What did you do to your FJR today?

[El Toro Joe]

Rode it to go get bagels this morning

[Redfish]

FWIW, Redfish is trying to ask the Right Questions to the Right People. Some of them are just ignoring me...

I still need to see and sit on the Suzuki DR650 and DRZ400.

I am thinking in terms of matching the bike to the Adventure.

Future Plans are:
1.Big Bend Texas
2.Moab Utah
3.Alaska

Thinking no bigger than a 650 for the first two and they will ride on a trailer to The Destination. (Although that KTM 690 is Tempting!)
Thinking no smaller than a 650 for the last and no trailer, ever.

And for the "If I crashed my FJR what would I buy to replace it question", I already know that answer. Another FJR. I keep up with all the new bikes and there are plenty of them I could enjoy owning. But as I shop and look and study I like/love the FJR more with every bike I look at.

[fontanaman]

This is interesting discussion about dual sport bikes. There is no right one way or one right bike. The trick is to find a bike to fit the type of riding you want to do at a price point you are willing to pay. A big factor is will you trailer the bike to the destination. This choice will impact the size of bike and the places you will ride. Smaller bikes do great in the rough while big bikes don't unless your riding skills are exceptional. Conversely riding there on a small bike is no fun at all.

I like the Dr650 having rode it on a Dual Sport Adventure in Mexico. It had a Seat Concepts after market seat. At 80 miles it was a torture rack. If I could find a good seat that bike would be in my garage. I called Seth Lamm to learn there just is not enough seat pan to work with. A bike trailer is not in my future so I have to ride there meaning I want a bike with a great seat.

Ramblings of an old man......

[gixxerjasen]

I am thinking in terms of matching the bike to the Adventure.

Future Plans are:
1.Big Bend Texas
2.Moab Utah
3.Alaska
4.Mexico

Missed one.

[Redfish]

I am thinking in terms of matching the bike to the Adventure.

Future Plans are:
1.Big Bend Texas
2.Moab Utah
3.Alaska
4.

Missed one.

No I didn't.

[ericboutin]

This is interesting discussion about dual sport bikes. There is no right one way or one right bike. The trick is to find a bike to fit the type of riding you want to do at a price point you are willing to pay. A big factor is will you trailer the bike to the destination. This choice will impact the size of bike and the places you will ride. Smaller bikes do great in the rough while big bikes don't unless your riding skills are exceptional. Conversely riding there on a small bike is no fun at all.

I like the Dr650 having rode it on a Dual Sport Adventure in Mexico. It had a Seat Concepts after market seat. At 80 miles it was a torture rack. If I could find a good seat that bike would be in my garage. I called Seth Lamm to learn there just is not enough seat pan to work with. A bike trailer is not in my future so I have to ride there meaning I want a bike with a great seat.

Ramblings of an old man......

^^^^^^^^This! Lol

Had a XT 225 that I had big plans to ride all over Western NC mountains, Tenn, Tellico etc etc but the problem was what he said. I couldn't get close to those places before it felt like my arse was on some kind of medieval torture rack!! If I ever get the itch for dual sporting again I think I'd go with the tried and trusty ole KLR 650. Been around forever and accessories aplenty!

[wheatonFJR]

Met Griff at 8am in Tigerville...with the aim of recon on some roads for a dayride on 7/22.
I got there a few minutes ahead of him and read some local history...




It was an unseasonable cold morning with temps mid 60s to 70s...I actually had to keep my liner in during the whole ride. We reconned and had a pleasant morning ride and chat then parted ways at Pumpkintown.

After lunch, since the weather was so cold, Louanne and I walked midday in downtown Greenville on the Swamp Rabbit Trail from the West End section of Greenville to Cleveland Park. We enjoyed the day...but there is a very solemn part of this trail that remembers Major Rudolph Anderson Jr.

I've talked about this man before and shown photos...but I cannot but show them again as we must remember the cost, and remember that this man ended up flying a one-way mission when his country needed him most. His work during those perilous times may have helped save Chicago, New York, Washington DC and the millions that lived there and other cities in the south and east of the Mississippi.

He flew reconnaissance over Cuba in a U-2...but the plane flying over his memorial is one he often flew as part of a recon squadron.


His body was retrieved and came back to Greenville.


The freedom to ride, all my freedoms, I owe to him and many others like him.

[bigjohnsd]

FWIW, Redfish is trying to ask the Right Questions to the Right People. Some of them are just ignoring me...

I still need to see and sit on the Suzuki DR650 and DRZ400.

I am thinking in terms of matching the bike to the Adventure.

Future Plans are:
1.Big Bend Texas
2.Moab Utah
3.Alaska

Thinking no bigger than a 650 for the first two and they will ride on a trailer to The Destination. (Although that KTM 690 is Tempting!)
Thinking no smaller than a 650 for the last and no trailer, ever.

