Premium Member wessie Posted January 10, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 10, 2016 It was ever thus - I owned an R1150GS for 9 years and then a Super Tenere for 4 years. They saw a few gravel tracks and some unsealed roads in Croatia. Just great touring bikes with a high up riding position and compliant suspension for bumpy roads. I think Honda are a bit late to the party and the market has shifted. The Ewan & Charlie brigade are a decade older and looking for something different to taking a Nick Sanders' Round the World bike on a trip to camp on a rugby field in Hampshire, eat a hog roast and listen to a ropey covers band. 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...
jez Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 It was ever thus - I owned an R1150GS for 9 years and then a Super Tenere for 4 years. They saw a few gravel tracks and some unsealed roads in Croatia. Just great touring bikes with a high up riding position and compliant suspension for bumpy roads. I think Honda are a bit late to the party and the market has shifted. The Ewan & Charlie brigade are a decade older and looking for something different to taking a Nick Sanders' Round the World bike on a trip to camp on a rugby field in Hampshire, eat a hog roast and listen to a ropey covers band. The only off road my S10 ever saw, was riding across a field to pitch my tent at an MCC rally. If some buyers of the @ will never go off road, they may be better off with the KTM 1050 Adventure..... Similar power but with 17/19 alloy wheels, and because they haven't sold that well, dealers have been banging them out for £8K..... big saving over the @. Although i would have more faith in the reliability of Honda than i would KTM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member wessie Posted January 14, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 14, 2016 and relax... I have just ridden one for 40 miles. It's a nice bike but not a great one. Tracer is unlikely to become unloved. 2 things on the Africa Twin that are better out of the box are the seat and front suspension. Seat has plenty of room and like most big trailies you can slide forward to a narrower but at the front but unlike some bikes, you can slide back onto a wider part but not feel like you are detached from the bike. Screen: not adjustable, aftermarket suppliers will be busy. It was especially bad riding into a headwind. Engine: it spins up nicely and provides plenty of power. Noise is a bit wanky. Apparently there are valves to make it sound like a V twin. I felt I was riding a sousaphone. Front suspension: I wish my Tracer handled bumpy roads as well. Gets a bit floaty over 90mph. Rear suspension: summed to chatter a bit, may need adjustment. It was on a fairly soft setting, presumably so the bike squats for shortarses hopping on in the showroom. I didn't mess with the knobs. Top speed: didn't find it. Got to an indicated ton at times and it was not a pleasant place to be, even tucked behind the tiny screen. Finish: looks okay. Switchgear is okay but easy to hit the horn rather than cancel the indicator. Dash: I didn't like the layout. It wasn't easy to see when heading into bright sunshine - on the Tracer, you look down but the more vertical display on the AT means you are looking into the sun and your eyes can't adjust for the contrast. Handling: okay. Holds a line on fast sweepers with the OE Bridgestones. Needed less countersteering than I was expecting. Turns in okay. Pretty neutral. Brakes: pretty good. Little fork dive. Engine braking is like hitting a brick wall which is how I like it with a big bike like that. 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...
Cruizin Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 The bike is meant for dirt more than the road. It's got dirt bike wheels and suspension so it will not be great in the sweepers. It's meant to ride long distances of street and dirt. Yamaha FZ-10 Forum Yamaha FZ-07 Forum Yamaha Ténéré 700 Forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member bugsplatered Posted January 15, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 15, 2016 Very good review wessie. Cruizin, it would not surprise me if most of the miles ridden are on asphalt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsimple Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 thanks Wessie! I have been drooling a bit over this bike but I really dont want an automatic motorcycle. My last bike was a V STrom that most certainly saw every type of terrain you can imagine. 100's of miles of glorious northwest off road. Problem was it was like driving a diesel. Plodding, boring but reliable. From the reviews I am starting to think this may have more of that boring diesel heart than less. I'm not just talking engine, I'm talking functionality. The FJ won't see as much as the V did, but it will be seeing plenty of gravel and dirt FS roads this summer. And can someone please explain why mufflers keep getting friggen HUGER!?!?!?! Are there people who actually want a can that big? 2015 Red FJ 09 2013 WR250R - little boy blue - sold 2012 DL650 V Strom - sold 2007 FZ6 - sold 1986 FJ600 - sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member wessie Posted January 15, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 15, 2016 It's not a muffler but a euphonium 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...
