2022 Yamaha FJR1300 Performance and Capability

The factory powers the FJR1300 with a 1,298 cc engine that produces 141 horsepower and 99 pound-feet of torque depending on whose dynamometer you use. Liquid-cooled, the water jacket helps to attenuate some of the mechanical noises from within and makes for less heat wash over rider and passenger alike. The FJR1300 has a top speed of 154 mph.

Designers set out to shoehorn those cubes into a very small space indeed. They went with a slanted, in-line four with a “tri-axis” transmission that boasts a stacked-shaft arrangement. This configuration takes up less room fore-and-aft than a conventional arrangement.

While the 2015 version came with a five-speed transmixxer, the 2016 FJR1300 came with a six-speed gearbox and a new, Assist-and-Slipper clutch. The clutch reduces clutch-lever effort while increasing clutch-pack clamp load and limiting backtorque.

With the helically-cut gears in the new transmission, shifting is smooth with no driveline-lash clunking. The sixth gear is a tall overdrive gear so sustained cruising on the interstate is only at about 3,500-to-4,000 rpm, which is right where you want it for long miles in the saddle.

The ride-by-wire, Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T) manages induction along with the fuel-injected throttle bodies It's here we get into some electro-wizardry. First, the D-Mode provides two different power-delivery profiles, one for smooth cruising and a second for sportier throttle responses.

This system allows the rider some flexibility but is far from the tailored power curves possible with some of the top competitors. Second, the traction control system closes the secondary throttle plate in the YCC-T system. This reduces fuel delivery from the injectors and retards timing to restore contact-patch integrity when it detects wheel slip. All good stuff for peace of mind when on the road.

Design

A stylish revamp of the lights on the FJR1300 gets a thumbs up with LEDs all around. The headlight throws a sharp beam that pierces the darkness for good visibility. LED taillights tuck unobtrusively under the tail, and for the ES, you get lean-sensitive cornering lights.

The cornering lights, mounted above the headlights, come on when the bike detects lean. The harder the lean, the more LEDs come on to illuminate the turn. This feature is useful in urban and suburban settings, but only marginally useful on the open road. Still, it's a nice feature and there when you need it.

I can't talk about a touring bike without mentioning the upright riding position. It may seem a bit strange to have the bars pulled that far back on what otherwise looks like a sportbike. However, after hundreds of miles in the saddle, if your butt doesn't hurt and your shoulders don't ache, you know the ergonomics are good and a lot of that goes to the adjustable seat height and plush seat.

The big difference between the FJR1300A and the FJR1300ES is the electronic suspension. The ES suspension setup is accessible on the handlebars with push-button adjustments That's a good thing, but with 84 different presets for suspension options, it can be a little overwhelming to have that many choices.

The bikes weigh in at 640+ pounds each and that weight is an advantage on the highway. It feels solid like a tourer and you don't feel like you're getting sucked into the slipstream of passing vehicles. However, on the curves, you'll feel that weight.

The redesigned instrument clusters give you plenty of information, but the speedometer is a digital display and the tach is a dial. My preference would be to have it the other way around since it's easier for my old-lady eyes to take in a dial at-a-glance. I'm sure younger eyes are happy with the digital readout.

Chassis

Billed as a “supersport tour bike,” it makes sense that the FJR1300 comes built on a frame that borrows heavily from Yamaha's straight-up sport bikes. The aluminum frame features beefy structural members tuned for what the factory figures is the right balance of strength, flexibility, and weight. This combo sets the tone for the rest of the project with a definite sportbike bent.

A lengthened aluminum swingarm provides better rear suspension geometry and pushes the wheelbase out to 60.8 inches. Rake is still in the “fairly sporty” range at 26 degrees, but the 4.9-inch trail is definitely enough to make the FJR more stable for low-fatigue, long-distance cruising/commuting/touring.

The "A" and the "ES" models diverge a little when we look at the suspension. By anyone's standards, the 48 mm forks on the “A” are top-shelf items with 5.3 inches of travel and fully adjustable ride parameters. The rear monoshock comes with 4.9 inches of travel as well as adjustable rebound damping and spring preload.

As nice as that is, especially considering some tour bike manufacturers still run strictly with fixed-value components except maybe for preload, the “ES” version is even nicer. Electronic suspension control gives you the ability to tune the suspension through push-button manipulation of the four preload settings and a total of ten damping settings.

Dual 320 mm front discs and a 282 mm rear disc work with the Unified Brake System calipers to deliver balanced braking effort by allowing the rear brake master cylinder to pressurize two of the eight front-caliper pistons at the same time as the rear. The front brake lever actuates the other six front pistons, but none in the rear. ('Cause how else could you do burnouts?) ABS protection comes as standard equipment. Cast-alloy rims round out the rolling chassis with a fat, 120/70-17 hoop up front and a fatter 180/55-17 one in back.

