behappy Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 Hi from Edmonds Washington everyone! I bought a new 2016 FJ-09 from Lynnwood Motoplex back in mid-April and now have over 4000 miles on it - and even though there are a few small gripes about the bike, I am, for the most part, loving it! Just yesterday a friend and I went for a little 443 mile up I-5 to 530, across to Darrington, north to SR-20, over the mountain passes to Winthrop, then south on Hwy 97 to Wenatchee, west on US-2 to 97 south, detour onto Old Blewitt Pass road, back to 97 south to Cle Elum, I-90 west to I-5 north to HOME. WOW, what a ride! WOW what a Horrible Seat this thing has I felt like pulling over and putting a few rocks in my shorts to soften things up a bit. I've gotta figure out what to do about this. (KTM 1190, Aprilia Caponord maybe?) Anyhoo... HELLO! Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted August 30, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted August 30, 2016 Corbin seats - give them a call..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted August 30, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted August 30, 2016 And other folks seem to like the Sargent seats too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member joeszup Posted August 30, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted August 30, 2016 Welcome to the forums! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
behappy Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 @joeldude I'm going to have to try something! I've been thinking about taking the seat in to an upholstery shop in Seattle that deals with a lot of M/C seats to see what they can do for cheap. @david I've thought about the Corbin seats, however after the big ride this past weekend, I'm not sure I want to drop that kinda cash on a bike I _might_ be trading in soon. As it turns out, as a long distance machine, this bike is a little on the cramped side for my 6'4" frame. Something *bigger* (with a LOT more ground clearance) maybe in my future. It's this kind of thing that makes me BeHappy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crempel Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 If that road, scenic as it may be, is your idea of great riding, then you are probably right. You have the wrong bike. The FJ is a light weight short wheelbase SPORTtouring bike that is not in its natural environment going down straight roads with the very occasional gentle bend. Don't freak out and yell at me. I'm not saying that your idea of great riding is bad or inferior to anyone else's, cuz it's not. What you would probably like better is a sportTOURING BIKE or simply a touring bike. Be honest with yourself about your priorities. Is comfort highest on the list? When was the last time you dragged a peg? Is vibration a bigger problem to you than not having enough power? And a million other questions. Answer honestly and don't worry what other people think. I have a long history of buying cars and especially bikes that most people think are "uncool". It certainly is a beautiful place from a scenery standpoint. Where is it if I may ask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted August 31, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted August 31, 2016 Crempel - This may not be my bone to pick, but I think you may be a bit off on your suggestion that this is a straight road. The video may be misleading, as highway 20, located in the north east corner of Washington state, just south of the Canadian border has plenty of curves and turns. Elevation climbs from around 1500ft to 3000ft going from Colville WA to Tiger, WA through the Colville National Forest. Take a look at the map below and you can see this isn't quite as straight highway 94 across North Dakota! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crempel Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 It's obviously not straight as in Manitoba (where I grew up) straight, but I watched the whole video waiting for the curvy part and it never arrived. When extracab pickups pulling 20 ft trailers can do the speed limit, it's a straight(ish) road. But my point remains that a road like that is not what the FJ was built for. That's a touring bike road. I am not belittling that, as I said before. If that was the type of roads in my neighborhood, I probably wouldn't have an FJ myself. Likely something like a Connie14 or an FJR or any Bavarian Manure Wagon. ? I am very fortunate to live in western North Carolina. I honestly can't find a road as straight as that for a long ways. If I lived back in Winnipeg again (God forbid) I doubt I would own a motorcycle other than a dirt bike. Watch the whole video though. It's largely straight. Pretty, but straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member estell Posted September 1, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted September 1, 2016 Greetings 'behappy' from another Seattle-area FJ rider. I intend to ride the North Cascades highway soon. I have managed to ride about 11,800 miles in 14 months of ownership, all in Washington, but haven't been on that road yet. The North Cascades highway is a curvy mountain road, but not a twisty road. It is a state highway after all, the first national scenic highway in the US. My favorite ride so far is from Randle to Windy Ridge viewpoint on the east side of Mt St Helens. Wow, that is a twisty ride and lots of fun with the FJ09. I went on a weekday without much traffic and had the road to myself with no-one to slow me down. I think the speed limit was around 25-35 for the 35 miles from Randle to Windy Ridge because of the non-stop tight turns. The FJ09 felt comfortable at speeds considerably faster. Did I mention it is a fun ride? Washington has a wide variety of roads for those who haven't sampled them. Straight, flat, hills, mountain passes, gentle curves, really twisty, coastal, desert. You can go out for one day and hit all of them, and the FJ09 can handle all of them. What a great bike. 2015 red FJ-09: Cal Sci screen, Sargent seat, ECU flash, slider combo, cruise, Rizoma bars, Matts forks, JRi shock, slipper clutch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member britelitebob Posted September 1, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted September 1, 2016 That certainly would be considered a twisty road down here in Florida and I'd take some of them mountain's as well. BLB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caferacer Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Greetings 'behappy' from another Seattle-area FJ rider. I intend to ride the North Cascades highway