Hello lads .... how are you all doing. It's been nearly three months since I chopped the ST for the FJR .... wish I hadn't. Don't get me wrong the FJR is good but I really don't love it. If anyone else is thinking of making the same change make sure that you test ride the FJR properly.
Miss me Pan
- Thread starter 7.62fmj
- Start date
Difficult to say really. Riding position, screen, motor, low speed handling, bikes character/personality. It's so different from the Pan. I can and will change a few more things but I don't think I'll be hanging on to the bike for more than a year
I'm taking it to France for a few days and will change the suspension set up to see if that makes any difference.
FJRHank
"Scooter Pimp"
Okay this isn't to argue, but to say opinions are ... personal.
Just went to an FJR myself and love it!! why?
Riding Position, screen, motor, bikes character / personality
you may have noticed I left out the low speed handling. Haven't really had an opportunity to test that with decent tires on the bike.
So let's break em down:
riding position: I'm one of those riders that *want's* to lean forward! I support my upper body with my legs, elbows bent... wow does the bike respond to input. no weight on the grips, you can imagine.
screen: perfect for me. I don't now, never have before and don't anticipate ever doing, getting a larger windshield (the ori owner had a bigger screen on it to sell with the bike, suffice it to say he still has it or sold it to someone else). Acutally I've never even raised the screen, once. guess I better check if the motor works
motor: okay, all I can say is it's a big bore inline 4. It freakin growls chicks dig it heheheh
character / personality: did I mention the engine growls ?
Like I said, not arguing, just presenting another point of view
Enjoy and be safe!
Just went to an FJR myself and love it!! why?
Riding Position, screen, motor, bikes character / personality
you may have noticed I left out the low speed handling. Haven't really had an opportunity to test that with decent tires on the bike.
So let's break em down:
riding position: I'm one of those riders that *want's* to lean forward! I support my upper body with my legs, elbows bent... wow does the bike respond to input. no weight on the grips, you can imagine.
screen: perfect for me. I don't now, never have before and don't anticipate ever doing, getting a larger windshield (the ori owner had a bigger screen on it to sell with the bike, suffice it to say he still has it or sold it to someone else). Acutally I've never even raised the screen, once. guess I better check if the motor works
motor: okay, all I can say is it's a big bore inline 4. It freakin growls
chicks dig it hehehehcharacter / personality: did I mention the engine growls ?
Like I said, not arguing, just presenting another point of view
Enjoy and be safe!
rickj
Former ST1300 Rider. FJR now.
Many folks here would likely enjoy reading some specific feedback on the characteristics of the bike, and how they compare to the ST1300. First, please mention if this is a Gen I or Gen II bike, as there are significant differences between the two models.
Your rationale for not liking your purchase is vague at best and doesn't really add to the collective knowledge. Care to provide some specifics?
One thing you did elude to was the suspension in that you were going to change the suspension setup for the trip to France. Indeed, the FJR's suspension is highly adjustable and can be tweaked for your riding style. How do you have it set right now? What improvements are you looking for? Care to share your settings? Stock or after-market?
Many aspects of these bikes is subjective such as "riding position", "screen", "motor", "low speed handling", and especially "bikes character/personality". I don't think I've ever heard of a person getting a bike that was a perfect fit for him/her straight off the showroom, and there is a healthy after-market industry to help us tweak our bikes to fit us better.
I've owned both bikes and do have my preferences on many subjective aspects of each. I provided a detailed review of the Gen II FJR not long after getting it HERE. Hopefully, you can add some specifics for us to digest.
Rick
Your rationale for not liking your purchase is vague at best and doesn't really add to the collective knowledge. Care to provide some specifics?
One thing you did elude to was the suspension in that you were going to change the suspension setup for the trip to France. Indeed, the FJR's suspension is highly adjustable and can be tweaked for your riding style. How do you have it set right now? What improvements are you looking for? Care to share your settings? Stock or after-market?
Many aspects of these bikes is subjective such as "riding position", "screen", "motor", "low speed handling", and especially "bikes character/personality". I don't think I've ever heard of a person getting a bike that was a perfect fit for him/her straight off the showroom, and there is a healthy after-market industry to help us tweak our bikes to fit us better.
I've owned both bikes and do have my preferences on many subjective aspects of each. I provided a detailed review of the Gen II FJR not long after getting it HERE. Hopefully, you can add some specifics for us to digest.
Rick
Ahhh now that's what a good forum is all about ..... and IMHO this is a great forum. Sorry for being vague, that was a time related thing and I needed to be brief.
