New bike time

[Jerry1111]

Been riding fully faired XJ6 for over a year.

I got bored in this lockdown and started to think "what next". No specific use patterns, only point I can come up with is that the new toy needs to work well for pillion (she pointed out the full pillion seat on a Goldwing, but I'm not sure about such a supertanker). A bit of commuting, but even after lockdown it looks like I'll be doing lots of working from home anyway.

 

I might keep XJ6 for daily/salty hack, don't know yet.

Edited February 28, 2021 by Jerry1111

[Steve_M]

Though it doesn’t give any indication of the seat comfort itself, This site is quite useful to understand relative positions for seat to footrests to handlebars. 
 

First start with your current bike, fill in the information, and then you have a baseline from which to work. You can then enter other bikes to see which might work for you and your pillion.

 

EG. My good lady really liked the Triumph Tiger 1050 pillion. She likes sitting high, with a good view. We found she struggled to brace against the foot pegs on the rare occasion when I was “pressing on” due to the relationship between seat and pegs. This is less of a problem on the GS due to the foot pegs being lower and further forward.
 

 

 

[onesea]

If your on budget early ish Triumph Trophy’s can be picked up for a song.

allot for your money good for pillions.

Down side top heavy when stationary.

TDM 900 better on fuel, light can be a bit gutless. Also @a twin so vibrates.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

No suggestions re a new bike but absolutely keep the XJ6 as a winter / bad weather hack. Having two bikes is so much better. 

[geofferz]

R1

[Steve_M]

2 hours ago, onesea said:

If your on budget early ish Triumph Trophy’s can be picked up for a song.

allot for your money good for pillions.

Down side top heavy when stationary.

TDM 900 better on fuel, light can be a bit gutless. Also @a twin so vibrates.

 

if you aren’t too worried about the weight then a Yamaha FJR1300 is a good buy. Just make sure the dreaded earthing problem on bikes around 2009* have been sorted. I had one for three years, I never really gelled with it but I will admit say it was comfy for both of us, and covered ground well. Top heavy at slow speed and had a tendency to wallow and scrape pegs if when pressing on spoilt it for me.
 

* @raesewell will be able to give more detail. 

[Stu]

20 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

 

if you aren’t too worried about the weight then a Yamaha FJR1300 is a good buy. Just make sure the dreaded earthing problem on bikes around 2009* have been sorted. I had one for three years, I never really gelled with it but I will admit say it was comfy for both of us, and covered ground well. Top heavy at slow speed and had a tendency to wallow and scrape pegs if when pressing on spoilt it for me.
 

* @raesewell will be able to give more detail. 

 

Upgrading the suspension sorts the wallowing out and makes a huge improvement 

[Steve_M]

21 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

Upgrading the suspension sorts the wallowing out and makes a huge improvement 

Yeah, but why doesn’t the manufacturer get it right in the first place. We’re each about average height and weight. Surely the starting target point for any suspension set up. 
 

 

[Stu]

9 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Yeah, but why doesn’t the manufacturer get it right in the first place. We’re each about average height and weight. Surely the starting target point for any suspension set up. 
 

 

 

The suspension is notoriously soft on almost all Japanese bikes and I put this down to the fact they build them for the average Japanese rider who are half our size  

[Steve_M]

Just now, Stu said:

 

The suspension is notoriously soft on almost all Japanese bikes and I put this down to the fact they build them for the average Japanese rider who are half our size  

It was never a problem on my VFR800 nor my ST1100. 

[Stu]

Just now, Steve_M said:

It was never a problem on my VFR800 nor my ST1100. 

 

Maybe they have learnt from it? 

[NeilM]

Triumph sprint 1050. Does alright for me. Can have a play on it.

Easy to commute on.

And r lass reckons the pillion seats comfy with a decent height position.

[Steve_M]

50 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

Maybe they have learnt from it? 

Both pre-FJR.

 

As a generic comment. The Japanese manufacturers have been building and selling bikes to the West for over 50 years. They, by now, must have learnt that westerners tend to be a bit bigger than themselves so know to fit more appropriate suspension. They employ western test riders who give feedback, surely they learn from that. But apparently not with the FJR.  

