ffb13 Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 i just made an appointment to ride the ,test ride , versy1000 at a dealer located 125 miles from my house ..leaving at 6 am and will report back tmw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldfart Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Looking forward to your report. But please don't tell me I made the wrong choice (FJ-09), ha. BTW, I just hit "Junior Member" with this post. Whew, I thought I'd be a New Member forever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lawrenceofsuburbia Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 It works backwards on this site: Old Fart: Junior: new-born babe-in-arms. Pretty soon you'll be getting Group Buy offers for Pampers! L of S [em](an Older Fart)[/em] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmidd Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I have to agree with ffb13. I've unfortunately never riden the versys (the last kawi demo i went to had all the versys spots filled rather quickly). But the seating seems more comfortable to me. The bars aren't quite as wide, and they might be swept back more. But since they ren't as wide my arms are closer so maybe it seems like less stretch. I just took a test drive of the fj-09 this past weekend. i'm happy i did, it is not the bike for me by any means at all. I was seriously ready for the ride to be over seconds after it started. Which is a shame because it is a bit of a bargain and has crazy power, the throttle is just too twitchy for me, I cant stand the throttle delivery. Obviously it is manageable by all the people here that have the bike and really enjoy it. To the OP I would say try your very hardest to ride them both so you can make a informed decision. What works for one person won't always work for another. And as far as price goes... like others says similarly equipped its around 1000 dollars, which isn't a huge cost if you are planning on keeping the bike for a few years. I'd much rather spend the extra 1000 and be happy for 5 years, than save a few bucks and hate myself for going based only on price. IF things are close, check into insurance prices. They can definitely sway you one way or the other. Whatever you get I'm sure you'll be happy. take it easy and ride safe The Versys bars are wider than the FJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lawrenceofsuburbia Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 I do agree! My belief is that the Tracer should be designated a SPORT tourer... (Cannot achieve it here, but SPORT should be in HUGE print, tourer in tiny microdot!) L of S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffb13 Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 i am now back after a test ride of the versy 1000 this am. i left my house at 6 am and was at the dealer at 9 am and rode from around 9: 20 to 9 :45 or so. (---first ,i just read the comparo of the fj09 , versy 1000, and vstrom 1000 on the web from RIDER last issue and everything they say is spot on as far as my various test rides .--you can find this by google rider comparo fj09,versy 1000, vstrom 1000 ) i took it out and immediately felt intimidated by the size ...but ....extremely comfortable all around ..then my first acceleration and super smooth .....i tried various rpm's very carefully because this may be my next bike and i wanted to break it in properly ( already have the fj09 in conn waiting for me in june ) so, at around 4,000 rpm and highere tingles thru the pegs ,and eventually they went away but came back so it was intermitent , also thruthe handlebars ,soft tingling . it reminded me of the THUD ,THUD,THUD, on the gripps of the moto guzzi lemans that i liked so much (it was like the heart rate of the lemans but this one is more of a tingling effect and ihave no idea on a long trip whjat the effects are ..) but below 4,000 rpm's it is butter smooth ( forgot to look at the mph so i cannot reconcile rpm to mph )and none of the jerkiness of the fj09 . also ,in the fj09 i kept rubbing my knees into the tank , and sliding forward .,not on the versy . the riding position very natural and comfortable. i then tried some curves and u turns ...curves ,the fj09 better and also in the u turns ..in th eversy .i was a little intimidated in the U turns but after a few they felt natural but not as nice as in the fj09. and the turning circle was greater in the versy ..maybe due to the weight and my intimidation .but no jerkiness in the throttle .actually the throttle is super smooth ........ weather protection the fj09 i rate a 5 and the versy an 8 . initially the balancing of the bike was tricky for me as i am used to lower heights on a bike .. this versy and also the fj09 are tall bikes but on the fj09 it does not feel that high...i think the reason is that the versy feels massive . as far as the weight is concerned ,once rolling and even standing i could feel some difference if doing it back to back ...but you get used to both of them. the versy has a hot running engine ..i did not feel the heat ( i guess ) because i was wearing padded underwear by bohn and on top of that padded ridding pants and jacket .no heat came thru . but when i got off i could feel the radiating heat. outside temperature at 9 am was 85 F. so, where am i ----i think that for riding in ct and vermont the fj09 is perfect .but on longer trips of say a weekend or a 8 hour day ,the versy .BUT THEN ,REMEMBER THIS IS FROM A 72 YEAR OLD..... if younger ,i would probably have no complains on the fj09. . both bikes are nice but the versy