2022 Yamaha FJR1300 Price and Availability

The 2022 Yamaha FJE1300 ES costs $18,199 in Cobalt Blue. Yamaha covers your new sport-tourer with a one-year limited factory warranty.

Yamaha FJR1300 Competitors

Sport-tour bikes are really kind of niche. Manufacturers make a dozen or more models between their sportbikes, naked bikes, and similar models, but offer only one or two sport-tourers. With that in mind, I started looking in the European and Asian markets and the Kawasaki Concours 14 seemed a natural fit for the FJR1300.

Kawasaki Concours 14

Looks-wise, they are very similar with a sporty stance and rider triangle that allows for a more vertical riding position. I'm really not feeling the “ribbed for nobody's pleasure” look of the Kawasaki so the Yamaha wins the beauty segment of our little contest.

Structurally, the two bikes are like chalk and cheese. The FJR runs on a modern frame, true, but it is an actual frame; Kawasaki went instead with an aluminum monocoque assembly that uses the body panels as stressed, load-bearing members, precluding the need for a frame at all. That's cool and all, but I'm kind of old fashioned and prefer my bikes to have an endo-skeleton rather than an exo-skeleton. Point Yamaha.

Suspension is close enough for government work and both bikes come with ABS. I'm on the fence about the combined brakes stuff 'cause I'm not sure it's not better to leave the brakes separate. At least it's mechanical in nature and not electronic because I am positive I don't trust brake-by-wire.

Powerplants are like two sides of the same coin. Both run inline, four-cylinder mills with liquid cooling, but Kawasaki manages to pack in a few more cubes with a total of 1,352 cc versus 1,298 cc in the Yamaha. This manifests itself in the power numbers with comparable torque, but up to 157 horsepower at speed with the ram-air effect kicked in. Still, it's a rather heavy bike, but the extra power should put a little extra zip in your doo-dah.

Kawasaki squeaks in a tiny victory at checkout with a $15,599 sticker on the Concours 14 versus the $16,399 tag on the FJR1300A, not brought forward after 2019, or the $18,199 tag on the FJR1300ES. Not a huge difference this far above 10 grand, but there it is anyway. In the end, I gotta say I prefer the FJR, though looks alone are the biggest reason for that.

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A reader from Alabama shared his experience with his Yamaha FJR1300 that he'd had for four years at the time he contacted me, and there's no better testimony than that of a long-term owner.

Gordon, a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant, says, “You mentioned some of the Yamaha's electronic features, but not some that make a huge difference to sport tourers. Like the electric windshield adjustable while riding. Or the heated handgrips, adjustable while riding.”“And perhaps most important, the excellent electronic cruise control that makes you hate its absence on other road bikes,” Gordon goes on to add. “Dig a little deeper and find that the costly valve adjustments are recommended every 26,200 miles, quite unlike the 8,000-mile intervals on the Kawasaki (Concours).”

Gordon pointed out other important features, including:

- The pilot seat is height adjustable.

- The bike comes with removable liners in the saddlebags.

- Adjustable side vents for rider comfort.

- Three-position adjustment on the handlebars.

- True gas mileage runs between 48 and 52 mpg long term.

- Steel tank allows using magnetic tank bags.

- Rear rack, standard.

- Lockable glove box with 12-volt outlet.

- Center stand, standard.

Gordon's biggest complaint is the lack of self-canceling turn signals. He says he sure misses that from his previous bike, a GL1800 Gold Wing. Thank you for your insight, Gordon.

He Said

My husband and fellow motorcycle writer, TJ Hinton, says, “Ya know, you can take a sportbike, slap a windshield and some bags on it and call it a tour bike all day, and it still won't be what I call a tour bike. Not enough protection, storage or comfort features for real tour work. Oh sure, the suspension is tits, but I'm not seeing a six-speaker sound system or any of the other still folks like to see on the long-haul bikes. For that reason, I dub this ride a frou-frou, because that's the job I think it would shine in.”

Super Commuter0}

“The FJR1300 has been a favorite for a long time, and while the 2016 wasn't a redesign, it was a revamp of an already popular bike. Fans will like the sixth gear and slipper clutch as that takes some strain off the left hand and eliminates that awkward clunk of the drivetrain. That sixth gear let's you cruise on the highway at a more respectable rpm; and let's face it, if it's a touring bike, it should cruise with seemingly no effort.”

“I might agree with my husband that it could be a commuter, but you can ride to work on what you've got, right? With the sport-tour suspension, it will be a fun ride..”