"The 70mpg FJ1100" - Getting more from your FJ1100

[fj11.5]

She won't ride on the Fj, , no dramas as passengers add to the fuel use, slow ya down , stuff up the handling and and, hope she dousnt read this  ,,  at least I'm not the only one here over 30 going on 18, although some days feel 80 

[I make oil]

43 here and I've been riding since I was 18.  I still manage to scare the shit out of myself occasionally and giggle like an idiot after.  Never feel more alive than when I'm pushing it to the edge.  I love motorcycles.  

[Bill_Rockoff]

48 here, riding since age 20.  I think "Doc" Hacker is older than I am by a good bit, and has spent a bunch of time racing motorcycles including FJs.  So to assume that he's modding his FJ to get 70 (UK) miles a gallon because he's too slow to "ride it like it was meant to be ridden" is probably wrong.

Similarly, I enjoy the longevity of my new-tech radial rear tire on my FJ, but I don't think the limitations of an ME-880 touring tire would be the thing holding me back in the twisties.  John The Beer Scientist had no trouble keeping up with the gang we rode with during the rallies he attended, and he was using Metzler ME-880s - on a Virago 750.  More recently, I recall my then-18-year-old son bettering the pace of many of us (myself included) on the Cherohala and particularly Deal's Gap during the Fall East Coast Rally, riding an EX500  with, I think, a Kenda bias-ply rear tire.  So, I think most of us (a few exceptions for the likes of Bill P, Frank, Kavin, Dean, Henry) would not exactly be hindered by an ME-880. 

Cliff's Notes:  I think Doc Hacker could leave 99% of us behind, even with an ME-880 rear tire, his new jetting, and 19/38 gearing - even on our favorite road, even  on our best day. 

But it sure is fun to look at my sticky radials and think "yeah, I'm that good."  (As long as I don't accidentally say it out loud.)

[Dan Filetti]

Cliff's Notes:  I think Doc Hacker could leave 99% of us behind, even with an ME-880 rear tire, his new jetting, and 19/38 gearing - even on our favorite road, even  on our best day.  

To Bill's point, that the rider has much more to do with it than the bike, I have always enjoyed watching this guy on a Ninja 250 at Laguna Seca crush lesser riders on bigger bikes, including an R1:  Lovely, and it illustrates the point very well I think...

Ninja 250 vs. the big bikes at Laguna Seca

Dan

[Goetz]

I cant wait to get out to a rally and learn from some of you.

[airheadPete]

Keeeerist! Was the FJ a bike of our times or we of it? 44 yrs. here, starting to think this is the official bike of the 40-something club. I wouldn't change a thing, so - ride your own race.

[Bill_Rockoff]

Dang, now I want another Ninja 250......

[sebwiers]

Keeeerist! Was the FJ a bike of our times or we of it? 44 yrs. here, starting to think this is the official bike of the 40-something club. I wouldn't change a thing, so - ride your own race.

QFT.  I'm 43, 44 in a few months, guy I bought it from was 3 months younger than me.  I blame it on the 80's coverage of endurance racing warping my psyche.

[Easterntide]

48th B-day next week for me. Grew up on an xr75. walls were fully covered by moto mag pages and brochures from the local dealers. Got into my first road machine at 17 on a V45 Honda Sabre...road it for a few weeks until i got my license.
Then at 23 or so i found bicycling and gave up on moto power for the next 23years. Every single spring though i had a horrible urge to look though the online ads for a moto again, and last year i could no longer fight it. The income tax return was exactly enough to put a 91Fj under me.
I'm working an IT job during the week and then during most other times i'm running what is becoming a successful, primarily real estate and commercial property, photography business. That extra load on my body and mind make the idea of going for a 50km bike ride a bit too much. By just hopping on the FJ and doing that same loop its become a very very good thing for my soul.
Eyes are looking for a second ADV bike now... :-)

[Arnie]

Easterntide said, "48th B-day next week for me."

Yeah, me too.  I've been a licensed motorcycle rider since 1967.  That's 48 years, right?

Arnie

You don't get too old to ride, you get old if you stop riding.

[aviationfred]

I know that there are members that are not in their 40's. I have met a few 

This fall will be my last birthday in the 40's. 

Thanks Bill for the video of the 250 hauling the mail. Very impressed. 

Fred

[Pat Conlon]

Thank's Dan for the video.

It's the same lesson we have learned when driving Miata's...it's all about corner speed.

Laguna Seca is on my bucket list.

[big r]

I will be 61 next on the 20th. Still love the kookaloo, but the knees are starting to complain a lot more. Have'nt got the FJ out of the shed yet but it will be soon. We are having an early spring here and can't wait. Big R

[Charlie-brm]

Oh geezzzz.... another April 20th'er. How many of us are there exactly? What was going on 9 months before that? Do you know what your parents were doing the previous July?

[FJmonkey]

Oh geezzzz.... another April 20th'er. How many of us are there exactly? What was going on 9 months before that? Do you know what your parents were doing the previous July?

April 30 for me...