Found this in the barn....

[Motofun]

I was cleaning the shop in the barn (last time I did it was in the last millenium)....anyways, I found this little clipping thumb-tacked on the wall.
From the 1990 Motorcyclist:

 SPORT TOURER OF THE DECADE
"Call it Darwinism motorcycle style.  We named the FJ1100 motorcycle of the year way back in 1984.  Then in 1989 the same basic motorcycle took the top spot in our sport-touring superbike shoot-out against much tricker and newer competition.  Its technology old hat, but even at some pretty scary back road velocities, it fits our riders like an old shoe.  We're talking survival of the fittest here, and year after year the old Velvet Sledgehammer FJ winds up at the top of the list of our healthy survivors."

Thirty four years later it still rings true.

[fj1289]

Yes it does!   

Hard to believe this is 40 years now for the FJ line!

[Troyskie]

"velvet sledgehammer", Love it!

[Millietant]

Back in those days Motorcyclist was my Bible for what was new and good in the biking world.

I have a massive collection of Motorcyclist magazines going from the mid 00's back to around 1973/74. It was a fantastic magazine back then, covering all types of motorcycle, with some very well respected motorcyclist-editors and writers.

It was their road tests that finally gave me the confidence to go for my first FJ after initially lusting after a GPZ 900R/Ninja. They were right, I loved it from the very first ride and have never been without at least one FJ ever since 

[Pat Conlon]

I am so glad that Cycle magazine had a short blurb in November 1983 about a new Yamaha model coming in 1984. I was about to buy a Honda VF but decided to wait....a good move.