RideA Report 2003 FJR1300

Rideamotorcycle.com is the newest motorcycle Internet web site, one that takes a totally fresh approach to catering to the street-oriented two-wheeled enthusiast. Rideamotorcycle.com is focused on 3 groups; the established street motorcycle rider, new motorcyclists, or those who do not currently ride motorcycles but are curious about learning to do so. Rideamotorcycle.com LLC Editor at Large: Bill Heald Webmaster: Mark Lesselyoung Publisher: Dean Adams Get Outta Town Yamaha's FJR1300 Can Carry You Well Beyond The Straight & Narrow By Evans Brasfield A school of thought, which was developed around the time that "As Seen on TV" became a major product selling point, holds as its major tenet that any tool trying to combine two seemingly contradictory functions into one package will perform neither task well. While not necessarily proving this doctrine, the sport touring class of motorcycles has long shown that when designing a bike to perform disparate functions, the engineers inevitably must choose sides. That is...until now. Just look at what the sport touring class has previously offered: Honda's ST1100--soon to be ST1300 which I have yet to ride--and Kawasaki's Concourse stake out the touring end of the equation. While you can take sporty rides on these machines, their job description clearly leans in the direction of the Interstate. Ducati's ST4s unrepentantly pitches its tent in the sporting-machine-with-bags category. Ironically, what has been perhaps the most balanced combination of sporting sharpness and touring comfort, Honda's VFRs didn't offer factory bags--even as an option--until this summer. And, well, BMW has always chosen to go its own way. Yamaha took a gander at the sport touring class, and decided it was possible to make a motorcycle that appealed to the horizon tilting kid (ital)and(ital) the mileage eating adult in all of us. The result was the FJR1300. A quick look at the spec sheet says the project was sure to be a success. However, the company made one mistake: The FJR1300 was only available in Europe for the past two years. Prior to the Internet age, keeping a bike like this a secret would have been just about impossible. Thanks to our instant access to information, the reaction to Yamaha's oversight has been prolonged and vociferous. The company heard the pleas, and the FJR1300 will arrive on US shores later this summer as an early release 2003 model. But most of you knew that already, didn't you? Beyond the straight and narrow Yamaha FJR1300 Specifications Retail price: $11,499 Overall length: 86.4 inches Wheelbase: 59.6 inches Seat height: 31.7 inches Engine type: Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, inline four Displacement: 1298cc Bore x stroke: 79.0 x 66.2 mm Fuel capacity: 6.6 gallons Reserve: 1.: Shaft Transmission: Constant mesh 5-speed Frame: Twin spar aluminum, engine as stressed member Rake: 26 degrees Trail: 4.3 inches Front wheel: 17 x MT3.5 inch cast aluminum Rear wheel: 17 x MT5.5 inch cast aluminum Tires: Metzeler MEZ4 Front brake: 298mm dual-disc Rear brake: 282mm single-disc Front suspension: Telescopic forks, 48mm stanchions, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping Rear suspension: Reservoir shock adjustable for preload (firm/soft) and rebound damping A quick look at the FJR's chassis shows that Yamaha dipped deeply into its sport bike heritage for the style and function of the frame. No clunky, old-tech, tubular stuff here. The twin spars are diamond-shaped, hollow cast-aluminum bits usually found on the race reps. Add in an engine used as a stressed member and a detachable aluminum subframe, and your next glance will probably be at the suspension components. Did they evolve from R1/R6 DNA, too? The fork is a fully adjustable 48mm Soqi unit, and the rear is a shock adjustable for preload and rebound only. (Ah, the first hint of touring intent.) The real tip-off of the FJR's touring orientation is at the other end of the swing arm: a shaft drive. (If the drive housing looks familiar, you've obviously been acquainted with the venerable V-Max during your riding career.) A shaft drive? Heresy in a bike meant to be cranked over in turns, right? Well, think how much nicer life will be on your next road trip, when you're tired from the day's 600 miles and don't have to squat down on the hot pavement in the hotel parking lot to lube the dang chain. Makes sense, no? And those clever folks in Yamaha R&D found a way to avoid the biggest trade-off of a shaft drive. By borrowing from the R1's engine arrangement of stacking the transmission above the crank, the shaft drive connects to the engine lower and further forward than previous shaft driven engines. The longer swing arm facilitated by this arrangement helps to minimize the shaft-effect of jacking the rear end under acceleration or, even worse, squatting and thus limiting ground clearance when power is dialed off in a corner. The FJR's 1298cc engine may borrow ideas from previous Yamaha mills, but the package itself is an all-new affair. The single-piece cylinder and crankcase add to the overall chassis rigidity since the engine is a stressed member. To keep the vibes away--another touring concern--dual gear-driven secondary counter balancers keep the mirrors clear and the feeling in your fingers and toes. Including a five-speed transmission was an odd choice for a bike with long distance aspirations. A sixth cog would seem to make sense for those unavoidable interstate drones. Producing the power pulses the transmission sends towards the shaft are a set of forged pistons mounted to carburized connecting rods for durability. Similarly, the cylinders are ceramic coated affairs to lessen friction and therefore wear. Combustables enter and egress through a (gasp) four valve head. Yamaha tuned this engine for low- and mid-range grunt, rendering the