happy new year!

[ogmudbone]

have been busy raising my son and pretty much dead silent on the motorcycle front. i just wanted to pop in and say happy new year and a belated merry Christmas to all. if nothing else bad happens i should hopefully find a new scoot this year. if my back keeps doing me like it is it will have to be a tourer/cruiser though

damn bad back is taking the fun out of sport bikes....looking at the yamaha star warrior and the suzuki m109r and the kawi meanstreak bikes a lot more closely now. hell if i can get the funds i might even get a vulcan 2000. at least i will be able to smoke off harleys!

any way good thoughts to all you out there, i have not forgot the great energy and support you had for me when i needed it.


OG
aka
John

[waricle]

Happy new year to you too John.
Do you still have the FJ?
Maybe some higher/wider handlebars?

[andyoutandabout]

Happy New Year John,
Thought of you only yesterday as I was puzzling over what model bike the master brake res. unit came from that I picked up from yours way back in August 2009. Going to match it with a clutch res. It's a Kawasaki in case you were wondering.

Great to hear you're in the market for wheels again. Get an Fj and fit risers. Attend rally. Easy.

If you've not checked out my conversion vid - it's on here under the mods section, titled 17 inch conversion. It has made a big handling difference.

Regards
Andy

[Mark Olson]

John,

I hope your new year is better than the last.

being without a motorcycle you gotta be close to losing you sanity.

maybe get a moped just to feel the wind?

[ogmudbone]

   yeah i would like another fj for sure..but even with a riser i think the angle would be bad on my back. it just keeps getting worse unfortunately. i have managed to drop 50 lbs but have many more to go before i could consider any other kind of therapies. 
   Andy, very happy those parts went to good use. that was a kawi zrx1100 i think that M/C came from. the 1100 and 1200 M/C's are the same as i remember reading. Mark, being without a bike is driving me insane yes!!. everytime i see a harley rider out it makes me want to vomit, i still wave at the guys on sport bikes tho..lol i actually like harleys, but i can't see paying that much for a bike when i can get a yamaha roadliner for $9999 for a new bike (2008 unsold).

   so far looking bleak, the wife has had 3 deaths in her family in less than 6 months and we are going to have to go to wisconsin in august to attend wakes. if things work out i may still buy Mr. Beans 86 if he still has it just to put on short trips. about an hour in the saddle is all i can muster anymore.

   any way hope this year gets better for us all.


ogmudbone

aka

John

[Klavdy]

Have you thought about a V-Strom?

[ogmudbone]

Klav, actually I have thought about one of those but know very little about them. I'm still weighing in at 340# no idea what stone weight that is but anyway you get the picture I'm a large man. so i am always concerned over not just the bikes ability to go but also to go with my big ass on it. I guess i will look into those a bit more closely.



ogmudbone

[Klavdy]

See, if you got a bad back and are a big fat bloke, a cruisers riding position will be even worse, puts all the weight on your arse and lower back and you cannot take any weight off via the footpegs because they are so far forward.
Just take a look at all those fat cunts on Harleys, ever wonder why they are scowling?
It's not because they are tough guys, no, it's because their arse hurts ,their back aches and their piles are playing up.

[ogmudbone]

hahahahaha I think your on to something, I actually was at the Yamaha shop the other day looking at some cruiser bikes and your right. The position is okay with your feet on the ground, but on the pegs/floorboards it is a bigger discomfort than the sportier bikes. Some of the cruiser bikes are exceptions. the Kawasaki mean streak is very comfy and the Yamaha Raider is superb. But these are also very expensive bikes. I have looked at Goldwings and just don't care for the seating on them at all. I'm still in love with the FJR, but again expensive. I like the Suzuki Bandits and love the Hayabusa. The Busa surprised me with how comfortable it is. I hate to say it but it is more comfy than my old FJ, perhaps because it is so big that it fit me right. Anyway I still miss my FJ, I don't think you can ride one and not love it!



OG

[Klavdy]

You know that PASHNIT site?
Tim, the bloke who runs it, has a Hayabusa, does huge miles on it.
He used to have an FJ
There's heaps of info on modifying them for comfort on that site.

Our Tim would be good to talk to about bikes that fit, he's pretty tall.

[ogmudbone]

I was not familiar with that site no, Thanks for the info I will look into it. After all the crap that happened in the last 6 months my chances of getting a bike this year are looking bleak unless I hit the lotto. I told the wife next year I'm getting another bike come hell or high water. so i have plenty of time to get serious about hunting the right ride for me.

I would like to see some legit rider reviews for the new Kawasaki Concourse. The industry reviews are good and I sat on one in the shop and it felt great, but huge money! The FJR is an awesome bike with the only real bad thing I hear about is a super stiff throttle spring. It seems lots of ppl complain about their wrists feeling beyond strained after a short while.

I keep finding myself thinking about the Busa. For me it seems to be the best bike to replace what i miss most about my FJ1100, at least in a new/newer bike & platform. It has the sport bike pedigree and the comfort for long/longer hauls. i saw a guy on a website that had put Genmar risers and Helibars on his Busa, for a lift of 2 inches and a tad over stock. so that is a real possibility. The bike has more than enough power stock with no mods and other than a little louder exhaust can and weight reduction in the stock system i can see no reason to mess with it. My FJ was stock and had ample power and torque so I'm sure the busa will be beyond adequate.

We shall see what transpires in the coming months, but for sure next year I will be on 2 wheels again like I belong. I am not the fastest or the best by far but the fun and enjoyment I get from riding is awesome. It is as close to the freedom you get from playing in a rock n roll band as you can get without a guitar strapped to your ass for sure 

[andyoutandabout]

I think a busa is the next logical step. It's the probably one of the few bikes I would consider other than the Fj. Maybe a blackbird - they are cheaper - but them busas are coming down in price all the time.

[Arnie]

Ogmudbone,

I'll 2nd Klavdy's suggestion of the V-Strom.  I have a Cagiva Navigator which is a less ugly version of the V-Strom.  The 1000cc V-twin has plenty of torque, and the seating postion is pretty upright. It doesn't have the top end of either the FJ or Busa, but I find you rarely can use that anyhow.
At least, find a Suzuki dealer and test sit one.

Cheers,
Arnie

[TRoy]

Our Tim , he's pretty tall.

[83elite]

hahahahaha I think your on to something, I actually was at the Yamaha shop the other day looking at some cruiser bikes and your right. The position is okay with your feet on the ground, but on the pegs/floorboards it is a bigger discomfort than the sportier bikes. Some of the cruiser bikes are exceptions. the Kawasaki mean streak is very comfy and the Yamaha Raider is superb. But these are also very expensive bikes. I have looked at Goldwings and just don't care for the seating on them at all. I'm still in love with the FJR, but again expensive. I like the Suzuki Bandits and love the Hayabusa. The Busa surprised me with how comfortable it is. I hate to say it but it is more comfy than my old FJ, perhaps because it is so big that it fit me right. Anyway I still miss my FJ, I don't think you can ride one and not love it!



OG

One of my best friends just bought a 2005 Mean Streak. I'm not a big cruiser fan, but I must admit, it's a pretty fun ride. Very comfy even for my 6'5" self. He also got a really good deal on the bike with a "Make an Offer" on ebay. Best of luck on finding something and hope the back gets better.