2013 FJR - Product announced!

[RadioHowie]

So far I think everything that MamaYama has done to the FJR is great. But, I'll have to see her in the metal and plastic before I'll know if she makes my heart go all fluttery and my wallet goes leaky. The very sight of my 2010, still brings me joy.

Erm....looks like a 2003 to me.

 

[wheatonFJR]

So far I think everything that MamaYama has done to the FJR is great. But, I'll have to see her in the metal and plastic before I'll know if she makes my heart go all fluttery and my wallet goes leaky. The very sight of my 2010, still brings me joy.

Erm....looks like a 2003 to me.

Well yer feckin blind! :lol:

 

[rPGoatBoy]

So...who will be the first to create a write up on how to add "factory" cruise control to my '06? Bonus points for a price list.

 

[Fairlaner]

ummm thats gonna be some major bucks.......lets just start with the throttle by wire stuff......

R

 

[John_Dumke]

IMHO this new bike just isn't that exciting. It is basically the same damn bike as my 2006. In the sportbike world 6 years is like night and day. Nobody in the right mind would show up to the racetrack with 6 year old technology, they would be blown away by the competition. Sportbikes seem to go through a major change every 2-3 years.

The 2013 FJR is the same damn bike with with a cruise control. And the drive by wire, well testers didn't like the drive by wire on the BMW 1600, as they said if gave them a vague disconnected feeling. So what would I be gettng for waiting 6 years, and spending another $10,000 (the difference between my bikes value and a new 2013). New Plastic? That is? This is just a big let down.

I would expect a much larger improvement to justify enough excitement to upgrade. Something like:

20 hp more, 6 speed tranny, upgraded upside down forks, newer brakes and 30 less pounds.

Yes it looks nice, but from a performance viewpoint, it is just a BIG yawn.

Don't get me wrong I LOVE my bike, it works very well. But that would be exactly why I would keep it. Certainly if you don't have an FJR, I would recommend a new one. But there just isn't the progress in the sport touring market, as there is in the auto market or the sportbike market. I guess they just don't sell enough to justify the R&D.

 

[yamafitter]

IMHO this new bike just isn't that exciting. It is basically the same damn bike as my 2006. In the sportbike world 6 years is like night and day. Nobody in the right mind would show up to the racetrack with 6 year old technology, they would be blown away by the competition. Sportbikes seem to go through a major change every 2-3 years.

The 2013 FJR is the same damn bike with with a cruise control. And the drive by wire, well testers didn't like the drive by wire on the BMW 1600, as they said if gave them a vague disconnected feeling. So what would I be gettng for waiting 6 years, and spending another $10,000 (the difference between my bikes value and a new 2013). New Plastic? That is? This is just a big let down.

I would expect a much larger improvement to justify enough excitement to upgrade. Something like:

20 hp more, 6 speed tranny, upgraded upside down forks, newer brakes and 30 less pounds.

Yes it looks nice, but from a performance viewpoint, it is just a BIG yawn.

Don't get me wrong I LOVE my bike, it works very well. But that would be exactly why I would keep it. Certainly if you don't have an FJR, I would recommend a new one. But there just isn't the progress in the sport touring market, as there is in the auto market or the sportbike market. I guess they just don't sell enough to justify the R&D.

OK, first off I don't give a shit about what testers say. It is because of these supposed experts that we won't be getting the AS because these "purists" led the charge to kill the AE. I have not heard one good reason why anyone needs a sixth gear on a FJR. Probably for the same reason you ran out and bought that Marshall Amp because the volume control goes to "11". The brakes on the FJR are currently some of the best on the market and stop the bike just fine. I don't see a huge need for improvement.

20 more horsepower? Do you understand what a Sport Tourer is? Most people can't use the full capacity of the bike as it is, yet everybody wants more. Drop the bike 30 pounds? Easy, build the frame out of carbon fiber. Are you going to pay $40,000 for a lighter FJR though?. I do agree about the suspension and we could have had it if these testers you put so much faith in hadn't opened their mouths.

