Quick Ride
Quick Ride
YAMAHA FJR 1300 Turning sport-touring into sport-torquing
ARCHIMEDES SAID THAT
with a lever long
enough. he could move
the Earth. If an FJR 1300 had been available in the third century, however, he instead might have used it to illustrate his theories about torque. At the mere twist of the throttle in any gear and at practically any speed, Yamaha’s big sport-tourer launches down the road with such explosive force that you just know the Earth is being spun in the opposite direction. Though the FJR has been wrinkling pavement all over Europe for the past few years, it didn’t start tearing up the tarmac on these shores until late in 2002. And even this 2004 iteration will only begin trickling into Yamaha dealerships in very limited numbers starting in mid-summer.
For the most part, this latest FJR remains unchanged, retaining the same 1298cc, 16-valve, R1-inspired engine, aluminumframed chassis and sculpted styling. New stuff for ’04 includes ABS, but with independent front and rear braking systems rather than linked as on the bike’s main competitors, Honda’s ST 1300 and BMW’s K1200GT. Other upgrades include 320mm front-brake rotors replacing last year’s 298mm discs, a 4-inch-taller electrically adjustable windscreen, and revised fork and shock calibrations. Keen-eyed observers will also notice that the front turnsignals have been integrated into the bodywork, and there’s now a small storage compartment, suitably sized for gloves, sunglasses or toll change, in the left side of the fairing.
All these refinements help transform an excellent sporttourer into an outstanding one.
The ABS performs its duties without glitches or compromises, while the larger front rotors help the 569-pound package boast race-quality whoa! power. The taller windshield, in its fully retracted position, offers excellent, buffeting-free protection from about the neck down, depending upon the height of the rider; fully extended, it creates a dead-air pocket around the rider’s head that proves especially useful when riding in rain.
The rider does feel more wind at his back when the shield is all the way up, but that seems an acceptable trade-off for the frontal protection it provides.
Then there’s that magnificent motor. Its redline is set at a lowly 9000 rpm, and it’s only hooked to a five-speed gearbox, but in actual practice, none of that means jack. Any time the fuel-injection throttle bodies are dialed open, the acceleration that follows just about takes your breath away. Especially in the lower gears, the Yammie lunges forward as though rearended by a speeding Peterbilt. Solo or two-up, bags empty or loaded, the FJR is a locomotive on a mission.
This is the very same engine performance that has thrilled us during our ongoing long-term test of the 2003 FJR. Ditto for the bike’s crisp, easy steering, surprisingly nimble backroad handling (even if cornering clearance is a bit limited), allday ergonomics for both rider and passenger, and one of the slickest saddlebag mounting and latching systems ever invented. Add it all up and you’ve got what is arguably the best allaround sport-tourer-make that torquer-in the business.
Paul Dean
