trade for a few hrs? Mine is Triumph STR. SF area. Thoughts?

[alejandro]

Hi all,
 
I hope this post is appropriate...
 
I have a 2013 Triumph Street Triple R. My commute has changed (lengthened!). I love the Triumph but I am thinking about getting something slightly more highway-focused. The FJ-09 is an obvious candidate.
 
Is there anyone in the SF Bay Area who would like to go for a ride some time, and (once you see that I'm not a dumbass and vice-versa) perhaps swap bikes for a bit? 
 
And/or:
 
Is there anyone who has owned and/or ridden both bikes who can comment on the biggest differences?
 
Much appreciated.
 
 

[cobby7]

I've ridden both. I loved the street triple, and was convinced I was going to get one before an aprilia tuono came my way.
I liked that it was light and agile but didn't feel too weak even compared to my Speed triple. In fact it felt better but you just had to rev it a bit more.
 
I looked at the tiger 800 hoping it would be a comfy Street triple but was left disappointed by the engine. It was alright, and if I could have had 2 bikes that would have been my 2up touring-y bike. But I felt like I would have been left wanting when it was just me on the bike.
 
I think the Tracer (or fj09) is exactly what I was after. A tiger 800 with a street triple engine. It's fun, it's light, it's got loads of go, but it's also comfier with more wind protection and decent luggage options.
Sure it's not perfect but it's not far off. To my mind there wasn't a competitor. Everything else is heavier or slower, or almost twice the price. With the exception of a used ktm 990 smt. That bike is very close. I'd say the ktm had Better suspension but no traction control. And used for the same price as a new tracer.
 
Sorry if I've rambled but hope it helps in some way. At the end of the day you need to try it, the upright position will be quite different but it'd be interesting to see what you think of it compared with your triumph.

[root]

First off, welcome. I've not had the pleasure of riding a Triumph yet but I don't live in your area. While you are waiting for a more direct response, I would read comparison articles between the STR and the FZ-09 as the FZ seems to more directly compete with the STR. All the FJ-09 reviews directly compare the FJ and the FZ since they share so much DNA. That should give you a pretty good idea even though it's an indirect comparison. Power output is about the same between the FZ and the FJ except the FJ is moving a little bit more weight. I would guess, power output on the FJ is pretty comparable to the STR when taking the weight into consideration. The FJ has a little more power than a STR but also a little more weight. The suspension is better on the FJ than the FZ but may not be as adjustable as the STR. That's a pure guess on my part based on skimming one comparison article that gave the STR good marks for suspension and bad marks for the FZ suspension. By all accounts the FJ has better suspension than the FZ, but that alone is not enough information to know how it compares to the STR.

[ULEWZ]

Welcome. I have both (wifes is a ST3) and I can say the ST3 has nice fueling, is feather light, and handles great, but the fuel tank is small (130 miles until the reserve light comes on, then you have about 30 feet before empty!). The throttle response is very smooth, but not as fast as the F-Jay. If you think the seat on the F-Jay is a nard breaker, try the ST3! The seat is what I hate the most on her bike. And the wind blowing in your helmet usually limits high speed runs to 100mph for only short periods of time. We usually stay below 80mph to limit fatigue. Pretty bike though.  Notice the faster color below?
 

 

[alejandro]

Thank you cobby7, root, ULEWS!
 
And thank you for the welcome. Soon I will return the courtesy by introducing myself!
 
This all sounds good, and is what I hoped to hear.
 
I also emailed calsci about their full windscreens and I am hopeful that I could get something that would be quiet on the highway. Noise is my issue, more than wind on my body.
 
Looking forward to future possibilities!
 
Alex

[cobby7]

Let us know how you get on with the fj if you manage to ride one. I'd be interested how you compare the two.

[pedropat]

The nice folks at GP Sports in San Jose let me demo a FJ-09.  It was a very good experience because I really liked the bike and the folks there issued no restrictions on the demo ride like some dealerships do.  It was " Hey , go for it have fun."  When I got back there was zero hard sell, a refreshing change.
Ask for Carlos, he will set you up.
 
Enjoy
 
 
PedroPat

[ULEWZ]

The nice folks at GP Sports in San Jose let me demo a FJ-09.  It was a very good experience because I really liked the bike and the folks there issued no restrictions on the demo ride like some dealerships do.  It was " Hey , go for it have fun."  When I got back there was zero hard sell, a refreshing change. Ask for Carlos, he will set you up.
 
Enjoy
 
 
PedroPat

That my friend is good sales technique. Much better than the, pay for it and we will let you ride it mentality! I was looking as a Subaru STI a while back and the guy says they do not allow test drives. Pass. On to the next car. Good to hear about a positive sales experience.  

[trench]

GP Sports is a good place to try and buy.  I did two demos and the second one was a very long, diverse ride that convinced me. A demo is a cheap way to well from my perspective.
 

