[Chain]

...I've still got some allegiance to Mother Honda.

Recently, a co-worker of mine looked me up because I'm fairly much known as the guy here at work who spends the most money and time on Japanese motorcycles (there is a large contingent of Hardley riders here too, but this guy is interested in something faster than your average electric golf cart).

So anyway, over the course of the last week or ten days, I've provided him countless links on various road tests and internet discussion boards, and handed him over numerous hard-copy periodicals such as Rider and BIKE.

The guy has alot of bike experience, having ridden police 'solos' (as we call 'em here - 1000cc Kwak police bikes), but has never owned his own machine. He described the type of riding he'd most like to do as touring with some around town duty with the ability to ride two-up in comfort, and we narrowed the field down to two bikes, the FJR1300 and the ST1300 (he's a big fan of Japanese vehicles, both two and four wheeled varieties, and wasn't interested in BMW, Triumph, Ducati or others).

In the end and after much discussion, I wound up gently steering him to the Honda. While I truly believe my next bike will be an FJR, Walt was after something just a little roomier with perhaps just a little better overall weather protection, perhaps just a smidge better highway ride, and he wasn't terribly interested in anything overly hot-rod-ish (like the Yammy - every road test you see on these things features a motojournalist pulling a mondo wheelie).

The ST is no slouch with that big, liquid cooled V4 and should prove to be the perfect machine for a guy who wants solid levels of weather protection, a great highway ride, locking hard luggage, open class power and top shelf build quality.

So see? I still have at least a modicum of integrity, right? (I think I could have talked him into the Yamaha, but only would have done that if I really believed it to be the right choice for the guy.)

I'm looking forward to him brining the ST home. And I'm very much interested in getting a chance to ride it as well.

Who knows, perhaps Chain's next bike won't be another Yammy after all...

[Bacchus]

A job well done!

edit: BTW, why don't you help me out and buy my Teknic boots? You wear a size 8, right?

[2OHOH2]

Good job helping him pick out the couch

[Chain]

He ain't as manly as you are, big boy. Hence, he probably couldn't handle the powa.

[Fire929blade]

Well, there never was an alternative to talking him into the ST was there?? I have to agree thet the FJR looks a lot sportier/better. If looks is an issue when choosing a touingbike you're probably way off in the first place? A dude at work retired his GS1100 and thoght his new FJR was great................ If HP wasn't an issue I'd probably go for a BMW R1100s .... Might convert when I get "old"!!!! HP or not... I really dig the "new" boxer engine.. Do you get the Mamola edition of the R1100s in the U.S:A ??

[Chain]

I don't know, but I agree, it's waaay cool.

[nedro]

With the heat issues of the ST, I would not even consider the standard model. Adjustable windsheild will also add $1500.00 or more to the resale value. What area is he from?

[Chain]

Omaha, Nebraska. Plenty hot and humid in the summer months.

[ULEWZ]

Originally Posted by Chain

Who knows, perhaps Chain's next bike won't be another Yammy after all...

That Yammy is over 2 months old now. Isn't that long in the tooth by your standards? Time to upgrade.

[ND4SPD]

Originally Posted by ULEWZ

That Yammy is over 2 months old now. Isn't that long in the tooth by your standards? Time to upgrade.

Nah, he's just begun to secondguess himself at this point. My guess is he's already looking at a different exhaust to try and make himself like it all over again. That stage will last another month or two(still wintertime) at which point he'll realize he's not happy and start looking at different bikes. This'll bring us over to April/May when he'll start testriding other bikes, and he'll eventually buy something in June/July.

[nedro]

Originally Posted by Chain

Omaha, Nebraska. Plenty hot and humid in the summer months.

I would not recommend either the ST or the FJR. Both will be misserable to ride in the summer months.

[Chain]

Originally Posted by ULEWZ

That Yammy is over 2 months old now. Isn't that long in the tooth by your standards? Time to upgrade.

Nope, she's a keeper. How could I argue with this sort of performance and utility? Best real world motorcycle I've owned methinks.

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/news/dyn...3&lid=2&lc=mcy

[Chain]

Originally Posted by nedro

I would not recommend either the ST or the FJR. Both will be misserable to ride in the summer months.

Both bikes are flying out the doors of the local dealerships . . . People don't seem to dislike them.

It's hot all over in the summer, right?

