What did you do to your FJR today?

[BkerChuck]

Installed a pair of heavier bar end weights on the 13.

[gixxerjasen]

Butt plugs for Scooter and Marty?

[Festus]

Butt plugs for Scooter and Marty?

WAYYYYY too small for that.

[wheatonFJR]

Butt plugs for Scooter and Marty?

Yer not sure who you bought them for? Holy cow, something like that is usually personal enough that you know who its for! Wtf.

[escapefjrtist]

What are they?

Manual dampening adjusters to replace ES stepper motors. Since I installed ES USD forks on my "A" model, I've been using a tablet and stepper motor driver to adjust dampening. Simple to accomplish at home but traveling, needed a tablet plus associated cables, etc. With these, I can add or take away (clicks) with a screwdriver.

~G

Edit to add - I could have accomplished the same thing with a set of Traxxion or GP cartridges, but this option was waaaay over $1000 USD. I decided to stick with OE cartridges since they preform pretty well.

[gixxerjasen]

Wouldn't it have been cheaper to not buy the ES then?

[fontanaman]

Wouldn't it have been cheaper to not buy the ES then?

~G has an A model FJR and found a set of ES forks and used them. The manual dampening adjusters allow for a simple screw driver adjustment. The suspension on his bike is sweat. I am green with envy.

If I could add the manual dampening adjusters and install a Penske in my 17ExtraSpongy, without setting off idiot lights, I'd jump all over it. Not happy with ES suspension or options to fix it.

[gixxerjasen]

Interesting.

[SkooterG]

Rode it 1,037 miles in about 16 hours since MudslideMiller insisted on finally getting his IBA cert.

[fontanaman]

I could have posted this remark in the I'd like to complain thread. This is more of a lesson learned about suspension. I had an 09 FJR and at 30k miles I upgraded the suspension to a Penske rear shock and GP Suspension front fork cartridge and spring. It completely transformed the way the bike handled and it was sweat. That damn bike went exactly where I pointed it and never let me down. I sold the 09 at 108,000 miles.

So when I bought the 17ES I soon learned the suspension wasn't nearly crisp or as good as the aftermarket stuff on my 09. I now have 60k miles on the 17ES and bought it used with 17,500. I really like everything on the 17ES less one thing, one single thing, the suspension. I'd trade FJR if I could find a better bike but so far there is no perfect bike. It is hard to trade for one thing because I'd inherent more problems than solved.

What I have learned is electronic suspension allows adjustments at the flick of a switch. It isn't going to compensate for an under sprung fork or rear shock or poor dampening or just a poor shock.

I was riding with the local BMW group recently and had the rear shock preload set for 1 helmet no gear. The riding got spirited and in the middle of a turn there was a bump and the suspension gave way and the center stand did a touch down. Wonderful.

Setting it to a higher preload setting helps. While traveling one up with gear on trips I set it to 2 helmets and it works pretty good but there are times the road is so rough it can't hold the chassis from bouncing around and disrupting crisp handling.

Now you know. And the choices to customize the ES suspension is very limited not just on the FJR very likely any brand with automated/electronic suspension.

[Cav47]

New Road Smart. The old PR 4 had about 11K on it. It worn very evenly and I have no complaints.


It went on like butter.

My plan was to bring along one of my rear take offs to throw on at Toters just in case. Then I found a tiny pin hole from a staple thinking through the inside of the carcass as I wiped it out. It snagged the rag just a little or I would have never noticed it.

I called RMATV to get a tire sent to Toters but none of the tires I wanted are gonna ship quick enough. Ugh, it’s gotta be something.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BkerChuck]

Ordered some T-Rex frame sliders for the 2013.

[gixxerjasen]

Now you know. And the choices to customize the ES suspension is very limited not just on the FJR very likely any brand with automated/electronic suspension.

This is something I don't understand. Why do manufacturers have to dumb it down and give you something like "Helmets and bags" instead of actual settings? I get it, make it simple for folks who don't know how to do it, but how bout an "Advanced Mode" to let others dial it in as they see fit? Surely can't be some kind of liability issue because we've been able to do that for years with manual adjusters.

This is one of the reasons why I chose the R model of my KTM 1190 adventure, the non R model does the same "Helmets and bags" thing. It's crazy because even something essential and simple like setting proper preload for the rider is locked out. It's dumb that a heavier rider just has to settle for "Two helmets" instead of his proper preload.

Of course, it's going on everywhere, even four wheeled vehicles. I have many drive mode options that affect different parts of the vehicle, such as engine, transmission, steering and suspension. But if you want to cruise in top gear fuel sipping but have a firmer suspension, you are out of luck, because that combo doesn't exist.

[raYzerman]

New Road Smart. The old PR 4 had about 11K on it. It worn very evenly and I have no complaints.


It went on like butter.

My plan was to bring along one of my rear take offs to throw on at Toters just in case. Then I found a tiny pin hole from a staple thinking through the inside of the carcass as I wiped it out. It snagged the rag just a little or I would have never noticed it.

I called RMATV to get a tire sent to Toters but none of the tires I wanted are gonna ship quick enough. Ugh, it’s gotta be something.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you're keeping that tire, put a patch on from the inside and it will last forever........

[Spininprop]

Road it to work. Rode home in the rain. Enjoyed it. Eager to leave Thursday and start the trip to Ed's place.

[danh600]

This is something I don't understand. Why do manufacturers have to dumb it down and give you something like "Helmets and bags" instead of actual settings?

For people like me.

Actually I love the ES. I am playing with the settings to learn suspension. So easy to dail up and down to actually feel what you read about.

[fontanaman]

Today I rode the FJR with the local BMW riders group, good rider and great people. Lot of fun. Not only am I jealous of ~G's super slick suspension but I am really envious of Cav47 getting 11k on a set of PR4 GTs. I only get 6-7k on the same tire. Hey Josh is that kilometers?

I agree with gixxerjason on dumb it down suspension settings and give you something like "Helmets and bags." Think of it this way. If there was a old fashion nut to turn on the rear shock preload the settings would be from 0-100 or darn near infinity. Instead we are stuck with 4 preload settings.

As I have to run my FJR in higher preload settings while riding solo to get the support I need, riding the FJR two up is right on out (Monte Python humor) and my wife only weighs 115 pounds. Put it this way: I suggest we go to Japser on the Icefield parkway recently on the bike. She said she'd rather take the car and I said Ok, mainly because the FJR ES handles like truck. My 09 with after market parts was a whole nother beast. Darn I miss that.

[wheatonFJR]

I just have a stock 13 suspension... Wrenches and screwdrivers work for instant suspension change for me.

[FJRPittsburgh]

Topped off the tank, checked tire pressures, and started organizing stuff for my ride to Toter's Tech Day.

Having the new front tire installed on the bike is so nice. Feels like a new bike again. It's going to be an enjoyable ride to Northwestern Georgia.

[raYzerman]

I doubt very much I could like the ES suspension either. Japanese do not know how to do suspension. Triumph, KTM, BMW do know.