What did you do to your FJ-tracer-gt today?

[Wintersdark]

2 hours ago, piotrek said:

Have the tears even had a chance to dry?... new BFF already? 😁

I am surprised you gave up on the Tenere... thought this was your preferred winter bike. 🤔

It's a great winter bike, and an absolute riot to ride. I really love it!

However, I've got some knee problems that are going to be a long time in the healing (if they ever do), *and* my local group of riders stopped adventure riding.  The problem these two present together is that I'm very uncomfortable riding alone in the wilderness or other situations where there's a good chance I'll have to pick up the bike, and thus I don't do very much offroad riding outside of events.  Those events are AWESOME (adventure rallies are, IMHO, the most fun you can have on a motorcycle) but with kids and job, I can't really do more than one/two per year.

It does mean I won't be riding in the snow this year, though.  I'm not trying with the MT10.  At least, not till I can get my hands on some new winter tires.

Then, it's a matter of finances.  If I kept the Tenere, I wasn't really comfortable with the expense of the MT10SP, whereas if I traded the Tenere in I'd be paying 10k for the SP - and thus once I get the payout from the Tracer it'll be nearly owned outright.  

  

1 hour ago, theog said:

I’m dating myself here, but I remember the good old days circa 2007 when Buell was in business. They had an excellent demo program if you could get past the assless chaos line at the door. They would let you ride anything you wanted and gave out pretty cool swag with each ride. They even had an annual track day tour with discounted rates, catered meals, and any bike you wanted to ride. 
 

Ducati and Triumph were always good about demos, too.  It seems the Japanese bike dealers just didn’t care enough to go along with it.  And I guess it works for them.  I’ve purchased 4 new Yamahas over the years, ordered sight unseen, no test ride.

In fairness, Harley tends to be very good about demos too even today.  It's really easy to get a test ride even on pretty high end ones.  Honestly I suspect you're right, it's just the Big Four don't really care much.

And, as you said.... I guess it works for them.  This will be my fourth new Yamaha over 5 years, with none of them test ridden.

...and, I must admit, not a single regret either.  They've all be outstanding bikes, and exactly what I wanted and expected them to be.

[miweber929]

I’ve heard the deal with demo bikes in the US is that the manufacturers have to “ok” a bike to be sold at a discount after its been demoed and has to be responsible for the cost of upkeep while it’s in the demo fleet so there’s a cost with that. Can’t imagine that cost if every dealer had one of every model. And most people want their new bike to have little or no miles on them, not 350 or so, without a discount. That’s why the Japanese brands have demo fleets that travel place to place so they can control the environment. 
 

My ‘20 Tracer was (one of) the photo bikes available to the press to ride and photo and I bought “new” last summer with 5,000 miles on it at a decent discount. Similar situation as a demo bike. 
 

The Euro brands, however, almost universally, not only like demo rides, but encourage it. I wouldn’t own my Ducati Supersport S had I not had a demo ride on it so it definitely works. I also wish there were more available, having a picky passenger makes buying a new bike tougher to do without a ride. 

Edited October 4, 2023 by miweber929

[The Cheese]

10 hours ago, miweber929 said:

I’ve heard the deal with demo bikes in the US is that the manufacturers have to “ok” a bike to be sold at a discount after its been demoed and has to be responsible for the cost of upkeep while it’s in the demo fleet so there’s a cost with that. Can’t imagine that cost if every dealer had one of every model. And most people want their new bike to have little or no miles on them, not 350 or so, without a discount. That’s why the Japanese brands have demo fleets that travel place to place so they can control the environment. 
 

My ‘20 Tracer was (one of) the photo bikes available to the press to ride and photo and I bought “new” last summer with 5,000 miles on it at a decent discount. Similar situation as a demo bike. 
 

The Euro brands, however, almost universally, not only like demo rides, but encourage it. I wouldn’t own my Ducati Supersport S had I not had a demo ride on it so it definitely works. I also wish there were more available, having a picky passenger makes buying a new bike tougher to do without a ride. 

 

Hate to derail this thread a bit, but, gotta ask. Since you have a Tracer and a SS950S, I'd love to hear your opinion on how they compare. I looked at a 950 at one point. Stumbled upon my Tracer before I could ride a 950.

[2and3cylinders]

Apples n Oranges

[Wintersdark]

On 10/4/2023 at 7:05 AM, miweber929 said:

The Euro brands, however, almost universally, not only like demo rides, but encourage it. I wouldn’t own my Ducati Supersport S had I not had a demo ride on it so it definitely works. I also wish there were more available, having a picky passenger makes buying a new bike tougher to do without a ride. 

I feel - like with Harley - it's a matter of needing to show why the bike costs more.  Look at specs per dollar, and the Big Four absolutely crush most Euro bikes in North America, but there's a lot of behind the scenes with those bikes that's not readily apparent.  You're usually not paying a name brand tax (*cough* Harley *cough*) as much as paying for premium build quality and more expensive/refined feel.  The difference is real.  Whether that's worth the cost is very much up in the air, and then there's the issue of increased maintenance costs and support availability, but whatever.  

