'16 Review from RevZilla

[Uncle Hud]

Like Goldilocks said several times: My 5-speed bike is just right.

Like several others have said above:

1) I often find myself on the Atlanta freeway system cruising at 60-65 mph in 4th gear. Not uncomfortable in the least.

2) When in 5th gear at 70-80 mph, there is still plenty of torque left in the throttle to do a "3-second pass" of slower vehicles.

3) When cruising in 5th at 80 mph, I get 39-41 mpg.

All three points were noted -- yet again -- in a one-day, 350-mile, Ride to Change Tires at griff's house. (Thanks, man! Gold valve stems and levers = bling, bling, bling!)

If I had a 6th gear, I'd surely use it, but I have never been one of those guys who felt the FJR was at a disadvantage with only 5. Once you get accustomed to the engine noise between 5K and 6K rpm, you start to feel the inner beauty of Momma Yama's wonderful machine.

 

[Big Sky]

Anyone remember the Chevy Powerglide? Two-speed automatic: first too high, second too low. My '64 Falcon had three-speed manual. My Scout and Bronco had four-speeds. My 4-Runners had five speeds, my Tacoma has a six-speed. Wife's new RAV4 has six-speed auto. The Tacoma six-speed has gears that are sometimes redundant; I often shift from fourth to sixth, or third to fifth. And, yes, I may find myself having run the last five miles at 70 mph in fifth. Whatever. They all did/do the job, some perhaps more efficiently. I still think the '16 FJR six-speed was more a response to market pressures than anything else. Yamaha has done the right thing: gotta stay competitive and answer the critics. Regardless, there it is, now enjoy!

 

[puppychow]

The best advice on the internet is: If you don't like it - don't click on it.

Similarly, when riding an FJR. If you don't like (6th gear) - don't use it. :****:

 

[Cav47]

As Sky has stated, there is rarely a ride that I take that does not involve me "double up shifting". Going from 1st to 3rd is oftentimes the case in town. 1st-3rd-5th is often used for out of town exits when speed is not needed. I do not lug the engine along though. We all know what the FJR can do with such a great engine and tranny.

This past 10 day trip all the gears were used in multiple quantities. A little road in Northeast Lousiana scrubbed all the chicken strips off my tire rather quickly while following Pants. That was with full cargo. I wanted to run her in 4th, but all the weight made in better in 3rd.

Essentially, I read it on here a long time ago. "Ride more, worry less".

That is not to say that discussions should not take place. We are all newbies at one point and need to talk about stuff that is mundane to the "seasoned" riders.

Use the search feature if possible, and if someone doesn't, don't be a jack off and try to shame/berate them for not using it.

I have lots of dumb questions I want to ask, but don't because I don't want to get flamed on here if I do. So I just call or text someone I know on here. 100% of the time, 100 percent of them are awesome helps to my dumb question. Cause I don't know crap and I know that about the FJR.

Good find BTW Don. THANK YOU.

 

[Bellerophon]

Once you ride a 2016 with the 6 speed you'll understand what you're missing. It's much more than just an extra gear. The shifts are so much smoother, and much more positive. There is much less driveline lash. No more clunking into gear. It's a home run, Yamaha is finally offering a transmission on par with what Kawasaki has.

 

[Hotboot]

According to that Yamaha gearing graph, the gap between 2nd and 3rd is even bigger now. That was my only complaint with my current 2005 and really comes into play on roads like 129 Deals Gap and several Arkansas routes. I never did mind high RPM on this motor but the next gear was always just a tad too far at that speed, the rest of the design is genius and until you have a sliipper clutch you just don't know how it can improve bombing into a corner.

I hope you 6 speed beggers are happy, even at our commuting mph of 80 I would probably never use it....hell the new 5th is even taller !

BTW....I bought the BMW R1200RS to see what that's all about. Check that box, it's fantastic but will keep the Gen 1 FJR also.

 

[RaYzerman19]

Big Sky, how about a nice '62 Corvair normally aspirated with a powerglide...... pedal to the metal baby. And then there's my Ram with the 8 speed auto, which skips 3rd and 5th on the way up.

 

[Bounce]

Once you ride a 2016 with the 6 speed you'll understand what you're missing. It's much more than just an extra gear. The shifts are so much smoother, and much more positive. There is much less driveline lash. No more clunking into gear. It's a home run, Yamaha is finally offering a transmission on par with what Kawasaki has.

So the helical cut is the improvement and the extra gear is just bling? I can get on board with that assessment.

how about a nice '62 Corvair normally aspirated with a powerglide.

