Connect with us

The Yamaha FJR1300ES is a stalwart in the sport-touring category. With refined power delivery, electronically adjustable suspension, and room for luggage and a pillion, the FJR is a sensible choice for sporty touring.
The Yamaha FJR1300ES is a stalwart in the sport-touring category. With refined power delivery, electronically adjustable suspension, and room for luggage and a pillion, the FJR is a sensible choice for sporty touring. (Yamaha/)

Ups

The definition of a “sensible” motorcycleReady to tour straight from the factory, with a comfy seat, integrated hard bags, and heated gripsTorquey, smooth-running 1,298cc inline-four engine

Downs

Tech package is decidedly behind the timesMore than 100 pounds heavier than the newest crop of sporty sport-tourersMore expensive than some of the competition

Verdict

The FJR1300ES hasn’t been updated since 2016. While it’s a bit long in the tooth, for many riders it hits the right compromise between sport and touring. Perhaps not the most exciting option on the market, but certainly one of the most sensible and reliable.

Integrated hard luggage is standard. The large 6.6-gallon tank is another selling point for long-distance riders.
Integrated hard luggage is standard. The large 6.6-gallon tank is another selling point for long-distance riders. (Yamaha/)

Overview

The Yamaha FJR1300ES is the quintessential sport-touring motorcycle: sporty enough for spirited canyon carving, comfortable and refined for piling on interstate miles, but about as youthful as a pair of pleated Dockers. Powered by a 1,298cc inline-four, the soundtrack and smooth-running nature of the FJR are as tried and true as the sport-touring category of which it’s still practically the poster child.

Considering the FJR1300 was last updated in 2016, some sticker shock may accompany its $18,299 MSRP, but the FJR still has many useful features, including electronically adjustable suspension, cornering LED lights, linked antilock brakes, an electrically adjustable windscreen, and two throttle response modes. Seven years is a long time in motorcycle development time, however, and newer models from Kawasaki and Suzuki, in particular, offer more modern electronic aids and are considerably more affordable.

We’d like to see an updated FJR with lean-angle-sensitive traction control and ABS, a TFT dash, and a quickshifter. Not to mention high-end features that are cropping up on the latest tourers, like adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection. Still, we’d venture to say that for some riders, the latest tech is less important than a comfortable seat, heated grips, a nearly-maintenance-free drive shaft, and integrated hard luggage, all of which come standard on the FJR.

Yamaha says that its goal with the FJR1300ES was to put the “sport” in sport-touring. Newer, more modern sport-touring options do a better job at that, but it’s hard to argue with the balance between performance and comfort.
Yamaha says that its goal with the FJR1300ES was to put the “sport” in sport-touring. Newer, more modern sport-touring options do a better job at that, but it’s hard to argue with the balance between performance and comfort. ( Yamaha/)

Updates for 2023

The FJR1300ES is unchanged for 2023.

Pricing and Variants

The 2023 Yamaha FJR1300ES is available for $18,299, in just one color option.

Competition

The FJR1300ES’s closest competition is the Kawasaki Concours14 ABS ($15,999). Although more expensive, the FJR is 48 pounds lighter and has more electronic adjustability.

For riders who wish to go for sportier options, the latest sport-touring entries from Suzuki, the GSX-S1000GT ($13,349) and the GT+ ($14,099 including hard bags) are higher performance and considerably more affordable. The same can be said of the similarly positioned Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX ($13,199). While the Suzuki’s and Kawasaki’s sport-bias mean they lack some of the FJR’s amenities, they’re also considerably lighter: The luggage-equipped Suzuki is 144 pounds lighter and the Kawasaki is 128 pounds lighter. What the FJR loses in performance, it makes up for with more generous passenger accommodations, a larger screen, and touring-oriented comfort features

Read More

—————-

By: Cycle World Staff
Title: 2023 Yamaha FJR1300ES
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/yamaha/fjr1300es/
Published Date: Tue, 08 Aug 2023 18:28:40 +0000

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Motor

Speed Read: A custom Kawasaki ER-6N from the future and more

latest motorcycle news 168 745x497 1 jpg

The latest motorcycle news, customs and classics
The first two bikes on our list this week prove that there’s customization potential in every motorcycle. A custom Kawasaki ER-6N from Indonesia leads the charge, followed by a custom Buell XB12X Ulysses from Italy. Moto Borgotaro teases us with a stunning 1983 Ducati 600 TT2, and Tamarit proves their mastery of Triumph motorcycles with a menacing Triumph Bobber.

