Motorcycle Pursuits

My New Ride!

Why would I trade in my beautiful BMW R1200RT for a new FJR? Many reasons. I admit to lusting after this bike since I read a review of the electronic suspension variant earlier this year. I elected to buy the model without electronic suspension, mainly because I rarely changed anything meaningful on my BMW. I am hoping the Yamaha will cost less to maintain, and that it will cost less if something does go wrong. The only real complaint I had with my BWM was the cost of maintenance.

Some other things I already like about the FJR:

- The gas tank is metal. Why is that important? Because my magnetic tank bag will work on it. The BMW had a plastic tank and a funky attachment system. The BMW tank bag was several hundred dollars, thus i never got one.
- The FJR has a few more horsepower - like about 40 more! That really isn't too important to me since I never really felt like I used everything the BMW had. But now I can brag? And the bike does have two settings - touring and sport - so I can take it easy in the touring mode and it is a much more manageable power delivery.
- I can't lie - I love the way the black rims look with the dark red color.

I signed up for the Big Money Rally again this year. This rally starts January 1st, runs through Memorial Day, and involves taking pictures of landmarks throughout the US with your bike in the picture. I did the rally last year and attained finisher status. With my upcoming retirement and plans to take leave for the last couple of months in the Navy, I should have plenty of riding opportunities. I plan to write a little about my trips this year.