2013 FJR - Product announced!

[CopB8]

I too put a bunch more miles on my new bike over the weekend. Just over 500 total with of mix of moderate twisties and back road straights. Only 2 miles of it was on an Interstate. Here are a few more observations:

Cruise Control: While the 80mph limit is definitely going to be an issue I'm stil very glad it's on there. It's very easy to engage and disengage, has smooth responses and is pretty much seamless in it's operation. I used it a lot in non-highway enviroments. Also, I'm 'hoping' that if I have the choice of doing 90 and holding the throttle on a long haul or 80 on cruise I'll choose 80 and save on tickets. That may be wishful thinking.

Wind Protection: Not too different from the standard screen on the '04. I have to get used to toggling to a menu to adjust it though.

Start Button: More than once I found myself sitting in front of a venue wondering why my bike wasn't running and my hazard lights were on!

Dash: Beautiful job. Love the big digital speedo and gear selection. Trip Computer: Love it!

Handling: It definitely seems more balanced and less likely to 'fall' into a slow corner than my '04. Both have new tires. I would agree that there seems to be less nose-dive on braking as well. I'm almost finished de-installing the factory chicken strips. Have about a 1/2" to go

Seat: Marginally better than my stock '04 but still not exactly LazyBoy comfortable. Biggest thing is that it doesn't tend to push me into the tank as badly as the old one did. Will research alternatives but don't want a great big seat like the Russell. We'll see.

Non-GEN3: Used the Sena SMH10 headsets for the first time. Pretty decent but nothings going to be perfect in that environment.

 

[deanw]

Wind Protection: Not too different from the standard screen on the '04. I have to get used to toggling to a menu to adjust it though.

Compare not just wind protection, but buffetting. I find it 3.2 gobs (tecnical term) better than the '04 for buffeting.

Also- how tall are you? I could see where a taller rider wouldn't notice the difference automatically.

I spent some time riding and waving my hand around like a dork, feeling for the edges of the fairing protection. Definitely better than before.

Any notes on fuel economy? I'm still struggling to figure out how Yamaha comes up with such low numbers. Maybe they're letting the MotoGP test riders take them home for weekends?

Start Button: More than once I found myself sitting in front of a venue wondering why my bike wasn't running and my hazard lights were on!

Oh, good. I was afraid I was the only one doing that.

 

[SkooterG]

Mine says 'Battlax 023F GT'

So the typical 023 is also an 'F'. Perhaps they didn't do anything different for the '13 FJR and just put the GT spec on them but slightly relabeled them for OEM application?

Somebody (Fairlaner) needs to call Bridgestone and ask them.............

Edit: Correction. The 'F' I showed above is for 'Front' (Tire). The rear has 'Battlax 023R GT' on it. So no 'F' spec on normal 'GT' spec.

Bridgestone's website doesn't say anything about the 'F' spec for the FJR, just that they recommend the GT spec for the FJR.

I wouldn't get too excited about Bridgestone making a new improved BT-023 for the FJR, its probably not as good as what we have been using. Many years ago when the manufacturers actually sent reps to the National Motorcycle Shows, I had a very interesting conversation with a Bridgestone rep. He said that the Big 4 dictated to Bridgestone not only the technical specifications that a OEM tire had to meet for a specific motorcycle but also the price they were going to pay....and that price made it pretty difficult to make a profit. Bridgestone wanted that business so they complied but it often required cutting corners so they would not lose money on the OEM tires and those tires were not something that you should be later paying a premium for. I have often wondered if all the BT-021s are as bad as the OEM tires but I wasn't about to buy a set to find out.

Totally agree. Same thing with cars. Even Michelin has made some turkeys for OEM applications. What always cracks me up is folks who go out of their way to purchase the 'same' tire that came on their bike when delivered thinking it's the best choice. When in reality they are paying more for a tire that most of the time is one of the worse choices.

 

[bikemiser]

Can someone that has a 2013 tell me if they come with bag liners.

Thanks

Jim

 

[Ignacio]

If you get your FJR in North America...yes. Just like every model of FJR since 2003.

And, inevitably some dealer will claim they don't, the buyer will come to this forum, and we'll set them straight, and the dealer will eat a new set of bags they lost to begin with.

If you live elsewhere they don't come with liners.....because they don't come with side cases as stock.

 

[fudgejerkin1188]

They all come with side cases as standard in Europe now and have done for quite some time, they don't come with the bag liners though

 

[Ignacio]

They all come with side cases as standard in Europe now and have done for quite some time, they don't come with the bag liners though

I stand modified.

 

[Fairlaner]

Ye Ha just scored a factory service manual on flee bay......