Custom Kawasaki ER-6N by Katros Garage
Kawasaki ER-6N by Katros Garage A quick scroll through Katros Garage’s social media channels yields impressive results. Andi Akbar, the workshop’s founder and proprietor, and his team have been pumping out all manner of custom bikes for some years. From choppers to café racers and everything in between, the Indonesian outfit is one of Southeast Asia’s best.

For this custom Kawasaki ER-6N project, Katros Garage teamed up with Ziko, a fellow Indonesian and professional drift racer. Ziko is partial to a nice motorcycle, but this is his first custom bike, so he wanted it to be as easy to ride as possible. With the brief calling for upright ergonomics, chunky rubber, and futuristic style, the group decided on a street tracker build.

Custom Kawasaki ER-6N by Katros GarageRead More

—————-

By: Ben Pilatti
Title: Speed Read: A custom Kawasaki ER-6N from the future and more
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/custom-motorcycle-news-december-10-2023
Published Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2023 18:04:24 +0000

Did you miss our previous article…
https://mansbrand.com/master-stroke-purpose-built-motos-svelte-yamaha-xs650-chopper/

Continue Reading

Motor

Master Stroke: Purpose Built Moto’s svelte Yamaha XS650 chopper

yamaha xs650 chopper 745x497 1 jpg

Yamaha XS650 chopper by Purpose Built Moto
They say that perfect is the enemy of good. But when it comes to high-end custom motorcycles, shouldn’t perfection be the goal? Having never built a custom motorcycle in this style before, that’s the standard that Purpose Built Moto set for themselves with this Yamaha XS650 chopper.

Delays with parts and other builds meant this project took the Australian workshop more than 18 months to complete. The silver lining was that this extensive time frame meant they could pore over every detail in the pursuit of perfection.

Yamaha XS650 chopper by Purpose Built Moto

“There are plenty of Yamaha XS650 chopper builds out there,” says the workshop’s founder, Tom Gilroy, “but there are very few that look well laid out and finished right. Generally, kit frames make the bike look too long and punch the steering angle out too much. We wanted a fast-handling, performance chopper.”

Purpose Built Moto started by stripping the bike down, lopping the rear half of the frame off, and setting the headstock in a jig with a rake of 27 degrees. Then the real work began.

Yamaha XS650 chopper by Purpose Built MotoRead More

—————-

By: Ben Pilatti
Title: Master Stroke: Purpose Built Moto’s svelte Yamaha XS650 chopper
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/yamaha-xs650-chopper
Published Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2023 17:19:56 +0000

Did you miss our previous article…
https://mansbrand.com/exif-picks-favorites-from-bonhams-december-2023-sale/

Continue Reading

Motor

EXIF Picks: Favorites from Bonhams December 2023 Sale

1974 ducati 750gt 4 745x497 1 jpg

Bonhams December Sale 2023

Bonhams certainly knows how to pick ’em, and there’s some exceptional iron hiding in the 2023 December Sale. It’s an online-only auction with lots closing as soon as December 11th, boasting exceptional classics, landmark sportbikes, parts and memorabilia. The apple of our eye has to be Lot 128, a sweetheart of a 1974 Ducati 750 GT, but we’ll let you be the judge.

Bonhams December Sale 2023
1990 Norton 588 cc F1 Amid tough financial times in the 1980s, Norton was clinging to utilitarian rotary-powered roadsters like the Interpol 2, the Classic and the Commander to weather the coming years. There was a surprising amount of potential hidden in the humble 588 cc twin-rotor Wankel, though, and the engine would eventually form the basis of the British F1-winning RCW588. Never one to waste an opportunity, Norton debuted a street-legal version of RCW in 1989 dubbed the F1.

1990 Norton F1Read More

—————-

By: Dean Larson
Title: EXIF Picks: Favorites from Bonhams December 2023 Sale
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/bonhams-december-2023-sale
Published Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2023 19:32:15 +0000

Did you miss our previous article…
https://mansbrand.com/special-report-42-photos-from-the-2023-mooneyes-show/

Continue Reading

Trending