Sport Touring in North American is a tiny market and the wrong demographic for return on money for a lot of R&D. The marketing seems to be pushing the Adventure bikes such as the Super Tenere right now. There is a whole group of people on this forum that are determined to hold onto their Gen I's until hell freezes over. That is not what Yamaha wants to hear. They want you to be like the Sportbike crowd that dump a bike every one or two years to have the latest and greatest.

I'm pretty tied in to the dirt bike community and motocrossers are even worst. The funniest part about it all is that if they just spent a fraction of the money they spend on mods actually learning how to ride properly, they would see a massive performance increase.

I see the Gen III as a nice evolutionary change but I'll hold out to see if they will introduce the AS back into North America. I'm one of the tiny few that 'got' what the AE was all about. If we never get the AS then I'll at least wait for the updated electronic suspension or maybe see if Ohlins will now make the active suspension available in North America. Now that would be one expensive farkle that would make even Fairlaner jealous.

 

[Bounce]

That's it? The cruise control setting tops out at 80 mph? <_<

the GL1500 topped out at 78. the trick was to swap 2 pins in a gang connector that told the ECU whether it was in 4th or 5th gear (the only 2 where cruise would work). since cruise worked off of RPM sensing, it would think it was in 4th (when it was really in 5th) and the top allowed cruise RPM then let it lock in at 102 in 5th. 4th was hosed as being limited to something like 65, but who needs to cruise in lower gears?

eventually someone may dope out a similar solution or there will be a market for Euro ECU swaps.

Digital speedo and analog tach is de rigueur and the better than the other way around for quickly seeing what's what.

I'm with Dale on this as a wait for next year for bugs to be worked out (and to see if the A model gets the suspension, etc. of the AS so it benefits from it as well)... except that I retire on Nov 3rd so may not have another new bike in my future at all.

 

[Fred W]

I haven't been able to find any solid evidence that they actually did change the gear ratios on the 2013 compared to 2nd gens, or if so by how much. Hopefully they should have some more thorough specs available on the new model soon. I saw the blurb quoted previously that said something to that effect, but that looked suspiciously like a cut and paste job from some earlier (2nd gen) marketing material comparing to the first, much like them touting "heated grips" and "adjustable seat and bars" which were already standard items on the later second gens.

If they actually did raise the overdrive gearing in 5th (for lower highway cruising rpm), and also widened the rest of the gears' spacing, that may actually be better than a 6 speed transmission, as you'd get all of the advantages with no need to shift an extra gear. I also do not think that raising the gear ratio in 5th a little would negatively impact top speed. Since the engine is already so far above peak torque when it tops out, I doubt they would be able to drop the rpms that much.

As for adding another 100cc to the engine, does anyone really think that would make it a better bike? That would be mostly a matter of specs-manship, IMO. A 1400 has to be better than a 1300 right? Not in my opinion. I'll take a good, proven, reliable 1300 over an unknown quantity new 1400 any day.

 

[xcsp]

I'm enjoying this thread, some saying how they like the bike,some that do not which is fine. Everyone has their opinion.

I get a kick out of the comments about the bike needing to be a 1400, having this or that, like a 6-speed, USD forks,etc, etc.. Why, just because brand "X' has this or that?

If you feel you need or want something that the FJR doesn't offer, time to move on.

 

[Constant Mesh]

https://www.yamaha-motor.ca/products/products.php?model=4217&section=ft&group=M#contentTop

"Revised, wide ratio 5-speed transmission utilizes widely spaced gear ratios for relaxed long-distance sport touring performance combined with seamless acceleration. 5th gear is an overdrive gear to reduce rpms at highway speeds. A new gear machining method is used on selected gears to reduce transmission noise."

"Revised" probably means something was changed. One might say 5th has always been an overdrive ratio (0.929).

