Why no new FJRs in the Bay Area?

[bergmen]

I'd rather just bring the gear cassette for an exchange. Then I don't need a trailer. Oh, and the brake switch assembly too, please.

Absolutely, me too. I did this once a long time ago. I had a 1969 CB750 that had a transmission problem that didn't show up until 17,000 miles (way, way out of warranty). I pulled the engine, split the cases and saw that fifth gear never did fully engage right from the start.

I took the parts down to San Jose Honda and talked to the service manager there. He listened, carefully inspected the parts and agreed with me. He told me not to worry about the warranty, he would get the parts for me. And he did, no cost to me. I think his name was Sonny but I can't be sure of that.

What I AM sure of is his excellent customer service attitude, I thanked him profusely. Those were the days...

Dan

 

[bergmen]

It's like handing your teenage daughter over to a USA swim team coach for lessons...

Now that is funny right there (and so true).

Dan

 

[ST Guy]

Absolutely, me too. I did this once a long time ago. I had a 1969 CB750 that had a transmission problem that didn't show up until 17,000 miles (way, way out of warranty). I pulled the engine, split the cases and saw that fifth gear never did fully engage right from the start.

I took the parts down to San Jose Honda and talked to the service manager there. He listened, carefully inspected the parts and agreed with me. He told me not to worry about the warranty, he would get the parts for me. And he did, no cost to me. I think his name was Sonny but I can't be sure of that.

What I AM sure of is his excellent customer service attitude, I thanked him profusely. Those were the days...

Dan

Sonny Kenyon?

 

[bergmen]

Sonny Kenyon?

That really rings a bell. I wish I would have paid closer attention, he really deserved the recognition.

San Jose Honda went way up on my atta-boy scale then. I ended up buying my 1985 Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S from them in 1986 (when they were selling more Sony TVs than motorcycles). Close-out sale at $2,500.00.

Dan

 

[WWWobble]

If there is a way to do this, I would recommend stripping the bike of fairing, gas tank, seat, saddlebags, etc and trailoring the bike to the dealer. I have heard reports of dinged up parts, mis-assemblies, etc. since most dealers don't have very good accommodations to protect body parts and are not good at remembering where certain fasteners go.

This would be for the transmission repair. Just a thought.

Dan

Thanks Dan. Twenty years ago this is probably what I would have done as well. But now, honestly, I trust Berkeley Yam. They have a good reputation, the owner and Svc Mgr are stand up guys, and I guess as this plays out we'll see how it all rolls out.

The whole thing kind of annoys me as I was one of the FJR "faithful" (I had an '06 Gen II that I put just under 130,000 miles on) and I NEVER required a six speed transmission. What the Gen III FJR could have used was less weight, not a damn six speed. Whatever, you can't always get what you want at Alice's you know... And my 2016 has been good, no indication of bad transmission, but I've only put 24,000 miles on it due to wife's illness and lately COVID restrictions.

Fortunately I'm at a time of life where if this doesn't work out for some reason, then I'll buy something else. We still are lucky to have several good choices of motorcycles out there, and most still burn gasoline !!

But, first, we'll see how Yamaha and Berkeley handles this.

 

[ST Guy]

That really rings a bell. I wish I would have paid closer attention, he really deserved the recognition.

San Jose Honda went way up on my atta-boy scale then. I ended up buying my 1985 Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S from them in 1986 (when they were selling more Sony TVs than motorcycles). Close-out sale at $2,500.00.

Dan

If he was a Kenyon, he was the son of Pop Kenyon, who owned the Bultaco (and other bikes) dealership on Middlefield in Mountain View back in the '60's. You'll find pop and his shop in the movie "Hells Angels '69". Sony Kenyon went on to own the Honda dealership on El Camino in Sunnyvale. I doubt anyone working there remembers Sonny.

 

[superhypered]

*raises hand*

I actually heard about Pop Kenyon when I worked at The Motor Cafe. I also heard about how there used to be a strip club between the motorcycle shop and what is now the barber shop, if that was accurate. Was also owned by the same person apparently.

And btw The Motor Cafe moved to Dell Ave here in Campbell, so who knows what it will be on El Camino now. Time moves on

 

[ST Guy]

*raises hand*

I actually heard about Pop Kenyon when I worked at The Motor Cafe. I also heard about how there used to be a strip club between the motorcycle shop and what is now the barber shop, if that was accurate. Was also owned by the same person apparently.

And btw The Motor Cafe moved to Dell Ave here in Campbell, so who knows what it will be on El Camino now. Time moves on

Was that on Middlefield in Mountain View or on El Camino in Sunnyvale?

 

[ST Guy]

I think you were talking about El Camino in Sunnyvale. I think that was Sonny's shop though Pop likely hung out/worked there.

