FJ-09 question and a v65 question

[gumby302ho]

 Okay, is there any real difference between the FJ-09 and the Tracer? And I have always wondered was the V65 Magna faster in all aspects then the V65 Sabre? When the V65 came out it took many folks by surprise out of the hole. I also remember the kawasaki 900 Eliminator, little stretched out with a very heavy clutch and fat rear tire made for just launching off the line. Yadda yadda...

[fj1289]

Uh...I'm thinking there's a LOT of difference

FJ-09









Tracer

[FJ_Hooligan]

They dropped the FJ and are now calling it Tracer to be consistent with the rest of the world.  Same bike.

I believe the V65 Magna and Sabre used the same motor so no difference between them performance-wise, only riding position

The V65 was a torque monster and very fun to ride.  A friend of mine had a Magna in 1985.  It would jump me off the line and in slower speed roll-ons, but once the revs got up the FJ would blow by it.

[gumby302ho]

They dropped the FJ and are now calling it Tracer to be consistent with the rest of the world.  Same bike.

I believe the V65 Magna and Sabre used the same motor so no difference between them performance-wise, only riding position

The V65 was a torque monster and very fun to ride.  A friend of mine had a Magna in 1985.  It would jump me off the line and in slower speed roll-ons, but once the revs got up the FJ would blow by it.

   Yes that is and was so true, the V65 was just another reason why the mighty FJ rocked!!! when I was a late teen all the FJ"s were setup for drags and not on tour! V-Max was another big yam surprise. The eighties were cool in my world.

[giantkiller]

  still laughing about the  picture comparison.

On to something else that used to  make me laugh.  My  buddy had a  v65 sabre. When he would  gas it hard and  back off  right away. it would quite literally jump off the ground. The whole thing would lift up because the  shaft drive would  torque the back wheel down so hard. The front wheel would come up. And when he chopped the throttle right away the back tire would come up off the ground.  

[fj1289]

I traded my first car for a new old-stock 1982 Yamaha 650 Seca in 1985.  The shaft drive on it was similar - the back end would rise instead of squat when you got on it good.  My buddies that it was crazy - don't think I ever got it to hop like that though.  



Oh yeah - back to the original topic — Tracer?  Yamaha is calling it the Tracer?  WTF!?  Why do they think they need to give it a name?  What's wrong with FJ-09?  Well, at least they didn't call it lard-ass or any other Harley sounding name.   But why something as lame as Tracer?  It was a crappy name deserving of a crappy econobox car - not something that a bike as good as that one seems to be should be saddled with. 

[Millietant]

They're just following the global marketing route like mist everyone else.......and like all things, it goes in cycles.

Remember when Kawasaki had the Samurai, Suzuki the Hustler, Honda the Dream.......then we had the Seca series, the Katana's, the Ninja's, the Fieblades.......and the Hayabusa, the Panigale's, the Super Duke's et al.......

And every so often, they go back to using just numbers......it's all about following or driving the market to get a "sales adrvantage" or build a "brand identity".

It's the price we have to pay for being trendy...........maybe that's why FJ 1100's and 1200's aren't considered trendy       They need a cool sounding name !

[Waiex191]

It's the price we have to pay for being trendy...........maybe that's why FJ 1100's and 1200's aren't considered trendy       They need a cool sounding name !

Give it time Dean - it will be trendy again!

[Pat Conlon]

Yep....The classic's *always* come back

[FJ Flyer]

Yep....The classic's *always* come back

They call it 'retro'.

[fj1289]

Retro?

When I first got my FJ I would hear "I used to have one of those..."

Now I hear "I remember my Dad having one of those..."   

[Harvy]

Retro?

When I first got my FJ I would hear "I used to have one of those..."

Now I hear "I remember my Dad having one of those..."   

And now my 30 year old son say "My dad still has one of those".