Do you like a comfortable seat, adjustable windshield and luggage served with your 145 horsepower and sportbike-handling? For some strange reason, Yamaha thinks you do. Yamaha is bringing the FJR1300 to the United States as a 2003 model (available later this summer as an early-release 2003). Take $500 to your Yamaha dealer before the end of April, and you will be guaranteed delivery of an FJR at the MSRP of $11,499.
We have not had the chance to sample an FJR1300 here in the United States, but press reports from the machine’s launch in Europe were highly favorable. Expect huge torque to go with that horsepower (the bike only needs five gears). The purpose-built 1298cc, double overhead cam, 16 valve, fuel-injected engine is reportedly flexible and stupendously quick for sport tourer duty.
The FJR1300 is feature rich. The massive, 48mm fork is fully adjustable, and the shock is adjustable for preload and rebound, with a quick-adjust feature to firm the rear end for passenger duty. A switch on the handlebar allows you to fine-tune the height of the electrically adjustable windscreen (a feature introduced on BMW’s R1100RT several years ago).
The shaft drive system will be very appealing to many, dedicated touring nuts — providing virtually maintenance-free, clean and quiet operation.
With a claimed dry weight of 521 pounds, the big FJR should handle relatively well — particularly, given its stiff aluminum frame (which utilizes the engine as a stressed member).
Countless MD readers have been longing for this bike in the U.S., and here it comes. At a surprisingly low MSRP, to boot. You better like silver, though, because that’s the only color available in the U.S. for 2003.