[nedro]

Flying out the door? You have to pre-order an FJR to get one.

Unless you've ridden an ST or FJR in temps over 90 degrees, you have no idea what hot and misserable is.

[Chain]

I'm well aware of the pre-order protocol for the Yamaha. It was a figure of speech.

I've ridden neither.

So much for giving a guy advice.

I'll give him your phone number if you will provide it Ned.

[nedro]

Just give him this

The FJR has Heat problems too, but there are fixes for the FJR.
Ping Warchild for questions on the FJR. He owns one.

[Chain]

Originally Posted by nedro

Just give him this

The FJR has Heat problems too, but there are fixes for the FJR.
Ping Warchild for questions on the FJR. He owns one.

Alright Ned, I don't want to sound like I'm trying to get into a shoutin' match with ya, so please read this with the intended pleasant tone.

First of all, I put about as much stock in the sundry class actions out there across America as I do anything which our boy Saddam says to the CIA interrogators who are hopefully keeping him up late and night and on a strict diet of Wonder Bread and water. Many if not most of these suits today are spawned not by magnanimous consumer protection activistism, but by paycheck chasing attorneys who have learned to pay off their mortgages and cover their Mercedes lease each month with lucrative class actions (which reward comparatively little to the affected parties). Believe otherwise at your own risk.

I don't know **** about this ST lawsuit or if it has any real merit, but I'm telling you right now that I'd purchase an FJ or an ST without any reservation. Perhaps that makes me an ignoramus. Or it could make me a realistic motorcyclist who expects to get some heat on his legs, a bug or two in his eye, and some sweat under his arms when he rides a faired bike in the middle of July. I mean, c'mon!

My 954 would fairly much boil my ankles in the heat of the summer, but I didn't hire a freaking lawyer over the deal. And I'm not the only one. BWhip posted a thread last summer about being near cooked on his '03 954...

[nedro]

That was simply the one where we are getting serious. And believe me, it has all been hashed out on several other threads. You don't have to take my word for it. People have burned their legs and on one occasion an overweight fellow that lost feeling in his belly had second degree burns from the tank. All documented. I really don't understand your last post unless it was one of the Honda shills from the ST1300 forum. And believe me, their are a few Honda shills over there trying to quell the outrage. I don't give a crap weather or not you'd buy a FJR, ST, or the Golden Gate Bridge. I own an ST and have given my honest opinion. Sorry if it doesn't play into your scenario. I said it before. PM WARCHILD FOR HIS OPINION! He owns an FJR.
BTW...Mary Christmas

[Chain]

Originally Posted by nedro

That was simply the one where we are getting serious. And believe me, it has all been hashed out on several other threads. You don't have to take my word for it. People have burned their legs and on one occasion an overweight fellow that lost feeling in his belly had second degree burns from the tank. All documented. I really don't understand your last post unless it was one of the Honda shills from the ST1300 forum. And believe me, their are a few Honda shills over there trying to quell the outrage. I don't give a crap weather or not you'd buy a FJR, ST, or the Golden Gate Bridge. I own an ST and have given my honest opinion. Sorry if it doesn't play into your scenario. I said it before. PM WARCHILD FOR HIS OPINION! He owns an FJR.
BTW...Mary Christmas

Ned, I'm guilty of not paying attention to the list of bikes you've got under your avatar and only now realize that you're an ST owner. I'll pass the link along to my buddy, but in the meantime...

Lighten up, Francis!

[Hamburgler]

Originally Posted by ND4SPD

Nah, he's just begun to secondguess himself at this point. My guess is he's already looking at a different exhaust to try and make himself like it all over again. That stage will last another month or two(still wintertime) at which point he'll realize he's not happy and start looking at different bikes. This'll bring us over to April/May when he'll start testriding other bikes, and he'll eventually buy something in June/July.

PSYCHIC!! Tell us more oh great one!

[ConqSoft]

ND,

Shall I change your nickname to Nostradamus?

[ND4SPD]

I completely forgot about this, but dammit someone owes me a dollar!

[slowpoke]

Wow! Quick...what's my next bike and when will I get it???

[maxib]

ohboy! This is too good!

ND, I am going to have you look at my palm at Grattan.

[ER]

Originally Posted by Chain

Who knows, perhaps Chain's next bike won't be another Yammy after all...

We need only wait around for another two weeks to find out.