Most owners were men between the ages of 50 and 64, with the 50–54 contingent making up almost 25% of the group. Model years 2005 and 2006 made up almost equal percentages, about 28%. Most (87%) bought new. Only 7.4% of owners had an AE model (electric shift with ABS), which came out in the 2006 model year. In terms of satisfaction, owners of the 2005 and 2006 models are the most satis- fied: over 95% of owners of those model years rated their bikes a 4 or a 5. Brand loyalty is very strong among owners: Almost 94% of all owners said they would buy another Yamaha based on their experience with the FJR, and 21.9% previously owned other Yamahas.

Owners were less satisfied with parts and accessory availability: 67.2% of owners rated availability as above average or excellent, while 22.3% rated it as average. About 10% gave this a low score. Several owners noted that it took weeks to get certain parts, with a long backorder period. Over 80% of owners said that they used their bikes for weekend rides. About 68% of owners use their FJRs for touring.

Our respondents are experienced riders: more than 50% had owned eight or more motorcycles before owning the FJR, and one owner reported owning more than 35! Previous Honda owners made up 30.9% of the FJR owners, 17.7% had owned BMWs and 11.3% had owned Kawasakis.

Judging from your responses about tour length, we probably should have added a blank that asked you where your favorite touring spots are. Naturally, mountainous regions with their attendant twisties were a favorite spot, which is evident from your pictures. Interestingly, almost a quarter of readers said they camp while touring. Those who took tours longer than 2500 miles camped the most: 32.9%. Definitely a good way to stretch out your money so you can ride more miles.

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