new member in SF

[alejandro]

Hi,
 
I don't have an FJ-09--I hope that doesn't make me an imposter.
 
I am, shall we say, FJ-09-curious.
 
I'm currently riding a 2013 Triumph Street Triple R. I love almost everything about it, and when my commute was short, its shortcomings were minimal. Very linear throttle, pulls smoothly from low RPM, great handling, lovely sound, plenty fast, close gearing, racy. Never boring, truly. But any freeway run longer than about 30 minutes becomes a bit intense. The wind noise is part of it, although if I sit up straight, my helmet is in smooth air. The other issues on the freeway are (a) rough ride and (b) darty handling. Oh, and © lack of ability to take a passenger any serious distance.
 
I had the opportunity to ride a 2014 BMW R1200RT, and I will say that it was a fantastic everywhere the Triumph was not--a super highway bike, obviously, quiet behind the giant windscreen, imperturbably stable, etc. And it was surprisingly great at low speeds, too. But it was quite honestly boring to ride--compared to the Triumph, where every minute is exciting. And the RT is overkill for me--too big and too expensive for when I'm riding around the city, or trying to lane split, or whatever.
 
I also rode a BMW F800GT. It managed to be very much like the R1200RT, but a bit less so in every way. Which makes sense. And it was also a bit boring. I didn't feel like there was any chance of mistaking it for a sport bike while riding it, although it handled well, had adequate oomph, and all of that. 
 
I rode a friend's 2008(?) Ducati Multistrada 1100S. VERY different from both the Triumph and the BMW. The Ducati was tall, and awkward at low speeds. The engine was only happy from about 4k-9k; below 4k it was jerky and sounded like a V-twin lawnmower! Once you came to terms with that, though, and got used to the wide gearing, it had plenty of power and torque. It offered okay wind protection but not hugely better than the Triumph. Where it beat the Triumph and the BMW though was the ride/handling balance, which was fantastic (above 10mph, say). It floated over bumps like they weren't there, it felt utterly stable in turns and yet was responsive to adjustments, it was unfazed by bumps in corners (can't say the same of the Triumph...). Oh, and so much legroom! (I might have gone for a slightly different seat.)
 
My friend's old Yamaha FZ-1 was of course fast and torquey, but the handling felt really loose--I felt like there was something up with it, and I mentioned to him he might want to take it in. I hope that's not just the way it is. I think it was old enough and/or troubled enough that I could not draw any conclusions from it.
 
Anyway, that's what brings me here: the quest for the bike that is "just right"--not too big, not too small; exciting to ride when I want it to be, but happy on a long freeway ride... I'm thinking the FJ-09 may combine something like the great drivetrain and thrill of the Triumph with a bit of a smoother ride, the ability to mount a giant windscreen for quiet (ahh...), the ability to carry a passenger on a trip, etc. There are other 3-cyl sport-touring bikes, but I think I like the Japanese service proposition better than the Italian.
 
Anyway, I'll be lurking around for a while, asking questions here and there.
 
I hope you are all enjoying whatever you're riding.
 
Are there any 3-cyl-only clubs where I could find you all?
 
Ride safe! :-)
 
 
 

[Guest lawrenceofsuburbia]

Not that this will help you in any way, Alejandro, but I owned a BMW F800 GT some time back.   In many respects an excellent bike, but underwhelming in its performance, I found, and a bit 'buzzy'.   But it had many very good points, not least its belt-drive.   And typical BMW attention to detail and flawless finish... all at a cost, of course. An ideal combination might be something like an F800 GT with belt-drive mated with a Tracer engine and gearbox!
L of S
 

[deersSlayer]

I'm currently riding a 2013 Triumph Street Triple R. I love almost everything about it ... But any freeway run longer than about 30 minutes becomes a bit intense. The wind noise is part of it, although if I sit up straight, my helmet is in smooth air. The other issues on the freeway are (a) rough ride and (b) darty handling. Oh, and © lack of ability to take a passenger any serious distance.

