At what point does one jump ship?

[movenon]

Motorcycles are like girls, lots of them around,  they come and go but someday if you are lucky you will find the one that's right for you.  When you do you will keep each other in sickness and health. 
George

[Capn Ron]

Motorcycles are like girls, lots of them around,  they come and go but someday if you are lucky you will find the one that's right for you.  When you do you will keep each other in sickness and health. 
George

Couldn't have said that better...

[Fj.itis]

I think in my case that I've got something i can customise myself and make a bike that is my own. Yes i could buy a z1000 and have similar comfort, more power and better brakes for 5-6 grand and if your not into wrenching and knowing everything about your bike then thats what you would do.

The knowledge and satisfaction that comes from building something from the ground up and then riding it across the country is priceless in my opinion. I wouldn't of even tried to build a bike had i not got the fj to play around with. Its given me the confidence now to play around with other bikes as well.

[FJscott]

For me, one bike is not enough. I love the FJ for what it is, a classic competent Sport Tourer that's easy to work on and fun to modify. My second bike is new ('14 ninja 1000) and I love riding it for all the reasons i own a new sport bike. Riding 2 up my wife and I prefer the FJ.

Some guys have more than one woman for the same reason, one doesn't meet ALL your needs.

Scott

[X-Ray]

Mmmm, there have been reasons as to when to move on, all valid. For me, the main reason to keep the ol' girl, is I have a great bike that I own. I'd love a new Triumph Sprint with panniers/fuel injection etc, but I don't think I'll be able to afford one any time soon. I paid $10995.00 for my FJ 1n 1994, and it goes better today than the day I picked it up. (Thanks Randy ) Its comfy, goes fast when I want to, looks "nice", easy to work on, and is relatively bullet proof.

I'm always looking for another FJ to sleep in the shed, one just isn't enough!

[TexasDave]

When do you jump ship? When it stops being fun. jmho

My feelings exactly. The FJ is a good balance of power and handling. It is simple to work on with a great group of guys to offer advise and support. It is just fun.  Dave

[Zwartie]

What a great thread! I agree with all the reasons stated thus far. I've been an FJ owner for 20 years now - bought my '86 in 1994, then bought the '92 in 2005 and sold the '86 a couple weeks later (it's important to have an overlap, not a gap between bikes). I "upgraded" to the '92 because I was looking for something that was just a little more touring friendly - something that my wife would enjoy a bit more as well, and with the larger fairing the '92 has fit the bill just nicely. Like FJ Johnnie I've ridden a few new bikes and although I've been impressed with their handling and performance, none of them ever screamed "buy me!" and when I got back on the FJ it never felt like it was lacking. Sure, I've been stuck on the side of the road a few times but in most cases have been able to diagnose and fix the problem on the spot - something that would be difficult to do on a modern motorcycle. Just ask my friend Bruce who's '08 Moto Guzzi Stelvio died and made him bail on on our Alaska ride, just 3 days into the ride! My FJ died a day later on the plains of South Dakota but it was due to a faulty (old) fuel pump which I was able to bypass for two days before installing another. Try that on a fuel injected bike. Besides all of that, I just love the FJ - the way it looks and the way it rides. And as the saying goes: "If I have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand".

Zwartie

[ribbert]

Well, that's been pretty well covered. I have a variation on the theme however. In a rare moment of lucidity I realised I had many projects that I will never get to, for some of them I have been acquiring parts for over 30 years. Most of it is stored on a friends farm 100km's away and while I visit often I rarely bother to look at any of it. A recent excursion revealed all sorts of things I had forgotten about, even a car I forgot I had.

I have started to sell it all off.

I considered all the sensible things I could use the money for then it hit me, another bike. Yeeeeeees, another bike!

With a budget of $13-$14k for a second hand bike I was salivating at the thought of going shopping and the difficult task of choosing just one.
My excitement was short lived. As I gave it some thought and scoured the net it became increasingly obvious that I couldn't find a bike I wanted, well, just one (K1300GT) but it was too expensive.

What I was loosely looking for was something that would do everything the FJ does, but better.

There are only so many bikes out there and I've considered them all. The only thing I'm luke warm towards is an R1200RT but they are an acquired taste, not something you take for a quick blast and fall in love with and I'm not convinced it will be sporty enough.

