In the most recent new motorcycle thread here in the Lounge, jjkroll32 said, "All of these recent threads are really pushing me to finally get my endorsement." So to tempt him even more, I'll add my new ride to the mix...

Some background: A couple years ago it became clear to me that a change of bike was in the cards, that my cruiser – a 2012 Triumph Thunderbird 1600 – that had served me well for several years wasn’t destined for prolonged ownership. Lower back issues, in particular, drove the need for change to something less upright-and-feet-forward, but a desire also for something more suited to longer hauls, for hard panniers, for something more nimble and sporty with a few more bells and whistles, etc., all entered into the equation. After looking into the Triumph Trophy, the Concours, and a few other sport touring bikes that were all quickly dismissed, my focus locked onto the '14 FJR1300 in late ’14 / early ’15. That beautiful red color, the perfect styling, the glowing stats and reviews – it all came together to create a lust for the FJR that’s lasted now for two-and-a-half years.

Each spring I’d look at the leftover FJRs – the ’14 reds in ’15, the ’15 liquid graphites in ’16 – and just couldn’t quite pull the trigger on the change of bike. My TBird was serving me well enough, generally speaking, and the five-speed gearbox of the FJR concerned me (rightly or not) as I’d already sold a bike because the revs were too high on the highway. A demo event test ride in the summer of ’15 suggested perhaps 5th as a top gear wasn’t too bad, but it didn’t seem ideal. So, while I had to keep an eagle eye out for bumps and lean forward on my TBird if I caught them in time, I was relatively content with my bike. Until this spring.

This spring I knew I couldn’t do another season on the cruiser. I’d only put around 500 miles on it in 2016…yes, I had some family issues that kept me occupied much of the riding season, but I also knew that had I really *wanted* to make time, I could have – but I didn’t. Too much of the thrill had dissipated in a fog of lower back pain jolts from the road and, okay, boredom. Something had to give.

Coincidentally, this was also the leftover season for the ‘16s with the six-speed transmission. Some may chalk that change up to more a marketing gimmick than a substantive change, and while I’ll grant you it’s just a couple hundred RPMs lowering in sixth, it was enough a change (for me) to push me over the edge that I was already teetering upon.

So, two weeks ago I traded in my TBird and became the owner of a beautiful, brand-new (leftover) 2016 FJR – the A model (i.e. non-ES (Electronic Suspension)) as I’m a more set-it-and-forget-it kind of guy, and the roads I tend to ride on are relatively uniform. I’m thrilled to finally have this bike in my garage, and it’s thus far everything I’d hoped it be. Riding this nimble sportbike-in-a-tuxedo after a decade-plus of cruisers is almost a revelation and reminds me why I enjoy riding so much to begin with...and, most importantly, it's slight-forward-lean-with-legs-tucked-beneath-you stance makes the ergonomics much friendlier to those of with lower back issues. I just need to remember to behave myself on this nimble sport tourer...my Thunderbird 1600 cruiser had heavier handling (and 60 less hp) that inherently kept me in check. I’m still learning to trust the lean potential of the FJR (and breaking in slick new tires isn’t helping)…old habits are hard to break.

And since since such threads are worthless without pics, here's mine, just a few days old:



...and its virgin odometer on delivery day:

Outstanding!

A truly good looking bike. I wish you many happy miles!

Funny....I was just in something comparable last year (Triumph Sprint ST), and my back couldn't take the 500 mile days on it. Traded it for a '16 BMW R1200GS Adventure. I miss the feeling of laying over the tank and rolling that throttle though...

I wish I could have kept the triumph and still bought the BMW. The BMW is a truly spectacular bike. I finally braved the mud and water of my street to get it out this week for the first ride of the season. I'm hoping to put quite a few thousand miles on it this year. Planning a large rally ride to Dawson also.

Congratulations on the new ride!

quote:

Originally posted by AKSuperDually:
Outstanding!

A Traded it for a '16 BMW R1200GS Adventure. . . .The BMW is a truly spectacular bike.

Congratulations on the new ride!

