spitfireorca Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Hey all, I've been cruising the forum for a while now and decided it was time to make an appearance. I have been eyeing the FJ09 for two or so years. I currently ride a 2016 FZ07 and a 2013 FJR 1300A. As you can tell, I'm biased towards the Yamaha family, its never let me down! I am looking to consolidate my moto needs from two bikes, to one. I'm hoping the FJ09 fits the bill! I live, work and play in Seattle, WA. I've ridden for about 10 years now and have come along way in ability and in taste. I've previously owned a DRZ400 SM, Harley 1200 roadster and a couple of Peugot scooters. I'm currently looking at buying a 2017 FJ09 (love that white color)! If any of you have made the switch from an FJR to the FJ09, I'd love to hear your thoughts. As well as general thoughts about the FJ09 you would've wanted to know prior to buying it. Also, if any of you guys/gals are local to the Seattle/King county area, give me a shout! Lets ride, I'm fairly new to the area! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koth442 Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Welcome. The FJ is a perfect middle ground between your FJR and FZ07. You'll find you need a new windshield ( I recommend CalSci ) and a new seat ( Terry's custom seats seem to be super popular around here) before the bike is "comfy". Don't waste money on factory Yamaha options like comfort seat and/or "touring" screen. They still stink compared to the aftermarket options. Cheers! '15 FJ09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBB Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 I have the FJ09 as my bike and regularly ride a 2017 FJR when I’m on blood bike rota so I get to swap between the two, back-to-back riding. The FJ is definitely more perky/alert and fun to ride and I prefer the more upright position with wider bars. It always feels super light after I’ve been on the FJR for a few hours. However, the FJR does have a smoother ride over bumps. I’m certain you’ll enjoy the FJ immediately and will have fun adding farkles getting it just the way you want it. Red 2015 Tracer, UK spec (well, it was until I started messing with it...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfireorca Posted April 25, 2018 Author Share Posted April 25, 2018 Welcome. The FJ is a perfect middle ground between your FJR and FZ07. You'll find you need a new windshield ( I recommend CalSci ) and a new seat ( Terry's custom seats seem to be super popular around here) before the bike is "comfy". Don't waste money on factory Yamaha options like comfort seat and/or "touring" screen. They still stink compared to the aftermarket options. Cheers! Koth442, I appreciate the feedback! The windscreen is my biggest worry about the FJ09. CalSci is very well regarded around the FZ and FJR forums so I'll definitely be checking them out and cruising the forum for other riders experience. I'm still a younger guy so the comfort side of my riding hasn't become a pain in the butt yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koth442 Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Me too, I'm 26. But the stock screen SMASHED me straight in the face. It was terrible. I opted for the CalSci tinted shorty because I like the extra air flow. '15 FJ09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcal616 Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 as both an owner of a FZ-07( orginal white from 2015 ?) and a FJ-09... these 2 bikes are like Ying and Yang...they suit each other really nice, the FZ-07 is a hoot 'round town/errands and the FJ-09 can be found jumping leeves, skipping creeks in Canada, chasing silly litter bikes down or are perfectly happy polishing knee pucks at the local track... and Im pretty young also, Im 11 times 3 2012 wr250f - C-class 30+ age group 2015 fz-07- Hordpower Edition-80whp 2015 fj-09- Graves Exhaust w/Woolich tune by 2WDW @120whp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted April 25, 2018 Premium Member Share Posted April 25, 2018 Don't forget to look at the Madstad screen, I think it is better than the CalSci, but everyone has their own opinion about wind screens. And as for seats, Corbin is my favorite...... I'm also here in Seattle (actually, North Bend), and ride the red 2015 FJ-09. Lot's of great riding up here, either riding over the mountains passes to eastern Washington on Hwy 2 or Hwy 20, or riding down south and going over Mt. Rainier. There are also some really fun rides from Morton to Vancouver WA that are only open during the late Spring/Summer months, but well worth the time. Feel free to pm me if you want to go riding sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonardlloyd Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 I kept my 2003 FJR when I traded in my Suzuki Bandit 1250S for the FJ-09. I agree with comments about the oem seat and windscreen. I am pleased with Sargent seat which allowed me to add some red trim to my black 2016 model. Having passed my 79th birthday, I find the FJ-09 much easier to handle than my faithful FJR, which had been my crosscountry steed and served well for two up long weekend rides. I find the FJ-09 more readily disturbed by heavy winds than my FJR, one of the most stable stormy rides in my 50 years of riding. Ironically, I am considering going even lighter, to the FZ-07 or XSR-07, since I am no longer doing long distance riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfireorca Posted April 27, 2018 Author Share Posted April 27, 2018 Hey David, I went to test ride a new 2017 FJ09 and it was good, but i don't think it was great. The throttle seemed fairly jerky and the bike felt choked up. It was however much lighter than i anticipated which lent itself to fun cornering. I had my FZ07 dyno tuned and flashed and it really made a huge difference, the bike felt totally new. I've been cruising the forums and it seems like the ecu flash and dyno on the FJ are a great mod. I was wondering if you have done these to your FJ09? My wife and I are moving back into Seattle and I would like to only have one bike to worry about and maintain. But i do love my FJR and FZ. The lightness and stability of the FJR are appealing especially for those all city riding days. I also was wondering how the FJ suits you on the freeways? Sorry to blow you up, I just don't know any other FJ owners. Plenty of FZs and FJRs around! I could not send you an PM as it kept showing an error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted April 27, 2018 Premium Member Share Posted April 27, 2018 Hey David, I went to test ride a new 2017 FJ09 and it was good, but i don't think it was great. The throttle seemed fairly jerky and the bike felt choked up. It was however much lighter than i anticipated which lent itself to fun cornering. I had my FZ07 dyno tuned and flashed and it really made a huge difference, the bike felt totally new. I've been cruising the forums and it seems like the ecu flash and dyno on the FJ are a great mod. I was wondering if you have done these to your FJ09? My wife and I are moving back into Seattle and I would like to only have one bike to worry about and maintain. But i do love my FJR and FZ. The lightness and stability of the FJR are appealing especially for those all city riding days. I also was wondering how the FJ suits you on the freeways? Sorry to blow you up, I just don't know any other FJ owners. Plenty of FZs and FJRs around! I could not send you an PM as it kept showing an error. No worries, the flash takes care of the jerky throttle, and a whole lot more. 2WheelDyno (forum sponsor) is based here in Seattle, and you can just drive in and have him do your flash. (You can also mail it to him, if you don't want to wait) For me, there were a lot of improvements in the ride and handling after I did my flash. Best money I spent on the bike, for sure. I don't commute on my bike, and I try to stay off the freeways when I do go riding. That being said, I have spent time on the freeways, and it's never been a problem for me. We have a lot of traffic, especially during rush hours (am and pm), but you can drive in the carpool lane, so you have a little protection there. I ride for fun, not for daily commuting, and there are plenty of great roads to ride on here in the PNW. Hope this helps, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcal616 Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 the jerky throttle can be tamed by a ECU flash tune and or doing the APS mod by adjusting the value from like "17" to "13"... also the FJ-09 has 3 modes of power A,std and B... A is faster than STD and STD is faster than B in throttle response... your lucky to live near 2WDW ? 2012 wr250f - C-class 30+ age group 2015 fz-07- Hordpower Edition-80whp 2015 fj-09- Graves Exhaust w/Woolich tune by 2WDW @120whp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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