2013 Yamaha FJR1300 | Moving Forward

But Does It All Add Up?
Yamaha chose the roads winding in and around California wine country in St. Helena to demonstrate the new FJRs sport-touring capabilities. The two days encompassed more than 400 miles of everything from twisty mountain roads to straight-line superslab stints, giving us ample opportunity to see whether the changes Yamaha had made to the 2013 model really made a difference.

Getting accustomed to the numerous switches on the left handlebar that operate the cruise control and customizable LCD screen that handles the heated grips, windscreen height adjustment, and other functions took a little time, but it wasnt as bad as some bikes that have a confusing array of buttons and switches. The LCD info panel can be scrolled through three different screens that can each display any three readouts from the odometer, two tripmeters, ambient temperature, engine coolant temperature, trip time, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, estimated traveling range, and low fuel tripmeter. Each screen can be configured to show whichever info you want. While it may sound confusing, the setup is actually well laid out, and complements the rest of the FJRs dash that includes the digital speedometer, bar-graph fuel gauge, clock, and Drive Mode indicator in the center display, and the analog tachometer set off to the left.

The first part of the trip took us through some twisty mountain roads leading out of Napa Valley towards the Pacific coast, and here the new FJR showed its sportier legs. Displaying the same sweet steering habits that the Yamaha has always been known for, the 2013 model was a paradigm of neutral handling characteristics; little input is required to initiate a turn and hold a line, and mid-turn corrections are just as easy. But at a pace where the previous model would begin to heave and weave, the 2013 FJR still has a little in reserve. The old FJR was by no means pitch-happy on the brakes or throttle, but the new version is noticeably more composed when the turns start coming at you in rapid-fire succession.

In the Sport mode, throttle response is definitely crisper and more immediate, allowing you to make better use of the Yamahas impressive torque for lunging acceleration off the corners. It wasnt hyper-responsive to the point of requiring a surgeons care however, and a stint in Touring modewhich provides the same top-end powerjust took a lot of the fun factor out of the ride because of the amount of throttle required for decent power production (truth be told, we found its feel to be too lazy for superslab riding as well). As far as overall power, while the FJR isnt the most powerful or quickest bike in its class, it still has plenty of steam to really start hustling should you feel the need. Midrange power is a match for any of the competition, and top-end is more than adequate.

Like the TC system on the latest R1, the FJRs traction control is very transparent. As expected on a sport-touring bike, its non-adjustable settings are very conservative, but we never found it to rob any fun out of any corner exits, and it kept everything well in hand through many damp/wet corners we rode through in the morning. Some credit here can probably go to the OEM-spec Bridgestone BT-023 tires, which provided decent grip and handling with a smooth ride overall; they likely play a role in the Yamahas neutral steering as well, although our experience has shown them to cause some handling anomalies when they start to get worn, so well see when we get our hands on a test bike.

Braking from the linked dual 320mm front/single 282mm rear disc setup was strong and smooth, albeit a bit wooden-feeling. ABS cycling was just as transparent as the traction control, with no flaccid lever or completely numb feel when the system intervened, and no stuttering when coming to a hard stop.

The new fairing/windscreen is a major improvement over the previous unit, especially when the screen is raised to its highest position. The old FJR would give a lot of turbulence at the helmet level, and the significant negative pressure area directly behind the screenresulting in the wind pushing on your backwould become tiring after long highway stints. The new windscreen not only has less turbulence, but the majority of the negative pressure behind the screen is gone, easing the burden on your arms and wrists. The mounting system is definitely sturdier, and its nice that the screen remains in place upon shutdown.

Playing with the cruise control on the Interstate showed the FJRs system to be well-sorted and easy to use. Moderate slowing and accelerating can be handled with the resume/set toggle switch, and the system did a very good job of maintaining the set speed climbing and descending hills. Despite being a five-speed standout in a world of six-speeds, we never really missed the extra cog. I averaged about 36 mpg on the route that included a lot of playing in the canyons, which means a typical rider can get well over 200 miles out of 6.6-gallon tankful.

Revitalized FJR
My short two-day experience with the new 2013 FJR1300 left me very impressed with the upgrades Yamaha instilled into its sport-touring flagship. Taking a measured, careful approach to development instead of going wild with gimmicks and knick-knacks has resulted in a significantly improved FJR that bolstered most of the weak points we complained about the last time we tested it. Im anxious to get one and put some real miles on it, and then compare it to its already stellar competition to find out if those improvements are enough. Stay tuned.

Displaying the same sweet steering habits that the Yamaha has always been known for, the 2013 model was a paradigm of neutral handling characteristics