Demo ride on Yamaha FJR1300A

The Yamaha FJR1300A

I had the opportunity the other day to try out the 2009 Yamaha FJR1300A, a sport-touring bike that I figured could be on my list next time I'm shopping for a motorcycle. I came away with mixed feelings.

Before I get into details, let me set the basis for this and any other bike testing I report on. I'm not a tech guy, interested in the latest and coolest equipment, and I'm not a go-fast guy, looking for the most power and speed. I'm primarily a touring rider and I care about a motorcycle being something I can ride all day in comfort and being dependable and requiring little other than standard maintenance.

My observations and comments will be based on my experience riding the bike relative to the things that matter to me. I can't speak with any authority about mechanical or technological aspects of the bike.

I came to the FJR with high expectations. I've eyed them with desire for many years, and with an opportunity to ride one I jumped on it.

The first thing I noticed was how heavy the FJR is lifting if off the stand to upright. I'm used to my 1999 Kawasaki Concours, and both bikes weigh about the same wet (640 pounds), but the FJR sits lower and I expected it to lift more easily. Wrong.

The second thing I noticed is that even though the seat is lower to the ground than on my Connie, I could not plant my feet more solidly on the ground. The explanation here is that the seat is quite wide and splays my legs outward. If I was going to buy this bike you can bet I'd be paying a visit to a custom seat builder.

I'm not much concerned with gadgets but the FJR has an adjustable windshield that operates easily with a lever near your left thumb. I started fiddling with that right away once we got rolling and that was nice. I quickly found that I preferred it in the highest position so I left it there for the rest of the ride. It does settle back down to the lowest position when you turn off the key, so that could be a petty annoyance if you have to reset it every time you get on the bike.

On the road the bike is definitely a honey. Powerful, smooth, comfortable, with great brakes. But then there's that weight thing again. I figured with the lower center of gravity than what I'm accustomed to it would turn right in but I found myself putting a lot of effort into the turns. My Connie doesn't require anywhere near that much effort.

Speaking with another rider who has ridden the FJR and the Concours, he confirmed my suspicion that it is the weight combined with the low center of gravity. The Connie's weight is up high, so once it starts leaning it has all that weight helping out. On the FJR, it doesn't have that height advantage but it still has the weight. Thus the extra effort needed. He did note, by the way, that once you get the turn initiated the FJR is super stable, due to the low center of gravity.

Being a touring kind of guy I definitely liked the large hard bags, and I'm sure my wife would like the broad pillion seat, though she would want some sort of back rest. The other thing I would want is highway pegs, but I don't know if those can be had for this bike. If you're going to ride all day you've got to be able to shift your position from time to time.

All in all, on my totally subjective scale, I give the FJR a "B." Yamaha gets a lot right, and it's definitely my kind of ride, but I didn't come close to falling in love with it. But you may, because your list is certainly different than mine. It's worth a look.

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