BamaRider has a new 2014 FJR 1300 ES

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Finally. I did the rt. click thing. Thanks for the tip.

Random small stuff I've picked up last couple of rides

+
-LED running lights and turn signals. The turn signals are imbedded into the fairing and visible to cross traffic. Meaning you're at a light qued for a left turn, cross traffic can plainly see that you intend to turn left via the signal.

-no lag in the cruise control. You set it and WHAM you're crusing. The RTs cruise will drop 2-3 mph after you set it, and release the grip. Then the cruise will grab the throttle and place it on the intended speed, when it does you can feel the bike lurch forward.

-on a hot day (last few days) the FJ is markedly cooler than the ST, but I wouldn't call it a "cool running bike." Coming on I-65 temps were triple digit and roadway heat easily came up from the surface on me. The fairing on the FJ is well vented to move air around and away from the radiator and away from rider, but the trade off seems to more surface heat. That is not a issue untill you get to super heated triple temps.

-mirrors collapse to help in the garage. Very useful in a small garage with 3 large sport touring bikes to manuever around.

-The bridgestone "tyres" dominate on the FJ. They stick really, really well. I'll hafta to see how many miles they return. If I can get 9-10k outta of them I'll stay with them.

-no problems seeing dash numbers in the brightest of sunlight. I reckon they looked at the ST's and saw what NOT do do LOL

-26,000 mile valve adjustments

-bag liners came withe bike

-traction control. Keeps ya wheels from spinning on acceleration while on wet roads. Not to be confused with ABS. It comes on when ya turn the key on.

-easy removal and opening of hardbags. Well thought out system.

-Outstanding brakes. But all my bikes have excellent brakes.

- way less drive lash than the Honda or RT.

-I played with the mode on the Rt bar. You can set it on touring or sport. What it does is dim or enhance the throttle response. It does its job in very subtle way. In tour mode the throttle won't snatch open as quickly like if ya hit a bump causing your hand to do something on the grip. It's hard to explain but you can tell it when you change it back to sport. It just "relaxes" the hair trigger. Its one of those things ya didn't know ya needed, I mentioned earlier

Stuff on the minus side

-the glove box on the fairing ain't hitting on much. Not very big or deep. I mean you can put stuff in it, but not much. And it doesn't have one on the rt side, even though it has a cut out for it.

- The gas tank lid goes ALL the way back when open. To the point any extra key on the your chain will scratch the tank. Notice the Honda will stop and straight up, thus keeping any extra key off the tank. I keep the FJ key on a seperate key chain all by his lonesome. How they missed this engineering mistep I dunno. I reckon they was too busy trying oh and ah me with all the other gadgets.

-Gotta use 91 or better, but everyone does nowdays. Gone are the ST 11 days when a joker could run 89.

-4000 mile oil changes if I read that right. Really? The Honda calls for 7000. I went to synthetic in the ST yeas ago around 50k miles. Now once a year of 15k miles and soon as the FJ gets about 10k on her, thats where I'm gonna follow suit.

-The menu and select stuff on the Lt bar takes practice. Not as intutive as the RTs but not difficult. My problem might be 3 bikes, and I sometimes forget which one I'm one. Yesterday I turned on the 4 ways on the 13, when I tried to move the screen.

- 3 things mising. TPMS (but I have it on my zumo so covered that) self cancel signals, heated seat. My RT has the seat and cancel thing, the 2015 will have all 3. That stuff works well on the BMW. But you have to realize the FJ cost thousands less than a RT. So I'm thinking add a couple hundred to the price and put that stuff on. Yamaha has been good at listening, so they might hear this.
 
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What is the insurance like on the FJR compared to the others?
 
I am thinking a black Slingshot keyless gas cap would be a good answer for the key problem. I don't like digging for my keys anyhow. Bought one for the ST and am really happy with it.

I sure like the color on your bike.
 
dduelin said:
What is the insurance like on the FJR compared to the others?
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Same class as the ST. There is big jump when you go to a 1400cc ride they say.