db5304 Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 Thanks for the comparison Wessie, I'm a bit late here, but been busy with work and moving. I still want to see about booking a test ride near my location in PA, but can't find much info in the states. It's great to have the comparison from another FJ rider, glad to see it doesn't beat the pants off the FJ. I've done some gravel roads and have become much more comfortable, but don't hit any kind of speeds at all. I would like something a bit better suited to 2 up riding with gear for me being a bit bigger. I've actually though about picking up a cruiser for 2 up riding cheap. Didn't think the girlfriend would like it, but now she keeps asking to go for rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruizin Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Very good review wessie. Cruizin, it would not surprise me if most of the miles ridden are on asphalt. Yes, most adv big bikes actually are made to look like they ride on dirt, but are actually ridden on the road. Looks tougher sitting at Starbucks that way. But this Africa Twin is made for dirt, it's apparent to us dirt riders when you see the long showa suspension, it's meant to eat up bumps off road and then ride the highway home from an adventure. Most won't use it in the dirt though. Dirt is scary to a lot of folks. Yamaha FZ-10 Forum Yamaha FZ-07 Forum Yamaha Ténéré 700 Forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakota Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 And can someone please explain why mufflers keep getting friggen HUGER!?!?!?! Are there people who actually want a can that big? Blame new European emissions standards that are rolling out. You can expect to see large cans return to pretty much every bike soon (unless the engineers figure out a brilliant work around). Get ready to party like it is 1999 again. As a side note, I have not ridden one, but on paper really like what Honda did with the Africa twin.if I was venturing well off the paved road I would strongly consider this or a KLR. Since I don't ever venture off road the FJ09 fits my intended riding purpose much better. Perhaps some day I will take off for a trans-Alaska adventure. Until then sport touring is more my speed than adventure touring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakota Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 My local dealer just got an Africa Twin in stock. It is a sharp looking bike. If I spent a lot of time heading down gravel roads, etc I think it would be a tough choice between the AT and the S10. Since I don't ever venture off asphalt the FJ09 still works for me. No regrets/temptation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
com3 Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 i'm currently LUSTING over the AT right now. i haven't ridden one yet, but i want one SOOOOOOOO BAD! in fact, they announced the AT about 3 months after i bought my FJ...and i was a bit sad. i would have totally held off and gotten the honda instead.. i'm a pretty gnar ADV rider, and the FJ, whilst it CAN go to out of the way places, it's not the great for off road. i've had the FJ at 108mph in the dirt before, and it becomes apparent how heavy and under-suspended the bike is when smashing through the dirt like that. i've taken it over whoop section on an MX track too, and it bottoms out the suspension pretty quickly. i want the manual version of the AT. not that DCT piece of crap. bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member martyl Posted August 20, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted August 20, 2016 A tool for every job... I don't understand why make a comparison with the AT to the FJ09. The FJ09 is a budget Sport weekend tourer and not an adventure bike. If I wanted a budget adventure bike I would have bought a KTM 650. JMHO. If I want to play in the dirt I have my Ural Gear- Up. Now that's fun! A Motorcyclist's Church is the open road.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thruster8999 Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 A tool for every job... I don't understand why make a comparison with the AT to the FJ09. The FJ09 is a budget Sport weekend tourer and not an adventure bike. If I wanted a budget adventure bike I would have bought a KTM 650. JMHO. If I want to play in the dirt I have my Ural Gear- Up. Now that's fun! How reliable is the Ural? I have been looking for another bike with a sidecar to add to the garage. I like the 2wd ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member wessie Posted August 20, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted August 20, 2016 A tool for every job... I don't understand why make a comparison with the AT to the FJ09. The FJ09 is a budget Sport weekend tourer and not an adventure bike. If I wanted a budget adventure bike I would have bought a KTM 650. JMHO. If I want to play in the dirt I have my Ural Gear- Up. Now that's fun! I guess if you only wish to own one bike and currently have a Tracer/FJ09 then comparing the Tracer with the AT is valid. In this situation, the bike will always be a compromise being better at one thing than another. For my needs an adventure bike, like those I have owned in the past, is a good choice. I could also get by with a large touring bike like the FJR or Triumph Trophy. Currently I favour the Tracer as it does everything I need quite well without being as heavy as most other suitable bikes. I do not agree that the Tracer is a weekend tourer. It is a very competent, long distance tourer. There is a chap in the Facebook Tracer group who is currently in Albania. He has travelled through countries from the Baltic to the Black Sea and is now working his way along the Mediterranean. I have completed a couple of 10 day trips on the Tracer and it is every bit as competent as my R1150GS or Super Tenere were at the job - a bit better on fast highways but not so compliant on nadgery mountain passes. 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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