Is this a faux pas?

[MTBeemer]

I still have and love my R....., but my wife bought me this for my birthday.

[objectuser]

Very nice. I don't think anyone will mind. There are so many great bikes out there!

[celticus]

Give us a comparo of the big Yamaha to the R1200R in the twisties. we went riding with a guy on an FJR and he at times had a hard time keeping up. I didn't know if it was him of the bigger bike.
Nice looking bike.

[MTBeemer]

I only have about 200 miles on the FJR so hard to compare. It does have a decent stock seat it seems, which is an oddity these days. I suspect the FJR could out run the R in all but the most twisty of roads. My corning speeds so far have been about the same at the apex. Braking ability of the FJR is at least as good as the R, but power off the apex hands down goes to the FJR. But I'm no Valentino Doohan so others with more skill may have a different opinion. Did not realize until I owned it that the service interval is 4000 miles; that is plain silly. 4000 miles on synthetic oil and they want to put in a new filter and oil? It appears from my brief time on the FJR forum that riders are using a 5-6000 mile service interval. It's nice to have a fully faired bike again that is very still and quiet if you want it to be. Probably should be compared to the K1300GT and in two key comparisons the FJR wins hands down. Cost ($6-7000 less) and its reliability record; the FJR has a great maintenance track record. I'll always own BMWs, but this bike caught my eye, I have friends that have over 500 miles on them and I could not pass up the deal. This bike cost less fully equipped than a F800GT costs without side cases.

[David R]

Ditch which ever bike you want, keep the wife!

[MTBeemer]

Ditch which ever bike you want, keep the wife!

[Shakey]

What a woman!

If you think 4000 miles is daft, wait until you see how much they charge for Yamalube oil!

I think this is. A sign she wants to go touring with you so you need to ask her to buy you a Wilbers rear shock for Christmas

Wonderful bikes but I chopped mine in for the R because the weight became a bit too much for my arthritis to handle (pushing it out of the garage etc.)

[MTBeemer]

Had the 600 mile check done on the FJR last week.... $89.00.

I can't get a "How do you do?" at a BMW shop for $89.00. One of the reasons the R is such a great bike is that even ham fisted guys like me can do all the routine maintenance. Just did the 36,000 mile service on my R and it cost under $100 in fluids, filters and washers. Probably a $400-500 event at a dealer. Problem is, I think Annie has been eyeballing the R for her own use.

[David R]

What a woman!

If you think 4000 miles is daft, wait until you see how much they charge for Yamalube oil!

I think this is. A sign she wants to go touring with you so you need to ask her to buy you a Wilbers rear shock for Christmas

Wonderful bikes but I chopped mine in for the R because the weight became a bit too much for my arthritis to handle (pushing it out of the garage etc.)

I went from an RT to the R for the same reason. I got the same motor and most of the manners in a smaller lighter package. I also got a few extras I didn't expect. The R is a sweeter quicker handling bike.

[Steve H.]

Outrun r12r?Well....I dont think so.By the way,Who can not run fast on the straight road??Twisties....that is the real life.Personally I wish everiting the best with your new bike.Be safe.
Steve H.

[MTBeemer]

Well Steve, I own both bikes and used to have an R1200RT as well. The R1200R has an advantage in very twisty roads; a road with a series of hairpins for instance. With a shorter wheel base the R is just a easier to transition between cornors. Beyond that scenario the FJR has the advantage. It is an excellent handling bike; the front end provides much better feedback than the telelever set-up; and never underestimate the effect of raw power. The R has about 1 HP per 4.5 pounds; the FJR (with side cases removed) has 1 HP per 4 pounds. In practice that is a significant difference; the FJR certainly feels much quicker. But I didn't buy either bike to be a racer and that is not the sort of riding I do these days. Each bike has it's strenghts. We ride to Alaska every year and the R is by far the better bike for that. The FJR's strength lies in long distance, mile eating rides. Besides the FJR was a gift

Propably more relevant to a guy like me is that it is the first new motorcycle I've owned in many years that has a fairly comfortable OEM seat. Of the six BMWs we've owned in the past few years, none could boast that.

[badbs101]

Each bike has it's strenghts. We ride to Alaska every year and the R is by far the better bike for that. The FJR's strength lies in long distance, mile eating rides.

MTB,

Why, if the FJR is better for long distance mile eating, do you choose the R for a long trip to Alaska? Just curious.

[MTBeemer]

Each bike has it's strenghts. We ride to Alaska every year and the R is by far the better bike for that. The FJR's strength lies in long distance, mile eating rides.

MTB,

Why, if the FJR is better for long distance mile eating, do you choose the R for a long trip to Alaska? Just curious.

We used to live in Fairbanks for many years. When we go up to Alaska and the Yukon we often get lured into riding dirt roads and the R is a very competent dirt/gravel road bike. It is also easier to clean and to do roadside maintenance on. Also, in that environment weight takes on a greater level of importance.

That being said, the fastest anyone ever rode the Dalton / Elliot Hwys between Fairbanks and Deadhorse, that I'm aware of did it on a FJR, running street tires, in the rain. He did it in 6 hours 45 minutes; 500 miles, of which about 320-340 was dirt. That's a 77 MPH average.

[Steve H.]

Hi,MTbeemer!
I got it.FJR is better for long tours.Probably, because it is made for that.That is clear.R12R is a roadster,a bike for "everithing"but you know that.R is capable to pull you out of wery different road and weather conditions ie.mud,gravel,snow.I learned that here in Canada.Reality is, I don't need to go to Alaska to experience that,having all of that in Ontario,if I want to.
FJR is definitly a wery comfy bike.Many drivers have bothR12 and FJR keeping both untill they can.Good luck with your new bike,and hapy miles,bee safe.
BRGRDS,Steve H.

[Snapping Twig]

Took a long road trip to Northern California with a buddy last year. He has a 09 FJR.

Here we are at the gate to Mt. Lassen Park.



I noticed that his bike is very handsome on the road. Good lines and very capable.

The difference is that his weighs more and it's on top.

I'd guess that the extra weight and HP makes it better for 2-up riding, but by better I'm thinking in terms of degree, not night and day.

[fleuger99]

Congrats and happy riding with the new bike. It is awesome to get a gift like this. There is nothing wrong with multiple bikes, why limit one's fun?

Can your wife please talk to my wife? I'd like a KTM 350 for trail riding, thanks