New hotness will be here tomorrow.

In reply to T.J.:

And I think you just named my bike, wonder what the wife will say

Looks great! The FJ09 was a serious contender in my bike shopping.

I was getting it set up after I got it home last night and thought I would check to see what the preload and rebound was set to. Whomever set it up had a ton of preload front and rear, the rear rebound was full stuff and the front was as well.

After adjusting those to the middle of the adjustment range it rides so much smoother, it's good to know that I can make it that stiff should I want to push it but it'll ride nice and plush for the commute.

Love the new Yamahammer triples. My FZ is a friggin beast. Would have loved an FJ, but the money was right on this one so I can't complain.

Nick (picaso) Comstock wrote:

Huckleberry wrote: Niiice! Congrats on the new ride. Yamaha is on a roll lately. That 3 cylinder is an awesome sounding motor and the FJ/FZ bikes just feel "right" when I sit on them in the showroom. I haven't ridden one - and I probably shouldn't if I want to keep my wallet in tact if what everyone else thinks of them is true.

There are some deals to be had on left over '15s right now. I've seen dealerships letting them go for $7999. I didn't get mine that low but still $1500 below MSRP ain't bad, plus I got a very good offer for the trade in.

I know, I know... can't hear you, la, la, la...

There isn't anything wrong with my GS except that familiarity breeds boredom. I just rode it 2500 miles in 5 days, in dirt, in rain, up a mountain... and at full-tilt boogie with hard luggage and camping gear thru twisty moose country. Still... I keep shopping. It's a disease.

Do post up a full review after you have a couple thousand miles on it though. For the curious midnight weekend ebayer in all of us :)

I have officially named my first vehicle ever.

Ladies and gentleman, introducing, Amy Yamahammer.

Congrats Nick.

I'm saddened only because it means I can't give you a hard time over the HD anymore.

That new ride looks the business though, very good choice.

In reply to Nick (picaso) Comstock:

Good name.

Hey Nick, how is the power delivery between this and the Wee? My BIL is looking at these a Wee and the regular Vstrom

It's more. It's more down low and it's more up top. The wee has adequate power, the FJ has more every where. It'll do 0-60 in 2.8 and run the quarter in 11.4.

Nick (picaso) Comstock wrote: It's more. It's more down low and it's more up top. The wee has adequate power, the FJ has more every where. It'll do 0-60 in 2.8 and run the quarter in 11.4.

I can wholeheartedly agree with this comment. The engine cares not if you're putzing at 2000 rpms or 10k. When you grab the happy handle it's 100% ready to rock. The only bike that I've ever been on that was so Jekyll and Hyde. Seriously. Right conditions means the front tire is 6" off the ground while the rear is laying a black stripe. Putzing around town it's so docile and well contained.

Honestly, I feel like Yamaha may have made a deal with the devil for this engine. If that is true, they made the right choice.

Bobzilla wrote: <Right conditions means the front tire is 6" off the ground while the rear is laying a black stripe.

so...re-creating the F&F Charger wheelie burnout scene is somewhat possible?

Grtechguy wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: <Right conditions means the front tire is 6" off the ground while the rear is laying a black stripe.

so...re-creating the F&F Charger wheelie burnout scene is somewhat possible?

Yes. But the bike is less than 400lbs and makes 110hp.the power to weight is ridiculous for an upright, comfy bike.

Weight on the FJ is 460 and I've seen 115 published for power.

Nick (picaso) Comstock wrote: Weight on the FJ is 460 and I've seen 115 published for power.

Yeah, mine's a 15 FZ and I don't ride in A mode. Ever. lol

In reply to Bobzilla:

I got brave the other day and tried A mode with the traction control off... HOLY E36 M3!!! Reminded me of my first time riding a liter bike, the front tire does not want to be on the ground. For the commute I'm in B mode, which is plenty.

In reply to Nick (picaso) Comstock:

That's why I call this thing JEkyll and Hyde man. It can be calm and nice, but get crazy and it will get REALLY crazy. There's more in this bike than I'll ever extract from it and I'm A-OK with admitting it.

