First ride report: happy overall - not sure about touring a

[norcal616]

welcome to the club... Quite a change of bikes going from a heavy sumo wrestler to a petite ball of fun ?...
 
A mode is the most powerful mode
STD mode is a blend of A and B mode
B mode is wet weather mode- softer power at lower rpms
 
one of the neat features of the FJ-09 is that the TC is the anti-wheelie feature, only lets the front wheel get a few inches of daylight under it...I have put the TC thru its paces (using aftermarket LaunchControl) and it will not let the front wheel come up any higher than a few inches... Turning the TC off( TC will be lit up on dashboard to show its OFF) will allow it to become the wheelie machine the FZ-09 is known for...
 
the FJ is also speed limited in 5th and 6th gears to 115mph unless its been reflashed you can easily hit 150mph+
 
the FJ-09 has a really wide powerband so dont be afraid to start in 2nd gear or shift at 9k rpms...
 
if you have a pre 2017 bike you can do a free adjustment of the APS sensor to smooth out the lower rpms ?

[root]

Yeah! What David said.    
 
Good point about Mode.  I dont even know what mode I was in!  Probably A, default. 
 
Bet the 1300 was faster off the line with that low end torque, but only for the first 100 feet, then all else catches up and passes.

Yeah I understand David is right.  I just get so frustrated when people compare bikes by the cc size because it is totally meaningless so I’m going against my better judgement and ignoring him for a brief second.  Torque is only 17.3 lb-ft more on the vstar but the vstar weighs ~200 lbs more.  The FJ has 45 more horsepower than the vstar and  again with the FJ shaving 200 lbs to boot.  FJ is at least a full second faster to 60 if you’re taking conservitave numbers for the FJ.  I find it hard to believe with the right rider that the FJ would ever trail in a drag race, understanding a drag race is not what either bike is built for.  The Vstar is a cruiser so it’s not fair to compare performance numbers to a sport bike.  
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_V_Star_1300
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_Tracer_900
 
Rant over.  My profuse apologies.  Bikes are very personal and I’m sure the Vstar is a great bike.  I saw a video recently of a guy whipping a cruiser around a freestyle dirt bike area, jumps, slides and all.  Pretty awesome.  I have always had a hard time finding a cruiser that was comfortable for more than 30 miles.  The feet forward position kills my lower back and tailbone.  That’s just me personally.  I have nothing against cruisers.  They have their place.  The FJ tends to fit tall riders better.  I’m 6’1” and the ergos are absolutely perfect for me.  I’ve done 12 hour days on it and the worst part about it was I was tired at the end of the day.  Got a good nights sleep and did it the next day.

[micah2074]

It'll tour. A 1200 mile day. A few 800+ mile days. More 500, 600, 700 mile days than I can count. I've gotten to the point where anything less than 250 miles is a little disappointing.

[wordsmith]

Yeah! What David said.    
 
Good point about Mode.  I dont even know what mode I was in!  Probably A, default. 
 
No diss, old sport, but this is a bit of a worry - unless I mis-read!   DEFAULT is always STD mode.

[kimmie]

There's lots of info on this forum agunslinger about seat options and suspension.
 
Take some time to get to know the ride. Wordsmith is correct STD Mode is the default throttle setting.
 
As for the seat, I agree the stock seat is shite and I use an AirHawk to solve the problem. Not everyones cuppa tea as they prefer a more permanent solution but I've used the AirHawk on every bike I've had and has served me well. Each to their own though.
 
Before you go making any major changes spend some more time in the saddle......ask more questions and make the best informed decision.
 
 
 
 
 

[dbeau]

FWIW 2017 models default to whatever setting you had it in last. Turning the bike off doesn't reset your throttle mode.
 
 

[johnha1962]

Did a 100 miles on my new FJ09.  Had fun.   
 
Uncomfortable after 50 miles. 
 
Suggested improved comfort items - seats and deeper risers?
 

I've been thinking lately that if the bars were an inch higher and and inch back it would be more comfortable for long term.   
Before you spend a lot of dough on a seat that you're basically stuck with, there are cheaper options.  Someone mentioned Air Hawk, and I'd add the wooden bead seat covers into the mix.  They're under $30, and IMO quite a bit of the discomfort related to your seat is heat related (never mind the HEATED seats I wish someone would come up with a COOLED one).  I've used them on a couple of bikes stock seats and they *vastly* improved the experience on multi-day, high mile touring.
 

