Premium Member wessie Posted May 10, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted May 10, 2015 I'm sure the S1000XR will be a great bike but it is not really in the same league as the Tracer, in the UK market at least. The starting price for the BMW is 50% more than the Yamaha at £12400 and the top of the range one starts at £14750. The S1000XR comes with a 160bhp engine and luggage is extra. The S1000XR is a natural competitor to the Ducati Hypermotard or KTM Adventure, not the bargain basement Tracer or Versys. This signature is left blank as the poster writes enough pretentious bollocks as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffb13 Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 go to RIDER MAGAZINE COMPARE FJ09 VS VERSY1000 VS V STROM google it . and yesterday i rode the versy and all will tell you is that the article,based on my riding yesterday ,is spot on .....i still have the fj09 for delivery in june ..but looks like for now the versy beats the fj09 ,substantially. i also found the fj09 cheaply built as compared to the versy 1000 that i was able to get out the door all taxes etc...for $12.6( 6% tax incl. )vs 10.5 plus taxes $11. for the fj09...on both you have to add heated grips and on the versy a gear position indicator and a power plug if you need one . when i first got on it i found the versy intimidating but slowly i overcame that and was able to excute U turns ,wide,wide U turns for now ...the bike is top heavy but as soon as you roll it goes away . still like the fj09 for what it is ,a fun day bike ,but not a comforatble all day tourer ,,but that has to do with my age ,i guess. younger guys can feel differently. also the bike is super smooth below 4,000 rpm's .once you go over that it tingles in the pegs and grips... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffb13 Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 if i buy with my heart then the MOTUS IS IT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member jimf Posted May 10, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted May 10, 2015 still like the fj09 for what it is ,a fun day bike ,but not a comforatble all day tourer ,,but that has to do with my age ,i guess. younger guys can feel differently.I'm curious as to what about the fj-09 isn't a comfortable all-day tourer. Seating position is pretty near identical between the Versys 650 as far as I can tell (I haven't ridden the 1000), and that sure was all-day comfortable. Same for the F800GS. I've only done a 7 hour day on the FJ so far, but I got off feeling like I could have ridden several more hours. I can see complaints about the luggage not being as spacious, maybe the lope of the engine is busier. Or maybe you're thinking of wind protection? 2015 FJ-09 (Mary Kate) 2007 Daytona 675 (Tabitha, ret.) 1998 Vulcan 800 (Ret.) 2001 SV650S (Veronica, Ret.) 2000 Intruder 800 (Ret.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trench Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I agree with those that are pointing out the comparison is interesting, but mute. The FJ is not an adventure bike ultimately. It is in the new bread of bike like the Multistrada and BMW XR that is harder to define. I'm calling it a "naked sports bike in traveling clothes". This means it optimizes the feature set much differently. As someone said, if you are comparing and FJ and a quality adventure bike you'll need to decide the breed you want and choose with your heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 The BMW XR was what got me thinking about changing bikes this year, as it looked to be the perfect bike for me. But that $16350 is the base price... with bags and 'premium package' (which is required to get the cruise and electronic suspension), it's $19,500... easily going to be over $20k OTD. And there won't be any deals on them in the first year. I test rode an S1000R, just to see what the platform will be like, and it was FAST. The suspension is much better than the FJ9 and the brakes are mental. But it's not worth a $7k+ premium over the FJ9. And it will be ~60lbs heavier than the FJ9. If the BMW had come in ~$16-17 OTD with bags, and under 500lbs, it would be a really hard decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santacruz Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I don't know why people say the tracer/fj isn't a comfortable all day tourer,i find it very comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffb13 Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 well, my first choice has been the bmw ,but even thou the bmw is a nice bike its reliability is not up there with the japanese bikes and it may strand you somewhere . also ,i have learned that the latest bmw's are experiencing a high failure rate of the fuel pump at apprx. 40%,or maybe 30% ..i did not get exact numbers .also the price is not what it seems . in the usa they only sell them fully loaded...i was planning to get the RT or the Gs but no go..actually ,for now i will not buy any german or english car or bike ,having been there often with poor results to my pocketbook. thus i look to the japanese and now own stricly japanese cars and a lonely vw gti.....that gti in my opinion beats any car worth twice as much and i know because i have a few such. so ,back to bikes ....i want only one bike ...............too old for the upkeep of two of them given that i will ride it only a few times a year . my main problem with the fj09 is the knees banging against the lower portion of the tank,the poor weather protection ( i could ?? fix this )i can also fix the seat.on the plus side the low weight . on the versy i love it all. except for the high center of gravity and weight ......but overall this is a great bike as is also the fj09............ having said all this and if the MOTUS were not over $30.0 gs this is the one i would get , so back to earth....i will probably end up with either bike . i need more test rides ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I agree with those that are pointing out the comparison is interesting, but mute. The FJ is not an adventure bike ultimately. It is in the new bread of bike like the Multistrada and BMW XR that is harder to define. I'm calling it a "naked sports bike in traveling clothes". This means it optimizes the feature set much differently. As someone said, if you are comparing and FJ and a quality adventure bike you'll need to decide the breed you want and choose with your heart. I don't think of the Versys as an adventure bike at all. With the 17" front wheel and sportier setup, it's not really a good bike for taking off road at all and Kawasaki will be the first to tell you that. I think the Versys is a as close to a direct competitor to the FJ as you can get in this market. The BMW and Multistrada may be similar setups but they are not price competitive. Not saying they should be considering they come with more premium features and you pay some for those names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lawrenceofsuburbia Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 As a very long-time BMW afficionado I was very seriously considering the XR, but it's arrival here in Oz has been delayed by some months, reason unknown. But I simply cannot afford the near $26,000 here, with all trimmings incl hard panniers, compared to the $15,300 FJ. Or rather (have to be careful not to sound like a two-bob wannabee millionare here!) - I [em]could[/em] afford it, but choose not to - there is a limit! The XR will by all accounts be very much like an FJ - a mad sports bike lightly tamed for some modest off-duty touring. It will be very refined, I'm sure... the two bikes even share a somewhat similar appearance at quick glance... If I was persuaded to go back to the BMW brand it would have to be on a GS, even though that's impractical for my aged and creaking body nowadays - but a fabulous bike. And if one was fixated on the Versys brand, surly the new 650 twin, with - I understand - hard panniers included - would have to be in the mix? L of S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I see bikes like the Versys, FJ9 and S1000XR as a resurgence of the UJM, the 'universal Japanese motorcycle' of years past. I had a Nighthawk S back in the 80s that could have been called a 'sport-tourer': great motor, long maintenance interval, shaft drive, good handling, small fairing. Through the 90's and into the 2000's, bikes have become much more narrowly focused, especially sportsbikes. The popularity of ADV bikes, IMHO, has more to do with the riding position and all-round usabilty than any off-road worthiness. We're just now coming full circle to 'ADV' bikes without dirty pretenses and street focused wheels/tires... and back to the 'basic' motorcycle. Thus the Versys, FJ9 and XR... I think it's great, because we get to have our cake, and eat it too! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ville Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I ride on the weekends with a group of about 8 other riders, we all have different bikes, amongst them the versys 1k, the Strom, a couple of tigers and BMW, I currently own a gs 1200 adv as well as the fj09. All of this means that I've had the chance to ride pretty much all of them, so here are my thoughts: (just breaking in the fj, so...) The versys is a very comfortable touring bike it feels well planted enough power and we'll built, but it's heavy, and you will feel it in the when riding aggressively. The engine has a lot of vibration throughout the whole power band and start to become annoying pretty fast. The fj, is just fun, light, nimble and even if they are pretty evenly matched it just feels a lot faster, sit isn't the best, and bags are horrible (just my opinion). Truth be told my poor gs is feeling neglected, and will only use it for long trips, I am truly in love with the fj, and I am still waiting to unleash it's potential... Just my thoughts, I've been riding for about 12 years, I don't ride as hard as I used to... but I am far from unbiased, I really like that grey little thing. 5,7" 147pounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member wessie Posted May 10, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted May 10, 2015 I see bikes like the Versys, FJ9 and S1000XR as a resurgence of the UJM, the 'universal Japanese motorcycle' of years past. I had a Nighthawk S back in the 80s that could have been called a 'sport-tourer': great motor, long maintenance interval, shaft drive, good handling, small fairing. Through the 90's and into the 2000's, bikes have become much more narrowly focused, especially sportsbikes. The popularity of ADV bikes, IMHO, has more to do with the riding position and all-round usabilty than any off-road worthiness. We're just now coming full circle to 'ADV' bikes without dirty pretenses and street focused wheels/tires... and back to the 'basic' motorcycle. Thus the Versys, FJ9 and XR... I think it's great, because we get to have our cake, and eat it too! 8-) I concur. There is another thread about how similar the FJ9 is to the TDM, a bike the US only got for 2 years. That was a superb UJM and I owned a mk2 not seen in the US. In Europe that bike went through a number of developments and was available until fairly recently. The engine design lives on in the XT1200. So, it may seem that the FJ has been a resurgence of an old idea but in Europe we have had a number of candidates for UJM over the years, Yamaha XJ600S Diversion, Suzuki Bandit 600/1200, Yamaha Fazer 600/1000 and Suzuki SV600/1000 are the ones that come to mind. This signature is left blank as the poster writes enough pretentious bollocks as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vespadaddy Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I concur. There is another thread about how similar the FJ9 is to the TDM, a bike the US only got for 2 years. That was a superb UJM and I owned a mk2 not seen in the US. In Europe that bike went through a number of developments and was available until fairly recently. The engine design lives on in the XT1200. So, it may seem that the FJ has been a resurgence of an old idea but in Europe we have had a number of candidates for UJM over the years, Yamaha XJ600S Diversion, Suzuki Bandit 600/1200, Yamaha Fazer 600/1000 and Suzuki SV600/1000 are the ones that come to mind. We got all the bikes in your last 2 lines here in the states, too, I think (not positive about a Fazer 1k). I think the 'new' angle here is that mostly, those were parts bin bikes, or used older, re-purposed engine designs and technology (aside from, perhaps, the SV650, which sold very well in the US). Much of the joy in the FJ-09 is that we get that same UJM utility, but now with less weight and the fun of a sweet triple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member wessie Posted May 10, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted May 10, 2015 Well, to me the FJ09 is a parts bin special with a motor from the FZ plus the display, fly by wire and ABS/TCS from the Super Ten/FJR. This signature is left blank as the poster writes enough pretentious bollocks as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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