Followup to Private Message

[JohnC]

Hi, Phil.

I tried to answer your message but I got locked up in a timeout loop and I don't know if it went through. So I am also posting it here.

John, IIRC, your FJR is a '13 model. The guy I talked to today when I was looking at one said that as far as he knew there were very few differences between '13s, '14s, and '15s. I don't think I'd spend the extra bucks to get the adjustable suspensions. Eldon got it because he said he could lower the bike with it, but I don't think I'd need to do that.

If there are other differences, what are they?

What have you done to yours? Are there farkles that a person really needs? The things that I can think of off the top of my head are: a taller windscreen, the Canyon Dancer engine protection bars (and probably the pannier protectors, too), bar risers of some sort, and maybe sliders.

What kind of gas mileage do you get? The Yamaha website says 38mpg, which would work out to almost 250 miles/tank.

How long do tires last?

Does $11,900 sound like a good price for a very clean example with 11,900 miles?

What do I need to know??

I have a third generation (Yamaha calls it a Series III) '13A - the first year with built in cruise control. The ES model starts with the '14 models. Except for paint, there's no differences in the '13 - '15's. I am guessing that the used bike you are talking about is a '13. If so, $11,900 sounds a little high.

Fuel consumption?
I have yet to do any serious checking, but the way I ride on the road touring, I am seeing between 45 and 50 mpg. I think that with a little care, 300 miles per tank should be pretty easy. I would not want to try it, mind you. The FJR would be a beast to push. The FJR has an eight segment gas gauge. By the time the first segment starts flashing, you have about 1.5 gallons left. So the way I look at it, the FJR has a 5 gallon tank and a 1.5 gallon "virtual reserve". And remember, the FJR runs on regular gas.

The service intervals are very conservative. The U. S. book says oil change intervals are every 4K miles. The European book says the equivalent of 5,000 miles. U.S. valve check intervals are every 26,000 miles. One of the FJR sites did a survey of high mileage bikes and at 26,000 miles, about half were still in spec. At 78,000 miles, a quarter were still in spec.

Tire wear?
I have seen figures and estimates all over the place. I have seen a couple of reports of riders shredding stock tires in 4000 miles. Based on the way I ride, I may be able to get 15,000 miles out of mine, but more realistic estimates would be 12 - 14K miles.

What have I done to mine?
The previous owner had installed an MCL riser plate ($300) that actually replaces the stock upper triple tree clamp. It brings the grips up 1 1/2 " and back 1 3/4". I left it installed because it works great. This is the first bike that I have ever owned that didn't leave me with pain between my shoulder blades after several hours.

I had the dealer install canyon cages before I picked the bike up. Then I added custom sliders and later highway pegs.

I have installed a Garauld Engineering steel subframe stiffener ($115) to go with my Touratech luggage rack. Cracked aluminum subframes are not uncommon. I guess that is why the manufacturer's weight limit is only 20 lbs. If you are going to use a topbox, I think this is a good idea. Google "FJR cracked subframe".

Added a battery pigtail to power a tire air compressor. Also lets me charge the battery when I screw up and leave the key on overnight.

Next on the list is a larger windshield. The stock windshield looks great and is fine for putting around town, but for the road, it needs more coverage. Two popular alternatives are the Yamaha Touring Windshield and Cee Bailey products. This guy (Two Wheeled Obsession) did a comparison of the stock and Touring windshields:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4zZIZGlPEY&list=UUfWfFzjkrXx_HyJVzbBmUvQ

Two Wheeled Obsession also has a lot of diy videos about FJR maintenance.

I am not sure of a custom seat yet. For me, the stock seat seems to work pretty well.

John

 

[JohnC]

6'1", about a 31" inseam.

 

[EX Winger]

Phil

Talk to Kim at Rusell about Sport Seat for FEEJER , also ther are various
mounting plates available for rear in form of luggage reacks! I am about o research the Garauld engineering item that john has mentioned!, I also have a DASH shelf coming for mine probably it will arrive tomorrow , or Saturday!Not knocking the 13, BUTT No Waranty??? for almost the same price as a new one and a faster red one!!!?? :smile:

Eldon

 

[JohnC]

Tall size shirts...regular size pants

Tall size shirts sometimes. Right now, I walk on the hems of 32" inseam pants. I am about 225 lbs, down from 250 lbs when I had my heart attack last year. Pants size is 36 down from 40. Another 20 lbs and I will have my waist and 32" inseam back. And I will be able to fit into my 25 year old German leathers.

Eldon,
" . . . and a faster red one"

A myth founded by Honda riders.

 

[JohnC]

Always been in pretty good shape until recently. In the 70's, my shirt size ran about 14X34, 37" chest and I weighed about 160 lbs. By the time I retired from the Army, I was about 190 lbs and a 43" chest. My first two bikes were British, a 1964 650cc BSA (1967) then a 1970 Triumph (1970). I was young enough in those days to be able to ignore the pain, plus when you need to stop for gas every 2 hours or so, the problems do not get too bad.

