Yamaha FJR 1300 - the "Weapon"

 Well have just come off the Iron Butt Rally 2023, where I rode a 2008 Yamaha FJR 1300 AE, to non-victory - I did not quite get enough points and am viewed as a "non-finisher". I had bought the bike four years earlier, with multi-day rallies in mind, but covid and flight restrictions got in the way. But that is not what this blog is about;

When Yamaha released the first Generation 1 FJR in 2001, it was an instant hit. Sports bike riders finally had a mean-machine which also came with a comfortable seat, electronic screen, panniers - and 154 BHP of power on tap. Yamaha effectively created the category "Sports Tourer" and others have followed, such as BMW with the K1600 GT or the Kawasaki 1400GT.

My first experience with my (two) FJRs was not all joy. This is a big, heavy bike with 1300 cc four-cylinder engine. (295 Kg wet, 650 pounds). At Australian speeds of 65mph (110km/hr) it is just so un-necessary - when you twist the throttle, you get tyre-tearing speed and acceleration. This bike is truly a "weapon" for experienced riders. Top speed is 154 mph (!) and that is nearly 250km/hour. So for many, getting over 100 mph is half the joy and it is truly useful trying to pass large trucks on the interstate - a "safety feature" sometimes in the USA. But it will definitely get you a speeding ticket in Australia. Riding the US interstates I suddenly "got it" when I needed to pass a truck at about 75mph - above this speed, the bike really comes alive and is an absolute joy to ride over 90 mph. The opposite is also true - bring your best counter-steering skills at slow speeds and try very hard not to drop the bike on grass or gravel. 

The seating position is very good, upright and quite neutral. My bike had small bar-risers, and a Russell Day-Long heated seat, but very useful. I had added peg-lowers to get the footpegs to a height suiting my 6 foot frame, and these assisted too, but made tight cornering in the hills of West Virginia, a little more problematic - raise my toes on each corner! As a side benefit, I can comfortably stand on the pegs on this bike just like an offroad model, which allows another option for leg-stretching. 

My bike also has a very neat auxilliary tank, where the pillion passenger would sit. This was a buying feature for me, along with the seat. It needed a backrest, which I added care of a garden knealer from Lowes. The main tank is 6.6 US Gallons (25 Litres) and is good for 200 miles. The combined set-up was 11.5 gallons and good for about 330 miles - not enough for this long distance rider - I would have preferred the 30 or 35 litre tanks on the GSA. If I was making the FJR a long term bike, I would purchase a Gen3 model and create a "FrankenTank" from the main one via a stretch of the main tank.

The newer models have a six speed clutch and modern dash, factory cruise-control but also different suspension and lights. If you want one of these, buy a General 3 model and get the many benefits that Yamaha has added to the new bikes. Mine was fitted with the MC Cruise system from Melbourne (on both bikes) which is excellent and almost ubiquitous on the earlier models.

The bike does not come with any protection bars either for protecting the panniers, or the engine plastics - I recommend somthing, and chose the RGAZA Russion options, which were beautifully made and allowed mounting of some touring pegs rather nicely. The Garand Italian versions are no longer made, but maybe we can see new versions of these soon. 

The suspension is OK. It certainly beats anything Harley, especially at the rear. The front is no comparison to the BMW and dives a little under harsh braking. Similarly fior the lighting which is very much improved on the latest versions. I have added the simply brilliant Clearwater "Erica's" which I cannot recommend enough and clearly saved my bacon in the pouring rain of South Carolina recently. 

It would be possible to write a whole article on maintenance. Suffice it to say that the battery is in a slightly awkward position under plastic on the front right bar, so bring the right Allen Keys. However, the bike is a shaft drive, which has all sorts of advantages - just remember to change the drive oil, as many owners do not.

In summary - 

Pluses - bulk power on tap, a great screen, incredibly reliable engine, comfortable ride position.

Negatives - A heavy bike, high gas useage low in height, average wind protection, ordinary suspension and lights. On the earlier models, only five gears. Many of these items were resolved in the Generation 3 version of the bike. 

So if you want to cross the continent with a passenger and a load of luggage, this may well be the bike for you.