Interesting and honest review of Gen 4 FJR courtesy Revzilla

[ndivita]

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2017-yamaha-fjr1300es-long-term-review

 

[07FJRVegas]

Interesting perspectives by reviewer, many of which I can relate to based upon my experiences. However, the FJR "moves my socks up and down" enough to keep me very happy! I still marvel at being able to cruise 2-up, fully loaded, at 90 or 100 mph for sustained distances. And he is right that the FJR will do everything you ask of it.

 

[Oublaj]

Personally I don't think he knows what he is talking about. KawasakiConcourse? Did he ever ride a Honda St 1300? I like my slipper clutch and yes, I use it. I also really like the adaptive headlights on mine. I am more than satisfied with my FJR

 

[SacramentoMike]

I like mine. I'd hate to have to get rid of it because he didn't like his.

 

[Abercrombie FJR]

Toyota Avalon?

Now that is a brutal comparison!

He had some good comments and some I didn't agree with. Like the ES suspension, I don't think he gets the concept. You don't have to set it and forget it.

 

[BigOgre]

Some of the Comments after the article I thought were also spot on. The following one in particular I could relate to, especially as I just got done discussing a possible over-nighter to N.E. right after this weekend.

". . . or how much you can leave early, turn on the heated grips and burn through some crazy twisties at lean angles having most bikes grinding or shuttering, then relax in cruise-controlled bliss on the way home?"

 

[rbentnail]

The part that caught my eye- he mentioned the MSRP of both the ES and the A models. So how come we haven't seen the A model yet?

 

[Bounce]

"Character" (ie: Unreliable eccentricities) are not what I want when I'm 2k miles from home at 3 in the morning.

 

[RC65]

He also posted a supplemental video on YouTube. Can't recall the title precisely, but it was something along the lines of "Things I didn't get to say in the review. "

 

[user 90235]

Regarding his chapter about the hazard lights which he seems to make a big point of, that is not correct, they works without the key, but it has to be in the P mode. If they worked in all key positions without the key, I guess many kids would turn them on at all parking places

. Sometimes, reading the manual is not that stupid.

/roger

 

[infrared]

The reviewer did half of his job (the touring part), very nicely. It's really a sports/touring machine, though.

He did not spend nearly enough time, riding in the upper half of the tachometer.

IMHO.

Cheers,

Infrared

 

[Laser Dude]

The 2017 isn't Blue.

 

[flyfisher]

It's always interesting to read reviews from guys who don't buy their bikes....if they had to put their own cash on the line I wonder how many would get "bikes with character" versus bullet proof low maintenance machines that give great bang for the buck....2cents.........ff

 

[HotRodZilla]

These reviewers always make me laugh. I'm sure some of his comments are right on. If he's riding 10 or 15 different bikes a year, I'm sure some or them are ridiculous fast, handle "better" or stop faster. However, if this bike bored him, he didn't really ride it. He rode a whole 3k miles. Ooooooooooooooooooooooo...That's not very many on this platform.

Like any other review, take what you want and discard the trash. Honestly, there were a couple good nuggets here and there, but until I see that guy ride and know he's more than a gear peddler with a keyboard, his review means nothing. Exactly what about him makes him any kind of expert??

Exactly!!

 

[K_Flyer]

I'll take the "boring" of my FJR over the "character" (What will fail next?) of the 2007 BMW K1200GT I just sold any time.

 

[Bounce]

His video reveals more about him and his expectations.

He started STing with an old Concours 1000 and wants to see that market segment serviced as it's being ignored right now. He wistfully dreams that the Versys is what would be ideal. Clearly he's not the target demo for the FJR and let that color what should be an unbiased review.

Meanwhile he made points about some of the same things many of us in the forums have been saying.

1. Why a 6th gear when 5 did fine and a 6th is purely marketing over function?

2. Why a slipper clutch other than to woo sport bikers who can't figure out how to downshift without help?

3. Adaptive headlights. I put this in as a maybe. Looking at his 3k test and riding environment he may never have gotten into a hard lean outside of city lights and experienced falling into blackness. My maybe comes into play here because I simply don't know how well these lights address that specific issue.

4. ES suspension. Thankfully it's an option and not rolled into the price of all models. As a package there may be pieces of the package I want with a baseline suspension though.

BMW is a king of a la carte options and they can kill you on purchase price. However it might not be such a bad idea if you can actually get your hands on a base model before the dealership slaps all the expensive things on it you don't want.

 

[08FJR4ME]

One of the reasons I grabbed a 2015 is the 5 speed. I find no need to have 6 gears. He is right on there.

JMO,

Dave

 

[BigOgre]

4. ES suspension. Thankfully it's an option and not rolled into the price of all models. As a package there may be pieces of the package I want with a baseline suspension though.

Is the "A" still available? Yamaha's site doesn't show it. (Yet?)

I did get a chuckle out of him picking up on the 4.25 qt. oil change though. It really isn't a complaint at all but I have wondered how that came to be.

 

[Niehart]

One of the reasons I grabbed a 2015 is the 5 speed. I find no need to have 6 gears. He is right on there.JMO,

Dave

I rode Curly Joe's 2016. To me it was more about how nice it shifted compared to my almost new [77,000] 2010. 6th gear and the slipper clutch were just kind of icing on the cake.