[chitown]

Did an eclipse trip, ten days, 4000+ mile with stock seat and bars. 5'8. Touring windshield and suspension upgrades are about it. 0-60 specs are some of the best so not understanding the off the line comment.

[FJ29ER]

Take Traction control off. Put it in A mode LEAN FORWARD and ROLL on the throttle. You will be very surprised. With traction control on and trying to accelerate it will feel slow because it is cutting ignition to keep front wheel on the ground. I have no input on the seat issue, we all have different butts and im OK with the factory seat. I did about 1000 miles in 4 days and was a little sore but I think it is more towards when im wearing my jeans and regular boxers it turns my butt hair into little balls from moving around so I have these MX shorts that work well for longer rides and stay pretty cool, so maybe a cheaper option to grab some of those for now.

[stuna]

100 miles on a new bike ? yup it get better at 300 mile , hang on at 600 miles 

[stuna]

sargent seat and madstad w/s on mine

[osufz6]

By the numbers the fj09 is probably 2 seconds quicker in the 1/4 mile. It doesn't have the tractor-like torque o the 1300. I prefer the seating position to that of a cruiser along with the light weight and handling. You won't be dragging floorboards. I see it as a practical hooligan bike. I purchased mine (used) in Feb. and to date have logged over 6500 miles. The longest day probably 425 miles. Mine came with a Corbin. The Corbin is nice but at 5" 8" the seat is too wide for me.. I am biased 62 year old who never owned a true cruiser. Enjoy the bike !
 
 

[Dark&Stormy]

This bike isnt for you... stick to your lazyboy on two wheels.

[vijay]

aGunslinger: I think perhaps a little time might be helpful? IF the bike is new and you're doing the suggested break-in then slow is a fair statement. Engine is a little "tight" (for lack of a better word) when new. Once you get a few miles under it the change is really rather pronounced. Once I hit 5,000 miles or so (about 5 weeeks) I really started to "get into" the engine a bit. It really loosened up and accelerates much faster.
 
Additionally as pointed out earlier if you are in rain mode ... it is indeed slow off the mark.
 
Regarding comfort. I think the stock seat was made by a permanent denizen of Dante's 7th level of Hell in an attempt to ruin the ride of any person not permanently assigned to Hell. Miserable!! Awful!! Painful!! Debilitating!! So bad that in some cases your "outie becomes an "innie". I would try a local upholsterer or Comfort Seats or Good Day to Ride or any of the other choices out there. Once I did my seat ... After only one week ... I have since put on over 8,000 miles in 9 weeks. The difference was that pronounced. Lowering or raising footpegs can make a huge difference. I have short arms so I have ordered longer cables so I can put a Rox Riser on my bars and raise them a bit. I have done that on every bike I have ever owned as I have alligator arms, and the difference is remarkable.
 
I don't own a cruiser. And while it is not as comfortable as my Honda ST's were or my FJR's the new seat made a HUGE difference.
 
Give it a bit of time. Check the Throttle Body sync or even try a Throttle Tamer if it is too snatchy. They are a lot cheaper then a reflash or Power Commander. As an aside I ride in "Standard" mode about 95% of the time and have no difficulties at all in keeping up with the FJR's, ST's, Tiger Trophies etc in my group.
 
I hope this helps and please give the bike a little time to grow on you. I do multiple 350 - 400 mile days with no problems since the seat upgrade. Once the bar risers are installed it will be really wonderful for longer distance rides ... except for the small tank of course.
 
Good luck.
 

[panooch]

It's all good. Going from a cruiser to a sport-tour is a pretty significant change of style, and it will take you a while to adjust. The powerband, torque curve, clutch bite, everything is gonna be apples to watermelons of difference. After a few weeks you'll adjust & appreciate what you've bought a lot more.

Get out and ride it. Fall is good weather for mileage, normally. I wasn't crazy about mine two years ago but did 350 miles yesterday with a leg up a twisty, bumpy but gorgeous Los Gatos Canyon Rd. I'm 5'7" and yes, the bike is a bit tall for me but I've made adjustments for that. Give it a few thousand miles of seat time. The bike can and with a couple changes, will transform into what you purchased it for. SPORT TOURING.