FJ_Junkie

I haven't seen those two compared together but that'll help knowing what bikes to test. Did you any 2-up with the Versys?

I really appreciate all the honest opinions on this topic. The writing is clearly on the wall and I'm just gonna looks more towards the FJR type for 2-up touring. I still love the FJ body style and riding position so maybe in the future, I'll sell the FZ and replace it with one.

Yesterday I rode the FZ with the wife and couldn't wait to get home. This morning I rode into work solo and didn't want to get off. I think I'll keep the FZ for me and get another bike that's built for 2-up. We're gonna take the advice and rent the three bikes and go from there. We're gonna try the FJ, FJR and the Versys. Thanks for all the help people.

Sneaky little bastard (the bike). When I Googled FJ-09 GT, Tracer 900 GT kept coming up so I figured that it was only available in Europe. A Cycleworld review set me straight as it mentioned they dropped the American FJ namesake for the Tracer 900. I wish it was 2023 so I could afford the 2019😁

Last time I looked, I thought the Versys was ugly looking to me but the 2015 is really, really cool looking and that's the only year I'd be able to afford with either bike. But, it's $1000+/- more than the FJ so I'd have to save up a bit longer. For 2-up, does anyone know if the Versys stock suspension is any better than the FJ? If not, I'll just stay with the FJ and spend the $1000+ on the suspension.

So I ride very conservatively even in the twisties of the Smoky Mountains and country back roads and have miles of chicken strips on my FZ. I'm not scared to lean in hard, it's just not my style. I like fast acceleration in the straightaways and long sweeping corners but take it easy in tighter turns. If 300lbs of combined rider weight isn't going to fair well based on my riding style, I'll either have to consider the FJR1300 (which I'm assuming is capable of carrying the weight) or hold off for a long while until I can save the money to get the FJ and a beefier suspension package. Although the FZ is mushy with us both on there, I've never bottomed out or had any close calls so wouldn't the FJ have a little bit more support verses my bike?

Great reply and great example. Couple questions now. 1) Give or take a few bucks here or there, what did those front and rear upgrades cost? 2) Is there a chance that our combined 50lb lighter load (no offense) would work with the stock suspension or like betoney said, the bike is typically set up for an average 170lb person? I ask because it might be a while before I could do suspension upgrades to any FJ-09 I buy unless I find a wife that kicked her husband to the curb and fire-sales his precious ride. Even though I guess I could keep the FZ and do suspension upgrades, I just like the riding position so much better on the FJ and would think if the wife is already okay with her comfort on my bike, that she would be even more comfortable on the FJ. It's me that's annoyed by the ride. Lastly, keithu, what's typically lacking for the back seat rider when people say "passenger accommodations aren't the best"?

Hi All, I'll finally be picking up an FJ-09 this fall or winter. My current ride is a 2008 FZ6 and is the first bike I've owned. At the time of purchase last November, I did the research and found a bunch of 2-up reviews and riders generally enjoyed the experience. I had $3000 max to spend including all the start-up gear for both of us and found that the FZ6 was very affordable, had the widest back seat for a sportbike and plenty of power for a first bike. There was just no way an FJ was affordable at the time and standard bikes and cruisers don't appeal to me. After 9 months of me riding 2-up with the wife, I hate it. I even got a Corbin that's actually shaped just like their FJ-09 model seat and holy crap is that thing uncomfortable for me. For the wife, she loves it. Now, I LOVE the FZ6 when it's just me but even with me being 5'-10'' @195lbs and the wife at 5'-1'' @110lbs, the 2-up ride is very mushy in the curves and in normal city riding, braking is super-mushy. I know for some people, the bike works for two people but for me, I just dread getting on the bike with her and no, I don't want to leave the old ball and chain at home.😁 So I want to stay with Yamaha and love the FJ-09 as I feel it's just my size of bike. I looked into the FJR1300 for a quick minute since my friend has one but, it's just too bulky and heavy for me and I don't need that much power with only nine months of riding under my belt. I've seen a few comparisons where people say the FJ-09 is fast like the FZ6 but way more comfortable and I am hoping this is true. I still want the power that my FZ6 has and even more so when the wife is on the back and that's what I'm here to find out. Thank you.

I love the way Corbin's rider/passenger seat looks on the FJ-09 and that's what I was envisioning mine would look like. The rear seat has a scooped-out shape to it which looks like it supports both buns perfectly. I obviously went through the interactive building process on their site but I just didn't see the convex shape in the back. I tracked down a guy that works on seats but he said Corbin seats are too hard to tweak: Thank you for your interest in my work but as mentioned on my web sites FAQ page I do not work on any Corbin saddles. Corbin uses a unique construction method where the foam is poured directly into the fiberglass seat pan and the quilted cover is bonded to the foam with a heavy duty urethane adhesive (it's usually over-use of this adhesive that makes some Corbin saddles so stiff) effectively making them a single unit and close to impossible to break down without damage and not compatible with my process and materials. Because of this, if you can even get them to work on one of their own seats, Corbin charges for a new cover and complete rebuild when they make any changes. I am sorry I cannot help with this seat but appreciate the inquiry. Ride safe, Spencer

Hello All. I'm not an FJ-09 owner just yet but I need your honest advice in getting one. I currently own an 08 FZ6 and got an $800 Corbin Gunfighter seat with the additional lady-seat backrest option. It was the only company I knew of that made a backrest for that model and she won't get on without a backrest. We've ridden a little over a 1000 miles in the mountains where I live and her butt always goes numb 30 minutes into the ride. She goes numb right down the middle of her backside and eventually the pain spreads into her thighs. I guess it's putting pressure on the sciatica nerve. She's 5'-1" tall and 110lbs and with the stock seat, her entire butt fits on the rear seat but, the way Corbin shaped theirs, it's got a slight bow (convex) shape to it so her bottom hangs off each side a bit. I believe it's causing her ischial tuberosities (sitting bones) to take all the weight of her body unlike with a flatter or concave shaped seat to distribute the weight more evenly. We can't use the stock seat because there is no way to attach a backrest and is why we went with the Corbin. They say to give it a season to break in but we'll never get a full season in at this rate because she's so uncomfortable. On top of her issue, the riding position on the FZ6 just isn't straight up enough for me. I get upper shoulder pain throughout the day and the pain sticks around into my work week. I can look into a bar riser but this bike is just starting to get on my nerves. I've sat on the FJ-09 a few times at the dealership and that position is perfect for me and, I absolutely love the look and feel of the bike. For her, the seat looks perfectly flat and a couple inches wider than the FZ. The FZ is the first bike I've owned but have ridden solo on friends rides for about 2 years. Just not 2-up. I got the FZ because it was affordable used and had the widest passenger seat of any bike in that category. I was hoping that stepping up to the Corbin with a backrest would be a perfect fit for us but it has made riding a pain in the butt and we just don't want go out more than 30 minutes. That's how long it takes us just to get out into the Smokies. So, for people who ride 2-up, what's your opinion on trading up to the FJ-09 for the issues above? I know stock seats from any manufacture aren't the best but we're fine with getting another custom seat and backrest from another company if it comes to that.