Yamaha FJR1300AE a tamed superbike for the long haul

[totalmotorcycle]

Yamaha FJR1300AE a tamed superbike for the long haul
Bike offers transmission inspired by Formula One
Friday, December 1, 2006 - By David Booth, For CanWest News Service - Saskatoon Star Phoenix - canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/driving/




Yamaha sees the whole sport-touring thing differently from other manufacturers.

Where virtually every other bike maker -- from Honda to Moto Guzzi -- emphasizes the "touring" quotient and then sees how much "sporting" it can factor into the equation, Yamaha's FJR is, at heart, a superbike that's been tamed for long-distance riding. It looks like a sport bike, steers like a sport bike and, most importantly, accelerates like a sport bike.

Having 1,298 cubic centimetres of across-the-beam in-line four certainly doesn't hurt things, especially an engine as torquey as the FJR's. The most potent of the sport touring engines available -- at least at low engine speeds -- one almost never needs to see more than 5,000 r.p.m. to make rapid progress. Only in the most extreme circumstances do you need to rev the FJR to its 9,000-r.p.m. red line and that's only when you're chasing Ducatis and the like.

Being an in-line four, however, there's a bit more vibration than, say, Honda's V-4-powered ST1300. It's hardly uncomfortable and not anywhere near the levels of older, large-displacement Yamaha fours, such as the FJ1200, but it's no Gold Wing either.

New for this year is motorcycling's fi rst production application of a Formula One-inspired semiautomatic transmission.

Unlike previous motorcycle automatic trannies, there's a regular fi ve-speed manual in the gearbox cavity, only this one is aided by two servo-motors. One servo works the clutch while another shifts the gears. Shift the foot lever (or tap the left handlebar-mounted toggle) and the fi rst disengages the clutch while the second changes gears. If you haven't closed the throttle, an automatic ignition cut-out will do so for you.

The upside is that, once underway, the tranny works like a charm -- much better, in fact, than many comparable automotive systems. Shifts are smooth, quick and completely unobtrusive. On the other hand, the automatic clutch doesn't work quite so well, taking away from a complete stop. The throttle is dif- fi cult to modulate, there seems to be quite a bit of drivetrain lash in the system and, unless you are extremely precise with the throttle, the departure can be quite abrupt. I got around it by sometimes preloading the entire system by feeding in throttle while holding the rear brake. What helped even more was simply starting out in second gear. I'm sure it didn't do the FJR's clutch plates any good, but the takeoffs were less jerky. There's potential here for more convenience than the traditional manual transmission, but until Yamaha perfects the clutch actuation, I'd stick with the conventional technology of the base FJR1300A, which is also $1,900 less expensive.

By comparison, the FJR's handling is exemplary. Unsurprisingly, it requires more effort to tip it into a corner than a more lithe sport bike, but, in most other regards, the sensations are much the same.

Unlike other touring bikes, the FJR is happiest when you are leaning off the seat, knee down and getting aggressive. The suspension is a tad soft, but the handling is generally very composed.

The FJR doesn't exact too much of a comfort penalty for its sport bike-like handling. The seat, though adjustable, is lower than most other tourers, resulting in a tighter than normal peg-to-handlebar distance. But the bars themselves are placed well back and are well elevated from the triple clamp so the seating position is quite upright. The Yamaha's adjustable windshield is smaller than its BMW and Honda competition, which would be a disadvantage if we lived in the land of speed-unlimited autobahns. But we don't, and the Yamaha's wind protection is adequate for our style of riding.

The FJR's adjustable system is the fi rst I've tested that works as well with the windshield in its lowest position as at its highest.

In the amenity department, the Yamaha fares only so-so. Heated grips are available, but they are optional, not standard as they are on competitive models. The FJR's saddlebags are among the easiest to use, but they are smaller than the competition's, limiting the amount of luggage they can carry. And, unlike its Honda and BMW counterparts, the FJR doesn't have exemplary fi t and fi nish in the details department. But the FJR is signifi cantly cheaper than the competition and does include standard anti-lock brakes in its $20,990 price.

Nonetheless, for those looking for the sporting side of the sport touring equation, the FJR's blend of comfort and arm-wrenching power is worth a test ride.