If you want to go sport-touring and need to go fast, we judged Yamaha's FJR1300 as the top dog in our 2004 Sport-Touring Shootout. Although the FJR wasn't the most powerful (Kawasaki ZZR1200) or the most luxurious (Honda ST1300), its hunger for speed combined with its far-ranging versatility made it our class favorite.Still, the "Supersport-Tourer," as Yamaha likes to describe it, was not without a few quirks. It shedded gobs of heat in warm weather, its electrically adjustable windscreen had airflow troubles, it was a little buzzy at elevated speeds, and it lacked some of the plethora of amenities available on the Honda.With the 2006 edition, the FJR1300A, Yamaha has addressed its few drawbacks and given it a fresh styling update. And the optional AE version is fitted with a clever automatic clutch and a remote shifter toggle on its left handlebar.We recently were given the opportunity to ride both FJRs in the varied environments of San Diego County, from downtown to freeways to undulating backroads. The 2006 edition proved to be even better than the earlier examples in almost every way, though we did manage to spot a couple of minor blemishes.
The 1300's seat has now been made adjustable for height. It sits the same 31.7 inches above the ground in its low position, but it can be slotted into a roomier 32.5-inch height, pleasing both tall and/or long riders. A new aluminum subframe accommodates the adjustable seat base and a grab handle for heaving the bike onto its centerstand. Fine-tuning the FJR further to its individual rider are handlebars that are adjustable over an 11mm range via three positions. All FJR passengers will appreciate more expansive legroom, as their pegs are now 0.8-inch lower and a vast 1.6 inches forward.
Riding through city traffic on our way from our posh downtown hotel, the FJR feels more like a fat sportbike with pleasant ergos than a portly luxo-barge. Riders under 5'9" will probably prefer to have the seat in its low position for commuting duties; in its high setting, I couldn't flat-foot at stops with my 32-inch inseam like I could in the lower configuration. The Unified brakes proved to be unobtrusive in operation, even if I'll always prefer to have individual control. Because just half of one front caliper is actuated by the brake pedal, the low brake pressure demanded during slow-speed maneuvers results in very little front brake application, which prevents unnecessary nose-diving at parking-lot speeds, which was the kind of behavior that gave early iterations of linked brakes a bad rap.
With 1298cc of steam on tap, there's no shortage of low-end grunt to whisk you away from stops, despite final-drive gearing that is now 2.7% taller. The burly Yamaha's engine is claimed to make the same power as before (which we measured at 122.5 hp @ 7000 rpm and 87.8 lb-ft at 5800 revs), though it's now been made Euro 3 compliant with four three-way cats and a heated oxygen sensor.
The FJR1300AE's price tag is a significant $1800 increase over the FJR-A, although the package also includes heated grips, which is a $300 dealer-installed option on the base model. The system is speed sensitive, so the heating elements throw less heat when riding slowly. The thermostat is a dial located near the storage bin/accessory box.
Whether the benefits of YCC-S are worth the extra money is a tough call. For me, I'd save the money and get the standard transmission. Early-adopters and less-involved riders will appreciate the trick new system that is bound to only get better over time. Perhaps one day we'll see a YZF-R1 with the FJR's toggle shifter but without the auto-clutch.
Yamaha says the AE was made "to expand the appeal by offering more relaxed function," and its mission is mostly accomplished. The company claims that nearly 30% of its orders during its "Priority Delivery" program were for the AE, although Yamaha has made an extra production run of the standard model to fulfill demand.
In 2005, an upsurge in FJR sales resulted in the bike achieving a solid 28% market share in the category. With the considerable upgrades to the 2006 model and the special AE version, we expect that number to rise.
2011 Yamaha FJR1300 Ride
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