FJR1300; thee greatest bike ever to grace our planet…

[louemc]

Agree, the sealed chains require very little maintenance, are light weight and relatively inexpensive. I'm not anti chain -- I'd rather have a chain drive system than the two rear drive failures I experienced on my BMW.

Still, I wonder about the possibility of belt drive. I don't think it's been developed as much as chain and shaft technologies, and it [maybe] has some advantages in weight, cleanliness, and driveline shock absorption. ??? I guess we'll see as time goes on...

WWWobble

A fully enclosed belt is not susceptible to rocks...

The highest spec O ring chain is fantastic.

We have drive choices that don't leave room for bitching or rejecting what the bike has to offer.

The prospective buyer has to have a clue..How is the bike going to be used...And not be a whinning pussy ...Unless that is their personality trait, that can't be altered.

 

[WWWobble]

Some of the arguments made here about Yamaha keeping the FJR the same (ain't broke, don't fix it) are the same that Harley/BMW haters lament when Harley/BMW do the same thing. It's interesting that if one brand does it it's okay but when another does it it's not.

There is a significant difference in the matter of degree. What the FJR owners are saying is that different has to be better. And better includes reliable and cost effective.

WWWobble

 

[Blankpage]

There seems to be a lot of FJR's as support or media vehicles at the Tour de France. But I may be wrong those big boats all look too similar to me.

 

[Banjoboy]

Pretty sure. I read the reports looking specifically for moto failures, and made a list. I'm good at finding ways to waste time like that.

'N with all them FJRs, no FJR failures! arty

Rare picture of Banjoboy washing his FJR

Once a year whether she needz it or not!

What a load of bollards .....

[YOUTUBE]dtXFThyr764[/YOUTUBE]

Yeah, one of them glossy publication editors show'in they don't know shit. Learn how ta ride beeeoootch!

I kinda miss mine now <sold it last year>

Yeah, I went the other way, (FZ1 ta FJR) 'n ain't looked back!

If Honda doesn't get their act together and build a new ST that doesn't weigh so much, has more power, has traction control and a few other things, like a proper frame that duzn't induce high speed wobble? an FJR is going to be at the top of my list.

 

[Banjoboy]

Some of the arguments made here about Yamaha keeping the FJR the same (ain't broke, don't fix it) are the same that Harley/BMW haters lament when Harley/BMW do the same thing. It's interesting that if one brand does it it's okay but when another does it it's not.

Trouble w/ Bring More Wallet iz they dun lost their way.
They used ta make simple, reliable, high quality bikes, butt not no mo. Now they make everythang way mor complicated than it needz ta be, so it's just a recipe fer disaster. Sorry, butt they've become the most unreliable bikes.
That's the path they've chosen, 'n sum like you, bikeama and many others, like the technologies 'n status of the mark. I didn't. (Every non rider came up ta me, tell'in me how great mah bike iz cuz it's a BMW, 'n I'd tell 'em" no, it's a fucking piece of shit!" Ya outta see the look on their faces! )

If'n mah R1200ST had normal front forks, normal fucking brakes, and a two sided swingarm I could trust, a wet clutch that could be changed out in less than an hour, made the swing arm longer, made the weight distribution closer to 50/50, I might still have the thang. Even though the motor iz whimpy, I prolly coulda lived with it in a proper chassis.
Butt, I hated mah Bring More Wallet cuz whizzy brakes suck, telelever front sucks, the single sided swing arm sucks, the abs sucks... Y'all can have all that over complicated silliness, I'm a purest; just give me sum shit that works.

The FJR haz bean a great package from the git go; comfort, handling, low/easy/inexpensive maintenance, the reliability of an anvil, all fer a bargain price. Yamaha dun hit a grand slam with this one despite wut the wankers fer glossy publications say. arty
Luv mah FJR cuz it's shit that works!!!

 

[Skip]

I think I saw you guys going west through Dorrington on Sunday. Much envy ensued. But to answer your question, no it's not.

 

[two wheel tramp]

I can't believe you took your FJR on Fish Hook.

 

[Kornholio]

There is a significant difference in the matter of degree. What the FJR owners are saying is that different has to be better. And better includes reliable and cost effective.

WWWobble

I'll give you that their cost is more, but the argument that they're unreliable is tired and unscientific at best.

Trouble w/ Bring More Wallet iz they dun lost their way.
They used ta make simple, reliable, high quality bikes, butt not no mo. Now they make everythang way mor complicated than it needz ta be, so it's just a recipe fer disaster. Sorry, butt they've become the most unreliable bikes.
That's the path they've chosen, 'n sum like you, bikeama and many others, like the technologies 'n status of the mark. I didn't. (Every non rider came up ta me, tell'in me how great mah bike iz cuz it's a BMW, 'n I'd tell 'em" no, it's a fucking piece of shit!" Ya outta see the look on their faces! )

If'n mah R1200ST had normal front forks, normal fucking brakes, and a two sided swingarm I could trust, a wet clutch that could be changed out in less than an hour, made the swing arm longer, made the weight distribution closer to 50/50, I might still have the thang. Even though the motor iz whimpy, I prolly coulda lived with it in a proper chassis.
Butt, I hated mah Bring More Wallet cuz whizzy brakes suck, telelever front sucks, the single sided swing arm sucks, the abs sucks... Y'all can have all that over complicated silliness, I'm a purest; just give me sum shit that works.

