MikeL
27th July 2004, 22:06
In view of the fact that naked Jap muscle bikes are not overly represented among KBers (I can think of a GSX1400 and that's about all...), I thought some of you might be interested in the reasons why I ride an XJR.
First of all, a frank confession: I would prefer to be on a 1300. It's a better bike, without doubt. But good XJR1300s are going for a couple of thousand more than 1200s with equivalent mileage and condition. And the difference, to my mind, doesn't justify the extra cost. The only 1300 I could find in my price range was ex-Japan, no service history, and 36,000 km on the clock. I was about to buy it (for $9,000) when I found my 1200, a 1999 model (must be one of the last ones made), 1 owner, full service history, 13,000 km, for $8,500. In an agony of indecision, I test rode both bikes twice for comparison and finally went for the 1200. I haven't regretted it. The 1300 has about 6 or 7 more horses, Ohlins rear shocks and the same brakes as the R1. The 1200 has more power than I need, perfectly competent handling for my riding style and speed, and quite adequate brakes.
The XJR replaced my GSX1200 and the two bikes were clearly designed for the same market and with the same performance and styling parameters in mind. I bought the GSX because I'm an old fart and I go for the retro look. And I replaced it with the XJR for the same reason. The XJR I think has slightly better build quality but I would be happy with either. These bikes are what bikes looked like before they started to get hidden behind ridiculously expensive sheets of plastic. They're not sports bikes, not tourers, not cruisers, but to my mind they have some of the best features of all 3 types. To some extent you choose what you want them to be. Sit back, take it easy, admire the scenery. Or lean forward, twist the throttle and catch up with the 600s at least on the straight, if not in the corners. The wheelbase and weight mean that you'll never rival an R6 round the twisties, and of course they are outclassed on the track by any proper sports bike, but that doesn't mean you can't have a lot of fun. You just need to develop a different technique to get the most out of them. On my CB-1 I just need to think "corner" and the bike seems to obey without perceptible effort. The XJR needs to be handled more firmly and with more conscious involvement, but rewards you with a feeling of mastery and control that are quite different and very satisfying. When I first got it I found the front end a bit twitchy but careful attention to tyre pressures (it likes 36-37 psi) and a change to heavier fork oil have improved the handling considerably. When sold new the XJR1200 had a 130 front and 170 rear tyre. The first thing most owners did, I found out, was to change to 120 front and 180 rear - something the previous owner of mine had obviously done when he replaced the original tyres with Metzelers.
The engine is basically an FJ1200 reworked to produce lower hp and higher torque. In standard form it is rated at 98 bhp at 8,000 rpm and around 85 Nm at 6,000 rpm. It doesn't seem to matter what gear you are in, there's is always a surge of acceleration from almost any speed. At 100 km/h the engine is doing a lazy 3,500 revs in top gear (at the same speed the CB-1 is spinning madly at 7,000) but overtaking can be done quickly and safely without changing down. Dropping down to 4th or 3rd however adds a bit of exhilaration.You could do quite nicely simply leaving it in 3rd gear for everything - town, motorway, whatever. Top speed is pretty academic considering the fact that at anything over about 190 the rider will have been blown off anyway, but according to most sources I've found it's around 225. I have put on a Spitfire screen which improves things considerably above 120, but actually seems to produce more buffeting and turbulence between about 95 and 110.
Seating position is fairly upright (but not as much as the GSX - there is a little more weight on the wrists, but still a lot more comfortable than the CB-1 for long distances) and the seat height at 790mm suits me (1.80m) perfectly. It's a heavy bike (about 230 kg dry - the 1300 is lighter) and manoeuvring into parking spaces requires a bit of effort but you get used to it.
From what I've read the XJR is very reliable and maintenance costs are reasonable. The 21 litre fuel tank gives a range of about 250 km before hitting reserve which is more than adequate for most touring.
Minor criticisms include the gearbox which is not quite as slick as the GSX (I never knew what a false neutral was until I got the XJR!) and a fairly heavy clutch lever that you start to notice in Auckland traffic. Also the headlight is not quite as powerful as I would like.
Why choose an XJR (or GSX or CB1300)? It obviously has limited appeal for many bikers who probably consider it a compromise that doesn't do any one thing particularly well. But for me the combination of good looks, performance, comfort and reliability and value for money make it as close to the ideal all-rounder as I'm ever likely to find.
