Yamaha FJR1300 (ABS) reviews

I've owned cruisers, sport bikes, and a big tourer, ever searching for that perfect bike for me. I thought the FJR would be it because of the combination of quality, performance, and touring comfort and convenience. It possesses everything but the comfort for long rides. The seat is hard as a rock and the riding position not still too much strain on your forearms, wrists and back. Also, the heat coming from the fairing right around your ankles is extremely hot - you MUST wear heavy boots and socks or your lower leg will boil. BUT, the performance is awesome and smooth. It hits its stride at about 80mph and is absolutely silent from 90mph on up (fastest I've done is 135 mph and it was effortless). Brakes are fantastically smooth and straight stopping. Build quality is better than Honda and the look of the bike is outstanding. Show less

This is just my second bike and I don't have a lot of riding experience, but this bike has already proven that it is fun and safe. When I want to get away from a questionable driver the bike moves when I want almost reading my mind. On the rare occasion I've needed to stop on a dime it gave me change back and in complete control. I had considered a straight touring bike, like a Goldwing, but I'm glad I went with a little more fun. Show less

Great overall bike for speed, comfort and reliability (not to mention it looks great). I've owned a Kawasaki ZX10 and a GPZ550, Yamaha V-Star's and a few other bikes and this is the bike I will stay with. Show less

Waited from Feb thru Aug '03. Worth the wait and more! Nobody knows what just passed them (Love to blow away H-D formations, I used to ride 'em). FJR guys are like a little secret society, which is cool. Walked away from BMW. The FJR is involving, which brings me back to why I started to ride in the first place, 30(!) years ago. Wonderful engine, handling, and brakes. My fiance' loves it too! Just plain fun, I plan on a nationwide tour when I get back from deployment Show less

Quick off the line and easily climbs up to the triple digits, no 6th gear needed as 4th will get you up to 140mph~ish and 5th is just over 150. Adjustable suspension can be dialed in to right where you want it, keeping the bike glued to the road and feeling solid even through those bumpy corners. No vague handling once you get the suspension dialed in. Heat is noticeable but tolerable. The biggest downer for me is that weight on the hands together with the angle of the handlebars was very uncomfortable, even painful on downhill runs. Aftermarket lenkeradapters cured that, but for a hefty price. Aside from that, I'm amazed that I can get such high levels of comfort & performance in a motorcycle. I'm spoiled for life. Show less

I bought the bike on Ebay and flew out to Iowa and drove it home. It killed my back, but my butt was ok for the long ride. You still ride like a crotch-rocket (leaning forward, lots of weight on your hands), and the 4,000 RPM vibration is very noticeable. The adjustable windshield is very nice. The power is out of this world, plus as an added bonus, it pulls strong from 2,800+ RPM. Top speed is scary-fast. The bike turns on a dime, you can really lay this puppy low in a curve (I took off the hard bags). Everybody doesn't want to ride with me anymore because I've got the bike that beats them all. I just wish the comfort was there. I bought handlebar risers and that helped a bit with the sore arms and sore back, but for long, straight-line cruising, I use my Honda VTX1800C. Show less

I was pretty happy overall with the comfort of the position and the seat itself. It lacks in the temperature department. Had a do in with a trip into new hope, and within minutes of stopping in the traffic, my legs were burning pretty darn bad. I don't recommend this bike for the weekender who just likes to zip from town to town. This muscle bike is meant for the highway and backcountry twisties. Overall, this ride was superb! Show less

Very impresive power,superb handling and good weather protection,poor seat comfort on long rides Show less

I own an '03 FJR and it was worth the few month wait with the Yamaha PDP program! It is an all-around bike, great on the highway, easy to manuever in town and fun on the backroads! If your in the market for a sport touring bike, be sure to give the FJR a look! Show less

I bought my 2004 FJR in the fall of 2003. What an excellent balance of ride and power. Fuel injection, shaft drive, ABS, hard bags, adjustable windscreen, killer looks, the list goes on. I'm getting back on bikes after almost 20 yrs of not riding. What a way to return, this thing is a blast. The more you twist the throttle the bigger the grins. Show less