Just bought, waiting to ride.

[RickJ]

Upstate NY in coldest Feb. in like 150 years...11 below and worse. I was looking for a cruisable newer bike to replace my Triumph Triple (2004 Thunderbird Sport). I looked seriously at the FJR1300, Triumph Trophy (sort of seriously- concerns about dealers and reliability) BMW (too pricey)...anyway), when I was about to pull the trigger on the FJR I realized my dealer had the 2013 F6B. I looked at reviews and couldn't find anything legitimately negative about tit (some whiners about Honda did this or that, but no substantive negatives about the bike itself) and the pictures looked great- not a Harley wannabe or a copy of anything.. WELL, in a flash I realized it answered everything I was really looking for- Suitable for an old man (68, cool (1800+cc) reliable, unique, service nearby, NOT replace my Triumph but fill a hole ... I cannot wait to take delivery-- my dealer will hold it till the salt washes off the roads here- and I can clear a space in the garage. I paid 16200 total- maybe than some of the prices I've been seeing here but I really like this dealer- I'm in a rural area and I want to get it locally, get this- after it all- I find out it is a DELUXE...Dealer has promised to be good to me for accessories asnd I trust him. So all in all I'm pleased- I never thought of myself a a Honda guy but now I'm like proud of it! (well- sort of- still have a littler eurosnob with the triumph- sorry- what can I say! Anyway- I look forward to sharing on this site.
Finally- I want to hold off before I add anything to it. I finally found something positive about my shrinking as I get old- the windshield seems to be more of a problem for taller riders- I'm like 5'9" or less (I have trouble accepting it!)

Well, enough for now- glad I found this site- looking forward to my planned ride to DC and Ashville this summer!!!!!

[JackB]

Welcome you will love your new ride. But you should order a windshield right away.

[Old Ryder]

:lolup:

What he said. The shield is the first thing you switch out.


You will love this bike. I promise n

[RickJ]

Welcome you will love your new ride. But you should order a windshield right away.

Even the dealer said that might happen- but I really want to see what exactly I have before I change anything. Remember I'm coming from NOTHING (well, a fly screen). I also want the thrill of researching all options- I know enough about modding that I know that as soon as I do one mod, I'm on to the next, so I might as well take my time with each and enjoy the process,(I had a jeep that I just couldn't stop with.I kept pretty stock on the Trumpet and my dirt bike-Kawa 250) Besides, I have to hold off a while with the spending...the war department here isn't into motorcycles and doesn't get it.

[opas ride]

Even the dealer said that might happen- but I really want to see what exactly I have before I change anything. Remember I'm coming from NOTHING (well, a fly screen). I also want the thrill of researching all options- I know enough about modding that I know that as soon as I do one mod, I'm on to the next, so I might as well take my time with each and enjoy the process,(I had a jeep that I just couldn't stop with.I kept pretty stock on the Trumpet and my dirt bike-Kawa 250) Besides, I have to hold off a while with the spending...the war department here isn't into motorcycles and doesn't get it.

You will love the F6B..I am 75 yrs. old and about 5'9" tall..I agree you should ride it first, but I would bet money you will change the windshield fairly soon..I have the 1" lower Mustang seat, the Baggershield adjustable shield and a ride with a Shoei J-Cruise helmet. I have minimal wind noise, no helmet buffeting, and no turbulence on the highway which I absolutely enjoy...After riding with the "wind in my face", so to speak, for many years I thoroughly enjoy the smooth quiet ride of the F6B...A little noise from the Cobra pipes I had installed, but I love the way it rides and sounds.....Good Luck when the weather breaks as my bike has been covered in the garage for 4 months now with this lousy winter weather....Ride safe

[er.medic]

Welcome Rick, I still have the stock windshield on mine. I like the breeze I get with the short shield, but I understand that not every one enjoys that. Welcome to the group :039:

[53driver]

Rick,
Congratulations and welcome.
Your buying a new windshield is probably going to happen - HOWEVER - make sure you get the seat you want FIRST!
There are MANY people on this site who got windscreens, then seats, then had to go back and get new windscreens because the seat set them higher/lower/forward/backward whatever.
Same goes for foot pegs! Get your tush taken care of before you go buying other stuff!
Cheers,
Steve

[srt8-in-largo]

... but I really want to see what exactly I have before I change anything.

...

Smart :yes:

Welcome aboard.

[Fla_rider]

:postpics:

Oh congrats from Florida where I just returned from a 500 mile ride weekend with temps hitting 84!
:th_sunbathe:

[shooter]

Its not a question of the wind , it's the bugs. The wind I can take.