fifth valve unnecessary. The press kit claims 145 hp at 8500 rpm, and the seat of the pants dyno concurs, noting that the torque curve feels flat and wide. This impressive power plant gets its fuel from a cavernous 6.6 gallon tank, via an emissions friendly fuel injection system. Intended for the long haul in a variety of conditions, the FJR's engine has its mixture monitored and massaged based on readings from an intake pressure sensor, throttle position sensor, cylinder identification sensor, crankshaft position sensor, water temperature sensor, intake temperature sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, and oxygen sensor. The long and short of all these sensors is that the ECU is able to control the fuel metering for conditions as they change on both the intake and exhaust, making it possible to deliver the proper mixture for weather, altitude, and riding state. Riders notice more consistent power delivery from the saddle, and the environment receives the benefit of emissions meeting the tough EU-2 standards. We all win. The view from here Even after reading all of the bike's specifications, riding the FJR1300 is still a revelation. Although it is a big bike, once above walking speed, one would never guess that the FJR weights in at around 620 pounds. A slight flat spot off idle requires a little more throttle and clutch slippage than expected, but in every other situation, when considering the engine, grunt is the operative word. Second and third gears suffice for around town shenanigans. Brisk acceleration is only a wrist turn away. Move on to the highway and you'll notice how amazingly smooth the engine is. No vibration intrudes on the pegs until engine speeds move to the high side of 5000 rpm. Since the tach hovers around 4500 rpm at an indicated 80 mph, you'll be able to feel your extremities after a day in the saddle. Carving off into a twistier environs, you can set the transmission in third or fourth and use the throttle as a big rheostat matching your velocity to the undulations of the tarmac. Reaching for the slick snicking gear shift lever is really only necessary if tap dancing is part of your riding enjoyment. Although the upright riding position gives more than a passing nod to long days in the saddle, bending the FJR into a series of corners demonstrates that you don't need an oragami riding position to get the most out of your favorite two lane twisties. The big Yamaha steers quickly, shrugging off mid-corner changes of line. Despite my best attempts, I couldn't get the shaft drive to misbehave with even ham fisted throttle adjustments. The lack of drive line lash soaked up the minute on-off-on throttle inputs you'd find yourself using on an unfamiliar road, two states from home. The suspension does an admirable job of handling the divergent chores of coddling rider and pillion on the freeway yet keeping the chassis neutral in the mountains. The adjustable fork can be tuned to your liking--unless your tastes lean towards full race. Only when the beefy R1 based brakes come into play does the front end feel a little on the soft side as it compresses from the binders' power. The rear suspension gives you preload settings for highway soft and back road less soft at the flip of a lever. If this two level preload could be maintained while allowing for adjusting the baseline preload, the lack of compression damping control probably wouldn't be missed. Put two large humans on this bike, and the rear will probably feel a little overwhelmed. Riding solo or with more average sized folks aboard, and the suspenders work up to the outskirts of prudence. However, if you've moved beyond occasionally touching down peg feelers, harder, less forgiving parts are just around the corner. While riding from the city to the highway to rural roads or heading out for a weekend jaunt, the wind protection is exceptional. With the windshield in its standard, retracted position, the clear air hits my six foot frame at collar bone level, keeping my helmet in the turbulence free air. Riders just shy of 5'11" may find the buffeting a little noisy since it will be aimed at the base of the helmet. Thumb the windshield button, and you can dial in an extremely calm pocket of air for you and your passenger--a feature the high mileage set will appreciate on cooler days. However, if you've never ridden a bike with a big windshield, you will feel the wind leaning on you back when you're solo. The saddle bags also exhibit all weather functionality. Although it didn't rain here in So. Cal., the bags sealed tightly, keeping the contents dry in a hose soaking. The bags are each capable of holding a full-face helmet or 30 dry liters of oats if you're so inclined. The luggage pops off easily to be toted by built-in handles, easing the move from road to hotel room. Two minor issues concerning the FJR1300 bear mentioning. Riders whose opinions I respect have commented on how they hit their legs on the fairing occasionally. Although I never felt this was a problem, riders whose inseams are longer than my 32 inches may want to check this out. Also, some riders have said that the FJR was excessively hot around the ankles. The likely culprit is the dual catalytic converters located just below the pegs, but again, I didn't feel the heat was uncomfortable or oppressive. In my five days with the FJR1300, I put it through all the paces I'd expect from a sport touring machine. I even went shopping for groceries. Yamaha's got quite a motorcycle here. At $11,499, it's going to sell every one brought into this country. So, if you're interested in this bike, sign up now, or you'll find yourself waiting for the 2004 model. Evans Brasfield is a former feature editor at Motorcycle Cruiser and Sport Rider magazines. He's currently writing 101 Sport Bike Performance Projects for a 2003 release from Motorbooks International.