I agree with your above statement except this one. The VStar is a V-twin I think and the FJR is an inline four. Two totally different beasts.
Low end torque is nice I agree. I like it in my H6 Valkyrie. But at 6500 RPM redline it runs out of steam pretty fast. I guess I just like to rev the engine out and don't mind a downshift or two.
OMG you’re so right on the FJR engine.
Don’t know how I understood different and got that wrong.
Some FJR riders had the Vstar 1300 previously and get this!
A few others if that many who owned the VStar and myself brought changing out the drive belt engine pulley using the one on the FJR.
I myself brought it to the VStar 1300 forums a long time back around 2009ish. With very detailed Rpm and Speedo readings from both pulleys. I was one of the few that had an aftermarket Cobra tach on my bike as the VStar didn’t come with one.
The pulley swap worked out for other interstate riders after my post as well.
I don’t know if I’ll ever take the time to find the threads. I posted boatloads on the pulley swap and, well, as you know my posts are stupid long.
The FJR engine pulley was an exact fit on the VStar 1300 and when swapped it lowered RPMs on the VStar by about 200 at 80 MPH this put the VStar engine Rpm in a nice sweet spot when cruising at 80 MPH GPS speed because the VStar was only a five speed.
It ALSO greatly corrected the 5 MPH speedo error on the VStar which ALWAYS exaggerated your speed,
It was the best mod I ever did to a motorcycle and actually I had a known Harley independent shop swap the pulley for me when I had them put on a new rear tire.
I bought the pulley used on EBay.
The slightly higher gear ratio was PERFECT for interstate riders like me and the hit to slow speed acceleration was barely noticeable if at all.
I never understood why a sport bike had a taller gear ratio, now I know or I forgot as it was a while ago.
If I can find the thread from that VStar forum I’ll post it here but it was well over ten years ago. Right now it’s just after 5 am and I’m going back to bed.
That VStar 1300 was special to me, I enjoyed the tweaks to make it the bike I needed and wanted for my style of riding. Really enjoyed it. When I traded it for the new 2014 Road King, the Road King was so ultimately perfect for my wife and I it was almost boring LOL in an awesome way.
I know the Valkyrie references back from those days. Can’t remember everything but know I conversed with someone in the forum and think even met up one time. Long ago and foggy on it.
BTW believe it or not the lack of a 6th gear was also a common complaint for Goldwing riders who like me traveled at GPS speeds of 80MPH. They would complain their MPGs would go in the toilet at those speeds. I always mention gps speeds as many bikes and seems like many of them metrics had the speedo error.
I would get kickback on this all the time but I’m sure these manufacturers could have produced bikes with an accurate speedo yet for some strange reason bikes with 5 speeds always had the speedo error and made you look like you were traveling faster than you were at interstate speed. Seemed a bit hmmmm self serving for the manufacturer due to lack of the 6th gear,
Yes I say conspiracy! Some die hard GW riders would defend GW but most understood they wished for the 6th and as we know GW finally added one many years later.