YES, the broad power band and down low torque makes it very easy to ride sedately. Go 4 it!! Regards, Paul
That's a good question. My primary use for the bike would be commuting. Rush hour traffic and 36 miles, about 20 of it on the interstate. I'm concerned a 650-700 might not have the power needed. I like the Honda NT700 quite a bit too, just concerned about the engine size. I talked to the sales dude at the Yamaha dealer. We're about $800 apart. He wants $14800 out the door. I don't want to go over $14000. For now I am just letting it ride. He's got my number. And if he doesn't call, that's ok too.
You said earlier you were interested in riding a bike sedately. I really don't think you're going to find a 60-hp machine underpowered for just general riding around. Today's commuter makes about the same power of a superbike of a couple decades ago. Have you looked at the NT700X? That impresses me as a very nice all-around machine if you just want to troll, commute, and have fun. Low seat height, decent weight, cool luggage solution, very non-intimidating. FJR's certainly commute and are fine everyday machines, but their forte is high-speed, long-distance, reel-in-the-horizon, all-weather, open-road touring. They're pretty much overkill for everything else. My experience is that gaps like this aren't often bridged with a call back. If they were going to do it, they would have. And depending on your sales tax situation, this looks like an awfully aggressive discount, probably less than dealer cost. But good luck, regardless. - Mark
I've had three V-Strom 650's and now the FJR1300. I can tell you that the V-Strom had more than enough of HP for commuting and just running around town. Even my DR650 dual sport is just fine in those situations although not nearly as comfortable as the V-Strom or FJR. I totally agree Mark. The FJR is a wonderful bike and has been fine for everyday use. The reason I made the switch from my last V-Strom to the FJR was because I have had a long time dream of getting out and seeing the country on a bike. I test rode the BMW R1200RT, a Goldwing, and the FJR1300. All three were very nice bikes but in the end I went with the FJR and also kept my DR650 for those times when a larger bike was not needed. But if I was not planning on any long distance riding the V-Strom or something similar would be my choice because in town and heavy traffic a lighter weight bike really makes a difference. Jon...
Yep. In my book, higher horsepower is the most overrated feature of a bike and lighter weight the most underrated. - Mark
I had never heard about the NT700 before and just checked out the 2011 version at Honda's site. http://powersports.honda.com/2011/nt700v.aspx I know this is an FJR thread but.... That's a nice looking bike! Power to weight ratio should be good and depending on gearing it looks like it would be a fun bike to ride. At 569 lbs ready to ride it's right in the middle of the V-Strom and FJR1300. This luggage feature caught my attention.... "Large-capacity saddlebags feature a passthrough space between the two sides to facilitate packing longer items and provide additional carrying capacity." Edit: Just read this review... http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/117/5327/Motorcycle-Article/2010-Honda-NT700V-First-Ride.aspx And if I ever decide to get ride of the FJR the NT700 will be on my short list. Jon...
Great post and agree completely. To tell the truth,,,, look into not only that Honda {that's caught my my wife's eye recently} but also the Tiger 1050 and the roadie version of the Tiger 800. All three of these bikes are alot lighter than the FJR and if you are just doing a 30-50mile commute,,,, would be nearly as comfy. Like the quoted poster, I find the FJR really excels in long days of mixed riding for fun. Not the humdrum monotony of commuting,,,,,,,,,,,, but it sure makes my 40 mile commute less humdrum by gosh! Unless you are willing to mod the DL650,, I would rule the DL out. I hated mine when I first got it as I was so used to the handling, power and the shaftie's low maintenance. It wasn't untill I added a few inches of travel, ground clerance and alot better handling that I started liking it.
well, I guess I didn't say enough at the risk of being to wordy... I used to own a 1999 Concours C10. I had it for 8 years. During that time, a lot of my riding buddies began to refer to me as "Too Fast". My wife refused to ride with me. I, on the other hand, never considered myself "too fast". I didn't go any faster than most of the other Connie riders I knew. Time past, the Connie got sold, other bikes came and went, and I began to realize I probably did need to slow down. When I bought the ST1300, I was afraid I may go even faster on it than I did on the Connie - but I found I could ride it pretty sedately, staying somewhat near the speed limit, and still enjoy it. My wife went on a 250 mile ride with me and she enjoyed it. I totaled the ST last year, and I have had a pretty rough recovery. I am now quite certain that I am not immortal after all. I have aged a lot in the last year. Now the time has come to ride again, and I want a bike I can commute on, take a long road trip on occasionally, take a passenger occasionally, and ride with my buddies, most of who ride Harleys or metric cruisers. I may even get a metric cruiser myself. This is my short list: 2008 Royal Star Tour Deluxe (new) 2011 FJR (new) 2010 NT700V (new) 2010 Road Star Silverado (new) 2006 Concours (used) 2002 Concours (used) and there is still an outside chance I may go for the Suzuki GSX1250FA. I figure the FJR is probably the best bike on this list, but it's also the most expensive, and if I can't take my wife for a ride without her hitting me on the back of the head, as some previous posters have mentioned, then I don't want it.
