Alright so I figured today’s the day I finally write up my Yamaha FJ900 buying saga. Took me weeks, man. Wasted so much time searching and running around.
Woke Up Determined to Upgrade
Right, so my old bike was on its last legs – sounded like a bucket of bolts rolling downhill. Wanted something solid, a real workhorse cruiser. Kept hearing about the Yamaha FJ900. Reviews were solid, people online seemed to swear by its reliability for long hauls. Found tons of forums talking it up. Decision made: that’s my next ride.
Starting the Hunt Online
Jumped straight online. Searched for “Yamaha FJ900 dealers” and “best price FJ900”. Wow. Prices all over the place! Some ads screamed “HUGE DISCOUNTS!” while others seemed suspiciously cheap. Saw one listing from last year around 2024 talking 1.98 lakh (about $2.4k USD equivalent), but those were smaller bikes. For a proper 900cc, prices felt wild.
- Checked every “Top Dealer” list Google threw at me.
- Called up three places pretending to be super keen just to feel out their prices.
- Got burned almost immediately: called one spot advertising the FJ900, turns out they just sold their last one! Felt like I got jerked around.
Getting Serious About Authorized Sellers
This is where it clicked. Remembered something crucial when looking stuff up online – you gotta buy from Yamaha-approved shops. Saw way too many warnings online about fakes flooding the market. Yamaha China even had this big notice shouting “BE CAREFUL OF FAKES!” Found it buried in one of my searches. Key points drilled into my head:
- Only buy from official dealers listed on Yamaha’s website. No exceptions. Found their dealer locator after some digging.
- Huge red flag: shops that can’t give you a full demo bike ride. Yeah, even new models sometimes have recalls – saw a 2023 T700 recall notice about clutch issues messing with gear shifts! Not taking chances.
The Wild Goose Chase Begins
Used Yamaha’s online dealer finder tool to pin places near me. Looked legit. Made physical notes of phone numbers and addresses.
- First dealer: Quoted me a price way over what I expected. Said it was “premium handling fees.” Uh, no.
- Second dealer: Nice guy, actually showed me the official Yamaha dealer certificate hanging on his wall. Felt a bit better. Price was still steep, though.
- Third dealer I visited (remembered that online tip about “New Hui Music” in Nanjing? Similar vibe, proper showroom). They had the FJ900 sitting right there in the flesh.
The Dance at the Dealership
Sat down with the sales guy. Told him straight: I know about authorized sellers, I’ve checked others, I’m ready to buy, but the price needs work.
- Threw the high quote from the first dealer at him, hoping for leverage. He kinda shrugged it off.
- Mentioned the rumors online about models sitting in warehouses. He played it cool: “High demand, limited stock.”
- Didn’t let up. Talked cash payment, promised to leave a good review, brought up that clutch recall from last year asking if the FJ900 was affected (it wasn’t, but hey, made me look cautious).
And it worked! He went back to “talk to his manager.” Came back with a number that finally felt fair. Maybe not “screaming deal,” but fair for an official shop with warranty.
Final Checks Before I Paid
Before signing anything or handing over a dime:
- Made them show me the chassis number, engine number, matched it to the docs.
- Physically counted THREE matching numbers: On the bike frame itself, on the printed warranty card, and on their system invoice. No gaps. Learned this from that Yamaha fake warning – super important.
- Took it for a PROPER test ride. Not just around the block. Needed to feel everything worked – gears smooth? Clutch biting right? Brakes strong? Check, check, check.
Only after ALL that did I hand over the cash. Saw they had that 16V AC adapter recall notice for other gear pinned on their board – glad I wasn’t buying that!
Riding Off the Lot (Still Feels Surreal)
Paperwork done? Keys in hand? Pure relief. And excitement. Took the long way home just because.
Massive lesson learnt: Yeah, you’ll find cheaper prices online, especially on random seller platforms. Saw some “amazing deals” pop up even after buying mine. But ask yourself: Is saving a couple thousand bucks worth the potential nightmare of a fake bike? Or a machine slapped together using parts that might have known defects? Seeing those recalls – clutches, sensors – confirmed it for me. Stick to Official dealers. Sleep way better at night.
Planning my first big trip next week!