[nvmyf6]

You made a great choice going with the F6B. 'all/right'

I traded in my 13' FJR for mine. It was a super fun bike to ride, but now I have a way more comfortable ride, and you will agree that it feels like yer riding and sitting on your couch. I have no problems with the stock seat.

Now for the windscreen, well lets just say, I just ordered one and its only been a week..

Welcome aboard :039:

[Steve 0080]

Rick,
Congratulations and welcome.
Your buying a new windshield is probably going to happen - HOWEVER - make sure you get the seat you want FIRST!
There are MANY people on this site who got windscreens, then seats, then had to go back and get new windscreens because the seat set them higher/lower/forward/backward whatever.
Same goes for foot pegs! Get your tush taken care of before you go buying other stuff!
Cheers,
Steve

Best Advice !!! 'welcome gang'

[RoadSurfer]

I'm with you RickJ - waiting for the snow to melt and the salt to be washed away up here a few hours north of you. And, like you had been doing, I'm debating whether my attraction to the F6B is well-founded enough for me to make the switch from my 2008 BMW K1200GT. While I love the looks of the F6B, like others have said, the greater comfort it would provide me is the first practical factor, in my mind. I suspect that if money were no object I'd be at the dealer today to make the trade-in, even though I'd be giving up a lot of extra bells and whistles that the K12GT has and the F6B does not (tire pressure monitoring, heated seats, gear indicator, fuel consumption and miles-to-empty read-outs, electrically adjustable windshield, three-position adjustable seat height, removable hard saddlebags and trunk, 12-way electrically adjustable suspension, etc.). In exchange for those features, I'd get more comfortable ergonomics (especially with the addition of highway pegs) and less wind noise (with the installation of a taller windshield). For me, those two benefits probably outweigh all of the other characteristics of my Beemer.

I do want to question your indication that BMWs are "too pricey" in comparison to the F6B, however. Maybe you are comparing prices of left-over F6Bs or maybe there is an oddly greater disparity in the prices in New York State compared to up here in Ontario, but here in Ottawa the MSRP for the 2015 BMW R1200RT (a bike that most reviews crown as the best sport touring bike available today) is actually about $2,000 LESS than that of the 2015 F6B. I think that even the K1600GT is a bit less than the F6B.

[RickJ]

I'm with you RickJ - waiting for the snow to melt and the salt to be washed away up here a few hours north of you. And, like you had been doing, I'm debating whether my attraction to the F6B is well-founded enough for me to make the switch from my 2008 BMW K1200GT. While I love the looks of the F6B, like others have said, the greater comfort it would provide me is the first practical factor, in my mind. I suspect that if money were no object I'd be at the dealer today to make the trade-in, even though I'd be giving up a lot of extra bells and whistles that the K12GT has and the F6B does not (tire pressure monitoring, heated seats, gear indicator, fuel consumption and miles-to-empty read-outs, electrically adjustable windshield, three-position adjustable seat height, removable hard saddlebags and trunk, 12-way electrically adjustable suspension, etc.). In exchange for those features, I'd get more comfortable ergonomics (especially with the addition of highway pegs) and less wind noise (with the installation of a taller windshield). For me, those two benefits probably outweigh all of the other characteristics of my Beemer.

I do want to question your indication that BMWs are "too pricey" in comparison to the F6B, however. Maybe you are comparing prices of left-over F6Bs or maybe there is an oddly greater disparity in the prices in New York State compared to up here in Ontario, but here in Ottawa the MSRP for the 2015 BMW R1200RT (a bike that most reviews crown as the best sport touring bike available today) is actually about $2,000 LESS than that of the 2015 F6B. I think that even the K1600GT is a bit less than the F6B.

Hmmm My "budget" was around 17K including tax. I got the 2013 for 16200 plus tax. The BMW I was looking at was the R1200RT which was essentially 22,700 before taxes at MaxBMW in the Albany NY area. For ME, part of the equation was the fact that the F6B was SO different from my Triumph I could justify keeping the Trumpet (to ME, not my wife) and now have a sporty bike, a dirt bike (250 Kawa) and the fantastic road cruiser. My triumph is basically good for just under 100 miles before it gets uncomfortable, but I KNOW that if I had sold it, I'd regret it now and then...

[RSMIKE]

Traded my K1200RS 03 and thought the same thing more comfortable ride. Here in Ohio new
K1600 go for 26000, don't think wind will bother me since I had a short wind screen on the Beemer.