 

[superhypered]

Yeah I'm talking about the one on El Camino in Sunnyvale. There is a used bike shop a few miles down the road also in Sunnyvale I believe, but that is unrelated to these.

Now you have got me thinking, I remember some coworkers saying it was Pop Kenyon that owned it before, unless they got the Kenyons confused? Again that was what I was told from the more senior coworkers I had there, but they have since been let go during pandemic, I assume because of money but that's another story.

 

[ST Guy]

Might have started out with Pop's name but it switched to Sonny's name at some point, as I recall

 

[Doc_V]

Talk about a nice little trip down memory lane... $2,500 for A Nighthawk 750S in 86 was a smoking deal. I had a 82 Nighthawk 450 that I paid $2000 in 84, and *that* was a hell of a deal. It was my first real bike; I'd learned to ride on my dad's Trail 90. I had a 78 CB750 for a while, the last of the "OG" bikes, but they were heavy tanks with wooden brakes and flexi-flyer suspension compared to the 80s models...

Usedtobefast: the VStrom 1000 is definitely on the radar, the price is right, it ticks a lot of the boxes, and IIRC, isn't that a de-tuned version of the same motor that was used on the TL and Bimotas, so it's proven and bullet proof. [At least on the earlier models I believe.] I am used to sitting down real low though, so not sure how I'd like being up that high. The key to all of this decision making is finding older models to test ride before pulling the trigger. These days that seems to be a big ask.

 

[dravnx]

The first time you ride a goaty road while sitting up will be transformative.
It will open a whole map full of roads to ride.
I sold my old Vstrom to my neighbor whos been on a CBR600 for years. He can't believe how much more fun it is to ride with us now.

 

[bergmen]

Talk about a nice little trip down memory lane... $2,500 for A Nighthawk 750S in 86 was a smoking deal.

Quick story:

I stumbled on the Nighthawk deal purely by accident. I had always admired the bike but was riding my 1979 Yamaha XS1100F at the time.

I was checking out the sport pages of the San Jose Mercury on a Saturday morning looking for time and TV channel for the current golf tournament. There in the corner of the page was an ad that said "all remaining CB700SC on sale at 10% over invoice." I went a little bonkers and paced back and forth wondering if I should jump on this. I called them and they had 3 left. I didn't want to do something like this without thinking it through a bit. I told myself to wait until Monday and check back. I did and they had one left, I split for the dealer right then and paid cash for it (they were open on Mondays back then because of the TV sales).

I basically parked the Yamaha and rode the Nighthawk from then on (being newly single, it was near perfect). My son owns it now.

Dan

 

[WWWobble]

Quick story:

I stumbled on the Nighthawk deal purely by accident. I had always admired the bike but was riding my 1979 Yamaha XS1100F at the time.

Dan

I can still remember the road test write up in Cycle Magazine when the XS11s first came out. They thought it was amazingly fast, but also wrote something that goes more or less like this...

...the XS1100 is prepared to punish heedless stupidity the likes of which have not been seen since the days of Judge Roy Bean.

Great bike. Great magazine. :laughing

 

[CAADet]

I have a 2018 FJR1300 ES newly bought from El Camino with touring windshield. Still the best.
I have been tempted to look at the R1250RS as an upgrade but I'm afraid of lane splitting with that cam head and no, the wind protection is a lot worse.
I am on the recall list.
I haven't made a new avatar pic but the one there was a 2005 5 speed that was sold.

 

[ctwo]

I haven't made a new avatar pic but the one there was a 2005 5 speed that was sold.

Other than this fiasco, has it been worth it? I bet the cruise control is really nice.

 

[bergmen]

Other than this fiasco, has it been worth it? I bet the cruise control is really nice.

Speaking for me, the integrated electronic cruise control was mainly THE reason I bought my 2014 A model. Having throttle by wire was an added benefit since it completely solved the off-idle jerk that was common with all previous model years.

My good riding buddy owned a 2007 for many years and once he rode mine, he sold it and bought a 2015 (he was not a red motorcycle guy).

Gen III FJRs rock!

Dan

 

[WWWobble]

I dunno.

My Gen II had no off idle jerk after a very easy fix keeping idle speed at 1200 and that "obsolete" 5 speed transmission never failed either. It was the most reliable bike I've owned.

The Gen III 6 speed version is good too. Some people like the taller gearing in 6th. I'm ambivalent on it. Or was, until the recall... :laughing

It goes up on the center stand much easier. That's actually nice. No argument that the cruise control is welcome. I think the A model with the conventional suspension felt better to me than the ES with the electronic suspension. Brief ride on the ES, but I felt the A model with the 48mm forks felt more planted on fast sweepers.

I'd have much preferred a few less pounds of weight rather than everything Yamaha did -- but maybe they knew all along about the up coming Tracer 900GT and the Nixon or whatever they call it, which would represent the lighter weight S/T sector.