2014ES or 2016A?

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Which bike would you buy if you were looking for a Gen 3 FJR?

  • 2014 ES - 13,000 miles - essentially stock - $10,000

    Votes: 14 28.0%
  • 2016 A - 2,500 miles - essentially stock - $10,500

    Votes: 36 72.0%

  • Total voters
    50
^^^^ '13 and up have FBW and factory cruise although '13 cruise is limited to 80 ish mph and later models are good for 100 mph.

2:1 lead for the '16!

--G

 
Unless your 08 is down and out, i would hold off till late fall and the prices on a 16ES will be in the range of the A now. I am waiting for the RED to re-emerge and I will place my order for a new RED FJR. My riding buddies have Blue and Grey bikes. When fueling up or at a rest stop the lookers gravitate to the RED bike and offer up great praise.

 
I rode the '17 ES at the Yamaha demo truck event in Hayward yesterday. They keep you under a tight leash so unable to stretch its legs, but through the 4 gears I actually used I was really amazed at how silky smooth the transmission was. No clunking into 1st or 2nd like I'm used to with the '08.

I'm not sure how much of the very nice ride quality was the ES suspension or just from it being fresh, but overall I really liked it. Seemed to glide over the really rough spots without too much excitement.

I'm definitely leading toward the '16 at this point.

 
Two years newer and 20% of the miles? What's to ask here? It's a no brainer.

Now if you could get the 2014 for $8,000, it would be harder to choose. I'd still go for the newer model myself.

When you go to sell in 2022, the '14 will be 8 years old / think 2009 today.

 
Had an 08 and started off looking for a 16A. They really had not started coming down much and very few used at the time. Ended up buying 14ES with 2700 miles with a ton of goodies already on it. Canyon cages and bag mounts, ram ball, radar detector mount, Givi box with two different mounts, no touch tank bag, ASV clutch and brake levers, OEM shop manual, adjustable lowering links, YES warranty, and all the stock parts. All for under $10K.

The red bike does not show up in pictures as it does in person. Always thought the pics showed it a bit pinkish but it is about as candy apple as it gets.

Understand the LED headlight is a non serviceable item. You lose the LED lights and you are probably looking at $1500 for headlight assembly replacement if you take it in to have it done. I really wanted the LED headlight.

Was not big on the ES but after putting about 4000 miles on the bike I like it. Going down the interstate on soft and then switching to hard when you get to the twisties is pretty nice. You can tell the difference.

Just wore out the original tires and had the wheels powdercoated silver with clear on top of that. Got rid of those horrendous black wheels. Old school here. Silver wheels would look killer on that 16A.

Cruise is nice also which you get either way.

Really can't go wrong either way you chose.

 
Hi Russ! Hope you & yours are doing well! I voted 2016 pretty much based on what I would perceive as better $value$ ... although my 2014 Red gets more complements than any other motorcycle I have ever owned. It's crazy. I can stop in the middle of nowhere and, outta nowhere, some smoking hot chick walks by, makes eye to eye contact, smiles, winks, and says "nice bike!"

 
By price alone I would say the 16 is a "better deal". But I would talk the guy with the '14 down a little bit more and then get the bike with the better suspension. The slipper clutch can be added for $300 in an afternoon. LED headlights can be installed for $50. I've done both of these to my '14ES

I've owned a few bikes with 6 speed transmissions and I do not feel that this bike has a need for 6th gear. It has plenty of giddy up with the 5. You will not be able to retrofit the A model with the ES suspension. 10k miles is nothing. The blue color of the '16 is nice, but the red is gorgeous.

 
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I think I can settle this. Give me the contact info on the '16A, I will buy it, and then you only have one choice. You are welcome.

:)
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I think I can settle this. Give me the contact info on the '16A, I will buy it, and then you only have one choice. You are welcome.
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Yeah - I thought about it for awhile before posting thinking I might be flagging it for someone to buy it out from under me. But I'm still procrastinating so it's my fault now if anyone buys it....

If you're really interested, here's the info....

https://motountd.com/Motorcycles-Yamaha-FJR1300A-2016-La-Habra-CA-4bca5a0e-9230-4ac4-808b-a78e0110885c

 
I'm a little biased but I voted for the red ES. I have a 14 ES and the suspension is much better than my 06A. Perhaps the new A's have improved suspension to my 06 but the adjustable suspension on the ES, in my opinion, is way better. Also, I have 71,000 miles on my 14 ES and I still have had nothing go wring with my bike. I'm beginning to think I wasted money on the extended warranty.

I ride over 100 miles daily running some high speeds at times. I adjust the suspension several times each ride for comfort or added performance. Have really got to like it.

I do like the LED's and the assist/slipper clutch as well as the six speed. The suspension tips the ES for me but I haven't got a ride on the new bikes. I saw a black 17 ES at the bike shop and it looked almost as good as my red one.

