, based upon discussions and advice from a number of members on this forum, I should soon be the proud owner of a '07 FJR! Plan is to pick it up in about a week. Going to be great weather this weekend so I guess I'll have a couple of farewell rides on the Venture.

 

[ShawnKing]

I should soon be the proud owner of a '07 FJR! Plan is to pick it up in about a week. Going to be great weather this weekend so I guess I'll have a couple of farewell rides on the Venture.

Congratulations! Here's another piece of (unasked for) advice - take it easy on the throttle until you get used to the bike. I speak from the experience of saying to myself, "Hmmm...this is a nice bike. I wonder what will happen if I just whack the throttle wide open.....HOLY CRAP!!!! LET GO OF THE THROTTLE!!!! LET GO!!!!"

Seriously - the FJR is a great bike but it *will* try and kill you if you don't respect it.

 

[Scooper]

I should soon be the proud owner of a '07 FJR! Plan is to pick it up in about a week. Going to be great weather this weekend so I guess I'll have a couple of farewell rides on the Venture.

Congratulations! Here's another piece of (unasked for) advice - take it easy on the throttle until you get used to the bike. I speak from the experience of saying to myself, "Hmmm...this is a nice bike. I wonder what will happen if I just whack the throttle wide open.....HOLY CRAP!!!! LET GO OF THE THROTTLE!!!! LET GO!!!!"

Seriously - the FJR is a great bike but it *will* try and kill you if you don't respect it.

I know your right on that . When I got my 2004 I took my wife out for a spin on it. Turning left at an intersection I told the wife to hang on as I'm going to see what it will do. After the turn at a speed of say 15 mph I pinned it. Didn't drop the clutch or nothin just gassed it at speed. Well the front came up quick and scared the crap out of both of us. Now I know it aint no Venture .....

Scoopid