Had a '64 Convertible Monza with a 4-speed manual. Can't imagine having any of those flat 6s with an auto. It could hit top speed in top gear (over the 110 speed indicator max with the needling bouncing off the upper limiter peg) but you needed a lot of road to get there. That was back in the day when money was an issue (when was it not). I had the cheapest tires I could find on that car ($25 each back in 73?). The tread was noticeably narrower than the sidewall. My dad and I spent a month hand-sanding and prepping the body for paint (any chip was water sanded to feather the edges, etc.). His "buddy" screwed the pooch when shooting the Grabber Blue and it orange peeled.

 

[BanjoBoy]

I hate it when I'm rolling down the highway in 4th gear accidentally.

Yep, dun that just the other day; rode fer miles in 4th (At an indicated 75) 'n didn't even know it. These things are soooooo smoooooth!

 

[Big Sky]

My wife's RAV's six-speed auto is somewhat annoying in that it seems it is always changing gears. Head up a small hill, down to fifth, then fourth; top the hill, up to sixth. I understand the computer is selecting a gear where the engine will run most efficiently. Still, a whole lot o' shifting goin' on. And, still, much better than the two-speed Powerglide in the '63 SS Impala with the 300 hp 327. 75 mph in first, then high. Any equivalent with a three- or four-speed would crush it.

As far as, "You don't know what you're missing until you have it..." Well, my Blackbird had a buttery six-speed so I know what that's like, and my GSXR 750 had a slipper clutch, so I know what that's like. As stated before, the slipper is meant to prevent the back wheel from breaking loose with a high-RPM downshift. That's functional and useful...on a track. In everyday mountain twisties, I go for smoooth and, to me, that means backing off the throttle at just the right moment and letting compression braking take me down to the optimal corner entry speed, rather that using trail braking, which IMHO is a more abrupt and unsettling approach with more effects on the suspension and requires more operator input. BUT, to each their own. Ride what you choose and ride it the way you choose. I maintain Yamaha did what it needed to and '16 owners sing the praises of the new tranny/clutch, just as I expect and Yamaha wanted. If I had my druthers, I'd take the helical six-speed and opt out of the slipper.

 

[Spud]

Someone educate me. I thought the new 6th was the same ratio as the old 5th.

 

[TripperMike]

Hotboot: the gap between 2nd and 3rd is even bigger now.

No, I think it's closer. Also I believe the new 5th gear is nearly the same as my '05 5th gear. So those of us Gen 1 owners will truly experience an overdrive. Me likey.

 

[Hotboot]

You are right, I stand corrected. I first saw the graph on a small tablet.

2-3-4 are closer now,2015 to 2016, I don't know how that compares to my 2005. 90 mph is 5000 rpm on the RS, I forgot what it is on the FJR but the next outing will resolve that. 3 bikes in 2 years has me forgetting that stuff.

 

[LCB]

another review... https://autoweek.com/article/motorcycles/first-ride-2016-yamaha-fjr1300a-and-1300es

 

[Big Sky]

From the Auto Week review:

"Cons: Seat hard as a rock, could use stability control for even better cornering"

Okay, we all know about seats, but this guy also buys into "the FJR needing refinement and improvements" mantra. There is no end to that road. We can all want and expect the "next best thing" indefinitely.

So, he never touches anything to the pavement besides rubber, and he claims he wants "even better cornering" from stability control? My guess is that he, and FJR owners, will get that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in subsequent model years...for more $, more weight, more complexity, more, more, more...

 

[Bounce]

I wonder when we gave up on skill and traded it for tech.

 

[DocFJR]

The Autoweek reviewer sounds like a car guy with little bike experience. He keeps calling the fjr a touring bike, too, like it's a goldwing. Oh, and if you want a fast bike, he says get the Kawasaki. Yeah, so the FJR is a real slug, I guess. Yikes.

 

[Bounce]

To hear certain people on non-marque forums, the FJR is just like a Goldwing because it weighs more than 450#. To them a VFR or Ninja with bags is a sport tourer.

 

[BakerBoy]

When I read journalist writings/reviews such as the one in Autoweek above... As a writer makes a point or two of concern (whether based or not), my self-worth goes out the door for riding such a class of motorcycle and for considering an FJR. I want to go back to bed and never ride again. I can't believe I ride a Sport Tourer, especially one which is so outdated (Honda ST1300) that it doesn't even get reviewed any longer. I start to question my manhood.

Such writers have helped me see through it though. I now realize I need a cruiser or a crotch rocket to meet my needs, and I need pirate gear. I dare not consider an FJR any longer.

SMILEY FACE, SMILEY FACE, SMILEY FACE !!