First of all, a frank confession: I would prefer to be on a 1300. It's a better bike, without doubt. But good XJR1300s are going for a couple of thousand more than 1200s with equivalent mileage and condition. And the difference, to my mind, doesn't justify the extra cost. The only 1300 I could find in my price range was ex-Japan, no service history, and 36,000 km on the clock. I was about to buy it (for $9,000) when I found my 1200, a 1999 model (must be one of the last ones made), 1 owner, full service history, 13,000 km, for $8,500. In an agony of indecision, I test rode both bikes twice for comparison and finally went for the 1200. I haven't regretted it. The 1300 has about 6 or 7 more horses, Ohlins rear shocks and the same brakes as the R1. The 1200 has more power than I need, perfectly competent handling for my riding style and speed, and quite adequate brakes.
The XJR replaced my GSX1200 and the two bikes were clearly designed for the same market and with the same performance and styling parameters in mind. I bought the GSX because I'm an old fart and I go for the retro look. And I replaced it with the XJR for the same reason. The XJR I think has slightly better build quality but I would be happy with either. These bikes are what bikes looked like before they started to get hidden behind ridiculously expensive sheets of plastic. They're not sports bikes, not tourers, not cruisers, but to my mind they have some of the best features of all 3 types. To some extent you choose what you want them to be. Sit back, take it easy, admire the scenery. Or lean forward, twist the throttle and catch up with the 600s at least on the straight, if not in the corners. The wheelbase and weight mean that you'll never rival an R6 round the twisties, and of course they are outclassed on the track by any proper sports bike, but that doesn't mean you can't have a lot of fun. You just need to develop a different technique to get the most out of them. On my CB-1 I just need to think "corner" and the bike seems to obey without perceptible effort. The XJR needs to be handled more firmly and with more conscious involvement, but rewards you with a feeling of mastery and control that are quite different and very satisfying. When I first got it I found the front end a bit twitchy but careful attention to tyre pressures (it likes 36-37 psi) and a change to heavier fork oil have improved the handling considerably. When sold new the XJR1200 had a 130 front and 170 rear tyre. The first thing most owners did, I found out, was to change to 120 front and 180 rear - something the previous owner of mine had obviously done when he replaced the original tyres with Metzelers.
The engine is basically an FJ1200 reworked to produce lower hp and higher torque. In standard form it is rated at 98 bhp at 8,000 rpm and around 85 Nm at 6,000 rpm. It doesn't seem to matter what gear you are in, there's is always a surge of acceleration from almost any speed. At 100 km/h the engine is doing a lazy 3,500 revs in top gear (at the same speed the CB-1 is spinning madly at 7,000) but overtaking can be done quickly and safely without changing down. Dropping down to 4th or 3rd however adds a bit of exhilaration.You could do quite nicely simply leaving it in 3rd gear for everything - town, motorway, whatever. Top speed is pretty academic considering the fact that at anything over about 190 the rider will have been blown off anyway, but according to most sources I've found it's around 225. I have put on a Spitfire screen which improves things considerably above 120, but actually seems to produce more buffeting and turbulence between about 95 and 110.
Seating position is fairly upright (but not as much as the GSX - there is a little more weight on the wrists, but still a lot more comfortable than the CB-1 for long distances) and the seat height at 790mm suits me (1.80m) perfectly. It's a heavy bike (about 230 kg dry - the 1300 is lighter) and manoeuvring into parking spaces requires a bit of effort but you get used to it.
From what I've read the XJR is very reliable and maintenance costs are reasonable. The 21 litre fuel tank gives a range of about 250 km before hitting reserve which is more than adequate for most touring.
Minor criticisms include the gearbox which is not quite as slick as the GSX (I never knew what a false neutral was until I got the XJR!) and a fairly heavy clutch lever that you start to notice in Auckland traffic. Also the headlight is not quite as powerful as I would like.
Why choose an XJR (or GSX or CB1300)? It obviously has limited appeal for many bikers who probably consider it a compromise that doesn't do any one thing particularly well. But for me the combination of good looks, performance, comfort and reliability and value for money make it as close to the ideal all-rounder as I'm ever likely to find.