due to morning rain, i decided to go pick up my boat and put the guzzi test ride off till tomorrow. i don't mind riding in the rain, but the HD is spit shined ready to "trade".
so this afternoon... i decided to go test ride (close to home) one of the more "complex" motorcycles that i have on my list - just in case the guzzi or the buell don't float my boat... a brand spanking new FJR!!!
WOW... that is a very nice machine. not too big and bulky like a concours (which sat right beside it on the showroom) - yet big enough to feel planted on the road. having not been on an ST for several years, i was amazed at how quickly and easily i fit into the environment that the FJR provides the pilot. everything seemed to be 'right there' and very user friendly. leaving the parking lot, the front rake was street smart, it felt like it hunted the path i wanted to go without a fight - but with plenty of precision to remind me it was ready for sport. the ride was short but i did get to hit a half dozen wimpy curves, which i pulled though the apexes with throttle as best as flat curves will allow - any gear would do. coming out of the curves at what felt like maybe 55mph i look at the speedo and i'm bumping 70mph... yup i grinned, this bike is trouble. fun - but trouble. i would have liked to have taken her out to a 75mph ramp or piece of slab to get a feel for the I4 vibes. at 60mph in 5th gear i was looking for 6th - due to the feeling i was getting in the hand grips. keep in mind i ride a harley, and at 60mph it is totally relaxed with not a hint of vibes. i did get a good variation of windshield effects as i cycled through up/down/up/down switch (neat-o). several of the settings would be very useful for my 5'11'' frame. the temps today were in the high 80s/ humid and at several stops the bike did not seem to be swamping me with heat (yay!!) - or no worse than my HD, which is very tolerable.
oh yea... my wife looked at the pics and likes the rear seat set-up... "not too perched up looking" says swmbo. she will get a run on it before i make any final decisions. its too early to tell how i might like it on long days in the saddle - but i do know that it is initially more comfortable than my 2003 concours and and in the short 2 years and 20k mile we rode together, i put several 500/600 mile days on her - and at least 1 or 2 800+ mile days!
i hope i didn't make a mistake by trying this bike on... it really doesn't meet my initial criteria.
Well, we're of similar minds. You've hit on my dilemma also. The power of the FJR is hard to resist. I had a 2005 FJR for about a year but sold it to get the finances under control. I had a chance to ride a buddies FJR recently and it was quite a contrast. I'd gotten used to the STs weight but getting on the FJR reminded me why I prefer a SPORT-touring bike over a sport-TOURING bike. So, for me it's down to either the Norge or FJR. While I've read the concerns about the Norge not having as much power as the current Japanese STs, I think they may be missing the way character of the Norges power.
In the early 90s, Suzuki made v-twin called the VX-800. In my opinion it had a great motor with that classic v-twin grunt but the reviews complained it wasn't fast enough. Outright speed isn't everything though, how the power is delivered can be just as much or even more appealing than how much is delivered. Course, all the other factors have to line up for you too and that's an individual choice.