Thanks. I looked seriously at the BMW R 1200 RT, which is the BMW equivalent of my 1300 above, but I just couldn't justify the price gap between the two. BMW makes a heckuva nice bike, though...congrats on your '16, too!

The FJR1300 is an outstanding motorcycle. You will love the 6sp trans and Cruise Control.

The FJR1300 forum is a great place to hang out. Many IronButt riders use the tricked out FJR

Congrats! Very pretty!

And your description of the riding position vis a' vis old backs is precisely why I fell in love with the FJ as soon as I threw a leg over it.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
The FJR1300 is an outstanding motorcycle. You will love the 6sp trans and Cruise Control.

The addition of all the FJR’s bells and whistles has been a nice change, I must admit. Like any new useful technology, you get used to the amenities pretty easily and quickly, and wonder how you ever did without them. Like grip warmers: Never thought I'd have any use for them, but warmth that radiates from your hands and up your arms and into your chest to give a sense of overall warmth + electronically adjustable Touring windshield + cold Washington State spring rides = genius!

Beautiful bike there at home daddy! In my search for a "new" bike I looked for an FJR that was used within my price range (didn't find one). From what I gather, these bikes last quite some time with just simple maintenance. Hope you have a great time with her.

Another push for jjkroll32, here is a picture of what I ended up with. A 2004 Yamaha FZ1 with less than 12,000 miles. Fast, comfortable, reliable. Sorry the day I brought it home the weather was very overcast so I didn't get the best picture and will update once I can.

Very nice FJR. I am also considering one after about 25 years without a bike. I really like the cobalt blue!

I think that's my first "shout out" in my near decade here

Is that a shaft drive?

Very nice!

Yamaha must've had their Tuning-Fork Zen dialed in at an '11' when designing that machine!

Wishing you many fun, inspirational and safe miles on it!!

Rob

Welcome to the FJR club. I currently own a 08 model. That year they were Ravens black. It's pretty snappy for a heavy bike.

Enjoy the new ride

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Is that a shaft drive?

It is. Shaft drive, six speeds, 140-something hp.

Thanks for the kind words, everyone...very thrilled to have this in my garage, and each subsequent ride only drives that home more. And congrats on your own new Yamaha, mutedblade...great-looking bike.

When I sold my FZ1 that was on my short list of three bikes. It was the FJR or a Super Tenere/GS. In the end I wanted something more capable everywhere and haven't regretted the choice but I still like those a lot!

If I couldn't have my VFR, I'd snap up an FJR in a hurry!
Congratulations, and ride safely.

Great-looking bike. Glad you found what you want, and that it'll improve your enjoyment and then some. Stay safe out there.

Niiiice. Yamaha really engineers their bikes well, in my limited experience - much more user-serviceable than some of the competition. All the bells and whistles will equate to a killer long-range bike.

I really need a sport-tourer like that to complement my CBR1000RR, but I keep looking at BMW S1000RRs instead...

Nice ride, enjoy. I'm still learning all the nuances of my new to me XL1200 Sportster.

quote:

Originally posted by Valpo Fz:
When I sold my FZ1 that was on my short list of three bikes. It was the FJR or a Super Tenere/GS. In the end I wanted something more capable everywhere and haven't regretted the choice but I still like those a lot!

When I was shopping for mine, along with the usual sport tourer suspects, I looked at both the Super Tenere and the Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT...the ergonomics of both were great, but I knew I wasn't going anywhere near off-road with my bike, and I couldn't quite warm up to the Adventure bike styling...just a little too utilitarian for my vanities & purposes. So I stayed with the sport tourer package instead. Both looked like great bikes for their intended audiences, though...no small wonder that segment has really taken off.

quote:

Originally posted by at-home-daddy
Like grip warmers: Never thought I'd have any use for them, but warmth that radiates from your hands and up your arms and into your chest to give a sense of overall warmth + electronically adjustable Touring windshield + cold Washington State spring rides = genius!

Ah, the velvet sledgehammer. Every FJ owner I've ever talked to absolutely loves their bike. As a three bike member of the heated grip club all I can say is they should be standard on every road bike. Those grips have saved my butt on many a cool morning and make riding home in the early spring and late fall possible without shivering likeca drunk going through withdrawal.