The FJ is a few more dollars than the RT or ST, but the rate gap is you're tawkin a 2104 ride to a couple of 10 year old bikes. For guys our age with good drivin records, the insurance difference among sport touring bikes prolly not alot of variance.
 
BamaRider said:
fjr.jpg


-on a hot day (last few days) the FJ is markedly cooler than the ST, but I wouldn't call it a "cool running bike." The fairing on the FJ is well vented to move air around and away from the radiator and away from rider, but the trade off seems to more surface heat. That is not a issue untill you get to super heated triple temps.


-The bridgestone "tyres" dominate on the FJ. They stick really, really well. I'll hafta to see how many miles they return. If I can get 9-10k outta of them I'll stay with them.


-easy removal and opening of hardbags. Well thought out system.

-Outstanding brakes. But all my bikes have excellent brakes.

-the glove box on the fairing ain't hitting on much. Not very big or deep. I mean you can put stuff in it, but not much. And it doesn't have one on the rt side, even though it has a cut out for it.

Yamaha has been good at listening, so they might hear this.
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Engine Heat Management has been steadily refined and improved. I found the Gen2 FJR to be slightly better than my ST, the Gen3 FJR does much better. I think it is impossible to have a 1300 cc 4 cylinder engine putting 125 Horses to the back tire without some heat generated.

Your bike probably came with BT023s. The FJRforum guys say the 023 GT version is even better. I have always assumed that a tire that works on the ST will work just as well on the FJR and vice versa. If you like the Bridgestones or the Michelins, either work very well on the FJR.

The saddlebags and their latching system have not changed since the FJR got here in '03. For some reason the moto journalists never liked it very much but Pop and I always thought it worked fine.

The brakes have a stronger initial bite than our ST but they are controllable. I found the ABS to be much improved on the '14 from our '07.

That "cutout" on the right side of the fairing for another glovebox is NOT for a glove box. Your battery lives directly under that panel and there is almost no room above or around it. That is right. The battery is at the top of the fairing on the right side. That makes no sense to me.

The fact that Yamaha has listened and the fact that the new FJR is such an all around wonderful bike is steadily pushing me away from Honda. And I am not happy about it.

I am pleased to hear that you are liking the new FJR.
 
Redfish came on in and said-

"That "cutout" on the right side of the fairing for another glovebox is NOT for a glove box. Your battery lives directly under that panel and there is almost no room above or around it. That is right. The battery is at the top of the fairing on the right side. That makes no sense to me."

The battery is in the fairing?? LOL. I'm glad you told me or I'd be all under the seat looking for it to wire up the zumo, I'd never thought to look in there.

The kid salesman who worked my order for the bike didn't know much about it. (he looked to be about 22, and rode a R6. pretty sure he calls the FJ a "old's man bike.") The folks at Cool Springs were nice enough, sport touring bikes was not something they were interested in. I was there because the price was 2000 dollars cheaper than my local dealer, no other reason. They knew alot more about the FJ than the kid, they just wanted too much money for it. I drew the line at 500 bucks. I told them, "look here's the price in Nashville, sell it to me for 500 over they're asking and I'll buy it from ya." But they would have none of it. I don't think they thought I was giving them a valid price. "Don't believe me call em." I said. But they were bound and determined not to sell me this bike. 2000 is alot of money, I had to go to Franklin. That was the third time I was unable to buy from the dealer going back to the ST 11 and 13.

I guess they figure they'll make it up when I get it home and buy all the other stuff I will need there. We have a good relationship.

The kid and the slightly older sales mgr had no idea how to work the electronics, did not know the seat had a high and low setting, and the list goes on. After I signed the papers I was pretty much on my own. They knew who I was, so they just stayed outta the way, which was pretty much the correct thing to do, since they didn't know anything.

