Wide Open Spaces
Wide Open Spaces
CW COMPARISON:
HONDA ST1300 VS. YAMAHA FJR1300
THE GREAT EXPANSES OF THE AMERICAN WEST LEND THEMSELVES TO introspection and self-examination, the vastness of the landscape, its barren, cascading grace stripping away life’s complication and leaving a crisp clarity like the fantastic blue of the big, deep sky.
Luckily, we were having too much fun riding motorcycles for any of that looking-inward crap. Looking outward was the order of the week, because the road ahead was exploding at a great rate, thanks to this fine pair of big-power, big-comfort sport-touring bikes.
These two machines, the Honda ST 1300 and Yamaha FJR1300, enter what has become a very rich market segment. Sporty bikes with hard saddlebags (at least as an option) start with simple types such as Kawasaki’s ZR-7S, and bloom in size, complexity and price all the way up to the Honda Gold Wing and BMW K1200LT, a pair of impressively swift full-riggers.
In between these luggage-bearing extremes fall the new FJR and ST, both offering a fine balance of performance, agility and long-range comfort for the rider who wants to cover great distances quickly, and have fresh clothes to put on in the morning. Or a little bourbon from home in the evening.
And because it’s always better to enjoy a drink with friends after a long ride, Editor-In-
Flagship sport-tourers head-to-head on the road-with a little help from our friends
MARK HOYER
HONDA ST1 300 ABS
Price.........$14,499
Dry weight...... 672 Ib.
Wheelbase.....58.5 in.
Seat height.. 30.5-31.7 in. Fuel mileage ... 41 mpg
0-60 mph......3.3 sec.
1/4-mile.....11.64 sec.
@ 116.63 mph Horsepower .. 110.5 bhp @ 7750 rpm
Torque.....83.6 ft.-lbs.
@ 6100 rpm Top speed.....140 mph
Alps
A Wide range of preload adjustment A More legroom than old ST
A Lighter than old ST A 7.7-gallon fuel tank A Anti-lock brakes
Downs
12 years in the making and no cruise control or GPS? Styling so integrated, bike looks odd without bags ABS is expensive
Chief Edwards and I invited a trio of serious sport-touring riders to come along, not only for a splash of sociality, but also for a little man-in-the-saddle opinionating. These guys are the real deal: big-mileage, GPS-toting, radar-detector-wielding bike junkies with the budget and time to travel in style.
Need proof? Well, Steven Taylor, a retired financial-services director, keeps a Ducati ST4S in Nice (that’s France, folks), and manages to make it over for some Euro-touring a couple of times a year. His buddy Don Sandbom, a commercial real estate developer, stores his ST4 in the same place, and, like Taylor, has a herd of bikes over here, too. Both are primarily BMW riders, 57-year-old Taylor coming along on his K1200RS, Sandbom, 59, his trusty RI 150RT.
Representing the non-Teutonic touring segment was Bob Ilg, self-described computer techno nerd who makes sure the banking mainframes in Utah keep on computing. When he’s not herding his binary ones and zeros, Ilg keeps himself busy rolling the digits on his 1993 ST 1100’s odometer, which happens just about now to be showing something on the order of 125,000 miles! Park City, Utah, residents all, their riding experience ranges from four years for Taylor-with an impressive 120,000 miles and a stint in Mongolia during that brief time-to more than 30 years on street and dirt for 58-year-old Ilg. Each rides 20,000 miles or more per year, often with the Park City Motorcycle Club, of which Sandbom is president.
Whackos, indeed, but not as whacko as me for riding through Death Valley on the cusp of summer, on my way from the ST press intro in California to hook up with Edwards and the boys waiting for me in Utah. Daytime high on the Honda’s accurate dash-mounted ambient temperature gauge was 118 degrees F, emphasis on the F’ed. But it was all part of the extremes we went to in our search for answers, mnning from 235 feet below sea level to 10,000 above, over a sub-freezing Colorado mountain pass, and
through the Great Hair Dryer of the Arizona and Nevada deserts. Our ride was even diverted by wildfires, and blown off course by 60-mph wind gusts. In all, our pair of testbikes covered about 2500 miles on all kinds of roads (including 20 miles of dirt) in five states and five days.
Testing began in earnest when we gathered early on a cool Park City morning for a quick 100-mile jaunt over Wolf Creek Pass before breakfast. Feeling the chill, I donned my electric vest, which seemed like so much excess junk passing through Death Valley two days before, when I thought I never could be cold again. But after looking over both the FJR and ST and finding neither heated grips nor power outlets standard, being cold became a distinct possibility. Sure, I was equipped with straight-to-battery wiring for the vest, but the fingers sure were frosty once under way. Doesn’t seem right that we don’t have these kinds of amenities on these kinds of bikes as standard equipment. Yes, you can get the grips as options on both, and an outlet on the Honda, but as Edwards put it, “You wouldn’t sell a car without a defroster and no motorcycle, especially any kind of touring bike, should come to market without e-grips.” Amen to that. Add the fact that BMW’s forthcoming K1300RS (see sidebar) probably will come to market with outlets and grip warmers, plus cruise-control and GPS and, well, it just seems inexcusable our duo doesn’t have all this available.
