I have the 2007 AE model and its a rick solid machine. The engine and trans have pretty much been the same since the 1st gen but I dont mind..... if it aint broke. The 1298cc engine has plenty of power to carry you and your camping gear while taking you up some mountain roads. When I am done tearing up my 2007 model, I will give Yamaha my money for the latest model.
I've had nothing but cruisers for 17 years and I'm getting a bit bored with them. Fast and comfortable sounds great. I'm a Kawasaki guy though. I kinda like that candy green Versys 1000
Sports Touring is for the real motorcyclist. I really wish the motorcycle manufacturers would get away from the adventure touring fad and refocus on ST. 99% of adventure touring bikes never see a dirt road.
I love my FJR. Huge power when you need it. Fun doing low speed u turns, that rear brake is just right. Well thought out. Have other motorcycles but sometimes you need to bring the heavy canon to take the castle.
great video, nice review. how does it compare to other sport touring models ? will you be doing more sport touring reviews?keep up the great work and videos!
As a 3 time BMW owner/rider I disagree and say BMW have never really gotten any color combo's right in the last 15 years....other than here or there....nothing ever consistent though....
Well, 300 miles in two days is not a lot to show significant seat or motorcycle comfort. Most riders will do one ride for a round trip total of 300 miles plus.................
I am 6’ 2” y’all, 280lbs and big hands size 14 riding boots with a 42x32 pants size. Would I feel ergonomically ok on this? I ask because stylistically it seems a perfect Zen for me but not sure
Yes you'd feel great - and way more comfortable than on the hayabusa your were suggested (too sporty, no zen there)... go test ride it and the finest all round machine, IMHO
Great bike indeed. But Yamaha needs to cough up and add a color TFT screen, backlit handlebar switches for night riding and an automobile decibel level horn. The new generation Gold Wing has these and more but not the nice big panniers to stow my helmet out of view.
I really do not get all that hype about the 6th speed. Even in this video it is propped up by avoiding the actual issue and how miniscule are the differences where performance is concerned. Yeah, you get more versatility in selecting your exact power delivery curve. You are revving, I quote: "3000 rpm, as opposed to whatever....". Let me finish that sentence for you: you are revving "3000 rpm, as opposed to 3200, and put more stress on your engine and especially gearbox, which became smaller internally to fit 6 speeds in the same dimensions, more fragile and had to be recalled at least once due to a number of catastrophic failures." There is only a 6% ratio difference between a new 6th speed and the old 5th speed. The rest of the new gears are geared lower than old ones, making you shift more often or skip gears altogether. I guess it is one way of making people hate manual transmission and switch to an electronic one. Unless your main focus is to redline on autobahn doing 170mph, this change does not make sense. I would rather exchange this 170mph top speed for reliability and "pitiful" 160mph top speed of the old series. But hey, I am just a cheap dude who does maintenance and repairs on his bike with his own hands. And being a lazy ass, prefers doing so with as little time spent on it as possible. So what do I know... Also, f*ck me, 160mph is way more than I have balls for on our bad excuse for roads. I once did a little over 120mph on my 2009 just for giggles. It was good that I wore brown pants that day.
lovely - but ride it gently or get massive fuel consumption averages... I race mine around the city and I see 17-20 l/100km which is large petrol SUV average consumption realm... Ride it gently and it takes 5-8 litres/100km. In my opinion so balanced it makes you forget the weight, super agile through cars.
I've looked at the power graphs from this big 1298cc engine. Yamaha could be bringing a lot more power of of it. It's only down 54cc from the Concours 14 but doesn't make the sort of effortless power the Kawasaki does.
Concours is a big fat cow, quickest bike I bought and re-sold before the title came in. The ZX14 is a world of difference from the Concours other than the same motor.
@@okinawanah3463 And with a full exhaust and ECU flash, the Concours can make 156 hp and 106 ft-lb at the wheel, while being in the 630-640 pound range. Not much else out there in the touring segment that can produce that combo.
Turbo...I remember when I rode across the US in the summer 2007, many times I would see FJ Riders with their legs splayed out away from their bikes. I later found out it was to cool them off. I saw one FZ-1 rider doing it as well.
Turbo...I rode my naked zrx 1200 through the southwest in 115 degree temps ( the high that day was 129). No problem with heat from the engine. It was in the southwest I saw the FJ guys suffering.
The BMW is bigger, heavier and more powerful and is at least $10K more than an FJR ES. If you're looking for more touring in your sport/touring bike and can afford the high MSRP of the BMW, then by all means the BMW is a solid choice. This is coming from an avid owner of a 2014 FJR with a friend that has a BMW 1600 bagger which is a bit faster than my FJR but doesn't handle near as good and is heavier too. Peace
@@cyclistman6358 I wonder...after three years of ownership (if that happened) would the choice be the same? I seriously doubt it. The reliability and cost-of-ownership differences between the two bikes is significant. Just sift through the forums. Almost bought the BMW but was absolutely scared away after hearing owners' complaints.
Get rid of the high tech garbage and lower the price. All of Yamaha's R&D has been paid for so now they can lower the price and keep the bike going for a long time to come. The old Kawasaki Concours 1000 proved that keeping the price low made the bike last a long time on old technology. It wasn't until the "larger CC" bikes came out that the Concours 1000 lost its sales position. When Kawasaki went to the Concours 1400cc bike, they lost a lot of customers on the price point. How does Walmart control the retail business? Lower prices, period. It is not their customers service for sure or their product technology upgrades, it is price point, period.
