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nevada72

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Posts posted by nevada72

    Everybody's copying the Tracer!

    in FJ-09 Tracer 900 General Discussions

    Posted

    3 hours ago, donk said:

    As a member of the long distance community (9 SS1000, 1 BB1500, and 1 50CC in ‘19) I am one who believes there is no advantage to weight. In full disclosure I did most of my rides on my FJR and a couple on my Multistrada but am seriously considering using a TracerGT in the future. My FJ-09 with stock seat and CalSci windshield is as comfortable as the FJR, in fact it has more legroom and is easier on the knees. As far as comfort both the Multi and FJ-09 are tough to beat.  The FJR does have an advantage in range which is a big plus and shaft drive is nice but not a deal maker. Where the lighter bikes rule supreme is when riding at slower speeds and any time you stop after 15 hours on the bike.  It simply takes less effort and when fatigue is a factor that’s when it’s easy to make a mistake and drop a bike. Even the 100lbs difference between the Multistrada and FJR is huge at the end of the day.  Less effort saves energy for riding longer too.  I only have a 30” inseam and for me the FJ-09 is by far the easiest. While I’ve yet to do an official SS1000 on it I have done some long days and riding the smaller bike is no more fatiguing than a big bike if anything it’s less so.  A decent windshield and it’s good to go. I have no problem with the stock seat but if it were to become my go to LD bike I’d have KonTour redo it. There really is no argument for heavier bike other than they’re heavier😊.  

    MY FJ is limited by the fact that it has no cruise. I didn't really buy it for that kind of riding though. Initially I bought the bike as an in-state sport tourer for the Driftless region (donk knows what I'm talking about) and sporting rides with friends locally. But the bike is so comfortable that I've pushed out further with rides to Iowa and Michigan for business. I've put 10 hours in the saddle and yeah, compared to my Harley Touring rig I get a little beat up. But the Harley is a minivan on 2 wheels and requires very little effort. I've done a number of runs to Denver in one day and I consider the bike ideal for that. The FJ compares very favorably to my GS though. With the right seat (working on that) and maybe cruise I could do much longer rides. I'm looking forward to some runs down to the Smokies and the Ozarks so I can tear it up more than when I'm on the minivan.

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    • Like 1

    Everybody's copying the Tracer!

    in FJ-09 Tracer 900 General Discussions

    Posted

    49 minutes ago, Wintersdark said:

    ….. Not that I'm afraid to, or don't want to, but simply because you're already going way too fast for most street riding in seconds. 

    It's not surprising that we, as FJ/MT owners, agree on what constitutes a good ride. The bikes just do a lot of things well. If you're looking to win the armchair wars with stats, sure.....go buy the H2 and be done with it. But if you simply love sport riding, and like to be comfortable doing it, the FJ is a fantastic choice. And as mentioned, regardless of the other bikes on the ride, you'll never be more than 2 seconds behind. That may be a lifetime in racing, but on the road, it's just 2 seconds.

     

    And here in Wisconsin you never know what's lurking around the next curve or over the next hill. We had a kid recently ride faster than his line of sight allowed. Came over a rise and took out some guy on a riding mower turning around in the road for his next pass. Killed them both. 

    Everybody's copying the Tracer!

    in FJ-09 Tracer 900 General Discussions

    Posted

    7 hours ago, daboo said:

    There's a little mental exercise I go through when considering buying a new bike.  What improvements does it have over what I have now?  Or in the case of the post by nevada72, what's the improvements the 1250 has over the 1200?  

    Next, how much extra will that cost?  So far, that has kept me from jumping from one bike to another and wasting a lot of money.

    The FJ-09/Tracer is a great bike.  It's the standard by which every other bike in this category will be judged by; that's pretty cool. 

    But...the marketing folks earn their living by convincing you that you just gotta have that new fancy update.

    Chris

     

    I agree. When I bought the FJ09 I was also considering the S1000XR and the KTM Super Duke GT. Clearly those are more advanced machines with higher levels of sophistication. But, they would have also cost roughly 3x what I paid for the FJ. I had to weigh the extra cost against, not only the difference in performance, but factoring the amount of time spent in the saddle. I have 4 other bikes I ride and I just couldn't resolve spending 3x the price for bikes that maybe, just maybe, would increase my performance levels by 10% when I'm doing that kind of ride. The decision to buy the FJ was validated with a few spirited rides with friends who have the BMW and KTM. Sure - they were fast. But I was able to hang in there. When it came down to acceleration, the FJ did surprisingly well. Zero to 60 there just aren't many bikes that can embarrass the FJ. Same with the curves. The only area I lost ground was when the bike maxed out at 115 and the others passed me like I was standing still. :D But honestly, I'm okay with 115. 

    Everybody's copying the Tracer!

    in FJ-09 Tracer 900 General Discussions

    Posted

    14 hours ago, donk said:

    There is a loaded pristine ‘18 RT with 620 miles on it at our shop selling for $15,999. With deals like that why would you buy new?  And it goes oshow BMWs deprecate just as fast as everything else. 

    Around now one may wish to own the 1250, which I'm told has quite a few improvements over the 1200. But if you're willing to take the outgoing model, deals can be had for sure. 

    Everybody's copying the Tracer!

    in FJ-09 Tracer 900 General Discussions

    Posted

    15 hours ago, wordsmith said:

    Strange to say, over many years of riding I've become accustomed to seeing far more H-Ds on the road than any other brand of motorcycle.   I'd reckon that at least 50% of the bikes that pass me by in either direction are H-Ds.   When    you consider the very small percentage of new road bike sales here that are H-Ds (<5% last time I looked, about the same as Yamaha) two possible reasons suggest themselves: either H-Ds last much longer than other brands; or H-D riders get out more (usually in a posse). 

