dorinb Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Hello everyone Just got a new 2015 FJ 09 and I'm trying to figure out how much weight can i put on safely. I know the book 397lbs but i need to go over that by 50lbs so i wonder if anyone has done it before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carey Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Hello everyone Just got a new 2015 FJ 09 and I'm trying to figure out how much weight can i put on safely. I know the book 397lbs but i need to go over that by 50lbs so i wonder if anyone has done it before dorinb, I think it depends on your definition of safely. As is, the bike needs heavier springs front and rear for my 180 pounds. Will the bike carry 447 pounds and not break? Probably. How well will it handle is the question. Back in the last century, my wife and I went camping for the weekend on my 1982 Suzuki GS650. Riding solo, it handled great, with luggage and a passenger, the front wheel barely touched the ground. In my ignorance, we went camping anyway. I probably wouldn't do it today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorinb Posted December 29, 2016 Author Share Posted December 29, 2016 Well me and my wife weigh about 360 lbs together then saddlebags and luggage another50 lbs maybe so i asked the shop at my dealership and they said no worries but i just want to know if anyone travel long distance like that and if it handled right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted December 29, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted December 29, 2016 One compromise would be to replace your shocks and/or struts to accommodate more weight......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted December 29, 2016 Supporting Member Share Posted December 29, 2016 With the stock suspension the front end starts to feel light at speed (for me at least) and I ride solo @ 220#. Add twice that weight on the rear of the bike and you are asking for a squirrely ride. Before adding any luggage, both of you go for a ride in mixed conditions, interstate, country roads, city traffic etc and see how it handles. You will more than likely discover that you need a spring upgrade and possibly even A spec or GT spec tires. (stiffer sidewall for heavier bikes) ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member joeszup Posted December 30, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted December 30, 2016 Maximum weight = 1 American or 2 Europeans. *Disclaimer* I'm American AND I'm a fat guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BentAero Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Well me and my wife weigh about 360 lbs together then saddlebags and luggage another50 lbs maybe so i asked the shop at my dealership and they said no worries but i just want to know if anyone travel long distance like that and if it handled rightAt 360 lbs + bags & gear, you'll definitely want an aftermarket shock with proper spring. Without it you'll both be miserable. If you intend to use FJ/FJR saddlebags, they weigh more than you might think. The bracket assy is 9 lbs, FJR bags are a combined 21 lbs, so empty you added 30 lbs. I don't imagine FJ bags are much lighter as the depth of the lid is the only difference. With a good shock and correct spring the added weight is not noticeable. YMMV. Keep Asheville weird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorinb Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share Posted December 30, 2016 BentAero do you know what kinda shock and spring would work or where can i get them.Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xlxr Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 The heavier the stuff on the bike gets, the further back on the bike the weight gets, the higher the speeds and the more aggressive the riding gets, and the worse the suspension set up is, the more likely you are to get into handling problems. To some extent, that is true for all motorcycles. I wouldn't do it, and I have been riding 35 years. However, some guys say it can work just fine. Other guys get into high speed wobble problems just riding solo, there are lots of threads on fixing those problems. Plenty of suspension options discussed in the Suspension section. Check out the threads by Forks by Matt and Norwest Suspension. I weigh 270 in gear, Ohlins 535 shock, 625 lb Hyperco spring. There have been some 180 lb guys reporting 600 lb spring on another brand shock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kivimarko Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Yesturday I rode whit girlfriend, 48 cans of beer (33cl). 6Liters of red wine, two bottles of vodka and one sack of potato chips. My weight is 105kg and girlfriend 54kg. +gear. About 10liters of gasoline in tank. Original suspension on hardest setting. I can not recommend this heavy load. Breaking was ok. Suspension was over limit. We did 90km/h on highway and very slow over speedbumps. Our trip was about 40km from Danmark to Sweden. The total feeling was you can do it with very safe riding and only if you "really have to". Happy new year and big thanks to all of you for posting and helping ! Now I have to unload my bike ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted December 30, 2016 Supporting Member Share Posted December 30, 2016 Yesturday I rode whit girlfriend, 48 cans of beer (33cl). 6Liters of red wine, two bottles of vodka and one sack of potato chips. Now I have to unload my bike ! Well, at least you weren't trying to carry something useless, like clothing or camping gear. ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamelion Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Makes me think that I've bought the wrong bike.. I didn't think about the weight limit, or at least didn't think it would be as low as it is. My wife and I are 400klb geared up (depending on if we've done a poo.. maybe add or subtract a couple of lb) Perhaps I should have bought an FJR or something. But then I'd be taking a hit on what I want out of a bike for solo riding or riding with my daughter on the back (she loves getting some lean angle happening). Maybe I'll just have to save up and get a Suzuki GSX1250FA for touring duties. *shrug* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carey Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Makes me think that I've bought the wrong bike.. I didn't think about the weight limit, or at least didn't think it would be as low as it is. My wife and I are 400klb geared up (depending on if we've done a poo.. maybe add or subtract a couple of lb) Perhaps I should have bought an FJR or something. But then I'd be taking a hit on what I want out of a bike for solo riding or riding with my daughter on the back (she loves getting some lean angle happening). Maybe I'll just have to save up and get a Suzuki GSX1250FA for touring duties. *shrug* Our FJ's are similar to the FJR, and probably a lot of motorcycles in weight capacity. A quick google search shows the FJR has a capacity of 442 lb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member martyl Posted December 30, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted December 30, 2016 Do you mean I have to take a big,"Poo" before I ride? I usually," Poo" after a ride. ;-) wait till the Yamaha attorneys get a hold of this. I can see the disclaimer now," Always wear proper riding attire, wear a DOT Aporoved Helmet, do not ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol, obey all traffic laws, and always take a big,"Poo" before every ride...;-) A Motorcyclist's Church is the open road.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BentAero Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 BentAero do you know what kinda shock and spring would work or where can i get them.Thank youI'm pretty biased toward Ohlins products, however there are other good brands as well. An Ohlins YA535 would suit you well as it has a hydraulic preloader which is great for loads that vary. A lot depends on what percentage of the time you are riding solo or two-up. If you're usage is 100% two-up (or solo) it makes the choices much easier. It's when your usage is 50/50 that makes setup a bit more difficult. If your usage is predominately two-up, consider a 130Nm spring. If you're solo the vast majority of the time, a 120Nm might be a better choice. If you chose the 120, when you're two-up and loaded, you can get some ride height back with the preloader. But remember, there is no disguising a too-soft spring rate. Sometimes choosing the correct spring for larger loads can be somewhat trial-and-error. You might prefer a softer ride, someone else might prefer a more 'performance' ride. Some riders hammer-it when solo, but ride much more sedate when two-up. You can ride a bike with a too-stiff spring, but you can't ride a bike with a broken shock that resulted from too-soft of a spring... Any good dealer can work with you on spring rate and setup. If they don't ask you the pertinent questions about rider weight, luggage, usage, etc, hang up and call someone else. Forks by Matt and Norwest have great reputations on this board. My old friends Rick and Joyce of Cogent Dynamics are also fantastic to deal with. Rick is a multiline shock seller/tuner/service center and is now manufacturing his own FJ shock. But IIRC, you're across the pond, so I'm not sure how practical having routine maintenance would be for you on his house-brand shock. Last but not least, what are you going to do to the front? Putting a good shock with the correct spring rate for you, will amplify the shortcomings of the stock front end. Especially in a panic stop when two-up. Don't stress it, make this a fun project. Happy New Year! Keep Asheville weird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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