It all started when I test rode an FJR a year ago ?. never thought I wanted or needed a touring bike ? was instantly smitten by it and thought that I should have one but couldn?t justify it because I have too many other bikes.
Long story shortish ? my dealer knew that I?d buy a tourer regardless at some point so they made an ST1300 available. I rode that through the winter and spent a lot of time living with it and developing the taste for big heavy tourers. I returned the Pan to perfect condition over five months constantly stripping worn and aged components and having it set up perfectly for me. Over that time I put 3000 miles on it. I effectively made that bike mine and stamped my mark on it. My dealer then said he?d take it back off me and fully reimburse my outlay and sell me the new FJR at cost (he is a good friend BTW). So I did it.
So the FJR is a new 2010 machine and like I said it is a good bike and I mean a very good and capable bike in everything that it was designed to do. I?m 5?8?, 150lbs and therefore don?t really influence a heavy bike. I used to sit ?in? the ST but feel that I sit ?on? the FJR. I will not lower bike but I might change the seat for one with a lower profile. I do a lot of heavy traffic filtering and have found that, under front brake action, the suspension certainly at lower speeds tends to react inconsistently. I?m going to have an up-rated progressive spring upgrade which may help. Front settings are currently one notch and three clicks on the rebound. Currently investigating an upgrade for the rear suspension but that?s not a priority. I?ve had the rear set on both hard and soft with no discernable overall improvement.
I can?t seem to make the screen work for me. It spills air around the edges which I feel, no matter where positioned, as turbulent air and not stable negative pressure. I?m going to borrow the larger Yamaha screen to see if that helps. Oddly, the current screen renders my Arai Viper and Corsairs almost unbearable but my Shark Evoline 2 is perfect (just heavy). Incidentally, I have a Yamaha top box on the bike all of the time.
The motor. Very strong, easily read power bands, good sound. Drive it through 4.5K in all the gears and you are really on it. Has a buzz that transfers to bars and pegs only noticeable after about 45 minutes of riding.
Tyres are Bridgestone BT021?s they?re fine I?ve had them on other bikes. I will upgrade these to the new BT023?s in due course.
So next week I?m taking the bike to my most trusted mechanic and will have it given the once over. Review the fuelling, if thought advantageous, we?ll fit a Power Commander V, try the bigger screen, test it with luggage on and off. When I return from France I?ll check out the potential of bar risers to see if that gives a riding position that?ll suit better.
So you see, nothing that can?t be fixed ?.. all the usual variables. I?ll get it sorted and all will be well. However, I still need to become passionate about the bike and that I fear may not be so easy to deal with. D'ya know what? I'm going to go out right now and have a play.
It all started when I test rode an FJR a year ago ?. never thought I wanted or needed a touring bike ? was instantly smitten by it and thought that I should have one but couldn?t justify it because I have too many other bikes.
Long story shortish ? my dealer knew that I?d buy a tourer regardless at some point so they made an ST1300 available. I rode that through the winter and spent a lot of time living with it and developing the taste for big heavy tourers. I returned the Pan to perfect condition over five months constantly stripping worn and aged components and having it set up perfectly for me. Over that time I put 3000 miles on it. I effectively made that bike mine and stamped my mark on it. My dealer then said he?d take it back off me and fully reimburse my outlay and sell me the new FJR at cost (he is a good friend BTW). So I did it.
So the FJR is a new 2010 machine and like I said it is a good bike and I mean a very good and capable bike in everything that it was designed to do. I?m 5?8?, 150lbs and therefore don?t really influence a heavy bike. I used to sit ?in? the ST but feel that I sit ?on? the FJR. I will not lower bike but I might change the seat for one with a lower profile. I do a lot of heavy traffic filtering and have found that, under front brake action, the suspension certainly at lower speeds tends to react inconsistently. I?m going to have an up-rated progressive spring upgrade which may help. Front settings are currently one notch and three clicks on the rebound. Currently investigating an upgrade for the rear suspension but that?s not a priority. I?ve had the rear set on both hard and soft with no discernable overall improvement.
I can?t seem to make the screen work for me. It spills air around the edges which I feel, no matter where positioned, as turbulent air and not stable negative pressure. I?m going to borrow the larger Yamaha screen to see if that helps. Oddly, the current screen renders my Arai Viper and Corsairs almost unbearable but my Shark Evoline 2 is perfect (just heavy). Incidentally, I have a Yamaha top box on the bike all of the time.
The motor. Very strong, easily read power bands, good sound. Drive it through 4.5K in all the gears and you are really on it. Has a buzz that transfers to bars and pegs only noticeable after about 45 minutes of riding.
Tyres are Bridgestone BT021?s they?re fine I?ve had them on other bikes. I will upgrade these to the new BT023?s in due course.