R

Admin Note: Richard confirmed this was a factory, plastic-wrapped service manual from a Yamaha dealer selling on eBay. The dealer may not have known what they had. It was a RARE find and surprised even this jaded admin. My apologies Richard. / Ignacio

 

[Spud]

Don't know if this has already been discussed, but on the EU site, there's 2 different top cases, the 50 liter and "new" 39 liter...

https://www.yamaha-motor.eu/eu/products/motorcycles/sport-touring/fjr1300a.aspx?view=accessories

 

[Lou D]

I like the new box

 

[networkguy]

Oooohhhh....Yammy makes a GPS holder. It say its specifically made for the Garmin 660 and 350LM, but I reckon it can fit anything with a little ingenuity!

edit: erm...cant link directly to it, but on the accessory page its called a GPS Stay.

 

[CopB8]

Wind Protection: Not too different from the standard screen on the '04. I have to get used to toggling to a menu to adjust it though.

Compare not just wind protection, but buffetting. I find it 3.2 gobs (tecnical term) better than the '04 for buffeting.

Also- how tall are you? I could see where a taller rider wouldn't notice the difference automatically.

I'm 6'2". I stand corrected to some degree. There may be less buffeting when in the up position.

 

[Fairlaner]

That GPS mount it a bit of a mystery, the dealer i spoke with in UK last week could not find it in his system although it is on the Yamaha site, he called Yamaha Europe in Holland and they could not find it either so i don't know whats going on with it.

R

 

[networkguy]

That GPS mount it a bit of a mystery, the dealer i spoke with in UK last week could not find it in his system although it is on the Yamaha site, he called Yamaha Europe in Holland and they could not find it either so i don't know whats going on with it.

R

Hmm strange...

 

[@rjen]

That GPS mount it a bit of a mystery, the dealer i spoke with in UK last week could not find it in his system although it is on the Yamaha site, he called Yamaha Europe in Holland and they could not find it either so i don't know whats going on with it.

R

With the FJR 1300 Club NL we visited Yamaha NL last week: they have been so kind to arrange 5 demo's for the club to testdrive. (see for pics: https://www.fjr-club.nl/Pics/Aktiviteit2012/20121122_proefrijden/album/index.html)

At the occasion they also provided us with the latest accessories list. The GPS holder is on there.

Part number: 1MC-GPSMT-00-00. Price not yet known, available from dec 12...

 

[AKjitsu]

Ye Ha just scored a factory service manual on flee bay......

R

A 2013 service manual? Way cool! Does the seller have any more?

Linky?

Admin Note: Richard confirmed this was a factory, plastic-wrapped service manual from a Yamaha dealer selling on eBay. The dealer may not have known what they had..and only had one. It was a RARE find and surprised even this jaded admin. My apologies Richard. / Ignacio

 

[beemerdons]

Ye Ha just scored a factory service manual on flee bay......

R

A 2013 service manual? Way cool! Does the seller have any more?

Linky?

+1, Gunny; also interested in buying one, Thank You Richard!

Admin Note: Richard confirmed this was a factory, plastic-wrapped service manual from a Yamaha dealer selling on eBay. The dealer may not have known what they had and only had one. It was a RARE find and surprised even this jaded admin. My apologies Richard. / Ignacio

 

[RaYzerman19]

They all come with side cases as standard in Europe now and have done for quite some time, they don't come with the bag liners though

The Canadian ones did not have liners either but both EU and CAN got the ignition immobilizer system. Don't know if the 13 has liners, will find out this weekend.

 

[Fairlaner]

That GPS mount it a bit of a mystery, the dealer i spoke with in UK last week could not find it in his system although it is on the Yamaha site, he called Yamaha Europe in Holland and they could not find it either so i don't know whats going on with it.

R

With the FJR 1300 Club NL we visited Yamaha NL last week: they have been so kind to arrange 5 demo's for the club to testdrive. (see for pics: https://www.fjr-club.nl/Pics/Aktiviteit2012/20121122_proefrijden/album/index.html)

At the occasion they also provided us with the latest accessories list. The GPS holder is on there.

Part number: 1MC-GPSMT-00-00. Price not yet known, available from dec 12...

I had the part number for the mount and it shows on the website with that number but no one in UK knows anything about it, i guess i will check again after the 12th.

R

 

[JustHoward]

I spoke with Dennis McNeal, a senior executive with Yamaha Motorcycle Division about the cruise control issue. He said that until my call he was unaware that there was any issue about the cruise control. At the risk of misquoting him, I don't think he knew that there was a speed limit on the CC. Several days later, I was called by the manager of customer service who had researched the cc issue. He said that he had been unaware that this was an issue, that the cc limit decision was made in Japan, that it might be changed (but might not be changed), that I was the only prospective buyer who has complained, and that the chance of a change is not likely if only one customer asks for it. So,...

It can't hurt if those of us who would like to see the 80 mph cc limit raised, or eliminated, write a respectful snail mail letter to

Dennis McNeal

Yamaha Motorcycles

6555 Katella Avenue
Cypress, CA 90630

and express your feelings, RESPECTFULLY.

Maybe, just maybe, if enough of us write, they might get the idea that a modification of the cc limit is a good idea.

Howard