Yamaha FJR

[Hitcher]

That would definitely be worth a UTUBE viewing in my books....

One has neither a video camera or any particular interest in Youtube. One is therefore certifiably old and square.

[Big Dave]

any particular interest in Youtube.

You are missing something.
Much dross - but the nuggets are worth finding.
Get with it.

[Big Dave]

http://homepage.mac.com/david_cohen_...toAlbum16.html

You’d think I would have struck some sort of sentimental chord with the Co-pilot when I first introduced her to the Yamaha FJR1300.

A big, blue top-of-the-range Yamaha sports tourer was on offer when I asked her if she ‘wanted to come out and see my bike?’ on the night I met her more than 25 years ago.

OK, it wasn’t my best line ever, but I just happened to dangle it in front of what turned out to be my soul mate since that moment.

Subsequently our first date, a ride of course, was on what was hailed as the new king of superbikes when it was first released in 1977. A Yamaha XS1100.

I bought it second hand, well hotted up and resprayed in Ducati SS Blue and Silver. I even sold it for the bus fare to chase her across the continent.

So there I am – all lumpy custard, the full circle, the romantic notion of a big, blue and silver ‘Yamie’ in the shed and she asks….‘Is it shaft drive?’

‘Sigh, yep, and a very nice unit it is too.’ And the discussion drifted to the ergonomics.


First Impression

Just like my old XS – the FJR is big, hugely comfortable, fetching to look at and goes like the clappers. Smooth and effortless with everything I tried on it.

And yes, I said goes like the clappers.

Don’t let the efficient bodywork, electric screen and panniers fool you. There is a very tasty 1300cc, Electronically fuel injected, Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 5-valve, in-line four producing 145 horsepower (at 8,500rpm) and 134Nm of torque (at 7,000rpm) from its 79.0 x 66.2 mm bore and stroke located underneath the bodywork - and it’s slung in a package that really is quick.

Wick it up and the thing can boogie. It has the motor, frame, suspension and brakes to be one of my new favourite ‘all round packages’ - ever.

Part of the brilliant handling comes from a very rigid frame and monocross rear end. Part from the more upright and roomy ergos that let us big blokes move around and get some weight off-board in the tight stuff. I found the FJR very comfortable in all conditions.

The only limitation that I noticed is the mirror-tip-to-mirror-tip dimension is quite wide and splitting narrow lanes is not the easiest – it’s a big bike – apart from that, it remains nimble and extremely chuckable no matter what road conditions you throw at it.

I had pegs down on both sides regularly and noted no nervousness anywhere in the handling. I felt real confidence in the front end and hanging off it in the tight stuff was a delight, yet it is just as comfortable to wind up the power blade windscreen, lean back, smell the roses and roll away some open road touring for a few hundred km down Hwy1-2-3-5-27 or 104.

The windsceen took me a few days to get my head around (or under). I wasn’t even sure I liked it at first, but after getting the knack of where it sat for best results at different speeds I started using it like the window of a car. Adjusting the wind flow so that the turbulence hit just below my helmet in touring mode or tucked down and out of the way when attacking the bends. If you want to know what is the optimum fixed height screen for any bike – see if you can borrow a FJR and dial in the height that suits you best. A very good thing.

The overall smoothness of the bike is also quite remarkable. The shaft drive unit is virtually slap and lash free and I noted no torque steer – You can find a small amount of free play in 2nd gear turning left at a ‘T’ intersection, but it is no worse than a chain. Couple it with the effortless smoothness of the motor, a hot-knife-through-butter gearbox, great ergos, solid handling and I couldn’t keep off it.

As is often the case, I didn’t know much about the bike before the Ed threw me the keys. I love doing this job (who wouldn’t) and riding the bikes so much, it’s often a few days riding before I get off and pull out the specifications sheet to investigate what I’m on.

To that end I have to pay the brakes the huge compliment that I didn’t notice that there was a linked system and ABS employed. It works so well I was completely oblivious to it.

Pressure on the back pedal applies some braking force to the front, twin unified disc, stoppers as well. I just thought they were just great brakes, possibly the best rear I had used, till aware of the linked system, although the claim is probably still fair. After you know it’s there – jumping on the pedal and watching the front dip is a hoot.

All in all - whether I was rolling away the kays or punting it through my favourite Hunua twisties I found it very easy and just a downright delight to ride.


City
City riding is just as comfortable as highway touring. Nice and upright and in an ideal counter-steering position while navigating the boulevards is – wait for it – smooth and effortless!

I agree with Yamaha-san that a 5-speed gearbox is all this type of bike needs – gear shifts are minimal and the 1300’s torque pushes it around town in the top cog quite nicely. It pulls strongly from 50kph and has the road presence to turn quite a few heads – it has some lovely modern lines.

I had the bags off for the first ride with the screen down in ‘sports’ mode and flicked and tossed it about town with ease. Later, in the rain, with shield up kept the worst of the showers at bay and the hard luggage kept sports bag and laptop safe and dry .

Anywhere around town the engine never felt laboured or stressed in city traffic or freeway crawl. It remained…smooth and effortless in fact.

Sports
I hooked up with Sarge and his souped up old FJ1200 for a run in sports bike mode over Monument Hill. We called it FJ day.

I always saw the FJ as the successor to my old XS1100 and had to fight off another bout of sentimentality as we punted them around like the big, capable sports bikes they are.

The solid, confidence inspiring handling, precise steering and a wonderful ‘neutral’ feel on the road invite you to push its limits. Ground clearance is pretty good. It’s not hard to get the pegs on the tarmac – but that’s more about the capability and confidence I had in the bike than any real shortcomings in clearance.

