I rode my friends FJR1300 yesterday and I was not so impressed. I figured that if I had to replace my ’94 1kF the Yamaha FJR would the one.

I am 6’1” (183cm) and my legs were better of but I could not get the ***** of my feet on the pegs because of the exhaust pipe coming up behind the pegs.

On the 1kF my forearms use to go numb before I installed GenMar risers. I thought it was due to my hands being to far below my heart or something. I am fine now with the risers.
On the FJR my hands are much higher than the 1kF with the risers but 10 minutes into the ride my arms went to sleep. This is odd. Also, I don’t like the almost upright riding position the FJR has to offer.

The electronic windscreen is about useless unless you have it all the way up. That is where my friend has it all the time. In the up position it works just great and I can’t knock it. The problem is that when you kill the power to the bike the screen parks in the down position. You have to raise it each time you start the bike. If it were my bike I would send the screen to full up and cut the wires (or put a switch in).

I thought I had a clunky transmission. The FJR is no better and if anything worse.

My friends bike is a the redesigned model that does not have the heat issues but is in between the newer bikes that have the better throttle cam. It takes a lot of twisting force to come off dead throttle but once you do the throttle takes far less effort to twist and works smoothly. It is twice as hard to twist than the 1kF once you make the initial twist. By installing the newer throttle cam for $89US it fixes the initial throttle twist problem. Up or down shifting takes some time to get use to as you are coming back off of a dead throttle each time. This coupled with the EFI make the bike a little jumpy down at low engine speeds. I also found it a bit difficult to keep a steady highway speed as the bike has plenty of power at speeds and is harder to regulate than the 1kF (EFI?). I found myself in the + or ++direction often. The power at speeds feel the same even though the FJR has more HP output, I guess that is because the shaft drive eats some HP and the bike is heavier. Oddly there is more low-end grunt with the 1kF. I don’t understand this because the FJR has EFI.

The FJR has a smoother rid and went where I wanted it to go.

The bottom line is, when my friend offered to switch bikes on our one-hour return home part of the ride, it was like a dream come true. I thought that the newer bike would be so much smoother and bah..bah...bah... than a 15 year old bike. Truth be known, after just 10 minutes I wanted my bike back. Maybe because I am use to my bike, I don't know. My friend likes his bike and I have no trouble with that. I can't justify going in that direction for myself. We had a common friend who passed away who purchased an FJR last year and traded it for an ST1300 in just 4 months. I can’t ask him why he traded it.

You are not getting more bike with the FJR and that my friends popped my bubble.

 

I've done a few hundred K's on both the FJR and the ST1300, and I must concur with everything you have said - in fact with the ST I did only about 100K's and wanted my old 1000F back, the ST felt as though it had no b...lls ! You may remember a member who sold his 1000F and bought an ST1300, and we told him he'd be sorry - he kept it for a month as I recall and bought something with a lot more GO.
Moral of the story - the 1000F is hard to beat even now, 20 years on.......................
If they ever built them new again, with EFI and all the modern technology, what a bike that would be - I'd even trade in the missus for one....................

 

I hear you Shadow! EFI, catalytic converter and modern design dashboard with LCD, WOAAAHH. Add 10 less kg's, + 10 hp and you would have the best bike ever!!! Where can i order? Put ABS on it too, please!

i agree with TB2 on the FJR, I've tried one and also reacted on the on/off feeling at low speeds. Altough it was a bit easier to get up on the rear wheel

 

I wonder if a Blackbird engine would fit in the frame., Mikekop...................
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHAAAAAAAAHHH.................. ................
the purists will burn us both at the stake for being witches !!
and the ABS would maximize the braking and stop skidding the rear wheel under hard braking..........................

 

Shadow and mikekop,
I guess that more HP is not the best thing for what we want out of a bike. If so then a sport bike would be in place here. It is like taking a race horse down the bike path, it just doesn't work. I don't think bundles of HP released at will with EFI is smooth enough for an everyday ride. The FJR needs the added HP due to the added weight and shaft. It would be a complete dog with out it.

I guess I was dreaming when I thought there was a better bike out there than the 1KF (only because of times). Well my friends, the grass is not greener on this side of Y2k.

 

Will this be the answer to your dreams (or is this a dream?) - the 2010 Honda 1200???

http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2009/06/2010-honda-vfr1200-revealed-maybe.html


http://www.leftlanenews.com/honda-v4.html

 

Nope, too sporty Martin and a pillion seat like a pimple.......................
No thanks.................

I guess TBT's right, but I'd still buy a new one in a heartbeat...................

 

I haven't ridden an ST or an FJR, but if I was changing mine I too would have looked at the FJR. The other contender would be a Triumph ST Sprint, nice lines good reviews on comfort and performance. However, I'd have to have the cash to keep my cbr..just in case I didn't like my new ride. That would really suck, to spend all that wedge and regret it later.

I'm of the same opinion as you CBR classic. When you're onto a good thing, stick to it. When I first got mine I expected to trade for something else in a couple of years, but it's really got under my skin now, so I think it's a long termer for me. I don't even think I'd go a big bore kit, just go first oversize genuine. I've been down that road before and had a fair bit of trouble as a result. I really think we've hit the jackpot with our bikes and they will, I think, become more and more sought after.