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

I'd rather have the big digital numbers. Why? Because when I'm quickly accelerating or decelerating I'm too busy looking at where I'm going. Once I've settled into a steady speed I check the speedo if I'm so inclined, but by then I'll already know whether I'm being a bad boy or not. The really useful range of the analog speedo is so small it's barely useful in my opinion, so most of the time I end up looking at the GPS digital speed readout anyway.

+1

What is the point of LED running lights incorporated into the headlight shell . . . .

For side marker visibility at night.

 

[Fred W]

https://www.yamaha-mo...up=M#contentTop

"Revised, wide ratio 5-speed transmission utilizes widely spaced gear ratios for relaxed long-distance sport touring performance combined with seamless acceleration. 5th gear is an overdrive gear to reduce rpms at highway speeds. A new gear machining method is used on selected gears to reduce transmission noise."

"Revised" probably means something was changed. One might say 5th has always been an overdrive ratio (0.929).

That is actually the marketing blurb I was referring to (Yamaha Canada Website).

If you look at the other claims on that same page most of them were already standard on the 2012 FJR. It definitely does say "revised", which gives hope that it actually is.

It's also curious that the new gear ratios do not get a mention on the US web site

 

[RossKean]

I'm enjoying this thread, some saying how they like the bike,some that do not which is fine. Everyone has their opinion.

I get a kick out of the comments about the bike needing to be a 1400, having this or that, like a 6-speed, USD forks,etc, etc.. Why, just because brand "X' has this or that?

If you feel you need or want something that the FJR doesn't offer, time to move on.

I had mentioned that I thought Yamaha missed the boat when they did not offer a revamped 1400 cc engine and 6 speed tranny. This was from the point of view of marketing and competition. Without these things, I think Yamaha will have difficulty in regaining sport touring market share. Its not because the FJR NEEDS this stuff to be a superb sport tourer, its just that potential new buyers will look at it and end out with a Connie (or BMW) because of the perceived superiority of the engine and transmission.

For me, I am happy with my '07 and will likely hang on to it until I wear it out. Close to 85,000 miles on it and there's no point in trying to sell it - still runs great and wouldn't get much for it. I suspect I will wait for the AS version to come to North America (if it does) or for the AS "extras" to be made available on the standard model. A year or two after that, I'll see if I can find a good used one to buy for a reasonable price. (5 year plan). By that time, The '07 will be around 200,000 miles and close to retirement.

Ross

 

[beemerdons]

So far I think everything that MamaYama has done to the FJR is great. But, I'll have to see her in the metal and plastic before I'll know if she makes my heart go all fluttery and my wallet goes leaky. The very sight of my 2010, still brings me joy.

Erm....looks like a 2003 to me.

Well yer feckin blind! :lol:

Wheatie, RH also smells funny!

 

[jmdaniel]

Didn't read all 14 pages, maybe someone else said this, but the plus for Yamaha finally doing something with the Feejer is that it just may get Honda to do the same with their ST. I like my '07, but I'd be very interested in a revised ST.

 

[beemerdons]

.....There is a whole group of people on this forum that are determined to hold onto their Gen I's until hell freezes over!.....

Screw you Fitkowski, Papa Chuy is holding on to his Gen 1 long past that particular event. I am hanging on to my Gen 1 until SkooterG buys me a beer and a hamburger!

 

[beemerdons]

Can't help but wondering if all those 2011/2012 buyers are now thinking "****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****-****!!!"

Boy are you right there...I'm a 2011 owner and that's ALL I think (since I was 12 years old, can't get it out of my head)!

...and the new FJR gives me a chubber.

Brother Usul, when it comes to our RadioHowie, a decent bowel movement gives RH a chubber! jes' sayin' and nuff' said!

 

[TwoWhldTerror]

GREAT vids, captured the essence of the FJR/sport touring for me.

 

[glory racing]

I wonder if the 2013 is leanier?

 

[RadioHowie]

I wonder if the 2013 is leanier?

No, pretty much the same meat-to-fat ratio as before. About the same as ground chuck.