Oh, my nephew is still riding my 2006 with over 145,000 miles. The only problem is a stator failure at 110,000.

Have fun and ride safe as you can,

I'm a little biased but I voted for the red ES. I have a 14 ES and the suspension is much better than my 06A. Perhaps the new A's have improved suspension to my 06 but the adjustable suspension on the ES, in my opinion, is way better. Also, I have 71,000 miles on my 14 ES and I still have had nothing go wring with my bike. I'm beginning to think I wasted money on the extended warranty.

I ride over 100 miles daily running some high speeds at times. I adjust the suspension several times each ride for comfort or added performance. Have really got to like it.

I do like the LED's and the assist/slipper clutch as well as the six speed. The suspension tips the ES for me but I haven't got a ride on the new bikes. I saw a black 17 ES at the bike shop and it looked almost as good as my red one.

Oh, my nephew is still riding my 2006 with over 145,000 miles. The only problem is a stator failure at 110,000.

Have fun and ride safe as you can,

 
If the ES was a little less cost, it would be an easy decision. I like both colors. For the riding I do 5 speed is perfect. (I try to avoid slabbing it) I love the ES because of the ability to change front dampening when slabbing and make it harder when i get to the twisties. I almost never set it in standard. It is either soft or hard. That being said, I guess I vote for the ES.

 
Hi Russ! Hope you & yours are doing well! I voted 2016 pretty much based on what I would perceive as better $value$ ... although my 2014 Red gets more complements than any other motorcycle I have ever owned. It's crazy. I can stop in the middle of nowhere and, outta nowhere, some smoking hot chick walks by, makes eye to eye contact, smiles, winks, and says "nice bike!"
Smokin hot chicks stopping by make RED a no brainer!!!

 
Hi Russ! Hope you & yours are doing well! I voted 2016 pretty much based on what I would perceive as better $value$ ... although my 2014 Red gets more complements than any other motorcycle I have ever owned. It's crazy. I can stop in the middle of nowhere and, outta nowhere, some smoking hot chick walks by, makes eye to eye contact, smiles, winks, and says "nice bike!"
Smokin hot chicks stopping by make RED a no brainer!!!
Wow! that is certainly a massive "Pro" when it comes to deciding between bikes. Never suspected that the black bike I have now is the main reason I do so poorly with "smokin hot chicks"! I always thought it was my gray hair, increasing waist line and lack of money that were the primary excuses to use....

 
If you want to be chatted up by soccer moms, certainly red helps.

But when I had a red FJR, I was traveling with a fellow who was riding a Red Moto Guzzi Norge.

We would park them next to each other, and men and women alike would gaze at the Guzzi, backs turned to the FJR.

Another one that drew chatters over the FJR was the Victory Vision back when it was first introduced. Didn't even have to be red.

On the Rocket IIIs, black seems to trump red.

 
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men and women alike would gaze at the Guzzi, backs turned to the FJR.
I love the RED bike in concept... LOOKS GREAT!

But if the men, women, and COPS all like to see it so much, I prefer to keep riding my (invisible) Stone Gray 2013... It flies under their radar.
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You will eventually blow out the shocks and cartridges. So what is the future costs for new or rebuilt A vs ES? How often do you think you will want to change the settings on your suspension? I have a GP Suspension with Penske rear shock. I just set it and forget it but that's just me. I never ride two up. And I'm kinda old so I'm not a fast hotshot rider either. My chicken strips are nothing to be proud of.

Here is a link to a helpful thread on this topic: https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/169382-es-vs-a/

Anyone know how long an ES suspension typically lasts?

 
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You will eventually blow out the shocks and cartridges. So what is the future costs for new or rebuilt A vs ES? How often do you think you will want to change the settings on your suspension? I have a GP Suspension with Penske rear shock. I just set it and forget it but that's just me. I never ride two up. And I'm kinda old so I'm not a fast hotshot rider either. My chicken strips are nothing to be proud of.
Here is a link to a helpful thread on this topic: https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/169382-es-vs-a/]https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/169382-es-vs-a/[/url]

Anyone know how long an ES suspension typically lasts?
A poll was started about the reliability of the ES suspension and the few over 50k miles see no significant change from new. Many others have 25-50k with no issues. Longevity does not appear to be a valid concern from our experience. The suspension will outlast most rider's willingness ride one bike.
 
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There have been no reports of failed ES suspension, either forks or shock, and they have been available since 2014. There are ES bikes around with near 100k miles on them that haven't needed suspension work. That seems pretty good.

Obviously the time will come, and the question on what it will take to rebuild them is hanging. Guess we'll all have to deal with that when the time comes. In the meantime we aren't having to rebuild the forks or rear shock every ~25k miles as is typical for an A model suspension.

 
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