FJR engine

[FJRay]

Any of you that want a graphic display of vibration are welcome to come out and ride my 750 Enfield. After 1/2 hour you can't see, can't feel your ass or your hands and the grin on your face makes your jaw hurt.

 

[zorkler]

enfeilds if its a 2005 or a 2009 its is a 1950 motorcycle

 

[Fred W]

The only thing I wish Yamaha would add to the new FJR was more time for me to ride it.

 

[Cal24Master]

And depending on who you talk to, the "old FJR" still beats the other two as well.

The C14 and the new BMW K1300GT (and K1300S for that matter) are now serious contenders for the FJR. Two years ago it was a no brainer - you want the best, fastest, most powerful, lightest weight, most bad-ass sport-tourer - get an FJR - end of story. For 2009, things are not as clear.

I love my FJR and may seriously upgrade my 2007 to a black/black/black 2009 this summer, however, I also have a ZX-14 and I personally know how great that motor and transmission is. It is freaking awesome. I dont know that I could ever buy a BMW with their track record, however, both the K1300S and K1300GT now have fantastic power, features, options, etc.

As with anything, it depends on what is most important to you. For those of us in the LD Riding and Iron Butt communities, the C-14 is nothing but a big swing, and total miss. Besides the roast your thighs heat issue that from what I've heard is way worse than the first FJR's ever were, you have a few more, deal breaking issues.

First is the puny gas tank. What Kawasaki was thinking when they came to this party with 5 gallon gas tank has me scratching my head in wonder. If you want to make a rally bike out of it, adding a 5 gallon fuel cell doesn't even get you close to the 11.5 gallon limit. Add to the that the miserable gas mileage they get and you end up with a bike can go maybe 170 miles on the stock tank, and even if you add the fuel cell you're looking for gas after about 330 miles. On my FJR I can go over 420 miles between stops no matter how hard I flog it, and can get over 500 miles most of the time. Yeah it may be a little faster, and may be a little smoother, but if you can't go between Tonapah and Ely Nevada on Hwy 6 because you can't go that far on a tank of gas, what good is it?

Now you can look at the wimpy alternator output. Add a few farkles to the already taxed power output and you are out of juice.

So if you don't ride long distances, or at night, or in remote areas, the C-14 may be a viable alternative for you.

Don't get me started on BMW! Just say cost and rear drive failure and you understand why it is not a competitor with the FJR.

 

[Shadow]

Not only the engine the whole bike needs a good update.Still a nice bike but it could be great.

It is falling behind compared to other brands.

Really? Falling behind you say? Hmmm.

So given the current line up of "super sport touring" bikes, you would choose a Kawasaki Concours, BMW K1300GT or Honda ST1300 as head and shoulders better than an FJR? :blink:

Let's hope that the 2010 model gets the much needed improvements.

Not likely. Much more likely scenarios are they keep it the same and milk a few more years of sales out of the current design or they drop the FJR model altogether. It hasn't seemed to bother Suzuki much, not playing in that sandbox.

I ride an 06 Fred.

I have also ridden a BMW and Kwaka.

The FJR is not a bad bike but like I said if it were modernised it would/could be a great bike.

But for what ever reason if Yamaha don't want to spend the money then so be it.

The FJR sales Australia wide in 08 was 211 bikes in total, not a lot compared to other years.

Only made six out of ten in touring bike sales.

 

[War Machine]

The smoothest bikes I've ever ridden were my brother's V65 Saber and my 98 VFR800. Those Honda V-4s are really smooth.

I owned a Honda V65 Sabre & that 1100cc V-4 Interceptor motor was smooth & powerful. It could rev so fast, no Vibration & had the narrowest profile of any bike I have owned.

I built it into my own personal sport tourer way back in 1985 by adding a Greer Fairing & Krauser Bags. I owned it for 21 years until I bought the FJR. Here's a pic:

Pretty dated by todays standards.

But that's why I vote for the V-Max Motor for a Gen III.

 

[Fred W]

I have also ridden a BMW and Kwaka.