soon. I have managed to ride about 11,800 miles in 14 months of ownership, all in Washington, but haven't been on that road yet. The North Cascades highway is a curvy mountain road, but not a twisty road. It is a state highway after all, the first national scenic highway in the US. My favorite ride so far is from Randle to Windy Ridge viewpoint on the east side of Mt St Helens. Wow, that is a twisty ride and lots of fun with the FJ09. I went on a weekday without much traffic and had the road to myself with no-one to slow me down. I think the speed limit was around 25-35 for the 35 miles from Randle to Windy Ridge because of the non-stop tight turns. The FJ09 felt comfortable at speeds considerably faster. Did I mention it is a fun ride? Washington has a wide variety of roads for those who haven't sampled them. Straight, flat, hills, mountain passes, gentle curves, really twisty, coastal, desert. You can go out for one day and hit all of them, and the FJ09 can handle all of them. What a great bike. Great pic, nominating for front page! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgigharbor Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Greetings 'behappy' from another Seattle-area FJ rider. I intend to ride the North Cascades highway soon. I have managed to ride about 11,800 miles in 14 months of ownership, all in Washington, but haven't been on that road yet. The North Cascades highway is a curvy mountain road, but not a twisty road. It is a state highway after all, the first national scenic highway in the US. My favorite ride so far is from Randle to Windy Ridge viewpoint on the east side of Mt St Helens. Wow, that is a twisty ride and lots of fun with the FJ09. I went on a weekday without much traffic and had the road to myself with no-one to slow me down. I think the speed limit was around 25-35 for the 35 miles from Randle to Windy Ridge because of the non-stop tight turns. The FJ09 felt comfortable at speeds considerably faster. Did I mention it is a fun ride? How was the road surface? I recently drove tacoma , 7, morton, randle to carson and back and there were maybe a hundred places in the road esp between randle and carson that had sunk and made for some treacherous driving. On a broader note, our western wa back roads are finally mostly free of gravel put down last winter. But with the falling leaves and the recent rains, spots are getting slick again. Nothing like wet leaves to give one a sudden thrill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgigharbor Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 And other folks seem to like the Sargent seats too....Much better than stock (which I find extremely uncomfortable due to the crowing in the center), but I am not loving my Sargent seat as much as some folks love it. Wish it was dished a bit more and had a touch of padding to help even support. Not talking cushy, just like maybe a quarter inch of the right foam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member estell Posted September 1, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted September 1, 2016 How was the road surface? I recently drove tacoma , 7, morton, randle to carson and back and there were maybe a hundred places in the road esp between randle and carson that had sunk and made for some treacherous driving. On a broader note, our western wa back roads are finally mostly free of gravel put down last winter. But with the falling leaves and the recent rains, spots are getting slick again. Nothing like wet leaves to give one a sudden thrill. The road (NF25 and NF99) does have numerous dips in sunken areas. Most of them are only in the northbound (downhill) lane, but some span the width of the road. You can avoid most of the dips in the southbound lane. I don't consider the dips to be treacherous, but they made me reduce my speed a little. I would have slowed down much more in my car than I did on the FJ09. The surface was free of debris. I would have considered it treacherous if there were fallen rocks on the road, or gravel and leaves on the turns. There was none of that. It is closed for the winter and typically opens at the end of June. I rode it on July 1st. Edit on Sep 11: I thought I'd update this because I rode Randle to Carson as part of a longer weekend of riding twisties. NF25 has many dips in the 11 mile section north of the junction with NF99. The dips are big enough that I suggest keeping your speed down to 35 or less so that you have time to respond to dips when you approach them. There is also a 50 yard section of gravel. The portion of NF25 that is south of the NF99 junction is in much better condition. NF99 to Windy Ridge viewpoint has dips also, not nearly as many as NF25, but they are all in the return lane. You can see them on your way to Windy Ridge so you know what to expect on your way back. Another road with dips and a few gravel sections is NF90 from Swift reservoir to NF23. About 5 miles of NF90 is in the route from Randle to Carson. The really good roads include the Curly Creek road and the Wind River road over Oldman's pass. Those are fabulous! 2015 red FJ-09: Cal Sci screen, Sargent seat, ECU flash, slider combo, cruise, Rizoma bars, Matts forks, JRi shock, slipper clutch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
behappy Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 Thanks for the warm welcomes everyone! I rode old iron (1970s Kawi Enduro and a series of 1971-1984 Honda CB750s) for 10 years prior to moving to Washington State. I took 10 years off... because drivers here are very inattentive and downright CRAZY at times. It wasn't until this year that I felt comfortable enough on the roads here to Re-Bike myself. My thinking at the time I was looking for a bike was that if I actually fell in love with bikes again, chances are this bike would get traded in on something "More Appropriate". I've come to determine that "More Appropriate" means: More Ground Clearance! (I keep bottoming out the FJ) More Comfort (I'm 6'4" and 300#. I'm fine in the saddle for an hour, but wish I could ride an entire tank of fuel out of her before having to pull over) More Capacity to haul JUNK (Yeah, I want a machine I can haul tons of Camp Stuff on) Off-Road ability (Because the road less traveled is usually more fun!) The FJ is doing well as a commuter, grocery getter, and all around zoom zoom ride. The engine is plenty powerful but the frame needs to be 20% larger to fit me better. Ayeeeeeee.... and work is interrupting me again... Sheese! The nerve of some folks... Catch ya later. E! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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