do you plan on upgrading the suspension anytime? i felt with an adjustable/upgraded suspension, the bike would REALLY be a treat!!
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
New Bike FJ-09
- Thread starter lakeview
- Start date
I am studying suspension right now. There is an ex-racer fellow up in cottage country recommended by the dealer so I will go talk to him. The interweb says the shock is bargain basement and replacing the spring is a start, but better is to spend 700 - 900 bucks on an Elka or Penske, but I dunno. I had Harleyitis once and it's hard and expensive to get well.
I will check the tire pressures too, any patch in the pavement goes right up the front shocks and then the back hits it and you feel that too. Other than that, great bike.
I will check the tire pressures too, any patch in the pavement goes right up the front shocks and then the back hits it and you feel that too. Other than that, great bike.
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
My versys suffered from the same thing. Setting the sag in the front really helped. The rear still isn't great without loaded saddles. But once i get those bags full for a trip it cleans up nice.
Considering that I moved from a 1979 XS650 (even with Progressive rear shocks and Minton-modded forks) I guess I have yet to catch up with the 40 year leap in suspension technology. The difference between the XS and the stock suspension on the FJ is measured in light years...awfully hard for me to be picky about it. Of course, I don't push the bike much either.
Seriously freakin' broke right now, but by next season I'll be ready to spend a little money on "improvements" and the very first thing to hit the shitcan will be that wretched seat.
Seriously freakin' broke right now, but by next season I'll be ready to spend a little money on "improvements" and the very first thing to hit the shitcan will be that wretched seat.
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
I know hey? Do the people that design these things even sit on them ever.....spent 400 bucks on a Baldwin seat.
I also added rox risers to bring the bars about 1.5 inches closer to me. No more neck pain.
I also added rox risers to bring the bars about 1.5 inches closer to me. No more neck pain.
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Actually, if you want a quick seat do over. Air hawk seat cushions. Bought one for my wife'sover priced electrical pproblem cursed bmw. The seat for it was way to much so Ibought her that. She loves it.
Yup, the Air Hawk is on my shopping list for next month, or possibly September. Wife is on a tear painting and redecorating which is affecting the budget.
Another couple shots of the August 14 version of my Greatest Bike Ever, including the LED driving lights on the engine guards.
Went through about 30 litres of fuel today going to Kingston area to chat with a member on this forum and do some commerce, then home the back way past Rideau Canal, Lennex-Addington county, Lanark and Perth counties, lots of hills and lakes and even some rock of the Canadian Shield showing through the vegetation, then back on to the 401 slab at Napanee. Already some of the oak trees are showing brown and the maples are hinting at yellows. Only mid August! Course the area has gone about 100 days without measurable rain until yesterday when it corrected itself pretty much all at once.
And what is it with these little burgs speed posted at a 40 km limit?
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Man I wanna trade my versys for one....
Looks great. Nothing like a nice long ride. Did about 300kms solo today.
Looks great. Nothing like a nice long ride. Did about 300kms solo today.
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
And....very jealous of your large side bags. Only have 35l per side....wish iIhad way more.
My old 'set in their ways' eyeballs sure have a hard time taking that all in.
It's great to have members like you in the same generation, to give honest and insightful evaluations of all this new-fangled stuff...
It's great to have members like you in the same generation, to give honest and insightful evaluations of all this new-fangled stuff...
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Double post
Last edited:
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Honestly, if you love to tour and do long distances. No comparison to old stuff. Brakes, suspension, modern tires, luggage and hp. Even my 650cc versys will fly all day at 75mph if I need to get on faster highways and not even break a sweat. Just not possible to do comfortably on old small bore bikes. No worries with efi. 40,000 kms of trouble free riding. A guy on adv rider has around 500 or 600 thousand miles on his vstrom 1000. Modern tech is pretty awesome.
Don't be fooled by modern retros either. My 2014 bonneville is barely a cut Above stock Xs suspension.
Don't be fooled by modern retros either. My 2014 bonneville is barely a cut Above stock Xs suspension.
Last edited:
2M - go demo one, either the twin or the triple, once you turn the key the Transformer-ish look will be the last thing in front of mind.
Truth.
As soon as I heal up from a remodeling-induced cash hemorrhage, the one appearance-related change I'm going to make is a fender-eliminator. That gob with the tail light, turn signals and license plate hanging way out in the rear like that looks like a giant hemorrhoid. A better seat and a pair of mirror extenders and it'll be perfect as far as I'm concerned.
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Yeah....license plate/fender thing got the hack saw pretty quick on mine. Haha. Could probably stand a fender extender and a rear hugger as well.
Well, alrighty then. I've added it to my list. And, dropped the Bolt.
C'mon photoshops...
Edit: Does the rear suspension actually travel that much to use up all that air in there???
Edit2: Looked it up, anywhere from 5.1" - 5.4" travel. So, I reckon not...
Last edited:
Last night was maybe my second night time out with it in darkness and the LED lights are something else. About 10 minutes north of me is a new chunk of our leader's efforts to get more taxes from the citizenry - toll road 407 - presently free till later this year and of course it has all the latest reflective patches on pretty much anything that does not move.
Perhaps it is a quality of the light that is produced by the LED's, but the headlight even on low beam makes these surfaces glow intensely. Then click up to high beams and the reflective spots are so many and for so far down the road that one is tempted to look behind to see if something big is right behind. Wow.
My add on LED's on the engine guards wash the road with light and of course add to the fluorescence effect. I am thinking that I will aim the right one a bit off to the right to pick up the eye reflection of animals that will want to do harm to my forward progress - deer, moose, loose pets.
Perhaps it is a quality of the light that is produced by the LED's, but the headlight even on low beam makes these surfaces glow intensely. Then click up to high beams and the reflective spots are so many and for so far down the road that one is tempted to look behind to see if something big is right behind. Wow.
My add on LED's on the engine guards wash the road with light and of course add to the fluorescence effect. I am thinking that I will aim the right one a bit off to the right to pick up the eye reflection of animals that will want to do harm to my forward progress - deer, moose, loose pets.
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Sort of sold my versys
CDNTX650
XS650 Guru
Let me tell you.....110hp from the 1300cc v4. ...it just loafs down the highway at 60mph...like 3100 rpm. 80mph is nothing. great wind protection. Lots of storage. .car alternator to run all of my heated gear. Shaft drive.
it's an 03 with 60,000miles. It has been shop maintained...so I'll finish the season on it and go through the bike over winter. Probably sync the throttle bodies and put a fuel pump and filter in while I'm there. Check the hub splines for wear while I'm at it. Got it for pretty cheap so even if it needs some love here and there no biggie.
it's an 03 with 60,000miles. It has been shop maintained...so I'll finish the season on it and go through the bike over winter. Probably sync the throttle bodies and put a fuel pump and filter in while I'm there. Check the hub splines for wear while I'm at it. Got it for pretty cheap so even if it needs some love here and there no biggie.