    Any comments and/ or similar experience in your neck of the woods?

    In my travels all over the US I can say I mostly see Harleys out on the roads. Despite the decline in sales they sell pretty well still. And then there's decades worth of older ones out there as well. Despite the fun metric riders like to have at the expense of Harley riders, the bikes are actually pretty reliable and a lot of the riders tour quite a bit. The "armchair" position of the touring line lends well to our long, flat, straight interstates. Honestly, if my ride is over 400 miles I'll always take the Harley. It's just easy to ride for long distances. I've knocked out a number of 1000+ mile days on mine and if there were a better bike for me to do it on, believe me, I would buy it.

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    Everybody's copying the Tracer!

    in FJ-09 Tracer 900 General Discussions

    Posted

    The new Beemer is a twin with less HP than the FJ09/Tracer, it's made in India, but costs more. Nope. No thanks. The 09/Tracer is a bargain. I don't get why they are such poor sellers.

    On the performance aspects of the more expensive bikes like the Duc, etc - I ride with a pretty diverse group. BMWs, Ducs, Aprilas, KTM etc. They may have some better components, but it doesn't make a bit of difference on who arrives at the stop sign first. I'm keeping up just fine. Except over 115 MPH. :D

    Also, I'm a BMW owner as well as a Harley owner. I'll return a wave at anyone on a bike. I rarely initiate.......to busy enjoying the ride.

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    Helmets

    in Gear Reviews

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, betoney said:

    What did they change on the GT-Air 2 that you didn't like?

    Three things- 

    1 - Rear vent is always open. I live in Wisconsin and I want to be able to close that vent. One would think a rearward facing vent wouldn't be an issue. But on my large touring bike (HD) there is back-pressure and I can feel it in cold weather.

    2 - Sun visor extends down further. I have a big nose - nuff said. ;)

    3 - Bluetooth ready doesn't appeal to me. I have yet to hear a system I'm happy with, so I don't want my helmet built to accept any particular one. Sure, one can still use any system. It's not a deal breaker, but I saw it as a "con". 

    Also factor that I got my helmet on closeout for half of what a new GT Air 2 costs and it was a no-brainer. 

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    Helmets

    in Gear Reviews

    Posted

    I like Shoei. I just got a new old stock (but not expired) GT Air. I don't like the GT Air 2 and I was able to get a good deal on mine. 

     

    It even matches my bike :)

     

    71PSDyotKpL._SX425_.jpg

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    My new Terry Adcox seat

    in FJ-09 Parts and Accessory reviews

    Posted

    On 10/3/2019 at 8:27 PM, KANNON said:

    Sent my deposit last week,was quoted mid april build.Im also about 100 miles on the uncomfortmeter.Looks like we live close.im just north of oconomowoc.

    I'm actually in Pewaukee/Sussex area. I should update my location. 

    I was told mid/late April as well. I wish I had it for tomorrow. Doing the Slimey Crud Run and I'll be feeling it by the end of the day.

    Are you having the front and back done or just the front?

    My new Terry Adcox seat

    in FJ-09 Parts and Accessory reviews

    Posted

    Sent in my deposit today. The lead time is long - March last I heard. Which is okay because I don't want to lose riding time this Fall and March is lousy weather here in Wisconsin. 

     

    I'm really looking forward to getting this done. The stock seat isn't the worst I've been on, but it gets pretty uncomfortable after 100 miles or so. 

    My new Terry Adcox seat

    in FJ-09 Parts and Accessory reviews

    Posted

    Super happy to find this thread! I'm in the market and Terry sounds like the solution. I had a daylong on my R1200GS and loved it. As was said earlier, looks like some shared DNA, which is a very good thing. I sent him an email requesting info for the FJ09 as well as the Harley. Yup.........that is our long distance bike and it could use some help too. Hopefully he does those too. But the FJ09 is a given. Looking forward to it!

    Screen for tall rider

    in Tracer 900 GT Discussions

    Posted

    On 5/25/2019 at 6:34 AM, hussan said:

    Just got my Puig touring screen fitted to my bike. Original screen held in front for comparison. I’m 6’6 and wasn’t very happy with the original screen, lots of buffeting. I will try this out and might buy the additional visor if this screen doesn’t eliminate the buffeting. This screen is 10cm (4 inch) higher than stock and a bit wider aswell. Can’t wait to try it!

    B85925F0-355D-459E-AAC1-E8F704DEEDED.jpeg

    Any thoughts on the shied? I'm 6-5 and looking for a quieter ride as well. The Puig has my interest.

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    Looking at buying a FJ09 today......

    in FJ-09 Tracer 900 General Discussions

    Posted

    Thanks guys! Yeah, I felt like I did really well. I definitely would have paid more for the bike, but the seller named his price. I'm pretty sure we're both happy with the end result.

    On suspension, as mentioned my reference bikes aren't exactly known for having great suspensions. This bike seems pretty good to me. I'm sure it can be improved but I'll ride it as is until I get to know it better. 

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    recommended long distance riding helmet??

    in FJ-09 Tracer 900 General Discussions

    Posted · Edited by nevada72

    On 5/22/2019 at 10:47 PM, wordsmith said:

    No helmet alone is as quiet as the same one plus decent-quality (preferably custom) earplugs.  The difference is night and day - or chalk and cheese if you prefer! 

    Great info. I'm going to give that a try.

    I managed to find the GT Air for $325 at Motorcycle Closeouts. I didn't want the new GT Air2 because you can't close the back vents, which doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, I got the GT Air and love it. Oh, and the date code was fine. Manufactured 8/2017 so it works for the 5 year lifespan and 7 years from date of manufacture. 

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