duhg

Marietta, OH on a beautiful day.

Hey Scotty, In short, I love it. Still stock except for GIVI rack and Sargeant seat. Still not happy with seat. I put 7k miles on it. Love the motor. I may put rearsets on it to change the ergos a bit.

No swapping. I'm interested in the newer bike to replace mine, but some people don't like to swap. I may wait until Yamaha fixes the floppy turn signals.

It was usually in my mirror. 😉

Rode with a Tracer 9 GT this weekend.

Tennessee We didn't hit the wild sow, but we dragged it into the ditch. We rode many of the well known roads, including the Gap, Skyway, Parkway, etc... and many small roads that were scenic and challenging. A great trip.

Near Moorefield, West Virginia

+ 1 on the heated jacket liner. It's one of the most versatile items I carry. Even in summer the mountains can be cool. I have started many mornings with electric jacket liner under a mesh jacket. Add a rain suit and you're ready for anything. Did anyone mention hydration? I wear a CamelBak pack when the weather gets warm. It makes a big difference in my energy and alertness on long days.

Last fall I finally got fed up with discomfort and, on the advice of some friends, ordered the legendary Russell Day-Long saddle. With 2k miles on the seat I rode 2.5 hours non-stop yesterday with no problem. I totaled 350 miles for the day with no need for a break. I know some don't like the looks and it is more expensive than other options, but so far I think it is worth it. I plan to keep the bike for a few more years, so I hope continued comfort will pay off as I rack up more miles. The seat adds 2 inches or so to the ride height. On the FJ this works fine for me. I enjoy the view from a higher perch and the longer reach to the foot pegs. There are more dead bugs on my face shield now, though.

I have put about 1k miles on a new Klim Carlsbad jacket. I like it very much. I still have my trusty old Darien - the rugged, simple shell that has served me well. The Carlsbad is less Spartan, but not fiddly like some jackets. It has one advantage over the Darien, I can easily reach and operate all the vent zippers while wearing the jacket, even while riding.

Welcome! I drive through Callaway County on the way to Columbia every year. One of these days I'm going to stop at Crane's just for the heck of it. I enjoy riding in the Mark Twain National Forest southeast of you. MSTA has weekend rides in the Mozark region, too.

Today I hauled my FJ to the dealer for service. Yikes. Those were paved roads.

My particular experience was that I rode down a rough road for miles in the rain while certain that my front tire was sometimes off the ground. On smooth pavement all was good. I already knew from past bikes that fixing one end would expose the weaknesses of the other, so I had both fixed.

Yes, I'm keeping the FJ as my primary bike. The ST will be for "nice day" rides. I have a friend who loaded his ST up with luggage and toured on it, but his alternative is a Super Tenere, which is not as much fun in hot weather or on twisty roads. I'm happy to ride the FJ anywhere.