Yamaha FJR 1300

Comfortable, economic and high build quality - that's the strongest Yamaha FJR 1300 points. There are so many experienced riders out there reporting a revelation and what a surprise shifting from BWM’s!

It is now very well established sport touring motorcycle that will amaze not only long distance riders but it is quick enough to embarrass those on typical sport machines. The engine is 16 valves inline 4-cylinder, offering a lot of power and torque from the midrange. The only downside in its early days was at the low revs, when crawling along slow traffic needed much clutch slip and care to avoid stalling. This seemed to be improved in 2008 when changes were made to the throttle feel to improve low speed throttle transition.

Yamaha FJR1300 was first introduced in 2001 and has undergone some important changes in 2006 with better fairing, wider range of screen adjustment and adjustable seat and handlebar height. The AS model, with automatic gear box had heated grips too. Importantly, the passenger foot pegs were moved down and forward making the motorcycle very comfortable for both the rider and the pillion.

Main features that you should consider when choosing one for yourself include:

As you can see it is one of the heaviest sport touring motorcycles, the only heavier is the Honda ST-1300. It is not the easiest to push around your garage but you'd be astonished how easy the bike handles once you get on the move. It is all-rounder useful day to day, offering miles of fun and fast cruising with a very good tank range.

Yamaha FJR 1300 - advantages

More on the good points is the shaft drive, meaning no maintenance. Now not everyone likes shafts because they often lose some power in the drive system and have some tail twist due to torque transfer. The FJR though doesn't seem to suffer from either of these weaknesses. All the power seems to transfer smoothly to the rear wheel and without any noticeable twist or instability. So not having to look after a chain is a bonus. The superb breaks are equipped with ABS: The front brake lever activates six of the eight front braking pistons and the rear brake pedal activates two rear pistons and the other two front pistons—provides balanced anti-lock braking in all conditions.

The headlights are the bike's strong point too and are easily adjustable. The full fairing is also excellent giving you lots of wind and rain protection when needed. Being Yamaha the build quality is very high giving no corrosion issues! There is no surprise though that it's hard to find a late and low millage model.

Yamaha FJR 1300 - few minuses

On the few disadvantages the rear shock is not the greatest after 10,000 miles and the rear suspension adjustment is limited. The screen position can be tricky to get just right and some seen the wind turbulence becoming an issue at higher speeds together with little of tingling through the bars but nothing serious. Another downside of Yamaha FJR 1300 reported by some riders is the engine heat that can be felt around your ankles after about 10 minutes in the city traffic. This may be a problem especially in the hot day.

Since 2006 the luggage came as standard. It combines two side cases of 30 liters capacity each allowing you to fit a full face helmet in each. So it is a decent size set only if you tour by yourself without the camping gear. You can also upgrade the set to a genuine Yamaha top box that will give you additional 39 liters. That's much better if you considering taking your pillion, although still tight in my opinion. A good option would be to put a GIVI top box that offers up to 52 liters more capacity.

All in all, Yamaha FJR1300 is one of the most comfortable sport touring motorcycle with top quality and fantastic look. In other words: a sports bike with all the comforts of a tourer with obscene performance. It’s pricey but at the end, you get what you pay for. Once you have it, you will want to keep it.

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