Circa58 Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 OK, I'm new yes,,, the last time i rode a motorcycle was a 600cc @ 20 years ago, but my son which is 18 y.o just bought a Kawasaki ZX6R and he asked me to ride with him,,,, I'm 58 y.o. and figured ,, ,Sure, ...but I wont be riding a Sport Bike,,,, so I'm looking at picking up an 2016 FJ09 new at my local dealer, evidently the suspension needs some help, I'm 210-lbs and 6 foot tall,, so I guess I will come to my own conclusions soon but i am a DIY person, a machinist by trade and an M.E doing sales as my daily profession. Current hobbies Corvettes and weightlifting :-) I have over 12,700 posts on http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/ as LD85 Thank you for including me! Larry Indianapolis, IN Read more: http://fj-09.org/thread/4533/new-sport-touring#ixzz4REmNF8iP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timg Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Welcome Circa58, we're more than glad to include you. You sound like you can be a good contributor too. As you say, come to your own conclusions over time. It's a good bike that can be made better for each individual. Do some research on this forum, you'll find a wide range of opinions on a wide range of topics. Remember, each owner has his/her own goals for the bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phpaul Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Circa58, your description fits me as well, size-wise. I came off a 1979 Yamaha XS650 so I find it REALLY hard to complain about anything on my '16 FJ, except the seat. Frankly, the seat sucks. All the posts about suspension, brake and windscreen issues go right over my head because the stocker is SO much better than what I'm used to. Likewise ECU flashes (Good Lord, man, I've got 100+ HP to play with now!), exhaust mods, tire complaints, etc. ad infinitum. I expect that if I had a history of riding race-ready sport bikes I'd have a different viewpoint, but for this old fart, it's a peach right out of the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circa58 Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 Thanks, I soon as I finish the deal I'll post some pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member alejandro Posted November 27, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted November 27, 2016 Hi @Circa58, and welcome! Looking forward to hearing more from you. My quick thoughts, in no particular order. - Given your build, the bike will likely feel small, light, and comfortable to you. And torquey and fast. :-D - Stock suspension calibration definitely leans toward heavy rider or rider + passenger. You may find yourself wanting to soften the rear a little. - I find the light front end to be slightly distracting. I haven't done anything about it yet tho. Lowering it just a smidge would probably go a long way. - I found the stock seat to be fine, but the stock windscreen horrible. Some folks will say the reverse. Maybe you'll like them both! It's a unique proposition for a FUN, comfortable, sharp-handling, tour-worthy, reliable, do-almost-everything bike. For similar or less money there are other options that might be better suited to one particular thing. For more money you can get European all-arounders that may be faster or smoother or fancier, but they won't be as reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circa58 Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 Thanks everyone!!!!!, I have already bought the Sena 20S dual pack for my son and I to use, going to decide on the helmet once I choose the bike., but honestly, I don't care about color, I just want the best deal I can get with winter fast upon us in the MidWest/USA, the longer I wait, hopefully the better deal I can find.. my first mod will be headers and exhaust (sorry its a drag racing thing), then Block Off Plates if I think it needs it,,, sorry.... second will be clutch & stator protectors,,, then I will ride a lot to see how it feels and what it tells me.... My buddy has a BMW K1200GT and he says the FJ09 is a great bike and I trust his judgement When I do mods I wil lpos tthe DIY unless it has already been done on this forum,,, we are off to a Indiana Pacers/Clippers game, thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted November 28, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted November 28, 2016 My advice? Get the bike, start riding, and then replace/fix/modify the things you don't like. Everyone has a different opinion, and you may be fine with something I can't stand. Hence ride it a while and you will know what you want to change. and have fun...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circa58 Posted November 28, 2016 Author Share Posted November 28, 2016 Agreed! Every time I get a new project I am profusely compelled to "make it better" and I enjoy doing it and it takes time and money, but I will take everyones advise and become familiar with the bike,, I am very excited, just waiting on a deal...... thanks again for allowing me to join the forum ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimofj Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 I'm just going to add one comment. At around 3000 miles your going begin to think "Man I'm getting good" thats when you should be most careful. Take it easy and get used the bike which is pretty darn fast for a rider with a 20 year absence. Have fun! KimoFJ Ojai ca PS: Buy good riding gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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