The FJR haz bean a great package from the git go; comfort, handling, low/easy/inexpensive maintenance, the reliability of an anvil, all fer a bargain price. Yamaha dun hit a grand slam with this one despite wut the wankers fer glossy publications say. arty
Luv mah FJR cuz it's shit that works!!!

Wankers like Peter Egan, right? What the hell does he know?

My BMW has given me less trouble in two years than in the 1.5 I owned my Triumph hands down. Which is to say, it's given me no mechanical issues and has even weathered a hit from the side and a slide, on the engine head, across a four lane road with no serious damage whatsoever. Replaced the head cover and she was good to go.

I'll be the first to say it, all the "wankers" in the magazines have called the FJR boring because, IMO (and theirs) it is. Thing is, 90% of people that ride bikes like the FJR or the R-RT's or the ST's aren't going to push the bike the way the magazine editors do. Therefore the true downsides to the bike are never going to be experienced. I felt the suspension on the FJR was woody and non-confidence inspiring whereas my RT's is adjustable on the fly and has actually helped me speed up in the corners now that I don't get that soft-wallowing feel when the bike is leaned over and hits some bumps. Clearly you ride your FJR hard and it works for you. To each their own. But calling all BMW's crap and expensive is just foolish. If you compare apples to apples, which is to say stock for stock, the BMW is only $1460 more than the stock 2013 FJR, weighs less, has better suspension with more rear travel, MUCH better fuel mileage (maybe the FJR needs a sixth gear...finally?) and you don't have to take the whole bike apart to do standard services. Plus you can get parts/service for it virtually anywhere. Yes, I paid more than stock MSRP for my RT but that's because I wanted all the farkles that I got and that costs money. Not everyone's riding experience is the same and I enjoy the things that I had to pay extra for. Nice things cost money and the FJR didn't offer them. I also am not a fan of water-cooled bikes. Again, personal preference.

 

[ohio]

If you compare apples to apples, which is to say stock for stock, the BMW is only $1460 more than the stock 2013 FJR, weighs less, has better suspension with more rear travel, MUCH better fuel mileage (maybe the FJR needs a sixth gear...finally?) and you don't have to take the whole bike apart to do standard services.

And trade a smooth, torquey 140hp motor that is happy everywhere and will warp space-time on a thought for a 110hp vibrator with a 500rpm sweet spot and a transmission off of a John Deere.

I expected to love the R1200RT... on paper it was ideal. But fuuuuuck, that was the worst motor and transmission I've ever ridden. Well, no maybe the transmission on my multistrada is worse. But neither of them are things to be proud of.

All these bikes are fucking awesome and do the job. There is no real better or worse. The BMW handles, brakes, and rides spectacularly. The FJR I4 is one of the best ever built. Whatever floats your boat. Either will get you there.

Except the new VFR1200, which is a monumental pile of shit.

 

[Kornholio]

And trade a smooth, torquey 140hp motor that is happy everywhere and will warp space-time on a thought for a 110hp vibrator with a 500rpm sweet spot and a transmission off of a John Deere.

I expected to love the R1200RT... on paper it was ideal. But fuuuuuck, that was the worst motor and transmission I've ever ridden. Well, no maybe the transmission on my multistrada is worse. But neither of them are things to be proud of.

All these bikes are fucking awesome and do the job. There is no real better or worse. The BMW handles, brakes, and rides spectacularly. The FJR I4 is one of the best ever built. Whatever floats your boat. Either will get you there.

Except the new VFR1200, which is a monumental pile of shit.

I guess I forgot to add YMMV to the end of my statement. I figured it was implied.

While the R1200 is not a rocket ship, it absolutely does not have a 500RPM sweet spot. Sometimes people that aren't used to twins expect it to scream at high RPM and it simply won't do that. Most twins (outside of Ducati's) won't do that. That's not how they're designed. And for having 30 more horsepower, the FJR didn't feel faster to me at all. Perhaps it's the weight difference that negates it. It has the same problem that all I4's do (to me) and that is it requires higher revs to get into the meat of its powerband. My RT does not and that's how I like to ride. Like I said earlier, it's just personal preference. However, I don't knock FJR owners just because they chose the FJR over anything else. Different strokes for different folks. What I take issue with is when people don't like the BMW's and so they bash them all as unaffordable, unreliable lumps. It's really the same tired argument that goes along with Harley-Davidson's.

 

[ohio]

Sometimes people that aren't used to twins expect it to scream at high RPM and it simply won't do that.