But back to the battery thing. A keen operator would have known I come from a Honda background, and prolly never heard of a battery in the fairing, (he'd be right) and tell me at orientation, "look here, the battery is gonna be in HERE, NOT under the seat." LOL
 
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Like I said before, the fjrforum is an awesome source of information if you need to know anything about this bike. Just do a Google search first or you will get flamed for "dumb noob" questions.

I was very lucky with the demo ride I took because one of the fjrforum admins just happened to be the ride leader. He is obviously an FJR enthusiast and he took the time to show me the menus and the electronics. Since I deal with Dad's '07 I was in a good position to compare the updates.

You have bought an awesome motorcycle. I came close, very close to dropping the hammer on one myself. Depending on next year's color and whether or not I find the right Jeep...

You are going to laugh out loud when you change your oil. It is so easy with the FJR, oil will not get all over the centerstand and the floor. The air filter is behind the left side cover about where the back of your knee fits. Honestly not hard to change but it is where you would expect your battery to live.

Invest in some "Canyon Cages" or at the very least some frame sliders. There is NO protection if the bike falls over. A zero speed tip-over will result in scratches to the saddlebag, the fairing, the mirror, the turnsignal lens and possibly bend the subframe that the mirror bolts to. You can already guess how I know this.

I have nothing but love for the FJR, I have watched Pop ride his for the last 7 years. We swap bikes sometimes and I have never been able to pick a winner between his '07 FJR and my '04 ST. The '14 FJR ES is a better motorcycle than either of those bikes.
 
Don't forget the frame sliders. A simple tipover can get expensive on an FJR.
 
BamaRider I've followed this thread with great interest and I really appreciate your excellent commentary. If Yamaha offers the 15 in either black, or blue I'm ready to pop smoke and exfil the Honda zone (although my VFR is a keeper). However, if the new color is that bottom of the baby's diaper color that they currently offer N. of the border then "fuget about it"! I've notified her that must be obeyed of my intentions; well to be honest I quietly injected it into a recent conversation and she said "that's nice dear", so it's as good as being official. I'm stoked. The Phoenix motorcycle show is coming up in Nov. so hopefully there will be some announcements coming out soon from Yamaha about what we can expect in the new year.
 
2014 A model owner here (took mine home last November 15, I have 7,000 miles on it now).

Great report! You are experiencing the same great features I have been enjoying for the past nearly 9 months (except for the difference in suspension systems). The more I ride this magnificent motorcycle the better I like it. No, the better I love it. The cruise control is the best I've experienced on any vehicle. It is seemless because it is completely electronic, no mechanical cables or linkages. Once set, the ECU commands the FI servo instantly, no lag, no upswings or downswings, it regulates smack on speed.

Also, you have probably already read in the manual but you can go slight "negative" on the throttle to disengage the cruise, the same way that touching either brake does. I do this when I'm approaching a small town, cruise through at 35mph or so (in "T" mode), clear the town, go back to "S" mode, run up to previous cruise speed and hit "Resume". Or pick a new cruise speed and hit "Set".

FYI, fuel requirements are for regular grade (87 octane). No need for premium. The gas cap goes to about 10 degrees back from vertical. This is needed so the cap lock can clear the opening for the pump nozzle. I find it tedious to fill the tank, you have to insert the nozzle into the hole in the base of the "cup", fill until it shuts off then manually retract the fume bellows and complete the fill (California pumps). It's a bit of a pain to prevent dumping gas all over but after a little practice I've gotten better at it.

The stock tires are good, I didn't really mind them at all except for what I consider to be a bit too much effort required to initiate a turn and hold the line. My arms would get tired after a semi-aggressive run in the twisties. I just replaced the tires with a set of Michelin PR4s and good golly, do these transform the handling. Very neutral turn-in and effortless to hold the line. Extremely comfortable.

I'm getting ready for a run to the Canadian border to meet my good long time riding buddy (Jerry who is on this forum as woodybelle with his 2006 ST) as he completes the three flags run. I leave the day after Labor Day and it can't get here quick enough. We are going to zig-zag our way down through Washington, Oregon and most of Northern California. Oh, the horror.