has a feel of higher quality and much better assembly whereas the fj09 to me ,the first time around felt plasticky and cheap... the issue is the price difference and in fact it is very little ...the versy out the door is $ 12.6 vs $10.5 for fj09 but the versy has bags and other ...then when you add bags to fj09 and heated grips it comes out to about 11.9 out the door tax included ..the versy ,once you add heated grips, power plug, gear indicator you are at $13.2 or so. this means around $1.4 OR LESS DEPENDING ON the deal you make ... a lot to think about .......bottom line i like both bikes and each for different riding situations ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumbum Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 @root I just got back from a suzuki demo a couple hours ago, I drove the new 2015 vstrom 1000 (unfortunately I had errands and couldn't wait for the next demo ride of the 650), and it is a great bike. It is super tall, I wasn't 100% flat footed on it but i wasn't on my toes either (and I could flat foot the tenere and the fj-09 just fine) it was fantastic. The power was insane. I tried taking off from a few lights in 3rd gear, I don't even think the bike cared. The bars are a few inches narrower than the fj and the seat is great. I really like the ergos of that bike, it is reminiscent of the tenere, but the whole bike just feels so much more narrow, but the seat is still wide enough for a good sized person :-) I could really see myself riding that bike, but the caveat would be only as a long distance tourer. It has gobs of power and is super comfy, but it seems a little too tame for everyday adventure. I would have to have a sportier bike to compliment it (like how some guys get a fj1300 and a 600 to zoom around on) If you like the 2 cylinder character than the vstrom 650 is definitely worth a look, I can't imagine it would be too far off from the 1000. And honestly if you are thinking of a vstrom 650 have you considered the new versys 650? The LT is ~$8k in shops around here (southern California) and it does come with the sidecases standard. Notably it doens't have a center stand but as far as the size of the bike, it is actually pretty close to the other 1000s out there. When I first saw it I actually thought it was the 1000 till I noticed there was no center stand and it had the different preload adjuster position. Lighter than the versys 1000, but I really do feel they are about the same size. I've also heard it doesn't even feel like a twin cylinder, supposedly it is incredibly smooth. I would also love to ride this bike. Bleh no kawi demos anywhere near by though. Sounds like the versys wasn't exactly what you wanted it to be, but it still checked a few boxes but not all. I think you really just have to ask yourself what kind of riding you do most? Do you jsut do the local CT vermont thing? Or are you a long distance guy? Thats how I felt with the vstrom 1000, great bike if i rode long distnaces like to norcal (about 8 hours, california is to stinking tall), but realistically, I know for my shorter distance commute I wouldn't be happy with it. But no matter what you choose in the end I'm sure you'll be happy @bmidd The versys bars are really wider? 0.0 thanks for the info. something about the fj-09 felt wider to me, I'm not sure what it was. both bikes are definitely much beefier than my current fz6. Like said before, everyone is different and the only real way to know what works for you is to give it a try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 @root I just got back from a suzuki demo a couple hours ago, I drove the new 2015 vstrom 1000 (unfortunately I had errands and couldn't wait for the next demo ride of the 650), and it is a great bike. It is super tall, I wasn't 100% flat footed on it but i wasn't on my toes either (and I could flat foot the tenere and the fj-09 just fine) it was fantastic. The power was insane. I tried taking off from a few lights in 3rd gear, I don't even think the bike cared. The bars are a few inches narrower than the fj and the seat is great. I really like the ergos of that bike, it is reminiscent of the tenere, but the whole bike just feels so much more narrow, but the seat is still wide enough for a good sized person :-) I could really see myself riding that bike, but the caveat would be only as a long distance tourer. It has gobs of power and is super comfy, but it seems a little too tame for everyday adventure. I would have to have a sportier bike to compliment it (like how some guys get a fj1300 and a 600 to zoom around on) If you like the 2 cylinder character than the vstrom 650 is definitely worth a look, I can't imagine it would be too far off from the 1000. And honestly if you are thinking of a vstrom 650 have you considered the new versys 650? The LT is ~$8k in shops around here (southern California) and it does come with the sidecases standard. Notably it doens't have a center stand but as far as the size of the bike, it is actually pretty close to the other 1000s out there. When I first saw it I actually thought it was the 1000 till I noticed there was no center stand and it had the different preload adjuster position. Lighter than the versys 1000, but I really do feel they are about the same size. I've also heard it doesn't even feel like a twin cylinder, supposedly it is incredibly smooth. I would also love to ride this bike. Bleh no kawi demos anywhere near by though. Sounds like the versys wasn't exactly what you wanted it to be, but it still checked a few boxes but not all. I think you really just have to ask yourself what kind of riding you do most? Do you jsut do the local CT vermont thing? Or are you a long distance guy? Thats how I felt with the vstrom 1000, great bike if i rode long distnaces like to norcal (about 8 hours, california is to stinking tall), but realistically, I know for my shorter distance commute I wouldn't be happy with it. But no matter what you choose in the end I'm sure you'll be happy @bmidd The versys bars are really wider? 