Fred H.
Well-known member
Sometimes I am frustrated when manufactures make changes to fix things that aren't broken. Yamaha made some really good changes to the FJR in 06, but this ain't one of them.
I pulled off the tank to investigate the new pulley today. They have made the pulley on the throttle body so that it has a progressive pull. It gradually increases in diameter, and the end result is that very small changes in throttle movement at low RPM translate into much larger movements of the throttle plates. The end result is that it makes the bike feel twitchy, and high strung and it makes it extremely difficult to make throttle changes in mid turn without upsetting the bike. In some situations, it borders on becoming downright dangerous and you really have to focus and pay attention to throttle control as all you have to do is think about twisting it and the bike will speed up. It is real easy to snatch the bike when shifting and cornering and you really have to make a conscious effort to keep it under control. It just shouldn't be this way. I have done the Barbarian mod and taken all the slack out of the throttle cable and synchronized the throttle bodies, and released the center return spring, but it still is too twitchy for my tastes.
I don't know why Yamaha made this change to the bike, but it sure seems like a cheap parlor trick to make the bike feel faster without having to make any changes to the engine. A bike with the kind of horsepower and torque that the FJR has should not need to resort to this type of trickery. And besides, I suspect most owners would rather have a bike that rides and shifts smooth than one that feels quick in the first 1/3 of throttle movement. I can't help but wonder if this didn't contribute to some new owners getting rid of brand new bikes after only a few rides.
I took some photos of the throttle pulley in various positions in an attempt to show what it looks like, but it is hard to see on film. I plan on ordering a throttle pulley from an 05 and attempting to replace mine. I'll let you know how it works out. It does look like it is going to be a bear to replace, but I am going to attempt to do it anyway, as I don't care for the way the bike feels as it is.
If you look close at the photos you can see the cable shifts to the left where it comes off the pulley as the throttle is opened. This is due to the progressive diameter increase of the pulley.
Throttle pulley at idle (note middle return spring is released)
Throttle Pulley at half throttle
Throttle Pulley at Wide Open
I pulled off the tank to investigate the new pulley today. They have made the pulley on the throttle body so that it has a progressive pull. It gradually increases in diameter, and the end result is that very small changes in throttle movement at low RPM translate into much larger movements of the throttle plates. The end result is that it makes the bike feel twitchy, and high strung and it makes it extremely difficult to make throttle changes in mid turn without upsetting the bike. In some situations, it borders on becoming downright dangerous and you really have to focus and pay attention to throttle control as all you have to do is think about twisting it and the bike will speed up. It is real easy to snatch the bike when shifting and cornering and you really have to make a conscious effort to keep it under control. It just shouldn't be this way. I have done the Barbarian mod and taken all the slack out of the throttle cable and synchronized the throttle bodies, and released the center return spring, but it still is too twitchy for my tastes.
I don't know why Yamaha made this change to the bike, but it sure seems like a cheap parlor trick to make the bike feel faster without having to make any changes to the engine. A bike with the kind of horsepower and torque that the FJR has should not need to resort to this type of trickery. And besides, I suspect most owners would rather have a bike that rides and shifts smooth than one that feels quick in the first 1/3 of throttle movement. I can't help but wonder if this didn't contribute to some new owners getting rid of brand new bikes after only a few rides.
I took some photos of the throttle pulley in various positions in an attempt to show what it looks like, but it is hard to see on film. I plan on ordering a throttle pulley from an 05 and attempting to replace mine. I'll let you know how it works out. It does look like it is going to be a bear to replace, but I am going to attempt to do it anyway, as I don't care for the way the bike feels as it is.
If you look close at the photos you can see the cable shifts to the left where it comes off the pulley as the throttle is opened. This is due to the progressive diameter increase of the pulley.
Throttle pulley at idle (note middle return spring is released)
Throttle Pulley at half throttle
Throttle Pulley at Wide Open
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Get it up to about 8k, and just think about twisting the throttle!!!
