Clean Bunnies and FJR vs. FJ

[Zwartie]

It was a balmy 7C yesterday and not raining or snowing (for a change) so I took it as a sign from the Flying Spaghetti Monster that I should give the motorcycles an end-of-season cleaning. Our local Yamaha Dealer recommended I try SC1 "new bike in a can" cleaner/polish and I'm pretty happy with the results:













Zwartie

[Firehawk068]

MY! Those are some sweet, clean looking FJ(r)s! 

[Tuned forks]

I'm really warming up to the styling of the FJR.  Pics like this make me appreciate them.

Joe

[Millietant]

So Zwartie - (and apologies if you've already been asked, and have answered, this before) can we have your thoughts on the pro's and con's of the FJ vs the FJR ?

My one ride on a FJR had me marvelling at the cruising comfort and smoothness (and at the time, better suspension control), but left me eager to get back to the FJ for the bendy bits of the road and the more "direct" feel I had with the FJ - it was a much more "enjoyable" bike to ride, if not as "efficient" as the FJR.

The one thing the FJR clearly brought home to me was how much more "character" it had and how much more like a "motorcycle" it felt, compared to a Honda ST 1100/Pan European which I'd done quite a few miles on, despite it being to me at least as "efficient" as the ST 1100

But I'd guess you would have a much more objective view having had more time to spend on both bikes 

[Motofun]

Funny, I always thought the FJR lacked "character".  Don't get me wrong, it does everything quite well for a modern sport tourer (except it needed a 6th gear).  It just was a little to bland for my tastes.  I know that sounds weird and it probably is but I like a bike that demands something extra.

[Millietant]

Funny, I always thought the FJR lacked "character".  Don't get me wrong, it does everything quite well for a modern sport tourer (except it needed a 6th gear).  It just was a little to bland for my tastes.  I know that sounds weird and it probably is but I like a bike that demands something extra.

My comment was comparing it to the ST 1100  - I agree the FJR I rode lacked "character" overall compared to the FJ (but it was still a great bike) - then again some say the FJ lacked character !! 

[Zwartie]

Millietant,

When I first rode the FJR (Blue Bunny 2.0) I'm pretty sure I heard a voice whispering "welcome to the 21st Century". You know, fuel injection, ABS, shaft drive, etc. All the things that apparently make it lack character. Before I list all the things that make it "better" (different) than the FJ, there needs to be some disclosure regarding the two machines being compared: The FJ1200 (Blue Bunny 1.0) is what I would consider a fairly highly modified machine. Modifications include: 1314 cc Wiseco big-bore kit, 4-1 aftermarket exhaust, Uni Pod air filters, RPM front fork emulators, Blue Dot front brakes, FZR1000 rear swing-arm, wheel, and rear shock mod, Corbin Gunfighter & Lady saddle, Vario touring windscreen, and the list goes on. When I first got the FJ1200 back in 2005 I had it dyno'd at 126 hp at the rear wheel. The FJR also has its share of modifications including: Dynojet Power Commander, Racetech front springs, 2015 FJR (Gen III) rear shock, Corbin heated saddle, heated grips, Touring windscreen, and the list goes on with this bike as well. So, it's pretty fair to say that I am not comparing stock vs. stock. Here's how I believe they stack up:

- Power: Pretty much even. It feels like the FJ makes power a little earlier than the FJR which may be thanks to the big-bore kit. That being said, once the FJR comes to life (at about 5,000 RPM), it pulls like a freight train!

- Smoothness: No comparison - the FJR wins, hands down. My wife commented how there is zero vibration on the rear foot pegs which is really nice for those longer two-up rides. That being said, I rode the FJ the other day and I'm thinking it's in need of a good carb tear-down and rebuild as well as a carb synch, plus the rubber engine mounts need to be removed and "un-seized". I would love to do that over the winter (along with a host of other overdue maintenance items) and see if that makes much of a difference. The FJ just felt noticeably "rough" on the last ride.

- Starting: Choke? What choke? Again, no comparison. The FJ doesn't like to start on a cold morning if it hasn't been ridden for more than a week or two. The FJR just starts...every time!

- Rider Comfort: I'm going to call that one a tie. I think the FJR may have an edge but it's ever so slight and has more to do with the smoothness and the fact that I can raise the windshield to completely eliminate any wind buffeting and related noise whenever I want to. That being said, when I'm in the twisties, I like to lower the windshield. For me, the Corbin on the FJ is more comfortable than the one on the FJR and I think it just has to do with the contour of the seat.

- Handling: As far as that goes, they're pretty close. The FJ seating position is lower and it a bit lighter than the FJR so it just feels lighter and smaller at slow speeds. On the twisties though, I think the two bikes would be neck and neck. That being said, ABS sure is a nice feature!