Welcome Alejandro! 
I have a 2009 Street Triple R which my FJ-09 is replacing.
 
The FJ-09 has very similar handling: Very quick, and also a bit too much high speed compression damping (rough ride on bumpy freeways.) IMHO the 'darty handling' on these bikes is due to quick steering and wide bars. It goes away for me when I have a relaxed grip on the bars and make sure my elbows are not locked straight, especially very near big vehicles that create buffeting wind.
 
On my STripleR I get completely clean air on my helmet, although I did replace the stock high mirrors with bar-end mirrors. Maybe that helped?
 
Differences that I feel/like:
 
- STripleR is ~40 lb lighter (I only feel that at 'walking speed', and pushing bike up a ramp.)
- FJ-09 is 1K RPM lower at highway/freeway speeds in top gear.
- FJ-09 engine feels very, very similar, but is *more* everywhere.
- STripleR has slightly better suspension, FJ-09 does NOT have compression damping adjustment
- In stock form, FJ-09 has more wind noise. Read the threads on this forum for screen replacement/mods. Some of us have removed the hand guards too, maybe that reduces wind noise?
- 40 - 50 km more before going on to 'reserve mode' (at about 300 km on FJ-09, 250 - 265 on STripleR)
- ABS. Not a big deal for me on dry roads, great for wet roads!
- Traction control: nice on dirt roads! Not sure I need it on dry, I'm not that aggressive.
- Seat is a little higher on FJ-09 even in low setting.
- Pegs feel slightly lower on FJ-09, but maybe that's just because seat is higher?
 
That's all I have so far. I've got 2,700 km on the FJ-09, and 50,000 on the STripleR
 
 

[root]

The engine on the FJ really shines. To me it is an exciting bike to ride. My wife is comfortable on the back. At 6' tall I have enough leg room to keep me happy. Low speed maneuvers are pretty easy as long as you aren't in A mode. A mode is only for getting up to speed as quickly as possible and it does an excellent job of that. I think it's a very well balanced bike in that even at extremely low speeds it's easy to keep upright. It is confidence inspiring in the turns and well behaved at highway speeds. The area I find needs the most improvement is the windshield. It is just plain loud. Fortunately windshields can be had pretty cheap. If you're looking for a bike that has low wind noise without buying anything else, this may not work. I've been getting by with ear plugs and I bought a windshield that should be here tomorrow. So if that one works, I may have it remedied pretty cheap. I think I will be looking for a new seat as well. The seat on the FJ is just ok for me. It's not horrible but it could be better. I will probably look to replace it once I get all my luggage ordered and paid for. It's on the list of farkles but it'll be one of the last items on my current list to buy.

[milton]

welcome

[michel]

Welcome Alejandro!
 

[alejandro]

all--I'm assuming that I'll want to replace the stock windshield if I get an FJ-09. I don't like wind noise! I'm okay on my Triumph with earplugs and a "Windjammer 2" on my helmet, but I'd be happier with a full screen. I rode an R1200RT and loved the quiet. I'm not particularly worried about getting too hot. Sounds like the CalSci medium or large would be good for me...
 
lawrenceofsuburbia--thanks for your thoughts on the F800GT. Yah, I did like it. It was very comfortable and manageable, and easy to ride. I'm sure it would be a nice long-term relationship. To be honest, the maintenance stories make me a bit wary of BMWs. The Triumph has been surprisingly good in this regard, although my local dealership is not what it could be (I have a great independent garage).
 
deersSlayer--thanks for taking the time to share your copious insights, and glad to hear from a Street Triple -> FJ-09 person. I'm pretty good about avoiding the death grip, but it is always good to keep in mind. More range sounds great, although still more would have been even better (touring!). Slightly higher seat and lower pegs sounds great, too. All sounds as expected. I'm assuming that I'll want to replace the windscreen, so I don't care that much about the stock one. (The Triumph would look really dumb with a full-height screen, and might not even support it.)
 
root--thanks again! Hope your new windscreen is great. If you post about it, I will read!