[cobby7]

I can't believe dealers in the states don't let people have a decent demo ride before they buy. Any dealer in the UK wouldn't survive if they behaved like that! Although it's never that far to the next one.
I take bikes out just for something to do and often it'll be a good couple of hours. Have most makes near me and all the dealers are friendly

[alejandro]

I managed to get a short test ride at Berkeley Honda Yamaha the other day, where they let me test ride an FJ-09 for exactly 5 miles. This was long enough for me to get some impressions:
 
Riding position etc. was quite comfortable, although more upright than I'm used to. Quite similar to my friend's Multistrada, in fact. Tons of legroom (seat was in higher position; I am 5'9" with typical male proportions I think). Bars seemed a little wide--I feel like it might limit lane splitting. But I do like the idea of hand shields, for long cold rides. Windscreen seemed fine, although I was only on the highway for about 1 mile. Low-rpm grunt was, of course, great--more than Triumph. Felt slightly big and tall at a standstill, but once moving was very maneuverable. Sound, feeling of switchgear, and dashboard perceptions were maybe one notch down from Triumph.
 
@pedropat, thanks for the tip about GP Sports in San Jose. Sounds like I need to get myself down there for a more proper test ride!
 
I may go try the 2015 Triumph Tiger 800 today at Marin Speed Shop (not sure which submodel(s)). I expect similar general shape as FJ-09, less power, not sure what other differences. Will post here if folks are interested...

[1moreroad]

I wouldn't argue with your assessment about the weight and switchgear. I did a Yamaha Demo Day with a Triumph Tiger 800 rider. He said, in his opinion, the suspension was noticeably better on the Yamaha than on the Triumph. The Yamaha was also noticeably louder. One person's opinion.

[cobby7]

Glad you got a test ride. I can imagine it feeling big & tall compared to the str but it's definitely not as heavy other tall bikes. It's as close to a street triple I've found with similar performance. I prefer the dash on the yamaha though, the triumph ones are pretty dated now but each to their own.
Oh and so far I haven't noticed the width of the bars get in the way of filtering ( or lane splitting)

[Trambo]

I managed to get a short test ride at Berkeley Honda Yamaha the other day, where they let me test ride an FJ-09 for exactly 5 miles. This was long enough for me to get some impressions: 
Riding position etc. was quite comfortable, although more upright than I'm used to. Quite similar to my friend's Multistrada, in fact. Tons of legroom (seat was in higher position; I am 5'9" with typical male proportions I think). Bars seemed a little wide--I feel like it might limit lane splitting. But I do like the idea of hand shields, for long cold rides. Windscreen seemed fine, although I was only on the highway for about 1 mile. Low-rpm grunt was, of course, great--more than Triumph. Felt slightly big and tall at a standstill, but once moving was very maneuverable. Sound, feeling of switchgear, and dashboard perceptions were maybe one notch down from Triumph.

Yepper. 
I have 4 very close friends that I meet & ride with at Deals Gap annually, they have all drunk the Triumph Kool Aid in the past year. 3 new Tigers and 1 Striple in the bunch. I think every single one of them would agree with these impressions; switchgear on the Triumph is a step up; Stainless steel brake lines vs. rubber; However, they are all jealous of the incredibly customizable LCD displays on the FJ.
 
I rode one of the Tigers last year while at the Gap. I loved the triple for it's smooth power delivery and torque, but the bike in general just lacked a general appeal to me. The design also pushed a lot of engine heat back onto the rider, which I really did not like. The seating also didn't seem as relaxed/comfortable IMO, but overall the Tiger is a damn fine motorbike with some nice AVD-ey qualities about it. John followed me across Parsons Branch Road from Cades Cove on his Tiger, I was on my K.L.R. and he had very few problems keeping up.
 
Still, after I got to demo the FJ there was simply no comparison at all to me. The FJ was worlds better and much more fun than the Tiger, and higher comfort as far as I could tell. I have no regrets pouring out that British Kool Aid and holding out for the Yammer.

[toonbobo]

I managed to get a short test ride at Berkeley Honda Yamaha the other day, where they let me test ride an FJ-09 for exactly 5 miles. This was long enough for me to get some impressions: 
Riding position etc. was quite comfortable, although more upright than I'm used to. Quite similar to my friend's Multistrada, in fact. Tons of legroom (seat was in higher position; I am 5'9" with typical male proportions I think). Bars seemed a little wide--I feel like it might limit lane splitting. But I do like the idea of hand shields, for long cold rides. Windscreen seemed fine, although I was only on the highway for about 1 mile. Low-rpm grunt was, of course, great--more than Triumph. Felt slightly big and tall at a standstill, but once moving was very maneuverable. Sound, feeling of switchgear, and dashboard perceptions were maybe one notch down from Triumph.
 
@pedropat, thanks for the tip about GP Sports in San Jose. Sounds like I need to get myself down there for a more proper test ride!
 
I may go try the 2015 Triumph Tiger 800 today at Marin Speed Shop (not sure which submodel(s)). I expect similar general shape as FJ-09, less power, not sure what other differences. Will post here if folks are interested...

 
@alejandro, I'm curious as to which FJ they let you test ride. I ended up buying mine from Berkeley, the gray one they had on display on June 6th. It had about 7 miles when I did my test ride. Perhaps you put on miles 2 through 7!