LarryBud Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 I have a 2015 FJ 09. I love this bike. I live in Kansas and the bike has never seen gravel, not even a gravel parking lot. The bike will stay in Kansas and have a place in garage for a the foreseeable future. Later this summer I will be in Colorado for a couple of weeks. I now have a Grandson there plus, my work will allow me to spend as much time there as I wish. It will likely be a month or more next summer. I'm thinking I'd like a bike that can be comfortable on the tarmac but easily head down a forest service road if I choose to do so. 90+% of the miles would be hard surfaces which would often have a high speed limit. I'm looking at some of the duel sports. KLRs, KTMs, etc. Then, I'm thinking, why not buy another FJ, find a 2015 /16 with some miles on it, put some duel purpose tires on, add a skid plate, perhaps some bars and enjoy the triple with all the features I've come to love. I wont be hitting any single track stuff. Worst case would be some rutted up. wash out gravel. Am I crazy here or do I just buy a KLR / Vstrom with wimpy HP which would excel on gravel but leave me lacking for the other 90% of the miles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride365 Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 KTM 790/890.......not wimpy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted June 21 Supporting Member Share Posted June 21 4 hours ago, LarryBud said: I have a 2015 FJ 09. I love this bike. I live in Kansas and the bike has never seen gravel, not even a gravel parking lot. The bike will stay in Kansas and have a place in garage for a the foreseeable future. Later this summer I will be in Colorado for a couple of weeks. I now have a Grandson there plus, my work will allow me to spend as much time there as I wish. It will likely be a month or more next summer. I'm thinking I'd like a bike that can be comfortable on the tarmac but easily head down a forest service road if I choose to do so. 90+% of the miles would be hard surfaces which would often have a high speed limit. I'm looking at some of the duel sports. KLRs, KTMs, etc. Then, I'm thinking, why not buy another FJ, find a 2015 /16 with some miles on it, put some duel purpose tires on, add a skid plate, perhaps some bars and enjoy the triple with all the features I've come to love. I wont be hitting any single track stuff. Worst case would be some rutted up. wash out gravel. Am I crazy here or do I just buy a KLR / Vstrom with wimpy HP which would excel on gravel but leave me lacking for the other 90% of the miles? I live close to several state and national forests and have spent considerable time riding on decently maintained gravel roads with sport tires, no problem on the FJ. Not serious off-roading just exploring up in the mountains (maybe 30 miles at a time) up to about 40-50mph. If you are going on longer off road rides, yes a dual sport might be ideal but for short rides the FJ does just fine. ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryBud Posted June 21 Author Share Posted June 21 Thank you both for the feedback. I’ll keep my eye open for both options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpt129 Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 I had a chance to ride a KLR 650 on forest roads , single track and highway in Montana rrecently. The KLR was surprisingly road worthy and was a mountain goat on the trails. They're affordable and bullet proof. I would be considering one of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride365 Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 Yamaha T7, KTM 790/890, Suzuki V-Strom 800 or Honda TransAlp......all spectacular choices and are Swiss Army knife bikes which are not gutless on the pavement. The KLR is fine for gravel and hard pack, but there is zero power and the suspension is horrific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryBud Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 Thanks for the replies. I almost pulled the trigger on a KLR but then thought about the 90%+ I'll be on the tarmac. I'm now looking at adding a Super Tenere to the stable ( keep the FJ ). I don't see single track in my future but Forrest Service in the dirt / gravel variety are good a possibility. It's all compromises somewhere. I know the S10 is a hog. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride365 Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 The S10 is a capable hog though, but IMHO the T7 is the cats meow and would feel like a toy to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted July 3 Supporting Member Share Posted July 3 1 hour ago, LarryBud said: I'm now looking at adding a Super Tenere to the stable ( keep the FJ ). It's all compromises somewhere. I know the S10 is a hog. I have ridden the S10 and while the engine isn't exactly exciting, the bike does exactly what it was designed to do. It has the same features as the FJR (minus the electric wind screen) but -at least for me- a more comfortable rider triangle. In my travels, I have encountered many riders on the S10 with nothing but praise, especially for long distances. and as the owner of a 'hog' (VFR1200X - 630lbs) I actually enjoy the stability on the highway and have never had issues on gravel forest roads. The weight only rears its ugly head when pushing the bike around in the garage or driveway, once the wheels start moving its surprisingly agile. I think you will really enjoy the bike. 1 ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 Variety. Get something different just to try something different! I think it crazy to have two bikes which are the same. I'd seriously look at a T7. Maybe you find yourself deeper and deeper in the woods as time goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theog Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 Get something with a 19 or 21 front. I’d personally opt for 21 because it gives more options for dual sport tires and handles more terrain. No issues on the road, even with knobbies… That said, the Super Tenere is a fantastic ride for all but the gnarliest bits, and that’s only a reflection of its weight. You will love it once you gel with it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride365 Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 The 21 front for sure takes more to handle on the road, when my buddy rode my GT with the 17 front, he couldn't believe how effortlessly it handled and fell into the corners.......and STABLE. Hard to beat a 19 front to be honest, kind of the best of both worlds in terms of handling on/off pavement. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theog Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 No denying it takes more effort. But I’ve run down many sport bikes on my WR. You get used to it. But for those ruts and baby heads, the 21 is ideal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride365 Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 3 hours ago, theog said: No denying it takes more effort. But I’ve run down many sport bikes on my WR. You get used to it. But for those ruts and baby heads, the 21 is ideal. I had a WR for a few years, damn fine bulletproof off pavement bike......how are you running down sportbikes on a 250cc thumper? 🤨 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theog Posted July 5 Share Posted July 5 The WR is surprisingly quick if you can maintain momentum and corner speed. It takes work to ride like that, as you know. You can’t be lazy without the torque to back you up, but it revs to the moon. Carry those MPHs and it’ll surprise most other street riders. Honestly, it took me some time to gel with the bike. Short road rides and dual sporting wasn’t enough seat time. It wasn’t until I did the NEBDR on it a few years ago that I really figured it out. 8 days, 1700 miles will do that for you. I was always a little tenuous with a 21” knobby on the street, but little by little you figure out it works just fine once you trust the rubber. Traction isn’t an issue most of time, it’s the tire wear that results when you combine heavy braking, low tire pressures, and high speeds. Aside from that, all good in the hood. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now