Anyway, effortless velocity helped elevate the heart rate and working the controls kept the chill at bay. The most noticeable difference between the Honda and Yamaha, right off the bat, is the feeling of size, or lack thereof with the FJR.
“I like the way the Yamaha feels smaller and lighter than it is,” Edwards said. “Running down the road and slicing through comers, you’d never guess this is a 600-pound machine. And compared with the ST 1300 (and the RT we had along), the FJR’s dashboard is a lot less automotive, which helps with the illusion.”
YAMAHA FJR 1300
Price.........$11,499
Dry weight...... 594 lb.
Wheelbase.....60.0 in.
Seat height.....31.0 in.
Fuel mileage ... 44 mpg
0-60 mph......2.9 sec.
1/4-mile.....11.13 sec.
@ 115.67 mph Horsepower ...124.6 bhp @ 7700 rpm
Torque.....89.5 ft.-lbs.
@ 6750 rpm Top speed.....143 mph
Jyps l
A Creamy, torque-*^«5 rich power t|
A Light in class A Excellent bags A Easy 240 miles between fill-ups
Downs
▼ Rear tire toast after 5000 miles
▼ Footpegs grind early
▼ Sold out for 2002
The FJR definitely feels the sportier of the two bikes, with a lightness on its wheels and a more connected-to-theroad directness. Said Sandbom, “The FJR is a really honest bike in the comers, and it’s smooth coming on the power, like my Ducati 748.”
There’s also none of the Honda’s linked-braking/ABS complexity, just solid, R1-sourced discs at the front, and a big and powerful disc at the rear. Toss in more adjustable suspension (the full deal in front, plus two spring rates and rebound at the rear), a slightly sportier, feet-more-rearward riding position and the vibrant 1298cc inline-Four, and you’ve got yourself a capital-ess Sport-tourer.
Said Taylor, “The Yamaha was a thrill to ride-what a powerplant!” Sandbom chimed in with, “I really like the power. Launch that thing at 5000 rpm and you’d better hang on tight!”
The CW dyno agreed: The FJR pumped out 125 bhp, 14 more than the Honda at peak, without giving up very much on the bottom end. This helped the Yamaha get the better of the Honda in top-gear roll-ons (the FJR took 3.6 seconds for both 40-60 and 60-80 mph mns, vs. 3.8 and 4.3 for the Honda), and through the quarter-mile (11.1 seconds-slightly slower than our first FJR testbike-vs. 11.6).
Don’t let that imply inadequacy on the Honda’s part, however-it can wheelie, too! Seriously, the thmmming VFour is fully up to the task at hand, which is hauling bike, rider, passenger and luggage at a very high rate of speed. Just ask the Nevada Highway Patrol, because I’m taking the Fifth! Let’s just say, theoretically, that cruising at 100-plus is deceivingly effortless on the ST.
Lower in the rev range, the ST’s power felt more stout than the FJR’s-you were more likely simply to skip a downshift on the Honda than on the Yamaha when passing or slowing for a comer. Conversely, you were more likely to needlessly flog the gearbox on the Yamaha because the power surge as
the revs climbed was so rewarding. Of these two EFI bikes, the Yamaha “carbureted” slightly better, the ST exhibiting some abruptness in off/on throttle application. Could it be the Honda’s good-corporate-citizen compliance with the ultratight CARB 2008 emissions standard? It’s a minor glitch laid bare by the rest of the Honda’s polish. Ultimately, in engine performance terms, it’s like this: Accelerating on the Honda is an impressive and efficient process, while on the Yamaha it’s an experience. As to which is better, well, it depends on which part of the day you’re asking. How thrilled do you want to be after nine hours in the saddle?
In addition to feeling smaller than itself, the FJR also felt smaller than the ST 1300. Which it most definitely is, tipping the scales some 77 pounds under the Honda’s 672-lb. dry weight. Even with the ST1300’s extra poundage, after ST1100-owner Ilg’s first ride on the new version, he said, “I got a feeling this ride is going to cost me some money! I love the new Honda. The lunge between comers feels so much stronger than my ’93.”
Then later, after flogging the ST 1300 down a particularly inspirational piece of Utah tarmac, Ilg could barely contain his joy.
“The new ST is 30 percent better in every regard than the old one. It’s fantastic. And I think I can go faster on the street on it than I can on my CBR900RR ”
The latter point may be overstating things a bit, but the ST really is impressive. Steering is lower-effort and more neutral than the Yamaha, while the damping feels a bit firmer. Even so, there really isn’t much difference in ride quality, more of a difference in flavor. And while the ST’s cartridge fork may not be adjustable, we had no desire to make any. Particularly appreciated was the wide range of shock-spring preload offered by the big twist knob, rather than the two-step “Hard/Soft” affair on the FJR.