So next week I?m taking the bike to my most trusted mechanic and will have it given the once over. Review the fuelling, if thought advantageous, we?ll fit a Power Commander V, try the bigger screen, test it with luggage on and off. When I return from France I?ll check out the potential of bar risers to see if that gives a riding position that?ll suit better.
So you see, nothing that can?t be fixed ?.. all the usual variables. I?ll get it sorted and all will be well. However, I still need to become passionate about the bike and that I fear may not be so easy to deal with. D'ya know what? I'm going to go out right now and have a play.
FJRHank
"Scooter Pimp"
Well 7.62fmj,
I just got back from a ride, read your post and more then anything wanted to say I agree wholeheartedly, this is a great forum, people are willing to discuss rather then yell, which makes it informative!
And most of us are of the opinion that both the St and the Fjr are good sport / touring bikes, just diff strokes for diff folks.
Put 16k miles on my 05 ST. I enjoyed every one of them. I too am 5'8" and about 15lbs heavier then u (getting old sucks!) But I never dropped it, although walking it around was a bear for me.
Today was the day I really fell in love with the Fjr, I have got to find more time to get the mods done with it. Size wise it feels like a bike that's in between the ST and the VFR vtec. You *may* be feeling like your 'on top' of the fjr because there really isn't a "dash" like there is with the ST.
Don't have any buffeting problems myself. But I ride in a pretty aggressive posture, with my head out and forward and the balls of my feet on the pegs. Don't have a top box but always ride with the bags on, it's the convenience thing Have a tail bag but no tank bag.
Not sure if you've ever tried it, but there is a riding position (style?) sometimes referred to as the "sit up and beg" or Master Yoda, etc. It puts your upper body leaning forward, with your back arched in and butt out. Back and elbows relaxed. This *may* help you with buffeting, as it sounds like your head may be farther back, where the turbulence is, as you mention feeling it coming around the sides of the screen?
Did lower the seat myself. This is a link on the fjr forum it's explained: http://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=128739&hl=
I too wouldn't want to lower a bike unless absolutely had to.
My St did have some issues at higher speeds in dirty air, but the Fjr behaves very well in those circumstances. Fjr has fully adjustable front, St has no adjustment, at all (well not without taking the front end apart). Honda really needs to fix that imho.
Today, even though the front tire needs to be replaced, decided to run it up to red line in the first few gears... scary fast! within a few seconds and still in 3rd saw 90 go by on the speedo and backed off fast, no tickets for me please! It's faster then my 02 and 03 Vfr's were, quite sure of that.
Don't forget that the BT023's have a version that is kind special made for the Fjr, it's called the GT version. I have them but yet to put them on, soon I hope.
Well good luck and enjoy! I'm lovin the bike. Mine is an 08 black with silver wheels. Have thought about the silver stripes like u guys get in the UK but think it may just stay the "understated beauty" way it is Kind of a classic look.
Will close by saying there are some things I don't like; the clutch lever needs to be attached so high up on the clip-on it feels kind of short. The clutch itself engages quite quickly and I understand it's not adjustable. There's a clunking noise from the front when applying the front brake at very slow speeds (supposedly a fix for that - I need to find).
But all in all, very happy with it. Looking forward to somewhat cooler weather, will ride down on the occasional week end to Austin to camp and ride the Texas Hill Country
Be safe!
I just got back from a ride
, read your post and more then anything wanted to say I agree wholeheartedly, this is a great forum, people are willing to discuss rather then yell, which makes it informative!And most of us are of the opinion that both the St and the Fjr are good sport / touring bikes, just diff strokes for diff folks.
Put 16k miles on my 05 ST. I enjoyed every one of them. I too am 5'8" and about 15lbs heavier then u (getting old sucks!) But I never dropped it, although walking it around was a bear for me.
Today was the day I really fell in love with the Fjr, I have got to find more time to get the mods done with it. Size wise it feels like a bike that's in between the ST and the VFR vtec. You *may* be feeling like your 'on top' of the fjr because there really isn't a "dash" like there is with the ST.
Don't have any buffeting problems myself. But I ride in a pretty aggressive posture, with my head out and forward and the balls of my feet on the pegs. Don't have a top box but always ride with the bags on, it's the convenience thing
Have a tail bag but no tank bag.Not sure if you've ever tried it, but there is a riding position (style?) sometimes referred to as the "sit up and beg" or Master Yoda, etc. It puts your upper body leaning forward, with your back arched in and butt out. Back and elbows relaxed. This *may* help you with buffeting, as it sounds like your head may be farther back, where the turbulence is, as you mention feeling it coming around the sides of the screen?