And for the "If I crashed my FJR what would I buy to replace it question", I already know that answer. Another FJR. I keep up with all the new bikes and there are plenty of them I could enjoy owning. But as I shop and look and study I like/love the FJR more with every bike I look at.

This topic deserves a Thread of its own! JSNS

EDIT: Ohh, and by the way, a KLR 685 will fulfill all of your objectives above, just not quickly. JSNS

[raYzerman]

This is interesting discussion about dual sport bikes. There is no right one way or one right bike. The trick is to find a bike to fit the type of riding you want to do at a price point you are willing to pay. A big factor is will you trailer the bike to the destination. This choice will impact the size of bike and the places you will ride. Smaller bikes do great in the rough while big bikes don't unless your riding skills are exceptional. Conversely riding there on a small bike is no fun at all.

I like the Dr650 having rode it on a Dual Sport Adventure in Mexico. It had a Seat Concepts after market seat. At 80 miles it was a torture rack. If I could find a good seat that bike would be in my garage. I called Seth Lamm to learn there just is not enough seat pan to work with. A bike trailer is not in my future so I have to ride there meaning I want a bike with a great seat.

Ramblings of an old man......

^^^^^^^^This! Lol

Had a XT 225 that I had big plans to ride all over Western NC mountains, Tenn, Tellico etc etc but the problem was what he said. I couldn't get close to those places before it felt like my arse was on some kind of medieval torture rack!! If I ever get the itch for dual sporting again I think I'd go with the tried and trusty ole KLR 650. Been around forever and accessories aplenty!

Agree it needs it's own thread.........There's another component to this discussion, that is, are you really going to take the time to be a dual sport rider and cut down on your street riding? I thought so, and had plans to where I would ride, nothing enduro, trail riding only, even know who with.... the WR450 fell into place as something dual sport or dirt, destinations WV trails (e.g., Hatfield McCoy), Moab perhaps, several choices.... have I made it out there yet after a year? Nope, very few miles on the WR... I could give it up now, nothing is replacing the FJR. I think the dual sport idea is too part time for me, I know I'm missing a lot, but I'm kinda thinking I'll have a machine parked a lot and may sell the WR off. Of course, everybody's situation, location, access to desired locations and thinking are different.

[BkerChuck]

Rode about 100 miles to get 3 more pressed pennies then came home and changed oil and filter. 104k miles on it now. Day 476 consecutive ride.

[Hppants]

Wheatie - when I read those Tigerville signs, I was sure that I'd been there. But upon inspection of the map, I think not. It's a bit too far east to have been pulled into even a wandering adventure for me.

60s and 70s, eh? Bastard....

[El Toro Joe]

Rode it to work...

[silverback]

Got it stuck!

[bungie4]

Got some shit going on here that required some solitude to ponder properly. Went for 150km low speed ride circling town. Mission accomplished.

[Hppants]

^^^^^ this is great.

Those rides are among my favorite. Just get to the outskirts of town, pick whatever road you know very well, turn on the music, get to 5th gear, and start thinking. No matter what, in about an hour for me, it's always better. Hope it was for you too, Bungie.

[Red]

^^^^^ this is great.
Those rides are among my favorite. Just get to the outskirts of town, pick whatever road you know very well, turn on the music, get to 5th gear, and start thinking. No matter what, in about an hour for me, it's always better. Hope it was for you too, Bungie.

Yeah, there are times when riding is a good answer to the rocky spots in your path. For me the only thing better (and far better) is flying. I have been hang gliding almost as long as I've been riding, and I've been riding more than fifty years. A quick dash down the grassy slope, the great feeling as your wings lift you away from all trouble, and then relaxing into the freedom of the sky can not be beat. There are no roads to follow, no cops, no speed limits, no idiot drivers, and "traffic" can be an inquisitive hawk or eagle, happy to fly at your wingtip. Scenery comes in massive doses, often over terrain that no vehicle can cross. After a couple of hours of such freedom and peace, I'm usually back to center again, clean and whole, and happy to make a full stop in mid-air, to step down the last few inches onto the planet again. Sometimes the grins can last for days. I recommend it.
http://user.xmission.com/~red/history/history.htm

[El Toro Joe]

rode it to work...again

[wheatonFJR]

rode it to work...again

You cut and paste that scintillating text, doncha?

[rbentnail]

Me too, rode it to work again. But before work I lubed my throttle cables. Glad I did too, the front one is beginning to fray a little. New ones on order but I'm not looking forward to replacing them. Darn things coulda lasted more than 10.5 yrs!

[ionbeam]

Rode it to work again. Again. Stopped for gas on the way to work. In spite of being very careful bringing the hose to the tank I managed to spill a lot of gas all over the tank, left side faring and my gloves. GRRRRR!!! Same as always, I brought the nozzle to the tank upside down (outlet facing UP) and quickly flipped it down into the tank filler. It was like the hose was under pressure and it burst out a considerable amount of gas. (Maybe enough to light up a Lambo )