To Tell the Truth

[Guest]

I too had a Super Tenere and the Super Duke GT not to mention many assorted others. The Tenere is a good bike, probably the best choice for riding through a nuclear wasteland but underwhelming at best. I really hated getting outrun by old Toyota Corollas on it.  I do think the FJR handles better especially when pushed.  On paper the Super Duke GT is perfect in reality it is a bit of an unfinished project.  It checked every box of what I want and don’t want in a bike.  Also has a great dealer and great warranty too but a visit once every 3 weeks was a bit much.  After having “cornering light failure” flashing on the dash for 400 miles during a ride on a sunny day I was done.  Worse part was there was nothing wrong with the cornering light.  I love my FJR, put over 15,000 miles on it so far this year but it is like the F4 Phantom of motorcycles and I mean that in a good way.  The FJ-09 actually is a bit more upright and has a little more open leg position. It’s just an easy fun bike and so far is performing above expectations.  I don’t know how it will be on a trip of back to back 1000 mile days but if it can match The Mighty FJR I will be very pleased.  Shaft drive is great but it is always a trade off for added weight and with the reliability of today’s chains I am just as happy either way.  If the FJ-09 can do the miles then there may be a Tracer GT in my future.   Funny my friend owns the local Ducati shop and he’s been trying to get me riding a Multistrada Pikes Peak.  Just don’t know what would be gained over the FJ-09?  I do know the hassle factor and cost of ownership would increase exponentially never mind that it costs $20,000 more to begin with.  FJ-09 is becoming the little bike that could..... or does!

[Guest]

11 hours ago, nhchris said:

Hey @candave650,

That's a whole lotta bikes since 2016!  Question...

Did a Versus 1000 ever tempt you?  Looks a bit more solid than the FJ but smaller than a KTM.

If not, how come?

cb

I for one have never warmed up to the Versys and Kawasaki’s in general.  Versys always struck me as the bike you’d be riding while wishing you were riding something, anything else

[Dodgy Knees]

I looked at the little versys, good looking sporty adventure styling which I wanted, nice engine but maybe not quite enough go. The big one looked more heavy adventure to me, horrible exhaust,  700 tracer, again, maybe not enough go when required...then I met the Tracer 900. Perfect porridge, not too hot, not too cold.  😁

[duhs10]

I owned a Versys 650 just prior to buying my FJ-09.  Its a nice bike. Very Comfortable, reliable etc... but that motor just needs a little more.  Its punchy and not slow, per se... but nothing when compared to the CP3.

[mike]

I traded a Versys 1000 for the GT. The Versys is a very good bike. Smooth, pulls strong from 2000 RPM and extremely stable. It is heavier and almost too refined in feel. The Versys could be run through most of the roads I enjoy the most in 5th and 6th gears. If I was going to be traveling long distances, this would be a better bike for me.

I really enjoy the fact that I am more involved with the bike on the GT.  The GT could be kept  in the lower gears and use the upper RPM without shifting but I enjoy using the gearbox and being more attuned to how the engine and suspension are responding to what I am asking of them. The GT is a whole lot more fun to run through the twisties due to the light weight and sportbike like front rake and trail. For the 200 to 300 mile day rides I am enjoying these days the GT is a much more fun machine. All of the other goodies like cruse, heated grips, QS and fully adjustable front end are also a plus.

[Guest]

Has anyone run 1000+ mile days on their FJ-09 or Tracer/GT?  Not that it would effect my enthusiasm for the bike if it’s not as good as the FJR for long hauls on the slab just curious what to expect. I suppose it could be better too although that’s a very high mark to aim for. Guess we’ll find out soon enough. 

Edited September 27, 2019 by Guest

[phpaul]

Oddly enough, I had a dream about a big touring bike just before I work up this morning.  Remember thinking "Ooooooo, big ol' comfy heated seat, heated grips, full fairing!"   Then I woke up thinking "Big, heavy sumbitch, and stupid expensive."