I do know when you get on a BMW S1000RR, or XR1000, it's immediately obvious why they cost more.

[fr8dog]

As an aside, I'm deeply jealous of places where test rides are a thing.  They just aren't here, at least for new bikes, even as a long term rider with a clean record, and being a repeat customer.  There's demo days, and if you can stumble across one it's awesome (recently had a KTM demo day where I got to ride a new 1290 Super Adventure) but outside of a specific vendor demo day at an event, it's pretty much not a thing anymore.  

I have to clarify. I didn't test ride, I rode the MT10 at a demo days event. Just me and one guy from Yamaha. I also rode a Super Tenere and a Vstrom 1000. The dealer carried both Yamaha and Suzuki. I bought my FJ a couple of years prior at the same dealer without a test ride. Test rides weren't happening at any of the dealerships in the Sacramento area.

There's a dealership in Roseville that sells Ducati, Triumph and BMW. They had group demo rides every Saturday.  No limit. I thought I was interested in the 850 GS, but it wasn't for me. Wasn't interested in Triumph and Ducati was too expensive. Actually the maintenance costs make me hesitate. 

Anyway, I just read you put a deposit down on the MT10. Defintely a hooligan bike. Congrats!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[miweber929]

On 10/4/2023 at 7:32 PM, The Cheese said:

 

Hate to derail this thread a bit, but, gotta ask. Since you have a Tracer and a SS950S, I'd love to hear your opinion on how they compare. I looked at a 950 at one point. Stumbled upon my Tracer before I could ride a 950.

I've written on here a couple times about the Supersport S vs. the Tracer so be sure to search for posts by me to see more details. 

Very shortly: I have 3 great sport touring bikes: the '17 Supersport S, the '20 Tracer GT and an '11 Triumph Sprint GT. All 3 are GREAT sport tourers but go about the task differently with the Duc essentially a sportbike with factory bar risers and factory bags available which LOVES a curvy road and a fine way to spend a few days having fun. The S is the one to have with the Ohlins fitting that bike extremely well. It's drawbacks are really the Ducati cost of ownership including services and parts and the lack of a cruise control or it would be almost perfect. Especially the 950 version which tweaks a few things and nails the look a tick better than the 939 which had a few weird angles. A SPORT tourer or gentleman's sportbike; if you've ever ridden a VFR (I've owned I think 5) this is what the VFR should have been all those years. The other negative is outright speed: it's a blast up to 125mph or so but signs off shortly after. I think top speed is boring so it's perfectly acceptable to me; if 155+ mph is in your blood you will be disappointed. 

If Ducati puts a cruise on it I will trade mine in, and keep the new one forever. Otherwise mine stays for days when I want to play. However if Yamaha does a sport-comfy R9 with cruise, I will sell it and buy that. 

The Tracer GT is in my mind the best only-own-one-bike made. Its fast, comfortable, hauls a passenger fine, decent luggage, is super easy to ride and ride fast, and is lightweight, especially minus the luggage and with a small windscreen. I have a local curvy road I know well and can go fast on all 3 of my bikes: the Tracer is easiest to ride and I have to watch my speed or I am WAY too far into non-safe, go to jail, speeds. The Sprint is as well, though heavy and wallowy (it needs a suspension update bad), I can be surprisingly fast on that one, especially with a passenger and is probably the second easiest. The Duc is faster than all, but I have to think about it and want it. Not to say it's hard to ride fast, I have yet to ride a bike that has the mix of flickable and stable like this one does (a V2 may steer quicker but it’s not nearly as stable in long sweepers), you have to think about it and be "on" it. 

The Tracer just does everything you ask without hesitation and does it all in comfort. When I go to the garage I almost always grab the Tracer. 

On 10/4/2023 at 11:04 PM, 2and3cylinders said:

Apples n Oranges

Not as much as you'd think. Both are sport tourers good for a day of fun, they are just different in execution. 

Edited October 6, 2023 by miweber929

[theog]

1 hour ago, miweber929 said:

I've written on here a couple times about the Supersport S vs. the Tracer so be sure to search for posts by me to see more details. 

Very shortly I have 3 great sport touring bikes: the '17 Supersport S, the '20 Tracer GT and an '11 Triumph Sprint GT. All 3 are GREAT sport tourers but go about the task differently with the Duc essentially a sportbike with factory bar risers and factory bags available which LOVES a curvy road and a fine way to spend a few days having fun. The S is the one to have with the Ohlins fitting that bike extremely well. It's drawbacks are really the Ducati cost of ownership including services and parts and the lack of a cruise control or it would be almost perfect. Especially the 950 version which tweaks a few things and nails the look a tick better than the 939 which had a few weird angles. A SPORT tourer or gentleman's sportbike; if you've ever ridden a VFR (I've owned I think 5) this is what the VFR should have been all those years. The other negative is outright speed: it's a blast up to 125mph or so but signs off after. I think top speed is boring so it's perfectly acceptable to me; if 155+ mph is in your blood you will be disappointed. 

