Is anyone using their FJ-09 off-road much?

[Guest mccruise]

Hi all,
 
Just back from a 225km shake-down ride on my Tracer with the new throttle-by-wire cruise control.  I must say - I am impressed!
 
The bike is awesome. I haven't had much off-road experience and I have some damage which means my fingers go numb pretty quickly unless I can get them off the bars for a while. Hence the funny looking brace I have on mine - to rest my wrists.
 

 
I was pretty anxious when I hit the dirt.  My other off-road-ride is an XL250 Honda 1983 - so this bike is chalk and cheese. I had it in 'B' mode and was really watching for it stepping out or lighting up the back wheel. Boy, was I wrong! The bike felt like it was on bitumen most of the time.  Absolutely incredible.  Now I understand why I couldn't keep up with my brother on his DL650 with ABS in the dirt. I was very mindful of the fact that all that technology could lull me into a false sense of security and when it comes unstuck there will be no 'saving it'!  But it didn't put a foot wrong and at times I was doing nearly 100kph on gravel.  I have NEVER done that before. 
 
And....the cruise works GREAT! Smooth, precise, easy to use and consistent - although I am having trouble retraining myself for the RES button being accelerate which is back to front to our MCCruise switch.  I doubt the TCS actually did much while the cruise was engaged, but I wasn't brave enough to try it with TCS off.
 
Anyway - I am a happy chappy.    Bugs in the teeth again and looking forward to the next ride.  Now I just have to get my Spot Tracker working........oh well, there is always something.
 
 

 
 

[checkereddemon]

I doubt I'll ever off-road my bike. Even though it is a lightweight in its class, 462 lbs. is a LOT of weight for off-road. I'd probably leave such action to something like a beater Suzi DR-400 or something similar. A minor crash on our bikes could *easily* cost you $1,000+ and I simply do not have that kind of money to bandy about.
 
But I'm sure glad you're digging it!!!

[michael]

I doubt I'll ever off-road my bike. Even though it is a lightweight in its class, 462 lbs. is a LOT of weight for off-road. I'd probably leave such action to something like a beater Suzi DR-400 or something similar. A minor crash on our bikes could *easily* cost you $1,000+ and I simply do not have that kind of money to bandy about. 
But I'm sure glad you're digging it!!!

When I have the urge to take my FJ off road I resist it and use this instead:
 
 

[checkereddemon]

Has anyone ever told you how wise and handsome you are, Michael ? I, too, would use the right tool for the job...
 

[woop]

Most any bike can handle gravel, but the FJ is just not made for real off road. Not much suspension travel, street tires and a design fault low placement of the exposed oil pan and drain could result in disaster.

[xpress]

I wouldn't ever take mine offroad, it's really not designed for that. There are purpose built machines out there with appropriate ground clearance and suspension travel that are way better suited to offroad environments.
 
I would not mind the FJ engine in an ADV bike though  8D 8D

[docsimple]

I just had it on gravel and forest service roads. I was surprised how well the stock tires handled it. I will be getting the higdonion bars when I can afford it but the upgraded suspension made a lot of difference too. I'm not doing any crazy rock hopping but the bike is plenty capable of backwoods camping.
 
The bike is all about what do you want it to do.

[armike]

Am looking for a bike to run the mountain roads here in Arkansas and explore. Am an adventure rider meaning if I find a road and want to explore I will and need a bike to do that. In my opinion adv bikes are not dirt bikes. To really go off road, single track, hill climbing, rock and log jumping I will use my 250 strictly off road Honda. But I do want to sometimes head down a fire road or see where a road goes when it turns to dirt. Don't need a big GS for that. Like the FJ a lot from my demo rides. Light, flickable, seating position, and just seems to have the fun factor for the money. I mid 50's guy so don't need hooligan but like the triple. Am also a classic style guy so have also been anxiuously awaiting the Triumph T120 and the new Yamaha 900. But also like a bit of wind protection. Oh...don't want to spend time polishing like my HD buddies. Feel will be doing that with the Triumph. Anyway...just thought I would way in on the off road perspective. Sorry to go deeper than that.

[michael]

But I do want to sometimes head down a fire road or see where a road goes when it turns to dirt.

Be really really careful taking an FJ-09 any place where it might encounter lumps.  That oil drain plug hangs way down low, and if you hit it on a rock or even a breakover, you may rip a big hole in the oil pan.  I am NOT going to take mine off pavement even though I have done the low profile Mazda plug modification.

[johan]

You want an Africa Twin. The Tracer/FJ-09 is a street bike with some adventure bike styling cues. Some people will tell you they take theirs off road, they could have done the same with any sports tourer, although the light weight of the Yamaha helps. There is a bloke that toured around the world on a FireBlade. 

[docsimple]

I was farting around with my new video editing software. The road isn't much, just slick mud surface and gravel, but this is what is accessible right now:
 
[video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVulIX8PkwU]
 
 
 

[checkereddemon]

And that video illustrates *perfectly* the type of off-roading that I'd be willing to do with my FJ or any other street bike - a little gravel, some mild dips and bumps. That's all it is designed to do and I'm perfectly happy with that!!

[outdoorvtguy]

Noticed in the video there was a light blinking on the display, was that the Traction Control?