Did lower the seat myself. This is a link on the fjr forum it's explained: http://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=128739&hl=
I too wouldn't want to lower a bike unless absolutely had to.
My St did have some issues at higher speeds in dirty air, but the Fjr behaves very well in those circumstances. Fjr has fully adjustable front, St has no adjustment, at all (well not without taking the front end apart). Honda really needs to fix that imho.
Today, even though the front tire needs to be replaced, decided to run it up to red line in the first few gears... scary fast! within a few seconds and still in 3rd saw 90 go by on the speedo and backed off fast, no tickets for me please! It's faster then my 02 and 03 Vfr's were, quite sure of that.
Don't forget that the BT023's have a version that is kind special made for the Fjr, it's called the GT version. I have them but yet to put them on, soon I hope.
Well good luck and enjoy! I'm lovin the bike. Mine is an 08 black with silver wheels. Have thought about the silver stripes like u guys get in the UK but think it may just stay the "understated beauty" way it is
Kind of a classic look. Will close by saying there are some things I don't like; the clutch lever needs to be attached so high up on the clip-on it feels kind of short. The clutch itself engages quite quickly and I understand it's not adjustable. There's a clunking noise from the front when applying the front brake at very slow speeds (supposedly a fix for that - I need to find).
But all in all, very happy with it. Looking forward to somewhat cooler weather, will ride down on the occasional week end to Austin to camp and ride the Texas Hill Country
Be safe!
rickj
Former ST1300 Rider. FJR now.
Yes, this forum is a great place! Even though I now ride an FJR I still visit and occasionally post on this site, rather than the FJR site. Good folks here, great attitudes, and many of my buddies ride STs.
When I had my '03 ST, which I put about 25K miles on, it was a thing of beauty. I had farkled it exactly the way I wanted it. My only real complaint about the bike was its weight. I ended up having to sell it, as we needed a quick infusion of money. I considered buying another ST once I was able to get another bike, but thought it would be fun to try a different one. I had a short list of sport-tourers, but the FJR rose to the top, in part influenced by the fact that I had an FJ1200 before the ST and loved it.
I know the front end on the FJR is sensitive to tire design and wear at low speeds. I run Metzeler Z6s and like them a lot, but will try the Michelin PR2s next time as they get great reviews from most FJR riders. (The original Z6 that the bike came with was worn and the front end was horrible. New tread took care of it.) There are some good reviews from FJR riders HERE. Make sure you maintain 40 to 42 psi.
I've spent a lot of time tweaking my front end adjustments and have it very close to where I want it now. For reference, I'm 5'10", 190 lbs and generally don't ride that aggressive. We ride two-up sometimes.
Spring Preload - Line 3
Rebound damping - 6 clicks counter clockwise
Compression - 8 clicks counter clockwise
On the rear I run the spring preload at "soft" and 6 clicks counter on the rebound damping.
If you were happy with the STs suspension I think you will be happier with the FJRs once you get it dialed in to your weight / riding style. It's far more adjustable than the STs, but also more sensitive to changes in adjustments.
My Feejer came with a Rifle with tuning blocks, and it is amazing. I don't have a comparison to the original, but I can say that the original looks WAY better though. I had tried a variety of shields on the ST and decided on the Clearview GT Small with Goldwing vent, but it was far noisier than the FJR / Rifle combo. I was considering getting a small shield for summer since the Rifle gives such good protection, but my wife says that she likes the lack of turbulence in the back with the Rifle, so it remains. (Don't want to do anything to discourage her from riding!)
I put a Power Commander V on my bike, but it was primarily for the nasty driveline abruptness that the '06 and '07 models have. I understand that they fixed the problem in '08. That being said, the PCV transformed my bike in many ways. I run two maps; one for economy, and one for smoothness / performance. The engine runs stronger and smoother with either map, but mileage suffers a bit with the "smoothness" map. Fun to experiment with though.
I'll back off my statements about your being being too vague on your comments, and concede that there is a certain intangible quality about bikes that either turns us on or not. While I loved my ST, the FJR has aspects that make it a better bike for me. For one, I think it's a thing of beauty! I also enjoy the inline 4 and the intoxicating sound and power it develops. Lightness, strong brakes and flickability add to the mix. Finally, my wife says she's in smoother air, and also likes the gritty surface of the seat that helps her feel more planted. I had a top box on my ST, which was uncomfortable for her, and she sat too far behind me. On the FJR we have a Premier Accessories backrest, that she says is really comfortable on her back.
In any case, enjoy your ride and stay safe.