If Ducati puts a cruise on it I will trade mine in, and keep the new one forever. Otherwise mine stays for days when I want to play. However if Yamaha does a sport-comfy R9 I will sell it and buy that. 

The Tracer GT is in my mind the best only-own-one-bike made. It's fast, comfortable, hauls a passenger fine, decent luggage, is super easy to ride and ride fast, and is lightweight, especially minus the luggage and with a small windscreen. I have a local curvy road I know well and go fast on all 3 of my bikes: the Tracer is easiest to ride and I have to watch my speed or I am WAY too far into non-safe speeds. The Sprint is as well, though heavy and wallowy (it needs a suspension update bad), I can be surprisingly fast on that one, especially with a passenger and is probably the second easiest. The Duc is faster than all, but I have to think about it and want it. Not to say it's hard to ride fast, I have yet to ride a bike that has the mix of flickable and stable like this one does (a V2 steers quicker but not nearly as stable in sweepers), you have to think about it and be "on" it. 

The Tracer just does everything you ask without hesitation and does it all in comfort. When I go to the garage I almost always grab the Tracer. 

Not as much as you'd think. Both are sport tourers good for a day of fun, they are just different in execution. 

I enjoyed this description of the Supersport. Although I’ve never ridden one, I’ve owned a Multistrada 1200 and a Hyperstrada 939, in that order. I ended up converting the Hyperstrada into a Hypermotard with a longer Ohlins rear and forks. The engine was bonkers without being ridiculous, and was a gem when ridden at 8/10s or above; sadly, I never managed a track day on it. But on the street, the chassis could never deliver comfort, the brakes were strong but grabby, and the engine would stutter and cough if ridden like an adult (don’t judge me!). Frankly, it wore me out unless, as you say, I worked for it. The sound and feel was brilliant, but the total experience was lacking for me. I am fortunate enough to do my own service, but the maintenance and wear/tear are silly. And part prices are absolutely insane unless you import them yourself from Europe. 
 

The FJ may lack a little character, but it makes up for it by being comfortable and easy to ride. Ducatis need to have a stable mate…because they will get prissy and have a fit from time to time!

Edited October 6, 2023 by theog

[2and3cylinders]

Sport tourer?

Maybe in some other twisted reality...

[miweber929]

7 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Sport tourer?

Maybe in some other twisted reality...

Have you ridden one? You act like you have but I think your thoughts would be different if you actually had. Put a set of 20mm or 40mm bar risers and the Ducati comfort seat on it and you’re touring the country in comfort and kicking ass when you hit a twisty area.

I put 30 some thousand miles on a Superhawk over 3 seasons and the Supersport is its spirit animal that addressed every one of its shortcomings and kicked everything up a notch. It’s a wonderful bike and all day fun. You talk fondly of yours, just saying  

In the segment there are sport-tourers, SPORT-tourers and sport-TOURERS. My Tracer GT, Supersport and Sprint GT are that respectively. 

[2and3cylinders]

I still have since new my 98 VTR1000F and put a few miles on it.  I converted it into a sport tourer with my own custom saddle, much higher and swept back clip-ons, lower and more forward pegs, driving lights, NEP throttle lock, suspension front and rear, and much more. And it puts out about 104 hp and 69 pf, the latter 10+ on my FJ, and overall about equal to the Duc 950.

In my younger days I could manage (barely) 600 mile days on it but not more than 3 in a row. But it is nowhere near the level of my fastest red 15 even without the mods I made to it (though the McCruise is a godsend), which I purchased specifically for cross-country tours (which hasn't worked out because of health reasons, YET).  However, I've still managed to put over 61k miles on it within only a 300 mile radius of my home-based.

So yes YOU can tour on the Duc nicely if you're under age 60, and I do consider my VTR a gentleman's express but it still is not in the class of the FJ and it's younger brotheren, or even a S1000XR.

PS I don't know how I accidentally inserted the pic in the text? Or how to remove it.

[texscottyd]

It’s sunny, the bikes are clean and ready to ride, and work should wrap up early…  I’m really hoping that “I rode it” will be the final answer to the “what I did today” question.  😀

[2and3cylinders]

1 hour ago, texscottyd said:

It’s sunny, the bikes are clean and ready ride, and work should wrap up early…  I’m really hoping that “I rode it” will be the final answer to the “what I did today” question.  😀

Nice!!!

I'd love to try the new Speed Twin, red of course!

[GTO MIKE]

Did throttle body sync today.  Was at 12,000 miles. Took my time and wasn't bad at all. Looked at some videos on Utube. Big help. They were really close. Now I know how to strip the bike and just how to go about it .Going get a new air filter,plugs ,and instal block on plates. To get rid of the air injection system and the stupid hoses on my next teardown 

 

 

[texscottyd]

On 10/6/2023 at 2:08 PM, 2and3cylinders said:

I'd love to try the new Speed Twin, red of course!

At the risk of starting a heated debate, I’ll summarize it as this:   The Speed Twin is a great bike, that is about $2K worth of suspension upgrades away from being phenomenal.