I'm not "sometimes people." I own a multistrada 1100 and while not my favorite powerband it is dead flat, usable, and feels pretty much the same from 4500 to 9000 rpm. That BMW pulled from 4000 to ~8000 if I remember right, but the only place is was smooth was from 4500 to 5000. Below that it felt like I was going to bend a rod and above that it felt like it was going to shake itself to pieces. Maybe if it shook like that constantly I wouldn't have noticed, but it smoothed noticeably in that 500rpm range which made that range feel like the only place it was happy.

I should also point out I have a fair amount of miles on a Sportster too and hated that motor less (but hated that clutch more).

 

[twolane]

After reading this thread I checked the list for FJRs and was surprised they are worth/ priced very close to the RTs. I've been lusting after the RT for some time now, and after reading this thread I thought Banjo Boy had let his secret out of the bag and I was going to be happy and still have some money left in my pocket- guess not.

 

[WWWobble]

After reading this thread I checked the list for FJRs and was surprised they are worth/ priced very close to the RTs. I've been lusting after the RT for some time now, and after reading this thread I thought Banjo Boy had let his secret out of the bag and I was going to be happy and still have some money left in my pocket- guess not.

I think you'll find "real world" upkeep and maintenance costs are a bit lower on an FJR than a BMW R bike. NGK Iridium plugs last longer than 40,000 miles. First valve check is called for at 26,600 miles, and many people just skip it. Mine has 82,000 and valves have not moved. (Checked at 30,000 and again at 62,000 just because). Oil and filter can be changed without removing any plastic. Rear drive fluid easy to change. Throttle body synch is a non issue, most stay where the factory put it. The fifth place finisher in the 2013 Iron Butt did it on an 05 model with 160,000 miles on it.

I am NOT saying an R1200 isn't a good bike. I think the new semi-liguid cooled motor has a number of improvements and there are a lot of guys with 100,000 miles without issue on R bikes. There are also a few I know that have had issues, but fixable issues.

I am saying the FJR is worth a look. Most who purchase FJRs did NOT purchase them because they were cheaper. We purchased them because we like the FJR package better. Way more motor. Excellent cruise range. Excellent handling. A bit of weight, but the RT is no light weight... Good reliability and 5 year unlimited mileage factory warranty available at reasonable cost as an option.

End of the day: Get the one you like the best and enjoy.

WWWobble

 

[Deftone]

This^

The FJR is a great bike and a great value.

 

[Deftone]

This^

The FJR is a great bike and a great value.

 

[Kornholio]

I am saying the FJR is worth a look. Most who purchase FJRs did NOT purchase them because they were cheaper. We purchased them because we like the FJR package better. Way more motor. Excellent cruise range. Excellent handling. A bit of weight, but the RT is no light weight... Good reliability and 5 year unlimited mileage factory warranty available at reasonable cost as an option.

End of the day: Get the one you like the best and enjoy.

WWWobble

The biggest argument I tend to see on BARF, with occasional exceptions, is that the BMW's are too expensive thus the FJR or ST is a better buy. If I was more concerned with cost, I still would've bought the RT simply because they hold their value. Thankfully, that's not why I bought it. Besides, like I said before, it's only $1500 more than the FJR. When you consider the people that tend to buy these kinds of bikes, they're not going to scream about that amount of money. And quite honestly, if I had to do it all over again, I would've went with the R instead of the RT. After many thousands of miles on Ursula, I've come to realize I really didn't need the RT to satisfy what I was looking for. But obviously that has absolutely nothing to do with the engine. I can accept the fact that the choice of motorcycle for a rider is a highly subjective process. That is, you say the handling and power are exceptional on the FJR, and I say they are on a BMW. There's no sense in trying to convince the other because we both have different tastes. Let the sales numbers speak for themselves.

 

[Blankpage]

First valve check is called for at 26,600 miles,
(Checked

Thats a big factor for me. If I were in the market for another liter bike the R1 would be high on the list. Also helps that it looks so cool.

 

[ST Guy]

First valve check is called for at 26,600 miles, and many people just skip it. Mine has 82,000 and valves have not moved. (Checked at 30,000 and again at 62,000 just because). Oil and filter can be changed without removing any plastic.

Good to know. My ST1100 is the same way.

 

[ob1ventura]

Good to know. My ST1100 is the same way.

as is my kawk.

 

[GAJ]

However, I don't knock FJR owners just because they chose the FJR over anything else. Different strokes for different folks. What I take issue with is when people don't like the BMW's and so they bash them all as unaffordable, unreliable lumps. It's really the same tired argument that goes along with Harley-Davidson's.

What, you can't slam a particular brand because you didn't like ONE of their models?

How can you even THINK of arguing with a guy of Banjo's experience when he says the best bike ever made is a 660lb behemoth and he proves that by showing numerous pictures of it being used in its proper element; gravel and dirt.

But at least he's doing it tongue in cheek and I'm glad he's found his particular type of moto nirvana.