couter Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I had the good fortune to get to take my girlfriend out on the FJ before my first service. Please keep in mind that we are both short. I'm about 5' 6" and my girl is 5' nothing. At first the two person riding was a little uncomfortable for me just because we were still kinda figuring out where and how our bodies were supposed to stay with eachother and the bike. Now also keep in mind, my 1980's Sabre, Molly sat in the same position, right behind me. With the elevated rear seat, I found her knees at my sides at first. We shifted our bodies trying to figure out the ergo's for a couple minutes, and we settled on something good enough to start riding. Molly has said that it wasn't the most comfortble thing in the world for her, she prefers the Sabre. The seat was comfortable enough, the big issue for her was just getting up onto the bike! She is pretty picky becuase she didn't like the pegs either, the narrow pegs "hurt my feet" getting onto the bike. This bike handled having two people really well. Sure it takes a little longer to stop, but not nearly as long as the sabre. I also didn't feel like I had ALL her body weight plus mine pushing foward every time I came to a stop. I wouldn't go activating the "A" mode, but there was enough power to tool around town and even keep pace ahead of traffic in "standard". Overall, I enjoyed it, I was happy to have my top two ladies with me(yes I assume my bike is a woman too) I'm trying to get her to go out and ride again with me soon. The first time is always kinda strange and something new to get used to. She's not keen on the idea, but I've got persistance! I hope this helps some of you guys and gals out there to at least try. Honestly, for someone who isn't sure... You never know until you try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thruster8999 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Thank for the review. The main reason I bought the fj was to have my wife ride with me. We havent done this yet but hopefully soon. The only problem I for see is getting her on the back with the topbox on. Will see how it goes real soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couter Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 I had plannned to have Molly get on the bike before me and slide up to the passenger seat. That would also be a good way to make getting on with the top box easier as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falcophil Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I took my other half with me for the test ride as I had a fair idea it would be OK for me be it had also to be comfortable for her! It rode fine two up and had plenty of go for overtakes, handling was good as well. she said that the grab handles were no good for her as the positions were all wrong, but she is used to the Blackbird and top box- i think once the box and panniers are on she will be OK with this. She also said that it was better for her on the motorway- cos the big windblock stopped her getting head buffeting (that would be me, sitting upright!) The seat seemed good but we only went out for 2 hours, we will find out more at the end of the month when we do a mini euro tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couter Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 The grab handles, she mentioned she hated them because she hits her legs on them and they catch her pants getting off and on. I may have to bite the bullet and remove them so she will continue riding with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deersSlayer Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 The grab handles, she mentioned she hated them because she hits her legs on them and they catch her pants getting off and on. I may have to bite the bullet and remove them so she will continue riding with me.But how are the grab handles when actually riding? If they only bother her when (dis)mounting, then maybe she can change how she does that. Or you can find a different pillion. 8-) FJ-09, 690 Enduro R. Back Roads. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
advman Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 My other half finds it ok but finds there's not enough leg room for her although I think cause my previous 3 bikes have had a top boxes fitted I think she leans forward more and hence makes her legs ache, so should be ok when my Givi rack arrives (eventually)and I can refit my box. I'm trying to find some pillion lowering pegs aswell but no luck as yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 It took me and my wife a while to figure out the best way to get her on the back of a bike. We learned on other bikes before we got this one but the technique we use now has worked on every bike we've tried it on, no matter how tall the bike or how big the top box was. There's much less drama now getting on and off a bike. I am 6'1" she is 5'4". Before, she wanted to swing her leg over the back like I do to get on. This worked fine on small bikes such as my '70 CB450. It certainly didn't work well on a bike with a top box or even a tall bike without a top box for that matter. Now, starting from the left side of the bike, she steps up and stands on the left footpeg with her left leg while facing the bike and holding onto my shoulder. Once she is standing on the left footpeg (still facing the bike, not forward), she steps her right foot over to the right footpeg, twists to look forward, then sits down. The key is, step over, don't swing. Same motion as going up a flight of steep stairs, only you are stepping across the bike. It's obviously a little more fluid than it sounds written out in detail, but the key is full on standing with the leg fully extended on one footpeg, and stepping over instead of swinging anything over. To get off, she does the exact same thing in reverse. Stand up, step back across the bike and down to the ground. She touches nothing on the bike other than the footpegs and my shoulder before she sits down. I guess, she may find something on the bike to grab with her other hand to help pull herself up (the grab bars you are talking about removing would be perfect for this), but her legs don't touch anything or drag on anything. It is important for me to