The Feejer is a great two-up bike. As for sedate riding, yes, it works fine for that. But, the FJR loves twisties and corners really well, IMHO. On the highway (which I try to avoid), I regularly find that when I glance down, there are in excess of 90 Speedos being metered, even when I didn't intend to blow through the speed limit. The answer to sedatishness is, "Control, grasshopper." It's a great bike.
Cross-shopping a Royal Star Tour Deluxe and a NT700V? That's a little like cross-shopping a Lincoln Town Car and a Honda Accord. Sounds like you've got some basic decisions to make about what type of bike you want. You've made an offer on a FJR, so I say go with this. Make the best deal you can and just get on with it. Don't let $800 put you into a Royal Star or NT instead of an FJR. That's truly the tail wagging the dog. And if you're trying to be safety conscious now, I'd completely rule out any bike without ABS brakes. - Mark
ABS = Yes, yes, yes. Up here in the Pacific NW getting a bike with ABS was #1 on my list. #2 was matching factory hard luggage since every bike I had before the FJR I always added luggage. I've owned a lot of cruisers and I love the look of them but my lower back does not do well with them. It took me a long time to admit that. But once I admitted it to myself and started riding bikes with a more upright riding position I've been a lot happier with my bikes. If you back is not what it used to be, or like me you tend to slouch, a cruiser may not be the best choice. Just something to consider while you contemplate your choices. FJR, Connie, ST.... I did a lot of research before deciding on the FJR. Between the Connie, FJR, and ST everything I read, and was told by people I knew locally that had owned at least two of the three, was the FJR was the better choice. I do find it a little on the heavy side when moving it around since I'm not a very big guy (5'9 @ 165lbs). But once it's moving it feels a lot lighter than I thought it would be. I agree with Mike and others that the $800.00 dollar difference should not be a deal breaker on a bike that cost as much as the FJR. And with riding season already starting up it may be hard to get them to come down. I ended up paying $13,600.00 (before lic, tax, and a Y.E.S. warranty) for a left over 2010 last September and the dealer told me that was almost what they paid for the bike. But riding season was almost over in my area and they did not want to sit on it over the winter. If you really want the FJR and they will not come down on the price, if they have not let you take a test ride, you might be able to use that as a bargaining tool to test ride the bike. And/or can get them to toss in a 48 month Y.E.S. warranty which would give you a full five years warranty on the bike. Jon...
Breeze, if you haven't had a cruiser and you want to ride sedately AND feel secure with both feet planted on the ground, maybe a cruiser would be a good fit? Of course I don't intend to push you away from the FJR, being the best bike on the list an all but you've had a good mix of bike styles, why not? Didn't you also have a V-Strom? You can always swap next year and maybe pick up a leftover FJR? Also, as far as wheeling and dealing, I'd stand my ground. Something else you may have considered is the seating position. I had a K75S when I screwed my back up in 97 and after recovery I found that the ergonomics of the K-Bike wasn't what I needed to be comfortable or be able walk upright after a day long tour. I went with the GS and then to a R1150R and finally found nirvana with the FJR. (setbacks required)
That's good news . So now that you are only $200.00 apart are you going to make the deal? Oh, what year is it? I looked back a couple pages but do not see where you posted the year of the bike. Jon...
I only put 30,000 miles on my past FJR and it was mostly on trips. I would ride it to work a couple times a week. I preferred a DS for daily use. Curbs, big pot holes, steel road plates and such never bother me on a dual sport. I saved the FJR for the curves on long trips. I hated wasting good ST rubber riding 45 mph or less in traffic. I rather burn up cheap $45 rear Shinko tires for going to work. The FJR can do fine daily. Its a top heavy ST though, it all depends on how much time you spend at low speeds. The engine has a great flat torque curve though, its easy to ride slowly. Just very boring. Sent from my GT-S5690L using Tapatalk