- Braking: Just because of the ABS this one has to go to the FJR. Some day I might do a braking test to see which one can stop quicker from say, 50 km/h but chances are it will be the FJR simply because I can grab/stomp on the brakes and let the ABS do the work. If I ever get around to doing that test, I'll let you know the results. The FJ's blue dot brakes were a much needed upgrade so if we were comparing a stock FJ to an FJR I'm thinking there would be no comparison.

- Two-Up Riding: This one also has to go to the FJR. There is more room for the passenger - it was a fairly tight squeeze on the FJ. That being said, I bought a Corbin rear seat for our two-up ride to PA this fall and my wife was not all that impressed with it compared to the FJ seat. We even tried an air-hawk cushion on both and it was marginally better. I still have the stock rear-seat for the FJR and I'm going to send it to Seth Laam to get it done up. I also need to do something about the factory top-case on the FJR - with the backrest installed it is just too far forward and my wife has to sit upright, almost leaning forward. I don't think they considered a passenger wearing a jacket with a built-in back protector. Something to modify this winter. I think with an updated rear seat and the top case moved back a couple inches the FJR is going to be an excellent two-up bike. Another thing that gives the FJR the edge over the FJ is the rear suspension - whenever we would ride the FJ and approach a major bump, pothole, or set of train tracks, I would have to give my wife a couple taps on her left thigh and she would know to raise her butt off the seat (as would I) so the bike wouldn't bottom out. I'm sure a better / beefier rear shock on the FJ would likely resolve that. With the 2015 FJR rear shock on Blue Bunny 2.0, we never have to worry about it bottoming out.

Do I still love the FJ? Absolutely! Would I take it on another multi-day ride? If/when I do some of the much-needed maintenance, I may consider it but only if I'm riding solo. I'm still waffling with the idea of selling the FJ and just "moving on" but when I see how many are up for sale and how little they are going for I'm thinking I'll likely just hang onto it, at least for now...


Let me know if there's anything else you want to know as a comparison of the two bikes.

All the best!

Zwartie

So Zwartie - (and apologies if you've already been asked, and have answered, this before) can we have your thoughts on the pro's and con's of the FJ vs the FJR ?

[Motofun]

Can't argue with any of your statements.  The FJR was my wife's primary ride for 10 years.  The only thing I'll add is the FJR took a little more faith to sport ride through the twisty sections.  I blame that on the weight and the stock (2004) suspension that I would have upgraded if it were mine.

[ryanschoebel]

Damn good read!! Thanks for being thorough!

[Tuned forks]

Excellent write up comparison.

Joe

[Pat Conlon]

Thanks Ben Great read!
Question: With what you know about the difference, do you think a 6th gear added to the FJR would enhance your bike? Would it change things as far as the comparison?

I love this forum. This kind of information you can't find in any magazine.

[Motofun]

How many of us have tried to shift our FJ's into 6th gear?  I've owned mine since new, going on 33 years now, and I still look for that elusive 6th gear.  The FJR has a wonderful motor, lots of torque, it needed a 6th gear just for low reving when out on the highway.  I think that Yamaha finally figured it out on the new models.

[Millietant]

Yep, that's why I run 18:38 sprockets, it keeps the revs reasonable for highway cruising.

I also found that gearing helped on track at the Nurburgring, where on standard gearing it would run out of revs in top gear in a couple of places (after Flugplatz and the back Straight).

[Zwartie]

Pat,

Great question, and one that I thought about addressing 0.63 milliseconds (approximately) after I hit "post". I agree with Motofun regarding the FJ - I've been searching for 6th gear for going on 25 years and still haven't found it. I even run 17/38 sprockets on the '92 FJ so it's a bit taller than stock. At this point I can't say the same about the FJR. I think the difference is that the FJR motor is so smooth at any rpm. Unless I'm "hammering" on the FJ I always shift below 4,000 rpm whereas I find on the FJR that I'm shifting at 5,000 +. Even cruising on the expressway (pronounced "interstate" in the US of A) at 130 km/h (80 mph) on the FJR I have not yearned for 6th gear like I would on the FJ. . I was a bit concerned about the lack of a 6th prior to buying the FJR as it seems that every motorcycle magazine article ever written about the 5-speed FJR bemoaned the fact that it lacked a 6th gear. I really don't see it as a problem. Would a 6th gear be an improvement? If your intent is to super-slab it across the continent and get the best fuel economy out of the machine, then probably. As far as what I would call real-world, every day riding goes, I don't see much of a benefit. That being said, maybe I'll test ride a 6-speed version some day and realize what I've been missing all these years... but I doubt it.

Question: With what you know about the difference, do you think a 6th gear added to the FJR would enhance your bike? Would it change things as far as the comparison?

[FJ_Hooligan]

I'll bet the final drive ratio of the 5-speed and 6-speed FJR trans are not all that different.  It's a whole new gear train and what they typically do is just spread new ratios through all the gears so it's not like you get another taller gear above what the 5-speed had.

FZ1 is a good example.  The final ratio of its 6-speed trans is about identical to an FJ 5-speed.