Great choice! I've had lots of bikes, and the FJ9 is truly a gem... fantastic all 'rounder. The motor is simply fantastic, and getting under 500lbs wet with hard luggage is truly a step forward for sport touring bikes.

Gratuitous pic from the Medicine Bow NF in July...

The FJ9 is really a hooligan bike in touring clothes...

With cold weather approaching I am starting to wonder how Amy will fair with wind protection in the winter. We had a brief cold snap the other day and I found my hands getting too much airflow with the stock hand guards. Good in the summer, not so hot in the winter.

Looking at them it seems the way they are made actually directs wind onto a persons hands. I thought that if I could block off the thin area to the inside of the guards that it would take the majority of the wind off my hands. I had enough random materials laying around to hastily make a proof of concept, prototype, extended hand guard wind deflector. Or, "PoCPEHGWD Version 1.0" for short.

I know they are going to look vaguely KLRish but the point of the exorcise is to see how they effect the airflow I'm getting on my hands. I took some measurements and got started with materials I had laying around from other projects. So it cost me nothing other than time and uglying up the beautiful appearance of Amy.

Materials

Plexiglass, enough for two 6 1/4" X 11" pieces.

4 stainless steel 10X24 2" machine screws, 4 stainless washers, 4 stainless nylock nuts.

4 short pieces of fuel line.

Tools

Razor knife.

Heatgun.

Dremel.

Drill.

Piece of 2X4 I had laying around.

First I cut the plexi and expertly radiused the corners freehand with a Dremel tool. Then I marked where I needed the bends to contour to the back side of the hand guards and with my heat gun I bent them roughly into shape. I marked where to drill them for the longer bolts to come through and did as such. I bolted them on with the the longer screws and used the short pieces of fuel line as spacers over the screws, running from the back of the mounting tabs to the plexi.

Standing back admiring my amazing progress I realized two crucial things. First, I wanted them to extend about one inch above and below the stock pieces, but, through my expert level of craftsmanship, I managed to get them about a half inch above and and inch and a half below. Oh well, at least they are relatively even. Second, they hit the windshield.

I took a piece of fuel line and cut a slit in it lengthwise, sliding it over the windshield where the "PoCPEHGWD Version 1.0s" fouled it. I put the piece of 2X4 behind the plexi, laying over the levers to protect various things from intense heat. Using my heat gun I got the plexi up to a temp that made it sufficiently melty and turned the handlebars to form the plexi around the fuel line covered windshield.

Job done!

How do they work you ask? Well I'll tell ya'. I don't know. The cold snap past long ago and it was in the mid nineties when I finished it up today. I took it on a brief ride and nothing fell off so that's a good sign. I'll need a cool morning to really be able to tell.

Here are some pictures of the horror. Enjoy!

Alternatively, the KTM handguards work great... ;)

In reply to Rodan:

So I've read. I just get bored and like to play around with stuff. I may go that route or go full ugly and get some hippo hands. Or if these work good I may just run them as I have nothing in them.

The airflow around the stock handguards hit directly on top of my hands, pushing my hands down on the grips. None of that with the KTM guards. Much better airflow managment. Interested to see how yours work, but I would think the vertical surface would cause turbulence behind it?

Let us know!

In reply to Rodan:

Well they certainly block the wind. My hands actually got hot on the ride home from work. Another thing I noticed and am pleasantly surprised by is they seem to have greatly reduced the buffeting and noise that I used to get with the windshield in the tallest position. I didn't notice any turbulence at all, on my chest or arms but the air that hits my helmet is much calmer than stock with the shield all the way up.

Get some warmer gear? My last ride started at 45 degrees and even on the highway I was comfortable with the right gear - and I don't have any wind protection at all.

DaveEstey wrote: Get some warmer gear? My last ride started at 45 degrees and even on the highway I was comfortable with the right gear - and I don't have any wind protection at all.

There's a lot to be said for this. I rode for years before getting an electric vest, and afterwards was kicking myself for not buying one sooner. It makes cold weather riding so much more comfortable, even with good gear!