I haven't put as many miles on the FJ this year as I usually do, but I'm still in love.  I don't see any 1000 mile days or even 500 mile days.  I think my record is just over 200 miles.  Probably due more to my wore out old bod than anything about the bike.  I do LOVE that engine tho.  Makes the whole bike.  

Close second is handling.  The word "flickable" was coined to describe this bike.  I'm sure people wonder what the hell is wrong with me when they see me cutting esses in my lane just because I can.  There's seldom traveled road here where I can slalom between the gaps in the centerline.  I've glanced at the speedo and seen numbers in the neighborhood of 45mph while doing it.

Try that on a Goldwing...

[1moreroad]

3 hours ago, donk said:

Has anyone run 1000+ mile days on their FJ-09 or Tracer/GT?  Not that it would effect my enthusiasm for the bike if it’s not as good as the FJR for long hauls on the slab just curious what to expect. I suppose it could be better too although that’s a very high mark to aim for. Guess we’ll find out soon enough. 

I would think Iron Butt distances would come down to wind turbulence and vibration.  For me, vibration is no problem, but the turbulence would wear me out.  The only solution on this bike is to go to a much larger wind screen, but I hate looking through a wind screen while riding.

[keithu]

6 hours ago, donk said:

Has anyone run 1000+ mile days on their FJ-09 or Tracer/GT?  Not that it would effect my enthusiasm for the bike if it’s not as good as the FJR for long hauls on the slab just curious what to expect. I suppose it could be better too although that’s a very high mark to aim for. Guess we’ll find out soon enough. 

Yes, I have. I've done one ~1050 mile day in my FJ-09, plus a few others in the 600-800 mile range. My 1000+ mile day was mostly on curvy back roads in NorCal, I spent less than 100 of those miles on a slab. For this kind of ride the FJ was perfect. The light weight meant it wasn't fatiguing on roads like CA-128 out to Fort Bragg, or CA-70 through Quincy. I have a custom seat and a large National Cycle windshield, and those two mods were critical for comfort.

I've done these sorts of rides on bigger bikes, notably a K100RS, ST1100, and R1100RT. Those bikes are great for eating up miles, but their weight also makes them a chore on the best twisty roads.

So when it comes to picking a sport touring bike, people usually assume that you have to choose between something that's great on superslabs, or something that's great in the twisties. I like the FJ-09 because it is pretty darn good in the twisties, and it can be made to work adequately on the slab. For the kind of riding I like to do this bike strikes almost the perfect balance.

[nhchris]

For me, part of the problem of touring on an 09 is the two-up issue: With a 400 pound load carrying capacity there is now way wifey and I, plus our stuff can go for a ride.

And, even with stock suspension cranked up to the max, the oil pan is still perilously to the mother earth.

Does the Tracer 900 have a higher load capacity? 

[wordsmith]

 

30 minutes ago, nhchris said:

Does the Tracer 900 have a higher load capacity? 

Page 9-2 of my GT's Owner's Manual states ; Maximum load: 179kg (395 lb).   (Total weight of rider, passenger, cargo, and accessories).

 

 

[DavidS]

On 9/27/2019 at 4:41 AM, phpaul said:

Oddly enough, I had a dream about a big touring bike just before I work up this morning.  Remember thinking "Ooooooo, big ol' comfy heated seat, heated grips, full fairing!"   Then I woke up thinking "Big, heavy sumbitch, and stupid expensive."

I haven't put as many miles on the FJ this year as I usually do, but I'm still in love.  I don't see any 1000 mile days or even 500 mile days.  I think my record is just over 200 miles.  Probably due more to my wore out old bod than anything about the bike.  I do LOVE that engine tho.  Makes the whole bike.  

Close second is handling.  The word "flickable" was coined to describe this bike.  I'm sure people wonder what the hell is wrong with me when they see me cutting esses in my lane just because I can.  There's seldom traveled road here where I can slalom between the gaps in the centerline.  I've glanced at the speedo and seen numbers in the neighborhood of 45mph while doing it.

Try that on a Goldwing...

I guess I'm not the only one that does that "S" thing in my own lane.........

sometimes, I look for things to swerve around... Gotta love this bike!