So, while I continue to consider that, the FJ will get a bit of a birthday with some new goodies.

I have hypothetically considered, while on trips, what I would replace the FJ with, what would another bike do better than the FJ is doing right now, and never actually come up with anything. Now I have the opportunity to do it and the answer is the same.

Who would have thought an old dinosaur like the FJ would be so hard to top.

BTW, that's an additional bike I am talking about, not a replacement. I could never sell the FJ.

Noel

[andyoutandabout]

As that legendary English rock band Status Quo once sang:
"there's something 'bout you baby I like"

[simi_ed]

snip>
With a budget of $13-$14k for a second hand bike I was salivating at the thought of going shopping and the difficult task of choosing just one.
My excitement was short lived. As I gave it some thought and scoured the net it became increasingly obvious that I couldn't find a bike I wanted, well, just one (K1300GT) but it was too expensive.

What I was loosely looking for was something that would do everything the FJ does, but better.
<snip>
Noel

Like a lot of others, I have been wandering down this path, sometimes faster, sometimes just a shuffle.  I too wanted something that would do everything the FJ does, but better.

KTM SMT.
Lighter: 550 lbs vs 419, check.
More power: 105-ish (stock) vs 117, check.
Water cooling, check.  
Fuel Injection, check.
Narrow seating: V-twin vs inline 4, check.
Rider & Passenger comfort ... Well, I guess a test ride would have been nice, too bad it's so far away ... for now.

Sell the FJ: not likely  

[axiom-r]

Interesting read for sure.....  when to quit modding? When to move on..?

I have lost count of the bikes over the years and I feel very lucky to have experienced so many.  I always tried to look at bikes as "catch and release".  Buy, Improve, Release.  Repeat as needed.

My first FJ was a red and white 86'.  Got it when I was 21 and rode it from Detroit to LA, LA to the northern tip of Vancouver Island and back to San Luis Obispo where I made my home....  Nostalgia is a big part of it for me.  THAT set of handlebars.  THAT dash and gauge set.  THAT motor.  It has taken me many places and provided me with a Rolodex of fantastic memories.

When the 92' came up in 2005 with only 1250 miles and for only $5000 I did not hesitate at all.  I knew then I would not likely ever sell the bike.  The wide range of attributes mentioned already are hard to overlook add to that the connection to my youth and years/miles of history.  Not much could replace that.

Like Frank, I went into the deep end when I decided to "fix" the issues I perceived.  For me it was mostly about getting the bike to accept modern sport rubber and sizes.  To then discover how many mods can be done and just how good you can make the FJ was the dawn of a brand new love affair for me.  Grafting on the front and rear ends of a 2007 R1 was not as hard as I thought it might be. The result: a totally unique FJ that was distinctly mine....  Next step - BIG motor.  Not gonna start until I figure out what to name it....

Finally, we FJ owner's have a very special advantage over 98% of the models out there.  Someone somewhere decided that the FJ motor needed to go into a Legends race car.  This simple twist of fate has resulted in development, parts and expertise that would otherwise not have happened.  We owe much to the involvement of Legends Car racing.  If nothing more - we got RPM and RANDY!!   

Factories stop supporting their models after a fixed amount of time. Parts get rare and expensive and engine development typically progresses to the point that the cases on an 86 would not fit on a 92 version of most bikes......not so much for the FJ.  They built such a strong platform from the beginning that it has stayed nearly the same.   

I guess in the end it is a personal decision.  That said, the odds are stacked in the FJ's favor......

I am never selling. For me and my FJ there is no end.....

[big r]

Dam fine looking scooter :good2:Big R

[Mark Olson]

I was a catch and release guy myself, till I found the fj and got the Moditis bug .

Made it into what I wanted and never looked back. 

[Alf]

Well, with my web and a lot of FJ owner friends, for me its difficult to move on... in a form or another, FJs have been present in more than 1/3 of my life and more than 500.000 kms travelling and riding them. FJs are parts of myself. And I like myself a lot !   

[redwolf50]

Like yoy I've only had my fj a couple of months..and I'm admitedly. a harley guy...and love the 60's model Triumphs.... i haven't started the mods yet lol... finances dictate what i can do...and Christine needed some basic maintainace when i got her...as of right now i may..no will have other bikes..but I'm keeping my fj for the same reason someone else stated earlier..each and every time we ride... she makes me smile