 

I’ve just seen their price new. Nigh on £18k. 

 

 

[Stu]

3 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Both pre-FJR.

 

As a generic comment. The Japanese manufacturers have been building and selling bikes to the West for over 50 years. They, by now, must have learnt that westerners tend to be a bit bigger than themselves so know to fit more appropriate suspension. They employ western test riders who give feedback, surely they learn from that. But apparently not with the FJR.  

 

I’ve just seen their price new. Nigh on £18k. 

 

 

 

I have to admit it does seem strange! Although I have heard the newer ones are so much better with the electronic suspension etc 

 

Yes the new price does make your eyes water! Although there is talk of end of the line for the FJR due to emissions tests 

[Steve_M]

27 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

I have to admit it does seem strange! Although I have heard the newer ones are so much better with the electronic suspension etc 

 

Yes the new price does make your eyes water! Although there is talk of end of the line for the FJR due to emissions tests 

Still, for those who want a good touring bike, it’s still a decent choice. 

[Stu]

3 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Still, for those who want a good touring bike, it’s still a decent choice. 

 

it is 

 

Although I am trying to figure out if there is better out there and would it be worth selling mine to buy something else 

[Steve_M]

12 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

it is 

 

Although I am trying to figure out if there is better out there and would it be worth selling mine to buy something else 

That’s a tricky one. I tried a whole range of bikes before I made my choice. 

[Stu]

Just now, Steve_M said:

That’s a tricky one. I tried a whole range of bikes before I made my choice. 

 

The trouble is its not me thats the problem! its her in doors  

[Steve_M]

13 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

The trouble is its not me thats the problem! its her in doors  

My good lady leaves all that stuff to me. I am, apparently, a responsible adult capable of making my own decisions

 

I’d already started thinking about bikes when we went to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. There was a display of bikes which, naturally, I had to sit on, and get the pillion seat tested. Her favourite was the Aprilia Caponord...

[fullscreenaging]

Versys 1000. 
Don’t know your budget but there are 4 iterations 

 

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/kawasaki/versys-1000/

[Stu]

1 minute ago, Steve_M said:

My good lady leaves all that stuff to me. I am, apparently, a responsible adult capable of making my own decisions

 

I’d already started thinking about bikes when we went to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. There was a display of bikes which, naturally, I had to sit on, and get the pillion seat tested. Her favourite was the Aprilia Caponord...

 

She hates change so getting her on another bike is a nightmare then the test ride she just says "is this one 9 grand better than the other one"

[Steve_M]

18 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

She hates change so getting her on another bike is a nightmare then the test ride she just says "is this one 9 grand better than the other one"

Is this 9 grand better? 
 

“Yes”.

 

 

[S-Westerly]

Ducati Multistrada 950. My missus refuses to go near a bike so can't speak for the pillion but for the rider it's damned comfy imo.

[Jerry1111]

I have been looking at FJR, mainly because it's a "non twin(*)" used by most services. Price-wise in general, I'd get something around 3k-5k mark to try and if it's really, really, really working - then it would be searching for a newish model.

SWMBO must feel real comfy and "planted" in the back (hence comparison to Goldwing, which we've both seen only on pictures - the rear couch looks fab), I must feel "planted" on the floor (164cm, for me difficult to dual-flat-foot XJ6), bike should be a bit more powerful than XJ6 (sometimes it starts to be not enough, like today on B660 )

 

Choosing a bike is even worse than choosing a car - when you pick "must haves" then there's next to nothing choice left or there's plenty! Are trade-in prices also as low as for cars? I'm thinking here going through 2-3 bikes before I settle down for a longer term, but I'm not sure about economics of such an approach. I can always use "fook it, this is MY toy" approach to the price, but I'm (trying to be) too reasonable for that!

 

 

(*) Now you can guess what I think about BMW cars, and yes - I'm completely unfair and extrapolate it to bikes. Bring My Wallet, my a*&e!

 

[Bender]

Cbf1000 or is that a bit sporty or dull