Keep the reports coming, great reading!

Dan
 
Great job getting the photo up.....Finally saw it on your website. Looks like a helluva bike.....as usual, I'll be watching your reviews and reports.
 
All I can say is: Honda are you listening?

BamaRider said:
I picked up my new ride today at Cool Springs Powersports a H, Y, K, S, Dealer, Franklin, Tenn. (near Uncle Phil) The price was 2000 better than my local dealer. I found several Yamaha dealers with almost same price but Franklin was the easiest for me to get to. Why the local dealer won't compete I dunno. I gave them every chance, and said if they could just get close I'd give them the business but they wouldn't budge.

Folks, this is a heckuva ride. I rode it back from Franklin (270 miles) and throughly impressed. My previous ride was a short (20 mile) ride on a 2013. I still have my ST and RT so relax, I don't plan on selling either. Both are 10 years old now with a lotta miles, they are worth more to me than anyone will ever pay me, so I plan to keep them, I still enjoy riding them.

How did I arrive at this decesion? Lets see.

I made the decesion to upgrade to a new bike a few months ago. My thinking was trade the 2005 RT on the 2015 RT next spring. I know that to be a great bike, with all the bells and whistles, but I'd hafta to be patient and let the recall sort itself out etc. I really like the RT, but so do a lot of folks, and the rumor was the 2015 is pre sold deep into 2015 which = FULL STICKER PRICE. My guess by the time a dealer adds on doc fees, taxes, prep the RT will be the high side of 19,000. "Ok I can deal with that if that's what I want." I said.

In the interim I decided to recheck to see what else was out there. I went down the list-

-Honda no longer makes a sport tourer so that rules Honda out.

-My brother just bought a 2010 Concours, I can ride it anytime I want, so that ruled the Kawasaki out, no need to duplicate.

-Trimpuh Trophy- I hear its a great ride, but a triple doesn't do it for me. Rule that out.

-BMW 1600 GT- Lets concede it is the best ST a guy can own. Decked out with options I need to have, you're tawkin well over 26,000. Rule the GT out.

-BMW RT- put it on the short list.

-Yamaha FJR- Lets see. It ha been around since 2001, but has been relentlesly upgraded by Yamaha. When I entered the sport tour world in 2001 the FJ was only available in Europe where it won bike of the year. The first FJs to come here were slanted too far to the sport side for me, but over the years that changed to what we have now. The FJ is perfect example of a reliable platform that has been tweaked, added and kept modern. Any complaint heard in numbers Yamaha addressed. "The seat is bad." It now has one of the best in the genre, my 2014 has some kind of dual density thick seat that is the most comfortable stock seat I ever sat on, including the stock on the ST 1300 that I put over 100k on. "It needs a cruise control" Done. "It needs better aerodynamics" Done. Over the years it has seen the windsheild tweaked and the list goes on.

The bike I rode home from Franklin (270 miles) is the best bike I have ever owned. Sleek, powerful, excellent cockpit with modern electronics, great wind mgt, and outstanding suspension adjustable on the fly. Not been able to lean it seriously yet in the twisties but I played with the ES alot on the way home today, and it works very well. It is way lighter than my Honda ST and easier to move around in the garage. I ficked it around when I could a few times. When I did get to lean, it was very responsive and light in the steering. A finely balanced machine it is. It pretty much does everything better than my ST, but you have to note the 10 year difference in technology.

Little things like digital readout on coolant temp. It has actual numbers to see. Back in ala the temp soared to 101, and the FJ stayed went from 164 coolant temp to 172 LOL.

The RT has a slight edge in wind mgt, and how far you can lean it. But whatever advantage the RT has in lean factor, the FJ will be right there with it in the twisties becauses of its King Kong motor, and slick transmission, it will quickly close any gap the RT can manage in a tight turn.