Me too! I've owned an '86 K100RT, '94 R1100RS, '01 ZG1000 Concours, plus a '75 Suzuki GT550, '00 Ducati M750, and the '98 VFR800 and '73 R60/5 that I still have along with the FJR, plus a metric buttload of dirt and dual sport oriented machines.. The bike with the least vibes is the VFR. 2nd is the FJR.

The FJR is not a bad bike but like I said if it were modernised it would/could be a great bike.

Actually, the FJR is already among the top few great bikes ever produced. Could it be improved, sure... Then it would be great-er.

But I still don't think the vibration is a major downfall of this bike.

 

[zorkler]

I agree with fred one this on the vibration is not a major downfall off this bike . Like i said before the bike is to top heavy put some of the gas in the frame .

 

[terrebandit]

It really comes down to what you're used to riding. I test rode an 08 and was blown away by how smooth it was. I ran out and bought a used 07 a couple months later. Every bike could be improved, I guess, but how much is enough? Thats up to the individual rider and what their expectation level is for a quality ride. My FJR will likely be the best ride I've had in over 30 years of street bike ownership. Will there be a better one out there some day? Of course there will be!

 

[chrisflock]

Having ridden on a pretty wide variety of bikes before settling on the FJR, I wondered what people meant by vibration...the only bike that I rode that I noticed less vibration on was a GL1800.

Test riding the ST1100 and ST1300, and FJR I didn't notice any vibes. The BMW K1200, I noticed vibes, particularly at certain RPMs, and there was some vibration, not bad, on the last-gen Concours I rode.

When my FJR was in for some work (shattered clutch plate) they mis-aligned that balance shaft, and then I noticed some vibes. They weren't to the point that the bike was unrideable, but I could feel them, particularly at certain RPMs. It took a week or so to get the place to actually look at my bike. They took 2 test rides and said that it was perfectly normal, and I admit the vibes weren't as bad as, say, my VTX1300 was.

After I finally convinced them to check the balancer, I was amazed, the bike is back to smooth as can be. My dad's wing is smoother for sure, but nothing else I've ever ridden is...

So, my theory is that people out there that complain about vibes, maybe your bike has the secondary balance shaft lined up on the wrong mark like mine did.

Oh, and if there are any improvements to the future FJR, a 6 speed wouldn't hurt, they could probably design a more compact, lighter exhaust, and perhaps a few pounds could be shaved from ABS components, using vacuum casting, probably some weight could be lost in the front fairing supports, and if they could find a way to put the batter down low, that would be cool.

But I wouldn't expect a big change, and it's not necessary.

 

[Old Bear]

Two pages of BS and no one hit it yet. :glare:
You don't need to change the engine, you need to add another gear!!!!

Six speed

Someone put a stake into this vampire. :vampire:

+1 on the six speed! Otherwise, please just leave mine alone (though the 50 lb diet Would be interesting! Mine's the smoothest bike I've ever had (though I'm from the old "It's a Motorcycle-It's no SUPPOSED to be comfortable" school-----If ya'll want something to numb the pinkies try and old 2 stroke twin!

 

[dwhartwell]

The vibration is a major problem, and anyone who says their's doesn't do it just isn't admitting it. Kind of like wives can't hear rattles in cars. Almost all riders complain of their right hand going numb. Other than that, its virtually the perfect bike for me - which is why I still have it with 33,000 miles in less than three years. But I do hope they make a smoother engine.

I came off a G2 Bandit 1200S. My 07 FJR is glass smooth compared to the Bandit. As for buzzy/vibration, mine must be better balanced as I don't have that issue. Yes, in certain lower RPM ranges under load it is worse, so I simply drop down a gear and its gone.

 

[Constant Mesh]

I wonder if having two separate handlebar components contributes to the vibration felt? Each handlebar is a 16" chunk of metal connected at one end to a vibration source. We're touching the bar at the far end from the vibration. These long chunks of rigid, cast metal may actually increase the vibration amplitude.

If one could make/install some horizontal dampening device connecting the two handlebar chunks together one might reduce the vibration amplitude down to almost zero.

