Yamaha FJR1300

Hi all.
Within the next 12 months,I plan to buy a secondhand FJR1300.I just happened to be down at the bike dealers the other day ,with the bike gear in the back of the car( funny about that) an took a 2003 for a test ride. My,how they,ve changed over the past 19 years. Bike felt very comfortable,no rear wheel climb under acceleration,a lot of torque and scarily quick off the mark after the XJ900. So,to cut to the chase,is there anyone who had any experience of these bikes,or is aware of any issues that 2nd hand ones might have,just so I have more of an idea of what to look for. All replies and input will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Murray

 

I have a 03 with 78,000 trouble free miles. There is a heat issue if you are in traffic and the temps are above 85*. Some first generation FJRs were discribed as"ticker" after valve noise coming from the left side. This usually occured in the first 20,000 miles and Yamaha was fixing under warrenty. Other than that, put gas in it and ride. Check out the various forums and Micapeaks mail list.

 

In Australia they can get "nekkid" XJR1300s too, not just the mega-tourers we get.

 

I have an 05. I would stay away from 03 and 04 because of the ticking issue. It was premature wear on the valve guides. Let me back up on that. If it is over 30,000 miles it should be okay. 05 and newer had guides of different material, if you can believe the forums. As to the heat, 06 and newer have an adjustable lower that can route hot air away from the rider. I don't have concern for the heat. You have 1300cc with 145 HP between your legs. A small price to pay for awesome performance! The 06 and newer added ABS standard and gained about 40 lbs, but it still comes in dry at less than 600. The wheelbase got a little longer and gearings was slightly changed.
Let me put if this way. I have 19 motorcycles and my FJR is the last I would get rid of. And if something happened to it, I would replace it tomorrow with another one. Everthing else is second place to this owner!

 

Thanks for the response guys,most of the people I,ve spoken to love their FJRs. I test rode an '03 or '04 and it had ABS,so it may have been an option ,or we got it earlier than the States. I agree that the XJR1300 is an awesome bike,but ,I like the shaft drive and liquid cooling on the FJR. As I plan to use it mostly for touring,it would seem to be ideal. Oh, and I LUUV the power (at going on 60 years young,any thrill is welcome) Cheers,and thanks again. Murray

 

Umm......lets try a tad over 100 HP shall we? :lol:

They are a nice bike - very smooth, brilliant gearbox and seem to age more gracefully than the Suzuki Bandit does.

 

Hillsy,
Rated at 145 at the crank in the States.

 

Are you talking FJR or XJR? The FJR is about that, not the XJR.

Confused? I'm getting there :?

 

............................ My 2c worth to try to help clarify the situation......., The argument seems to be confusing kilowatts with horsepower. Yamaha claims approx. 105 kw for the FJR1300,which converts to roughly 145 hp. ie, metric (Australia,kilowatts) versus imperial (USA, horsepower) ..........cheers,Murray

 

The thread is about the FJR.

 

Oops....OK my bad. Fitz mentioned the XJR and I lost the plot

Please carry on :lol:

 

Oops....OK my bad. Fitz mentioned the XJR and I lost the plot

Please carry on :lol:

 

just scanning old posts and I stumbled across this.

So murray
did you even end up getting the FJR? As Yamasarus pointed-out, it's a great ride and stone-axe reliable. About the ticker issue, general consensus on all the FJR forums is that roughly 1/7 had the ticker issue but even if you have one, there's no cause for concern. Wait til your next valve clearance check and swap out the guides if it bothers you. Mine is silent.

If you want to have a slight idea of how fun they are. I remove the luggage and have a BLAST on the track against younger riders on R6s, Ducatis etc....

Here's a couple of youtube vids. On this supermoto track (where a big heavy powerful bike has no rightful place), I leave it in 3rd gear the WHOLE time and the kids on their track bikes cannot lose me. Mind you I'm dragging my footpegs everywhere but that's part of the fun!

Note that on both of these vids, you never once see me change gear.... 145hp / 100lbs of torque makes for one effortless ride.

on this one, I passed a ZRX1200 kawi and let the clip run until you can't see him anymore.(after the shoulder check at the very beginning of the clip, I pass him, then when you look under my arm, he keeps getting further and further away)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ0FA-PF_YE

this one, I'm chasing a guy on a brand-new Ducati 749s. Imagine his shame when we pit and he saw it was a tubby 40-something yr old guy on a TOURING bike that he couldn't lose on the track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0EMiGDJ3gg

 

I had been saving for two years to get a (long dreamed of) used 2007 FJR1300 in Black Cherry this summer.

Well, our kitchen needed to be brought up to date, so 1/2 of my funds went the way of countertops and stuff.

I settled for a 1988 Venture Royale for now. Loving it so far.

One day, probably in a few years, I'll get that FJR1300. It's just one of those dreams I can't let go.

Until then, I'll have to do my hooliganism stuff on my (typically poor handling) VMax.

 

Hey Leskids nice vids, I love that turbine wind up sound.

 

I know - it's so funny because all the sport bikes & even the Ducatis are screaming their engines up & down the gears.