Cornering clearance is adequate on both bikes, but every-
body on the trip mentioned the more frequent peg-scraping sounds from the Yamaha in aggressive riding, sort of contrary to its otherwise sportier feel. Also, llg and Taylor both thought their feet were too far rearward and a bit close to the seat for Long Road comfort. And on the Yamaha there was no easy remedy for the seat/peg complaint, such as the threestep (1.2 inches up and down, 1-inch front to rear) adjustable seat found on the Honda.
And though the ST’s linked ABS system is complex, that complexity leads to simply fabulous brakes. Really, you can take your choice between mashing the pedal or stroking the lever-both offer sure, minimal-dive braking with the added anti-lock safety net.
“The Honda’s linked/ABS setup worked great,” enthused Edwards. “Whether it’s yet another rethink of the Honda system or the ST’s added weight ‘masking’ the rear pedal’s crossover point (when the front pucks are activated), I found the ST’s brakes easier to use than the Interceptor’s-you could actually drag the rear brake in comers if necessary.
But whether a bike needs ABS and linked brakes remains a question-if some goober doesn’t understand that with ABS, both brakes can be romped into with impunity, I’m not so sure that linking front-to-rear and vice versa will help.”
Of course, Edwards also pointed out we survived just fine on the low-tech Yamaha, and that ABS was definitely not a
friend in the dirt (on the Honda or the Beemers we had along), where lack of traction and washboard bumps essentially leave you freewheeling toward the Great Abyss as the ABS inhibits the lockup that would actually slow you down in those conditions. “A good argument for at least having an ABS on/off switch,” said the boss.
An appreciated feature found on both bikes was an electrically adjustable windscreen. The Yamaha’s was useful in its full-up position for diverting the chill, or full down for letting your head breathe in the heat, but overall it simply didn’t do as good a job of managing airflow as the Honda’s, causing more buffeting at lower settings, and back pressure when fully raised. So to the Honda went the most praise.
“The ST’s fairing provides very good coverage and the electric windshield really works great-it adjusts from out of the way to higher than I would ever want, with very little turbulence,” llg said, adding, “It’s a big improvement over the one on my 1100.”
On a related note, in the 100-degree-plus desert, both bikes radiated an uncomfortable amount of engine heat, the Yamaha primarily at knee-level from the sizzling-hot frame spars, the Honda more at ankle-level, although the gas tank got mighty toasty, too.
In the heat, all the luggage space was definitely appreciated, because non-essential gear got stripped and had to be
stuck somewhere. Bag utility is essentially the same on the bikes, although the Honda’s did take slightly more technique to mount, and because of the elliptical shape, more care packing. It’s that very shape, however, that better integrates the luggage into the styling, particularly from the back. But as Edwards pointed out, “The Honda just looks wrong with the bags removed.”
Testers dug the ST 1300’s two fairing storage bins (one lockable), and extra information provided by the LED display (three-step brightness adjustable, to boot) set to the right of the analog speedo and tach. Cool feature number one was the toggle between an instant fuel-mileage reading or an average, the latter of which you can reset anytime. So you can get mpg for a single tank of gas, or over the length of a trip, or even the life of the bike, your choice. And while we like the Yamaha’s automatic fuel tripmeter that sets itself to zero when you hit Reserve, the whizbang Honda version will give you either remaining fuel in tenths of a gallon or miles of range before empty. Both work, the Honda’s system is just more interesting.
Speaking of range, any serious sport-tourer worth his mileage salt knows that fuel stops take time and reduce the speed average considerably. The nod here goes to the Honda, for while fuel consumption on the two bikes was quite similar (ST: 41 mpg; Yamaha: 44), the Honda’s
7.7-gallon capacity allows it to push past 300 miles between fill-ups if ridden conservatively, about 25 miles more than the 6.6 gallons allow on the FJR. Either way, there’s range enough to outlast even better bladders.
It was clear after several long days on the road that both bikes expand the radius of attainable sport-touring destinations, offering new levels of comfort and performance.
On one hand, you have the ST 1300, an unobtrusively supportive companion over the long haul, especially at the achy and tired end of an 800-mile day. On the other, you have the vibrant, almost playful by comparison FJR 1300, considerably lighter, more powerful and sacrificing only a little in terms of all-day comfort. Plus, it works (and looks) a whole lot better as a bagless “regular” motorcycle, arguably making a more versatile mount, especially for the rider who can only afford one bike.
Which brings to light the naked fact that the ST 1300 with ABS and the electric screen (a must-have feature not available on the non-anti-lock, $12,999 standard ST) is $3000 more dear than the $11,499 FJR.
Ultimately, then, there isn’t a “better” bike here. These machines are different shades of light on the motorcycle spectrum, both very bright. We’d tell you to pick your favorite color, but even the paint on the two bikes is only slightly different shades of silver... E3