We sat and chatted about ‘those old days on a Yamie’ over a coke at Maretai and how we remembered those early incarnations. I jumped online and found a copy of the first XS1100 test from ‘Cycle World’ in 1978:

‘Do you want the most refined ride, the least fussy engine, and the quickest quarter-mile in motorcycling? This new Yamaha has it all.’

Well, 28 years of development later, the quarter mile might be back with Kawasaki, but the FJR is still a contender in the least fussy engine and refinement stakes. In some hard out sports riding I found the bike to be nothing but…smooth and effortless.


Which brings us to Touring
When the long haul beckons, simply adjust the screen to find the best compromise between wind noise and protection, sit back and go, and go, and go.

Deano said he got 350km to the tankful while they were doing the photo shoot, but he is probably a bit more responsible than the big bloke – I only got 300, at the expense of 18.5 litres which would be an un-official 16.2km/l or – pretty good considering the flogging it copped.

It’s not like some bikes where a fuel stop after 150km is a blessing on the behind. The FJR is so…smooth and effortless, that rolling away big numbers is a delight and if there happens to be some tight and twisty stuff along the way – even better.

Ahhh, the stability.
I found touring even more enjoyable because of the stability of the bike – wheelbase is a moderate 1,545mm but it just feels so rock solid (and smooth) on the road. You point it in the direction you want to go and it will hold a line until you tell it to change. Rock solid yet without any compromise in steering at all.

Confidence inspiring and good for the soul. I also found I could take in more of the countryside because of the relaxed road manners. Smell those roses.

Even the large analogue instruments and accompanying digital displays for fuel, gear, temperature, fuel mileage etc are easily sighted in one glance allowing you more time to watch the road or the countryside.

Putting the Co-pilot on the back made virtually no difference to the comfort or performance levels.

She rates the pillion offering as her maximum ‘Very Comfortable’ and was impressed with the stylishly integrated luggage.

The best and easiest pannier on and off system I’ve used. Lift the handle, give the pannier a wiggle and job done. Re-installing is just as easy. Capacity is ‘medium’ and they accommodate a full-face helmet easily.

Overall.
At 264kg dry the FJR1300 fights out of the heavyweight class in most respects.
That counts for capability too.

It’s as comfortable around town as a cruiser, its beautiful handling, brakes and wonderful stability make it quite a potent sports weapon for a larger rider and it if the ‘Grand Challenge’ is on your agenda there are few better steeds for days in the saddle around NZ.

But I guess if I say smooth and effortless one more time the Ed will throw the magazine at me. At least he’s more sentimental than the Co-pilot.

[imdying]

I gotta say I'm quite looking forward to getting old... hearing time and time again that the sports tourers are rapidly becoming a whole heap of fun compared to the slow handling, heavy sacks of crap they used to be

[Toaster]

As for screens - I have found some bikes with screens can badly buffet your head aboiut if you are the wrong height for the bike - always wise to properly test ride at open road speeds to check stuff like that.

[Hitcher]

I've changed the screen on my FJR from the standard fare to the Givi replacement. The difference is appreciable. I may change again in a couple of months to try the model that the Dutch Police use for their FJRs. Apparently it's a ripper.

[Big Dave]

I gotta say I'm quite looking forward to getting old... hearing time and time again that the sports tourers are rapidly becoming a whole heap of fun compared to the slow handling, heavy sacks of crap they used to be

Bull.
I've has some great handling, fast sports tourers. Since I was 19.

[Meanie]

Thanks everyone i am going for a test ride in the morning only problem is last time i took a bike out for a test ride i wouldnt get off it
Thanks for the kb report big dave i got that copy here, it caught my eye when i was at the book shop a few months ago
So ill let you know how i get on tomorrow
All reports so far is they are great bikes

[imdying]

Bull.
I've has some great handling, fast sports tourers. Since I was 19.

Everything is relative...

[cowboyz]

Everything is relative...

you talking about Northland?

Oh sorry.. I thought you said Everyone is relative....

[Bonez]

Thanks everyone i am going for a test ride in the morning only problem is last time i took a bike out for a test ride i wouldnt get off it

Circumnavigation of the North Island then? Due for some sick leave.

[Big Dave]

Everything is relative...

Isn't it - 'where there's a will - there's a relative.' ?

[imdying]

Isn't it - 'where there's a will - there's a relative.' ?

Heh, that's one of my favourites

What I meant was things like the FJR (peak of sports touring) are being compared more and more often to things like the GSXR1000 (peak of sports)... where as things like the old GTRs weren't really comparable to a GSXR750. The lines are becoming severely blurred, where as before they were somewhat more distinct.

[Hitcher]

Thanks everyone i am going for a test ride in the morning only problem is last time i took a bike out for a test ride i wouldnt get off it
Thanks for the kb report big dave i got that copy here, it caught my eye when i was at the book shop a few months ago
So ill let you know how i get on tomorrow.
All reports so far is they are great bikes

I predict you'll only want to get off when you run out of gas -- at about 420km.

[rustys]

Hi Meanie, saw you at TeAraroa last, on the four points run. Get an FJ mate i have just bought one for just the same reason as you want one, i got a 2004. Big Dave has said it all for me. I can easily get the 350klms out of it sitting at the 110-120klm per hr and thats two up. For comfort for those long hauls brillant. Luggage system faultless, mine has the large Givi top box fits two helmets at a pinch.I am changing the screen to a "Cee Bailey" flip top 3" taller and 3" wider. Go on the web and check out the FJR 1300.com sites.
Won't gas on any more its all been said in the thread.
Happy riding your FJR 1300