ready for her to mount and to make sure it is stable, but it's really not that bad. This can be from the right side as well, but the first few times you do it, it's not a bad idea to have the kickstand down just in case something were to go wrong, the bike wouldn't fall over. This would only help if you mount from the left side. Still pick up the bike as if the kickstand weren't down though, it's just a cheap little insurance policy to keep from dropping your bike. The kickstand shouldn't touch the ground while mounting a pillion normally. I use the same technique to get on and off if a bike is on the center stand, except I lean over the bike while doing it. It allows me to keep my center of gravity on top of the bike instead of off to the side and the seat is just too tall on the center stand to get on by swinging a leg over. As far as the footpegs being too small and hurting her feet, it sounds like she is not wearing proper footwear. With a properly protective shoe / boot, the pegs could be sharp and it wouldn't affect comfort, even while mounting. Your pillion "should" wear at least as good of protective gear as you, if not more protective. That's another story though, because my wife's least favorite thing about riding is messing around with all the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thruster8999 Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 My other half finds it ok but finds there's not enough leg room for her although I think cause my previous 3 bikes have had a top boxes fitted I think she leans forward more and hence makes her legs ache, so should be ok when my Givi rack arrives (eventually)and I can refit my box. I'm trying to find some pillion lowering pegs aswell but no luck as yet. Here ya go http://www.motorcyclelarry.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=31&zenid=f362e05f63050285e4b97b0b9c65f30a These should fit the fj as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 My other half finds it ok but finds there's not enough leg room for her although I think cause my previous 3 bikes have had a top boxes fitted I think she leans forward more and hence makes her legs ache, so should be ok when my Givi rack arrives (eventually)and I can refit my box. I'm trying to find some pillion lowering pegs aswell but no luck as yet.My wife found the FJ more comfortable than a v strom 650, which was the bike I was debating on getting before the FJ came out. She is 5'4" so the height of the pegs works well for her. If she was taller, I could see it being an issue. She also said she naturally leans forward, but she liked the secure feeling that gave her with no top box. We've only taken 2 short rides together but she has liked it so far. We are planning to ride to her parents this weekend. That's 30 minutes each way so it should give us a better idea of how we like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
advman Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 My other half finds it ok but finds there's not enough leg room for her although I think cause my previous 3 bikes have had a top boxes fitted I think she leans forward more and hence makes her legs ache, so should be ok when my Givi rack arrives (eventually)and I can refit my box. I'm trying to find some pillion lowering pegs aswell but no luck as yet. Here ya go http://www.motorcyclelarry.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=31&zenid=f362e05f63050285e4b97b0b9c65f30a These should fit the fj as well. Thanks for the link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armyeod Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 it is a tall bike; since I am lately used to Harleys. I whacked my knee getting on in the showroom. I will pick the bike up on Saturday. The recall fix is done. Not really anybody special to put on the rear seat, but with 850cc and 450 lbs, it may be interesting to carry a passenger. Frankly, I did not buy it to carry a passenger. The rear seat is there if that situation arises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dmizer Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 I had plannned to have Molly get on the bike before me and slide up to the passenger seat. That would also be a good way to make getting on with the top box easier as well. This is not a great idea. The only really good way to do this is with the bike on the center stand but since the rear wheel is off the ground, sliding from the driver's seat to the passenger seat will cause the bike to pivot onto the back wheel. An unsettling feeling, and potentially dangerous for your passenger. If you try to do this on the side stand, you could have disastrous (I'll never ride with you again) consequences trying to get the bike off the side stand with the weight of a passenger on the pillion. The correct, best, and safest method is for you to get on the bike, hold it steady, and have her mount the pillion like a horse rider mounts a horse, as root has described. This method works perfectly fine for my 155cm tall Japanese passenger on this bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfjniner Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 I had plannned to have Molly get on the bike before me and slide up to the passenger seat. That would also be a good way to make getting on with the top box easier as well.The correct, best, and safest method is for you to get on the bike, hold it steady, and have her mount the pillion like a horse rider mounts a horse, as root has described. This method works perfectly fine for my 155cm tall Japanese passenger on this bike.Now the only thing the pillion has to learn is to not use the foot peg as a spring board to propel her (his) body up. They have to gradually raise their bodies up. Just a hint. Ken, Candy Ass L.D.R. Sleeps 8 hours (2)2005 FJR1300abs: 230,000 m 2015 FJ-09: 114,000 m (Replaced engine at 106K) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dmizer Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 I may have to bite the bullet and remove them so she will continue riding with me. Wanted to also mention here that removing the grab handles is most likely illegal unless you completely remove the pillion and pillion pegs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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