Best,
Rick
When I had my '03 ST, which I put about 25K miles on, it was a thing of beauty. I had farkled it exactly the way I wanted it. My only real complaint about the bike was its weight. I ended up having to sell it, as we needed a quick infusion of money. I considered buying another ST once I was able to get another bike, but thought it would be fun to try a different one. I had a short list of sport-tourers, but the FJR rose to the top, in part influenced by the fact that I had an FJ1200 before the ST and loved it.
I know the front end on the FJR is sensitive to tire design and wear at low speeds. I run Metzeler Z6s and like them a lot, but will try the Michelin PR2s next time as they get great reviews from most FJR riders. (The original Z6 that the bike came with was worn and the front end was horrible. New tread took care of it.) There are some good reviews from FJR riders HERE. Make sure you maintain 40 to 42 psi.
I've spent a lot of time tweaking my front end adjustments and have it very close to where I want it now. For reference, I'm 5'10", 190 lbs and generally don't ride that aggressive. We ride two-up sometimes.
Spring Preload - Line 3
Rebound damping - 6 clicks counter clockwise
Compression - 8 clicks counter clockwise
On the rear I run the spring preload at "soft" and 6 clicks counter on the rebound damping.
If you were happy with the STs suspension I think you will be happier with the FJRs once you get it dialed in to your weight / riding style. It's far more adjustable than the STs, but also more sensitive to changes in adjustments.
My Feejer came with a Rifle with tuning blocks, and it is amazing. I don't have a comparison to the original, but I can say that the original looks WAY better though. I had tried a variety of shields on the ST and decided on the Clearview GT Small with Goldwing vent, but it was far noisier than the FJR / Rifle combo. I was considering getting a small shield for summer since the Rifle gives such good protection, but my wife says that she likes the lack of turbulence in the back with the Rifle, so it remains. (Don't want to do anything to discourage her from riding!)
I put a Power Commander V on my bike, but it was primarily for the nasty driveline abruptness that the '06 and '07 models have. I understand that they fixed the problem in '08. That being said, the PCV transformed my bike in many ways. I run two maps; one for economy, and one for smoothness / performance. The engine runs stronger and smoother with either map, but mileage suffers a bit with the "smoothness" map. Fun to experiment with though.
I'll back off my statements about your being being too vague on your comments, and concede that there is a certain intangible quality about bikes that either turns us on or not. While I loved my ST, the FJR has aspects that make it a better bike for me. For one, I think it's a thing of beauty! I also enjoy the inline 4 and the intoxicating sound and power it develops. Lightness, strong brakes and flickability add to the mix. Finally, my wife says she's in smoother air, and also likes the gritty surface of the seat that helps her feel more planted. I had a top box on my ST, which was uncomfortable for her, and she sat too far behind me. On the FJR we have a Premier Accessories backrest, that she says is really comfortable on her back.
In any case, enjoy your ride and stay safe.
Best,
Rick
I test-rode an ST1300 and an FJR1300 back-to-back. I took SWMBO with me as whichever one I bought would be a second bike just for 2-up riding.
I have always loved the FJR and I could never see me owning an ST1300, but it was only fair to try them together.
We took the ST out and we rode for about 90 mins. The result? We didn't want to go back to the dealer!!!! What a great bike!!! Handling, steering, performance were brilliant!!!!
Then we took the FJR out. Within a couple of miles, we knew we would never own an FJR. We found it cramped and top-heavy with a dreadfully crude gearchange, the motor was pretty damn good though. The ST on the other hand, was refined but with an edge and an outstanding motor.
That was in October 2009, since then, the ST is no longer a second bike, it is my Premier bike of choice. The more I ride it, solo and 2-up, the better it gets. I simply can't praise it enough!!!
I have always loved the FJR and I could never see me owning an ST1300, but it was only fair to try them together.
We took the ST out and we rode for about 90 mins. The result? We didn't want to go back to the dealer!!!! What a great bike!!! Handling, steering, performance were brilliant!!!!
Then we took the FJR out. Within a couple of miles, we knew we would never own an FJR. We found it cramped and top-heavy with a dreadfully crude gearchange, the motor was pretty damn good though. The ST on the other hand, was refined but with an edge and an outstanding motor.
That was in October 2009, since then, the ST is no longer a second bike, it is my Premier bike of choice. The more I ride it, solo and 2-up, the better it gets. I simply can't praise it enough!!!
sherob
Old Herder of cats.
If you still had those stock tires on, more than likely under inflated too, yeah... the C14 wouldn't handle to well.
Put some good rubber on, dial in that suspension... and she handles like a dream
I don't have to say anything about the engine