New 2016 Yamaha FJR

banjoboy said:
Chris, I've got two years before I really retire and I want everything paid off, the house repainted, a propane generator put in, replace appliances if needed. So if I do anything about a new bike it would be after all the pre-retirement stuff is done.

Terry
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Terry, Good for you....good plan....I have been retired 11 years, have been debt free for over 20...ended up with more money than time on this earth left.....I am going to let this bike speak to me for awhile...usually, when something speaks to me for a couple of months and I buy it, I am happy.....like the NT and the Connie and the 2004 Honda CR-V and the Toyota Matrix.... ;)
 
What I chose over a new bike
P1010006_zpsuz0u7suk.jpg

Farkles for this cost more than bike stuff... 2032R
 
Thanks. Have a lifetime of landscraping projects around here and getting heat out of the woods kept getting harder. With any luck this machine should give me more quality time with my NT.
 
karl said:
What I chose over a new bike
P1010006_zpsuz0u7suk.jpg

Farkles for this cost more than bike stuff... 2032R
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1. That is one very nice tractor! I would love to have one with a PTO wood chipper on it....welcome to the backyard buffet!
2. If I ever trade in all my bikes for one, take me to a shrink.....:wink:
 
that Blue sure is purrty! Here I am trying to figure out if I can get down to 1 bike, and I see this. Now I am thinking about how I have room for one more......
 
Coyote Chris said:
.....six speed? Fine. Lower first and make 6th tall......
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FJR doesn't need a lower first gear. 90% of the time, you can get by with a two speed transmission with second and fifth gears. An overdrive, however, would be nice.
 
JohnC said:
FJR doesn't need a lower first gear. 90% of the time, you can get by with a two speed transmission with second and fifth gears. An overdrive, however, would be nice.
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I guess my problem is that they Raised first gear and they raised the new sixth over the old fifth. Nothing wrong with the latter, but when you put 6 gears close together, like my Connie, you end up just skipping a bunch of gears...
The Connie has lots of torque and power despite it being heavier than the FJR. I would rather it have a five speed with a wide ration box...shorter first gear and taller fifth.....now the NT...I would like to see a lower first gear and a sixth gear that is taller than the current fifth....
(If you can believe this, there is a guy in Florida, SISF, or Steve in Sunny Florida, who runs "Shouldhavebeen" Engineering, who will take your Connie and move the gears around to give you a taller sixth gear...I think he calls it the Seventh gear option...)
 
To all you that been lusting over a new bike and then REALITY Hits. Think about this. "One never saw a U-Haul at the cemetery". Most of us are at the age that ""It is not the need that counts anymore it is the want" Go for it, "Life is too short and can change in an instant." Ride what you enjoy and Enjoy what you ride.:)
 
Chucksklrst said:
To all you that been lusting over a new bike and then REALITY Hits. Think about this. "One never saw a U-Haul at the cemetery". Most of us are at the age that ""It is not the need that counts anymore it is the want" Go for it, "Life is too short and can change in an instant." Ride what you enjoy and Enjoy what you ride.:)
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+1 Chuck.....

For almost all riders, a motorcycle purchase is based on emotion, not common sense, practicality or need. Especially if you have more than one in your garage......ahem not to mention any names here!

I will be 70 next March, so as long as I can ride safely, will do so. But also know my remaining riding time gets shorter every day that goes by. There is no wait, only do.

:spsmile:
 
In 5 years when I retire my NT should still be in good enough shape for the occasional long trip I might want to make. My wife and I built a house in a 55 and older retirement community in Lake St. Louis MO and a scooter in the 300-400 cc range seems ideal for running errands etc in the small community so my next new purchase will probably be one of those. I know some of you currently have or have owned a scooter. Care to share any advice regarding them.
 
Thanks Chris, I think the 650 is way more than I need and as I said I plan on keeping my NT if I need something for use on a longer trip. I also thought about the Honda CB500 series but it seems like for what I have in mind a scooter has more versatility. I like the under seat storage for errand running etc. Sorry I diverted the FJR post. Maybe I will start a separate scooter post when I research it further.
 