Strangely enough, although the seat on my GPz750 was not that comfortable, the riding position never bothered me.

 

[Chucksklrst]

The only difference between the 13 and the 14 A models are color and the cruse control. I think the 13 cruse tops out at 75 where as the 14 model the cruse tops out at 85mph

 

[Chucksklrst]

John How did you mount the sliders with the canyon cages? Post a couple of pictures and give me the details of how, when, where, what. Thanks

 

[JohnC]

My sliders were custom made by Eric, a marine stationed at Edward AFB. He has sort of gone out of business because he is PCS'ing to go to Warrant Officer's school.

OTOH, here is the thread where he talks about how he developed the sliders:
http://www.fjrowners.com/forums/15-general-chat/25586-tipsy-shots-solution.html

Look at posts #12, #21, #28, #31, #40, #79, #83, #135, and #136. #136 contains drawings. He has admitted that they are perhaps overly complicated, but that he is somewhat of a perfectionist. I agree.

John

 

[Phil Tarman]

Thanks, John. I didn't get any reply in your reply except for the quote of what I'd asked. There's enough interest in this that it ought to be on the Forum for everyone anyway.

I didn't know about the difference in the cruise control top-speeds until after I sent you my message last night. That probably wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me, although, in West Texas, being able to stay up with the traffic at 90mph was nice on the NT.

RedLeader sent me a message about an $11,000 '14 model at a dealership near him in Georgia.

 

[Phil Tarman]

I have installed a Garauld Engineering steel subframe stiffener ($115)

Where is info on this?

 

[charlie b]

Why oh why would they limit the cruise control speed????? Dumb. Nanny state kind of stuff. Well, lawsuit stuff more likely.

 

[Mellow]

Why oh why would they limit the cruise control speed????? Dumb. Nanny state kind of stuff. Well, lawsuit stuff more likely.

Do you have proof that's why? I don't know the particulars myself so I don't know if it was law-based or simply some setting the manufacturer had as a base limit.

 

[slider]

I think 75 or 85 would be an ok cc for 90% of owners. It is odd there's any limit. I'm getting one but really can't do red.

 

[charlie b]

Do you have proof that's why? I don't know the particulars myself so I don't know if it was law-based or simply some setting the manufacturer had as a base limit.

nope no proof at all
just no other reason i can think of

 

[Phil Tarman]

nope no proof at all
just no other reason i can think of

Well, since the same limit doesn't apply to the '14s and '15s, I really doubt if there was anything political about the decision to put the limit there on the '13s. Nothing changed in the political equation in one year.

IIRC, there was an 80mph limit to the cruise control on the first Goldwings to have the feature. Can anyone confirm that?

 

[slider]

Can't you change it on 13's?

 

[JohnC]

, also there are various mounting plates available for rear in form of luggage reacks!
Eldon

Eldon, all of these mounting plates bolt onto that aluminum subframe that is prone to breaking under heavy loads.

OK, guys - the cruise control:

The '13 limit is 80 mph plus 2 "+" 's or 82 mph. The '14 limit is 100 mph. There were a couple of long threads on one of the forums:
http://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/149685-2013-cruise-control/?hl=+cruise++control++limits#entry1023226
http://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/155012-2014-fjr1300-cruise-control/page-2?hl=+cruise++control++limits#entry1101151

Basically:
Yamaha is not going to fix it.
We with '13's are stuck with it. I guess in protest, we could refuse to use it.
The people that flash ECU's for fun and profit say "wouldn't be enough demand to make it worthwhile".
No one really knows for sure if a '14A ECU will work in a '13A. Although the bikes are virtually identical, the ECU's have different part numbers.

Personally, I think the issue is a "tempest in a teapot". Instead of being grateful that the '13 has a superb cruise control, people are *****ing because it has only an 80 mph limit.

I think the original limit was just an arbitrary limit. Someone somewhere decided that 80 mph was a pretty good limit and no one disagreed with him. Then, for the '14 models, someone else decided that 100 mph was better.

 

[Phil Tarman]

John, I keep saying references to a Garauld Engineering sub-frame strengthening modification, but I can't find anything about Garauld Engineering. Do you know anything about that stuff?

 

[RedLdr1]

RedLeader sent me a message about an $11,000 '14 model at a dealership near him in Georgia.

When are you flying in? :wink:

 

[JohnC]

John, I keep saying references to a Garauld Engineering sub-frame strengthening modification, but I can't find anything about Garauld Engineering. Do you know anything about that stuff?

First, google "fjr subframe cracking" for a look at the sometimes problem.
Then the thread: http://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/154924-gen23-subframe-stiffy-kit-by-garauld/?hl=+subframe++crack#entry1099430

Touratech says the weight limit for their Yamaha luggage rack is 10 lbs. I figure that is a function of the subframe weight limit. If you are going load up a top case, the stiffy kit might be a pretty good idea.