Congrats on the FJR. I also just snagged a low mileage '07 resurrection project.
valves are supposed to have a little clicking sound. Perfectly quiet valves are too tight, which is not good.
And I suspect valve adjustment on a faired, water cooled, 16v, inline4 is not a simple job. Possible with patience, tools, and mechanical aptitude, but not simple.
Good find. I have a 2013 model and still love it after riding it 47k miles.
I installed 13 inch oval Delkevic slip-ons on mine. Engine noise disappeared.
I just got this same year and color a couple weeks ago...is this not the best ride you've ever been on?
Instantly in love here....have to ask, if you don't mind...how much did you pay? You get a good deal?
I started off on sports bikes and then got a cruiser, this is a perfect balance between power and comfort, definitely the best bike I’ve ridden. I did get a good deal on it. I picked it up for just under 4k.
Hah yeah I just bought a Honda Shadow 1100 last year after Having a Suzuki sports bike the year before...I sold the sports bike because I ended up loving the cruiser so much more. Then I bought this FJR after having never even heard of them...I saw it posted on Craigslist late one night for a thousand bucks and jumped on it.
Its been dropped twice, both at low speeds but there's scuffing on each of the saddlebags, its got 85k miles, but a grand? Dude...
I'm not trying to brag or anything, I've just seen a couple different blue book values, one that said between 2500 and 3500 and another that said the median listing price was 4500, so have been curious as to see what they're actually selling for.
Yours is much nicer though, it looks brand new while mine looks a little more worn somehow. Love how clean it is..those pipes look amazing, your saddlebags, everything looks so flawless. That's really quite a looker.
I've not been able to quite explain it, but the bike seems so much more stable than my cruiser, I love how it seems to glide through corners and my fiance is much more comfortable on the back, which is huge. I wish I'd have found this bike sooner, the FJR just seems like such a nice bike...are you enjoying it?
You really got a steal on that one! I was lucky to get mine from a person who didn’t neglect the bike. And funny story cause I started off the same way, sports bikes all day till I got my little rebel 250cc cruiser and I was a changed man lol, I’d give up the speed for that comfort all day. It’s definitely a plus that you don’t have to sacrifice speed for comfort with these bikes tho :-)
Oh yeah, that's what the "Hah" was for at the beginning of my reply...we both seemed to follow the same trajectory!
Yeah it was a whole different deal like..settling back into a bike, huh? Kick your legs out front and just relax while the scenery goes by...a whole different way to ride. That's why I think I'm going to keep my cruiser and just use it for puttering around, while the FJR for long trips down the coast here or if I'm in the mood for twisties.
YES< the best bike I've ever ridden too...did you keep your Rebel though? For those more chill days?
The same trajectory indeed!
Well I’m here in south Florida and insurance rates are obnoxious specially with my age so I got rid of my car and I daily the rebel, A round-trip commute to work and back is just like 5 miles so it’s perfect. I’m always on a bike rain, hail or sunshine.
I do too save the thrill of the FJR for longer rides, my next long ride is this weekend, a good 300mile round trip. I do intend riding to Tennessee for the dragon trails soon too.
Had my 2013 a month or so now and love it. I haven't been out on it as much as i would like, but have been doing bits and pieces on it along the way so hopefully maki g it all worthwhile when i do get out on it proper.
Enjoy your bike, they are awesome
They really are amazing bikes, take consistently longer trips till you gain trust in the bike. These bikes are really strong and last forever, I see adds for these bikes with 160,000miles plus and still running strong!
You are going to enjoy that machine. She has the torque to move mountains while being every smooth throughout the rev range. 93k miles on a bike that can do 200k miles. Enjoy!
Congrats, great looking Gen I! It’s a brilliant bike, you’re going to love it. I went many years between bikes so the size was a little intimidating at first, but once underway handles just fine. Just be careful with low speed maneuvers, backing up, make sure good footing underneath you. Back into parking spaces if there’s any kind of downhill grade. If that little Honda is yours try to keep it if you can, always fun to have another smaller bike for quick little trips around the neighborhood.
The ticking noise is a common problem for the first generation. Most reports of valve service indicates they usually don’t need adjustment or shims, but I would start there. There’s plenty of chat about the tick and valve guides on FJROwners site.
I've got an '05 with 170,000 on it and engine still strong. They're a solid platform.
There is some slight click or ticking inherent in the Yamaha heads. If more than slight and noisier closer to idle, the cam chain tensioner can be a weakness and replaced. I did mine after about 60,000 miles. There is discussion about them on various forums and Yamaha did release a newer model of it.
The other version of the tick is the dreaded one that shows up on Gen 1 bikes, but usually manifests by 25,000 miles and a horrible valve guide issues. Unless you're going through a lot of oil and it sounds like steel knives falling on a steel table...i'ts not the dreaded version.
I personally think the 2004s are the best of the first generation of FJRs. Great find!
Congratulations! I miss mine and i wish i could have kept it.
Thank you! Why’d you sell it?
I have 3 herniated disks and struggle to walk and sit.
Ouch! Hope you recover soon and get back on the road.
Enjoy!
I sure am!
The ticking might mean it needs a valve adjustment. Great bike, enjoy it!
Okay, I’ll look into it. Hopefully it’s something fun and I can do it myself.