I left a backroad today and got on I-65 south. I put the predamp on one rider, no luggage, adjusted the spring to one of the soft settings to soak up and bumps, switch to tour mode which does something to the throttle repsonse to make it just a little easier around town and on the open road. I just rolled the power on. I hit a few buttons to get the suspension where I wanted, and took off. It made 90 mph feel like 50. Because of he style of the windsheild, and new bodywork it sliced through the wind. With screen on low I had wind but it wasn't real noisy and no backwash thanks venting near dash that takes away much of buffeting the Honda has.

Adjustable handlebars gave me just the right reach, footpeg location work great for me. Not as much lean to the bars as the Honda, but not straight up like the RT, fits just right in between. What I like most about the cockpit lets you know you are on a sport tourer, but not so much you get beat down.

Mirrors are best I've seen on a ST. You see ok direclty to the back, and excellent view of either lane beside ya. I can't see much of anything on my other 2 without alot of twisting around.

It has the little things like LED turn signals and running lights, 12v outlet, place to tie straps to, great dealer network, proven design and reliablity, bag liners included with purchase, rock solid cruise control, something called traction control, that helps in the rain, and most of all it is RED. Fit and finish are excellent.

It will devour the ST at any speed, in any gear, same with the RT.

But in the end, I already HAVE a RT, it is not gonna be all that different ride experience than a 2015, the FJ costs 4000 less than a 2015 RT, maybe more (mine came in 14,000 and some change). Price included extended 6 year, unlimited mile warranty. So remove the RT from the list, and the FJR is last one standing. So I now have the FJR in the collection. In my long list of bikes, the FJ first Yamaha I have ever owned.

I can't wait to ride it out west in a few weeks.

I tried to upload a pic when I picked it up from the dealer but keep getting message file failed to upload. It is JPG format. So I dunno.:biker:
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Guy,
congratulations on your "new ride". Very nice write-up on your insights and impressions - as usual! I'm looking forward to reading about your impressions and journal after the ride out west on the FJ.
Reading about your experiences has become a part of my "riding life". Thanks for sharing. Good luck and be safe on the next trip.
 
Question:

FJR was #1 on my short list, but I read from more than one source that the engine 'expired' around 65k. I chucked that choice and picked up my ST. Is that folklore?

=)
 
I rode the ST about 100 miles between storms today. The first since the FJ came home.

I still enjoy riding it. It is a different experience than the Honda. But once in the saddle and ridin, the first thing that came to me was "dated." After several hundred miles on the high tech Yamaha it was quite a adjustment. I've been a Honda man all my life, I still am, but they left me, not the other way around. The FJ just begs you to ride it.

Take the seat. Honda never touched a thing on the ST after the launch, just changed the color. Yamaha OTOH tackled the seat issue once and for all, with this dual density, suede kinda feel seat. It is the best stock I've ever sat on. At first glance you'd think the Honda has the better wind mgt, with its larger screen and fairing. Yamaha accomplished the same level with less fairing and screen due to good design.

The RT and ST feel "wide" to me now. The dash is much wider than the slim FJ. The RT still offers a more quiet cockpit, and no wind with the screen in the right place. It will make you feel you are not on a sport tourer with its upright seating position. Yamaha just took a different approach, it wanted to keep the things a sport toureris noted for and did so pretty well.

With cruise control, good seat, nice footped and handlebar reach, and quiet but sporty wind mgt, the FJR can make quick work of any long drone interstate run.

Deals can be had on these bikes. If you're in the maket now or will soon be, do yourself a favor and take another look at it. What I did and it changed my mind to give the bike a chance.
 
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Zonker said:
Question:

FJR was #1 on my short list, but I read from more than one source that the engine 'expired' around 65k. I chucked that choice and picked up my ST. Is that folklore?

=)
Click to expand...

65K? Really? I never heard that one. There was an issue with some of the earliest FJRs with a defective Cam Chain Tensioner but that problem was solved long ago.

There are several FJRs on the fjrforum with well over 200K on the original engine. A very large # with over 100K and still running strong. At least two of the FJRs that finished high in the last IBR had over 150K on them.
 
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