0.0 thanks for the info. something about the fj-09 felt wider to me, I'm not sure what it was. both bikes are definitely much beefier than my current fz6. Like said before, everyone is different and the only real way to know what works for you is to give it a try Sounds like a good ride and good points. I was looking very strongly at a v strom 650. That's really what my budget was for. The strom 1000 was just too far outside my budget for me to really look at seriously. The FJ was a pretty big stretch for my budget but doable. I test drove the 650 last year. Really, there was nothing wrong with it. A lot of good points. It's very comfortable. Handles well. Smooth. It pretty well checked off every point on my list. I got back from the ride and I liked it but I just wasn't excited. It didn't have enough of the grin factor for me. I really can't pinpoint why either. I probably would have been happy with it but just not as excited to ride as I am with my FJ. I test drove a Versys 650 and loved it. My wife was not comfortable on the back so that was a no go. The Versys showed me the excitement factor I really wanted. The FJ is like the Versys 650 on steroids and my wife was more comfortable on it than even the v strom. Even though I pushed my budget more than I wanted I am extremely happy with my FJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcycleguy45 Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 Here's my two cents, for what it is worth. I was actually eagerly looking forward to the Versys 1000, I really thought it was going to be my next bike!! I had a first generation Versys 650 years ago and I LOVED it. The only really serious knock I had against it was it needed more power!! (and let's face it, the first generation ones where not the prettiest bikes around!! LOL) Then I finally saw and sat on a Versys 1000 at the motorcycle show and was instantly disappointed!! It was way bigger, heavier, wider than the 650!!! It really is not the same bike at all. This was not what I wanted. Then I saw the Yamaha at the same show. Light, nimble, fast. It was everything my old Versys 650 was with more power and better looks. As stated elsewhere in this thread the HP and Torque figures are close between the Versys 1000 and the FJ-09. But the -09 is nearly 100 pounds LESS!! In the world of motorcycles, thats a huge number! I spend my riding time without a passenger, the wife has her own bike. The FJ has enough luggage capability for the kind of riding and shorter 2 or 3 day trips that I do. I own racy red FJ-09!!! And I am VERY happy I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 i am now back after a test ride of the versy 1000 this am. i left my house at 6 am and was at the dealer at 9 am and rode from around 9: 20 to 9 :45 or so. (---first ,i just read the comparo of the fj09 , versy 1000, and vstrom 1000 on the web from RIDER last issue and everything they say is spot on as far as my various test rides .--you can find this by google rider comparo fj09,versy 1000, vstrom 1000 ) i took it out and immediately felt intimidated by the size ...but ....extremely comfortable all around ..then my first acceleration and super smooth .....i tried various rpm's very carefully because this may be my next bike and i wanted to break it in properly ( already have the fj09 in conn waiting for me in june ) so, at around 4,000 rpm and highere tingles thru the pegs ,and eventually they went away but came back so it was intermitent , also thruthe handlebars ,soft tingling . it reminded me of the THUD ,THUD,THUD, on the gripps of the moto guzzi lemans that i liked so much (it was like the heart rate of the lemans but this one is more of a tingling effect and ihave no idea on a long trip whjat the effects are ..) but below 4,000 rpm's it is butter smooth ( forgot to look at the mph so i cannot reconcile rpm to mph )and none of the jerkiness of the fj09 . also ,in the fj09 i kept rubbing my knees into the tank , and sliding forward .,not on the versy . the riding position very natural and comfortable. i then tried some curves and u turns ...curves ,the fj09 better and also in the u turns ..in th eversy .i was a little intimidated in the U turns but after a few they felt natural but not as nice as in the fj09. and the turning circle was greater in the versy ..maybe due to the weight and my intimidation .but no jerkiness in the throttle .actually the throttle is super smooth ........ weather protection the fj09 i rate a 5 and the versy an 8 . initially the balancing of the bike was tricky for me as i am used to lower heights on a bike .. this versy and also the fj09 are tall bikes but on the fj09 it does not feel that high...i think the reason is that the versy feels massive . as far as the weight is concerned ,once rolling and even standing i could feel some difference if doing it back to back ...but you get used to both of them. the versy has a hot running engine ..i did not feel the heat ( i guess ) because i was wearing padded underwear by bohn and on top of that padded ridding pants and jacket .no heat came thru . but when i got off i could feel the radiating heat. outside temperature at 9 am was 85 F. so, where am i ----i think that for riding in ct and vermont the fj09 is perfect .but on longer trips of say a weekend or a 8 hour day ,the versy .BUT THEN ,REMEMBER THIS IS FROM A 72 YEAR OLD..... if younger ,i would probably have no complains on the fj09. . both bikes are nice but the versy has a feel of higher quality and much better assembly whereas the fj09 to me ,the first time around felt plasticky and cheap... the issue is the price difference and in fact it is very little ...the versy out the door is $ 12.6 vs $10.5 for fj09 but the versy has bags and other ...then when you add bags to fj09 and heated grips it comes out to about 11.9 out the door tax included ..the versy ,once you add heated grips, power plug, gear indicator you are at $13.2 or so. this means around $1.4 OR LESS DEPENDING ON the deal you make ... a lot to think about .......bottom line i like both bikes and each for different riding situations ............ Very nice write up. I don't think you can go wrong with either bike. It's just a matter of what fits the type of riding you are going to be doing more of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmidd Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 @root I just got back from a suzuki demo a couple hours ago, I drove the new 2015 vstrom 1000 (unfortunately I had errands and couldn't wait for the next demo ride of the 650), and it is a great bike. It is super tall, I wasn't 100% flat footed on it but i wasn't on my toes either (and I could flat foot the tenere and the fj-09 just fine) it was fantastic. The power was insane. I tried taking off from a few lights in 3rd gear, I don't even think the bike cared. The bars are a few inches narrower than the fj and the seat is great. I really like the ergos of that bike, it is reminiscent of the tenere, but the whole bike just feels so much more narrow, but the seat is still wide enough for a good sized person :-) I could really see myself riding that bike, but the caveat would be only as a long distance tourer. It has gobs of power and is super comfy, but it seems a little too tame for everyday adventure. I would have to have a sportier bike to compliment it (like how some guys get a fj1300 and a 600 to zoom around on) If you like the 2 cylinder character than the vstrom 650 is definitely worth a look, I can't imagine it would be too far off from the 1000. And honestly if you are thinking of a vstrom 650 have you considered the new versys 650? The LT is ~$8k in shops around here (southern California) and it does come with the sidecases standard. Notably it doens't have a center stand but as far as the size of the bike, it is actually pretty close to the other 1000s out there. When I first saw it I actually thought it was the 1000 till I noticed there was no center stand and it had the different preload adjuster position. Lighter than the versys 1000, but I really do feel they are about the same size. I've also heard it doesn't even feel like a twin cylinder, supposedly it is incredibly smooth. I would also love to ride this bike. Bleh no kawi demos anywhere near by though. Sounds like the versys wasn't exactly what you wanted it to be, but it still checked a few boxes but not all. I think you really just have to ask yourself what kind of riding you do most? Do you jsut do the local CT vermont thing? Or are you a long distance guy? Thats how I felt with the vstrom 1000, great bike if i rode long distnaces like to norcal (about 8 hours, california is to stinking tall), but realistically, I know for my shorter distance commute I wouldn't be happy with it. But no matter what you choose in the end I'm sure you'll be happy @bmidd The versys bars are really wider? 0.0 thanks for the info. something about the fj-09 felt wider to me, I'm not sure what it was. both bikes are definitely much beefier than my current fz6. Like said before, everyone is different and the only real way to know what works for you is to give it a try Just quoting what I read in the FJ09-Versys-Vstrom comparo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member johan Posted May 10, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted May 10, 2015 i am now back after a test ride of the versy 1000 this am. i left my house at 6 am and was at the dealer at 9 am and rode from around 9: 20 to 9 :45 or so. (---first ,i just read the comparo of the fj09 , versy 1000, and vstrom 1000 on the web from RIDER last issue and everything they say is spot on as far as my various test rides .--you can find this by google rider comparo fj09,versy 1000, vstrom 1000 ) i took it out and immediately felt intimidated by the size ...but ....extremely comfortable all around ..then my first acceleration and super smooth .....i tried various rpm's very carefully because this may be my next bike and i wanted to break it in properly ( already have the fj09 in conn waiting for me in june ) so, at around 4,000 rpm and highere tingles thru the pegs ,and eventually they went away but came back so it was intermitent , also thruthe handlebars ,soft tingling . it reminded me of the THUD ,THUD,THUD, on the gripps of the moto guzzi lemans that i liked so much (it was like the heart rate of the lemans but this one is more of a tingling effect and ihave no idea on a long trip whjat the effects are ..) but below 4,000 rpm's it is butter smooth ( forgot to look at the mph so i cannot reconcile rpm to mph )and none of the jerkiness of the fj09 . also ,in the fj09 i kept rubbing my knees into the tank , and sliding forward .,not on the versy . the riding position very natural and comfortable. i then tried some curves and u turns ...curves ,the fj09 better and also in the u turns ..in th eversy .i was a little intimidated in the U turns but after a few they felt natural but not as nice as in the fj09. and the turning circle was greater in the versy ..maybe due to the weight and my intimidation .but no jerkiness in the throttle .actually the throttle is super smooth ........ weather protection the fj09 i rate a 5 and the versy an 8 . initially the balancing of the bike was tricky for me as i am used to lower heights on a bike .. this versy and also the fj09 are tall bikes but on the fj09 it does not feel that high...i think the reason is that the versy feels massive . as far as the weight is concerned ,once rolling and even standing i could feel some difference if doing it back to back ...but you get used to both of them. the versy has a hot running engine ..i did not feel the heat ( i guess ) because i was wearing padded underwear by bohn and on top of that padded ridding pants and jacket .no heat came thru . but when i got off i could feel the radiating heat. outside temperature at 9 am was 85 F. so, where am i ----i think that for riding in ct and vermont the fj09 is perfect .but on longer trips of say a weekend or a 8 hour day ,the versy .BUT THEN ,REMEMBER THIS IS FROM A 72 YEAR OLD..... if younger ,i would probably have no complains on the fj09. . both bikes are nice but the versy has a feel of higher quality and much better assembly whereas the fj09 to me ,the first time around felt plasticky and cheap... the issue is the price difference and in fact it is very little ...the versy out the door is $ 12.6 vs $10.5 for fj09 but the versy has bags and other ...then when you add bags to fj09 and heated grips it comes out to about 11.9 out the door tax included ..the versy ,once you add heated grips, power plug, gear indicator you are at $13.2 or so. this means around $1.4 OR LESS DEPENDING ON the deal you make ... a lot to think about .......bottom line i like both bikes and each for different riding situations ............ I think you should not analyse this too much. No test ride will bring out the issues you will discover on either bike after a month or so or a longer tour. And on a test ride you may notice differences compared to your current ride that may not be issues when you adjust to the bike. So buy it with your heart - the one you like the most. These will all be solid bikes. If this was the seventies and you were considering buying an Alfa Romeo car because you liked the looks I'd say stop and think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lawrenceofsuburbia Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 i am now back after a test ride of the versy 1000 this am. i left my house at 6 am and was at the dealer at 9 am and rode from around 9: 20 to 9 :45 or so. BUT THEN ,REMEMBER THIS IS FROM A 72 YEAR OLD..... if younger ,i would probably have no complains on the fj09. . both bikes are nice but the versy has a feel of higher quality and much better assembly whereas the fj09 to me ,the first time around felt plasticky and cheap... I think you should not analyse this too much. No test ride will bring out the issues you will discover on either bike after a month or so or a longer tour. And on a test ride you may notice differences compared to your current ride that may not be issues when you adjust to the bike. So buy it with your heart - the one you like the most. These will all be solid bikes. If this was the seventies and you were considering buying an Alfa Romeo car because you liked the looks I'd say stop and think. My personal 75yo take on this is that it may not strictly be an 'apples for apples' comparison between these two bikes. IMHO, as always. To be sure, one could compare (say) a Ducati Panigale with a Vespa 150, but as with this FJ/ Versys 1000 exercise they are not, I believe, in quite the same category. How are you about the substantial weight differential, ffb - both on the bike and off, as when shoving it around in the garage? But the differences are far greater than that, I submit... and let me hasten to add that I have nothing against the Versys at all... But whatever you choose and ultimately buy - [em]enjoy![/em][em] [/em][em]Lawrence of Suburbia (‘39 model) Brisbane Queensland Australia 2015 Matte Grey Tracer – now at 1647 km [/em] L of S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santacruz Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 If your in the market for a 1000cc sport tourer you have to consider one of these http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMXlLzrPZxg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member clint Posted May 10, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted May 10, 2015 If your in the market for a 1000cc sport tourer you have to consider one of these http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMXlLzrPZxg Price is astronomical ($16,350) compared to the FJ. Plus, I'm just not feeling love for the "platypus" look fairing. It's also heavier at 502 lbs. Don't get me wrong, it's going to be an awesome ride, but not worth $6,000 more than the FJ. I just sold my K1200RS after purchasing my FJ. It was a GREAT sport touring rig, but HEAVY and I was just holding my breath waiting for the clutch slave cylinder to puke itself onto the dry clutch and cost me $1500 in repairs. Piedmont of NC '15 FJ-09 '94 GTS-1000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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