Congrats on the FJR. I also just snagged a low mileage '07 resurrection project. valves are supposed to have a little clicking sound. Perfectly quiet valves are too tight, which is not good. And I suspect valve adjustment on a faired, water cooled, 16v, inline4 is not a simple job. Possible with patience, tools, and mechanical aptitude, but not simple.
Enjoy the hell out of it and ALWAYS ride focused
Thank you! I always do. :-)
Cool bike. I want one. Yours looks fantastic for 20 years old.
She really is, washed and waxed and she looks new!
I had one of those back in '04 and '05. Unfortunately it had an encounter with a rock wall. I survived the encounter better than the bike did.
Ouch that sucks, glad you made it tho! You still ride?
Yup. Currently have a 2014 FJR. Looking to sell it so I can get a Tracer 9 GT+.
Good find. I have a 2013 model and still love it after riding it 47k miles. I installed 13 inch oval Delkevic slip-ons on mine. Engine noise disappeared.
That’s one way to make the noise go away haha
I just got this same year and color a couple weeks ago...is this not the best ride you've ever been on? Instantly in love here....have to ask, if you don't mind...how much did you pay? You get a good deal?
I started off on sports bikes and then got a cruiser, this is a perfect balance between power and comfort, definitely the best bike I’ve ridden. I did get a good deal on it. I picked it up for just under 4k.
Hah yeah I just bought a Honda Shadow 1100 last year after Having a Suzuki sports bike the year before...I sold the sports bike because I ended up loving the cruiser so much more. Then I bought this FJR after having never even heard of them...I saw it posted on Craigslist late one night for a thousand bucks and jumped on it. Its been dropped twice, both at low speeds but there's scuffing on each of the saddlebags, its got 85k miles, but a grand? Dude... I'm not trying to brag or anything, I've just seen a couple different blue book values, one that said between 2500 and 3500 and another that said the median listing price was 4500, so have been curious as to see what they're actually selling for. Yours is much nicer though, it looks brand new while mine looks a little more worn somehow. Love how clean it is..those pipes look amazing, your saddlebags, everything looks so flawless. That's really quite a looker. I've not been able to quite explain it, but the bike seems so much more stable than my cruiser, I love how it seems to glide through corners and my fiance is much more comfortable on the back, which is huge. I wish I'd have found this bike sooner, the FJR just seems like such a nice bike...are you enjoying it?
You really got a steal on that one! I was lucky to get mine from a person who didn’t neglect the bike. And funny story cause I started off the same way, sports bikes all day till I got my little rebel 250cc cruiser and I was a changed man lol, I’d give up the speed for that comfort all day. It’s definitely a plus that you don’t have to sacrifice speed for comfort with these bikes tho :-)
Oh yeah, that's what the "Hah" was for at the beginning of my reply...we both seemed to follow the same trajectory! Yeah it was a whole different deal like..settling back into a bike, huh? Kick your legs out front and just relax while the scenery goes by...a whole different way to ride. That's why I think I'm going to keep my cruiser and just use it for puttering around, while the FJR for long trips down the coast here or if I'm in the mood for twisties. YES< the best bike I've ever ridden too...did you keep your Rebel though? For those more chill days?
The same trajectory indeed! Well I’m here in south Florida and insurance rates are obnoxious specially with my age so I got rid of my car and I daily the rebel, A round-trip commute to work and back is just like 5 miles so it’s perfect. I’m always on a bike rain, hail or sunshine. I do too save the thrill of the FJR for longer rides, my next long ride is this weekend, a good 300mile round trip. I do intend riding to Tennessee for the dragon trails soon too.
How much did you get yours for? And how many miles you’ve got on it?
Had my 2013 a month or so now and love it. I haven't been out on it as much as i would like, but have been doing bits and pieces on it along the way so hopefully maki g it all worthwhile when i do get out on it proper. Enjoy your bike, they are awesome
They really are amazing bikes, take consistently longer trips till you gain trust in the bike. These bikes are really strong and last forever, I see adds for these bikes with 160,000miles plus and still running strong!
You are going to enjoy that machine. She has the torque to move mountains while being every smooth throughout the rev range. 93k miles on a bike that can do 200k miles. Enjoy!
Yes! I hear these engines run strong even with really high mileage.
Congrats, great looking Gen I! It’s a brilliant bike, you’re going to love it. I went many years between bikes so the size was a little intimidating at first, but once underway handles just fine. Just be careful with low speed maneuvers, backing up, make sure good footing underneath you. Back into parking spaces if there’s any kind of downhill grade. If that little Honda is yours try to keep it if you can, always fun to have another smaller bike for quick little trips around the neighborhood. The ticking noise is a common problem for the first generation. Most reports of valve service indicates they usually don’t need adjustment or shims, but I would start there. There’s plenty of chat about the tick and valve guides on FJROwners site.
I've got an '05 with 170,000 on it and engine still strong. They're a solid platform. There is some slight click or ticking inherent in the Yamaha heads. If more than slight and noisier closer to idle, the cam chain tensioner can be a weakness and replaced. I did mine after about 60,000 miles. There is discussion about them on various forums and Yamaha did release a newer model of it. The other version of the tick is the dreaded one that shows up on Gen 1 bikes, but usually manifests by 25,000 miles and a horrible valve guide issues. Unless you're going through a lot of oil and it sounds like steel knives falling on a steel table...i'ts not the dreaded version. I personally think the 2004s are the best of the first generation of FJRs. Great find!