Daboo said:
Yeah, I've thought about that too. If money doesn't matter, you'd think the 2016 BMW R 1200 RS would be in the discussion. Wet weight is @ 520 lbs.

Chris
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OK, I am going to step into the thoughts/roundtable of Chuck, Chris and Tim and pull up a chair. I am one of those who is blessed and does not have to worry about Money.....but value still has a meaning to me and I dont have to worry and stay up at night ref: buying a BMW R1200 cause it just doesnt speak to me like the 2014 FJR does. If I could find an FJR around here to sit on and observe in the flesh, I would do it but the nearest one is a long, ugly winter's drive away. Does the FJR have too much power for me? Sure, but then so does my 1000cc Connie and I have lived with her for 12 years.....My NT has 21,000 on it and though this sounds crazy, I dont want to wear it out too fast. I would like to ride another 8 years, God willing, and there are no U-Haul hitches on herses and I would like to try the FJR. Save the miles on the NT for when I really get almost infirm enough to where I cant ride. If I hate it, I sell it.....and move on....no regrets....I just want to see one in the flesh before I rent a Uhaul and find the cheapest new '14 within 500 miles (Woodenville or Oregon). Tim is right....the emotion here is what is driving me.....I waited two years before buying the NT and I waited two years before buying the Connie....but I dont have that long now that the '14 FJRs are going away....
 
BTW, I havent found any article that agrees on the full tank weight of the NT, FJR, and Connie. Best I can come up with is 562-573 for the NT, 676-684 for the FJR, and 671 for the Connie. Anyone have cockpit time on a Connie and an FJR so they can compare them as far as low speed handling?
 
Daboo said:
Yeah, I've thought about that too. If money doesn't matter, you'd think the 2016 BMW R 1200 RS would be in the discussion. Wet weight is @ 520 lbs.

Chris
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First of all, if you like the weather protection of the NT, you probably want the completely faired RT. Second, I suspect that the claimed 520 lbs wet of the partially faired RS is optimistic. A new RT is about 630 lbs wet. There can't be 100 pounds in the extra tupperware.

Coyote Chris said:
BTW, I havent found any article that agrees on the full tank weight of the NT, FJR, and Connie. Best I can come up with is 562-573 for the NT, 676-684 for the FJR, and 671 for the Connie. Anyone have cockpit time on a Connie and an FJR so they can compare them as far as low speed handling?
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A couple of guys put a fully fueled FJR on two (both wheels) and three (wheels and sidestand) computerized truck scales. Both results were in the 680 lb. range.

I thought about an RT before I decided on the FJR. Heard too many IBA horror tales. Plus, I can maintain the FJR by myself.
 
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JohnC said:
First of all, if you like the weather protection of the NT, you probably want the completely faired RT. Second, I suspect that the claimed 520 lbs wet of the partially faired RS is optimistic. A new RT is about 630 lbs wet. There can't be 100 pounds in the extra tupperware.



A couple of guys put a fully fueled FJR on two (both wheels) and three (wheels and sidestand) computerized truck scales. Both results were in the 680 lb. range.

I thought about an RT before I decided on the FJR. Heard too many IBA horror tales. Plus, I can maintain the FJR by myself.
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I think 680 is a fair number...100 lbs over the NT and about the same as the Connie. I really dont have much bad to say about the BMW RT except that with WA sales tax, you wouldnt get much change back from your $25,000 bill. I dont care how good a bike it is...that is way overpriced......I will let others buy it and be happy.......
 
vzshadow said:
I forgot to mention the Honda Forza 300. That's what the wife rides now and she absolutely loves it. It moves pretty well, it's agile and gets great mileage. We've done overnight trips, me on the Bonneville and she on the Forza. I find it a bit cramped for me: 5'11" and two hundred er huh but pounds.
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Dan, thanks for the scooter info. I am 5'7" and weigh 135 so I think a 300 will get me where I need to go in good shape.
 
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