My tach is often down to 3K and I never fall behind. With all the smooth low-end grunt of the FJR, I enter that particular track and don't touch my clutch a single time until it's time to pit.

I'm tempted to run that track again with saddlebgas, just to add insult to injury

 

I'm anticipating a big insurance check (some day ) and I've been looking for a used FJR1300. I go to the dealership and they have NEW 2007 models ready to go for $10,500 (+ t,t,t)

Q - How much more can I beat the dealer down?(five model-years old!!)
Q- What's the overall wind protection / comfort like, as they don't give test rides? (I'm 6'7" and 300 LB)
Q- Could I live with the auto-shift? would I miss the clutch?

Buying this would be like putting all my eggs in one basket, I think I would then sell off the others, maybe keep the 900.

 

Sorry "Time", i couldn't resist this - but isn't the answer in the question??!!

 

Q - How much more can I beat the dealer down?(five model-years old!!)

I belong to an FJR forum and this subject has been beat to death. You can get the $$$ down but I won't offer an opinion as to how much, since there are too many variables.

Q- What's the overall wind protection / comfort like, as they don't give test rides? (I'm 6'7" and 300 LB)

The stock windscreen is electrically adjustable and provides good protection. For taller riders like you, there are many options for taller & wider windscreens from manufacturers like Cee Bayley and V-Stream. This is a common subject on the FJR forum (www.fjrforum.com)
Wind protection is a compromise however. The problem is that the more protection you give yourself, the greater of a low pressure zone behind the windshield, which results in pulling you forward, which results in strain on your neck, shoulders etc.... When I raise mine all the way up, it's so smooth and quiet that it's like riding a goldwing. BUT - within an hour, my neck is sore from the back pressure pulling my helmet forward. As soon as I push the button and lower the screen, INSTANT RELIEF. I never ride with the screen up.
I’ve actually pondered shaving my windscreen to make it smaller so I can ride with my helmet out in the wind.

Q- Could I live with the auto-shift? would I miss the clutch?
I've never ridden the FJR1300 AE (auto shift) but many forum members say it's not hard to get used to. My personal opinion is I wouldn't want this. Having ridden both, the FJR's gearbox is downright clunky compared to the kawasaki concours 14. But the FJR has such a MONSTROUS amount of usable torque at low RPM that gear changes are few & far between. While all bikes have moved to 6 speed gearboxes over the years, Yamaha made the FJR with only 5 gears, and I can see why. Remember what I said – I get on that racetrack, get into 3rd and I won’t touch the clutch until it’s time to pit, literally. And this is while all the kids on their R6s and small sportbikes are dancing on their shifters (trying to keep up with me ha ha)

If you’re going to ride all-city (not the FJRs intended riding style), the AE might be a good option. But if you’re into touring or sport riding, stick with the manual gearbox. Just my two cents.

 

Thanks guys,
I'm watching a bunch on E-Bay, and clean used ones are going for more than $7,000 - -I'm thinking a $9,500 offer would actually work, and would be a steal. I'll check out the FJR forum.

 

I would never let a 900 go

 

+1, La... sorry, Schooter.

TIME, it's a choice between reaalllyyy big AND heavy (with tons o'grunt, acknowledged) and LOTS of comfort, granted, but you're going to be sacrificing:

Your "racebike for the street" (as Rick calls them) with its flickability... but then we're all getting old, believe me I know.

I HAD TO ORDER A FREAKING MANUAL SHIFT FOR MY CAGE AND YOU ASK "WILL I MISS THE CLUTCH???" I always thought we were the same "demographic." Oh, wait-- we are...

You gonna be ok?

Now that I'm done busting your chops, it all boils down to why you ride in the first place. The FJR crosses over into Gold Wing territory, the 900 is firmly in the old school sportbike camp. Personally, once I get tired of strafing corners (like thats gonna happen) I couldn't think of a better mount than the FJR but NO WAY would I get the automatic. There is a standard shift version, I believe.

I could bring myself to be jealous if it's got a manual trans. Go for it.

 

Well, that didn't take long, 2 weeks of "research" on The Bay and Craigslist, a few posts at the FJR forum, a test ride. . .

I bought a 2006 one owner, garaged, 13 K, near mint with Corbin heated seats, $800 GPS, top box, ThrottleMeister, and sticky tires for $7,000 !

I noticed the "clunky" shifting right away- - maybe that's why they made the auto-shift ??

Yes Mr Fitz, it has a clutch. The good shade of blue, too !!

 

ooh boy- heated seats, gps.. you should be able to ride that thing til you're 80..

nice buy, it looks really clean and sharp

do they valves auto adjust?

 

Time,
I have an 05 and I do believe your bike was "well bought" as they say in the car auctions! Congrats.
As the the shifting. If you tach that beauty up each shift is is smoother and more fun! You can also smooth out the tranny with oil choice......and no, I am not trying to start an oil thread! Just experiment.
Oh yeah, did I say enjoy? You will never look back. Best bike I have ever had....