[CheesyRider]

Congrats on the new bike, RickJ! :clap2:
My last bike was an FJR1300. I think you made the right choice to get the F6B instead of the FJR.

[Old Ryder]

Its not a question of the wind , it's the bugs. The wind I can take.

The bugs or the wind are not the issue for me. It is the radio. You can't hear it at all over 60 with out a different shield. If you do most of your riding in the city at reduced speeds, then it is not a big deal.

[RoadSurfer]

Not to belabor the point (it's almost totally irrelevant here), but, just for the record:

The US BMW website page on the 2015 K1600GT (http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en/index.html) indicates the "2015 MSRP starting at $21,650 (including ABS)," while the Honda site for the 2015 F6B indicates that the starting price (for the base model) is $20,499 and the so-called Deluxe version is $21,499 - so even in this category the Beemers cannot really be said to be significantly pricier than the F6B.

[RickJ]

Not to belabor the point (it's almost totally irrelevant here), but, just for the record:

The US BMW website page on the 2015 K1600GT (http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en/index.html) indicates the "2015 MSRP starting at $21,650 (including ABS)," while the Honda site for the 2015 F6B indicates that the starting price (for the base model) is $20,499 and the so-called Deluxe version is $21,499 - so even in this category the Beemers cannot really be said to be significantly pricier than the F6B.

True. And the person who posted the original price observation [edit...whoops-it was you!] also distinguished between a leftover and 2015. The BMW I was looking at was pricier- I also didn't want to get into the reliability quagmire in this discussion, but suffice to say my Honda dealer is 4 miles away and the BMW almost 70. That said, the BMW dealer has some sort of pick-up service for certain issues/models. Nevertheless, I was more comfortable with the new Honda at my price point than a BMW that, FOR WHAT I WANTED, would have been 5K more.And, not to beat a dead horse, but the thought of keeping my Triumph with the Honda made the F6B concept all the sweeter.

[2bikemike]

Welcome to the group. I too am waiting for the saltwash so we can start riding. I am a few hours north of you and from what I see around there are a few members from around the upstate area.

[53driver]

Welcome to the group. I too am waiting for the saltwash so we can start riding. I am a few hours north of you and from what I see around there are a few members from around the upstate area.

Looking for "low-sodium" pavement down here in Philly too......

[jkelley]

Hats off to our northern brothers. Personally I don't know how you do it. I did Chicago for about 17 years and finally got out. Havent been back and don't plan to ever go north of the mason Dixon line ever again. It's bad enough down here this year and I'm about batshit crazy having not ridden in three weeks, but looks like we should be good to go here in a few days. I don't think I could handle a new bike being held at the dealer while winter looms onward.

[Reedman71]

Here in South Central Pa, we should be getting a string of 50 degree days in the next week or two. That means that my riding season will officially start!

[bigbird]

It's bad enough down here this year and I'm about batshit crazy having not ridden in three weeks

I'd give my teeth to have only a 3 week "winter" season.
Try no riding for 22 weeks every winter.

[Madmax]

Just riding the enduro and quads down here in south eastrn Pa ... right on the NJ / Pa line . My girl lives over near the Tapinzee ... I thought they used alot of salt by me but its just crazy amounts there .
The salt is my only limiting factor .

[RickJ]

most people here won't ride till a few rains after the melt. Re: the horrors of winter- I agree except it may be the price for a spring that is a powerful affirmation of rebirth, a fall that5 will take your breath away with it's beauty, a summer that is warm but comfortably mild with only a few "scorchers" and the winter that reminds us that we humans are NOT at the top of events- there is a power greater than us calling the shots!!

Yes, there are days I'd trade, but by and large I'm here because I choose to be...well, except for NY gun laws and taxes...maybe I'll rethink all that flowery prose I just spewed!!

[jkelley]

I'd give my teeth to have only a 3 week "winter" season.
Try no riding for 22 weeks every winter.

NO friggin way. the only thing I might offer is U-Haul has a lot of trucks.

[2bikemike]

most people here won't ride till a few rains after the melt. Re: the horrors of winter- I agree except it may be the price for a spring that is a powerful affirmation of rebirth, a fall that5 will take your breath away with it's beauty, a summer that is warm but comfortably mild with only a few "scorchers" and the winter that reminds us that we humans are NOT at the top of events- there is a power greater than us calling the shots!!

Yes, there are days I'd trade, but by and large I'm here because I choose to be...well, except for NY gun laws and taxes...maybe I'll rethink all that flowery prose I just spewed!!

Well said. As much as I hate that first day when I know there will be no riding for 4-5 months I wouldn't live anywhere else.