 

[boomerang]

I must'a got a good one! Mine is strong, smooth as butter and gets about 50 mpg out on the road. It pulls like a tractor at about all rpms below red line, but lights up like a Saturn rocket at 3K. All this on regular gas. I feel sorry for those of you that got one made on a Monday or what ever day they're supposed to make lemons.

I'm with you I must of got a good one also. I have no issues with the engine on this bike. It does what it is supposed to when it's needed. And it has never complained about it.

 

[scubabiker]

I want something that's cool when it's hot out.I want something that's warm when it's cold out.

I want something that protects me from the weather and the wind.

I want something that's smooth and doesn' vibrate.

I want something that doesn't make my butt sore.

I want something that doesn't make my hands go numb.

I want a minivan. Waaaa!

Seriously guys, they're motorcycles. They're toys. They're not requirements. You don't have to have one for work.

If ya want something else, go buy it. If Yamaha builds something else, it won't be an FJR. It'll be a MaxTour or a V-Sport or something a long time from now. We might buy them, but this is kinda like speculating on being married to Jessica Alba 12 years from now.

Personally, I'm waiting on the 1000cc V5 VFR. Yeah, that one. Well, maybe I'd rather have the V-Max powered FJRR with the C14 style frame for lightness and rigidity, the Guzzi paralever final drive, and 6 different color choices in every model year. 250 horses, 150 lb/ft of torque, 400# wet weight and a 750# capacity on the stock boingers.

Do I have to wait 12 years for Jessica? I'm impatient, tell her to call me.

:jerry:

And then I woke up.

 

[DrEvil777]

The only thing I wish Yamaha would add to the new FJR was more time for me to ride it.

We can dream all we want about what Yamaha should do...I love this bike.

I agree with Fred W, I just want to ride more!!!

 

[v65]

The only thing I wish Yamaha would add to the new FJR was more time for me to ride it.

We can dream all we want about what Yamaha should do...I love this bike.

I agree with Fred W, I just want to ride more!!!

Err, ya lives in Cali with three bikes in the stable. I'm guessing Fred's complaint is a wee bit different from yours! So for all of us in the great white north

 

[Fred W]

The only thing I wish Yamaha would add to the new FJR was more time for me to ride it.

We can dream all we want about what Yamaha should do...I love this bike.

I agree with Fred W, I just want to ride more!!!

Err, ya lives in Cali with three bikes in the stable. I'm guessing Fred's complaint is a wee bit different from yours! So for all of us in the great white north

Hell, even in the summer I still want more time to ride. That damn work thing gets in the way, ya know?

 

[lobofjr]

I must'a got a good one! Mine is strong, smooth as butter and gets about 50 mpg out on the road. It pulls like a tractor at about all rpms below red line, but lights up like a Saturn rocket at 3K. All this on regular gas. I feel sorry for those of you that got one made on a Monday or what ever day they're supposed to make lemons.

WBill...Right on, I think these other guys musta got some other Marques mixed up or...? I have a 2006 that's right on... and as you say all on reg gas! The only problem I've had is the dreaded "faulty ignition switch" problem! Which showed up while going slow, near home not in a hard corner at 50, lucky me!! Just received my Recall letter, unfortunately replaced the switch on my owm $$ last summer at 18000 miles! Damn. Ride safe all.

lobofjr

 

[DrEvil777]

The only thing I wish Yamaha would add to the new FJR was more time for me to ride it.

We can dream all we want about what Yamaha should do...I love this bike.

I agree with Fred W, I just want to ride more!!!

Err, ya lives in Cali with three bikes in the stable. I'm guessing Fred's complaint is a wee bit different from yours! So for all of us in the great white north

Not to be a ass, but I own five bikes and I ride every weekend, rain or shine. Today I broke in my new Aerostitch. I was born in Chicago and I live in SoCal so I can ride pretty much everyday of the year! I put up with the traffic, smog, earthquakes and overpopulation so I can ride as much as I can. I look forward to retirement so I can ride every damn day. I love the FJR and thanks for reminding me to update my avatar with a new stable pic.

Ride the FJR like it was intended...with a smile!