Yamaha FJR1300 First Ride Review at RevZilla.com

[@JonnyMoto]

You guys have such an awesome channel going. Great filming, editing. I love seeing GoPros all over the bikes :] You guy's are doing it right!

[@SuperDaveyoutube]

Done 105,000 miles on mine, best bike I have ever owned.

[@BuddhaRice]

Whether it's Spurgeon or Lemmy, the Revzilla cameramen and editing guys really know how to make great videos, the best on the internet IMHO! Impressed as always

[@0616ko]

+A TG Agree 100%. Very well done.

[@giff74]

Good job actually doing a review in a bike review. I still really appreciate that Revzilla doesn't just gloss through their bike reviews. I like it when you guys drill down on what's great, or not so great, with the bikes that you ride. Please keep up the good job!

[@curtdaniels2759]

You hit all the highlights of this motorcycle. It has new features that are nice to have it does not add to the price, such as the additional lights for the curbs. Good at slow speeds but not going to save your life at highway speeds. FJR is a great bike and Revzilla does a great job of giving product Reviews. More so than anything the have the best reputation of being honest and real with their reviews.

[@shortrider2839]

You guys do this better than the magazines and the bike shows. They better step up their game if they don't want to lose out to a gear retailer.Seriously everything you touch is gold.

[@JustJesseOfficial]

It's not even a bike I'm interested in, but I just love RevZilla's reviews and cinematography so I watched it.

[@KANALINSTÄLLNINGAR-123]

Couldn't agree more!

[@vinstyles]

Beautiful vid and gorgeous bike. And I adore Az. I am from Ireland but lived in Az for a few years and when based back in Ireland would travel to Az at least once a month for 12 years. I love the place. It's where my soul is. Superb professional video.

[@phillipquann7659]

Just went through KZbin and looked at 4 reviews on the FJR. You guys win with your excellent comments and information.

[@08650rRider]

Very informative on the old vs new. You guys are really building a brand and it really helps people in buying decisions on not only gear, but bikes. I have bought a few things gear related from the videos alone, seeing as I cannot get my hands on much of it at local shops. Thanks guys, and I hope all this hard work really starts bringing in the extra views!

[@marcusrussell8660]

I just love this bike. I have owned eight bikes in my life and this is the best riding, it is not the fastest. But it is fast and well balanced. In my opinion it rides better than either the BMW or the Concours but not by a lot. There are some things in life that once experienced you just bond with and regret selling.

[@gibbnal]

Just read this comment and totally agree - parting with my 2008 seemed right at the time. Since then I've not ridden a bike that made me want to go touring like the FJR did. Georgia to Canada two up was no problem at all for that bike.

[@gabbyhayes1568]

It's more comfortable than the Concours, I'll give it that. But the Connie and the Beamer have more soulful motors, IMHO.

[@israfales85]

man im really loving this new revzilla motorcycle reviews

[@KillswitchQueen]

Love your reviews! Best on the web as far as I'm concerned. Keep 'em comin' fellas!

[@jjayallan]

RevZilla I love your reviews. They are always right on the money👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

[@comcastjohn]

I totally agree with comments that everyone below have made. You guys are great! Thank you for everything that you do.

[@gsgarland83]

I really enjoyed this review. Candid, laid back, and informative. Well done Spurgeon and your crew. Oh, the scenery was beautiful.

[@TRexHeliPilot]

Great review keep up the good work. You guys are giving the traditional motorcycle magazines a run for the money!

[@Siper2]

"Diner syndrome". Good one! Awesome review. I love your work, truly.

[@uzentan720]

2:35 appreciate that you guys are riding in proper formation

[@brad_Ca]

Awesome review, I really enjoyed it.

[@AndrewRockliff]

G’day Spurgeon/Revzilla, I thoroughly enjoyed your test and review of the Yamaha FJR1300, keep up the great work.

[@ridewithgnr2116]

Very nice video work and review. I ride a Concours but would never kick an FJR out of my garage if it showed up. Just rode with a friend out on Colorado and that FJR1300 with Yoshimura pipes sounded incredible. Lots of good video of him and his bike.

[@hammar324]

That intro was very Top Gearish. I love it!

[@ianhaines9776]

I have a 2015 FJR and have found its a great bike even with it's 5 gears, but my biggest gripe is the seat it's definitely not for long rides anymore than 2 hrs in the saddle and I am looking for a rest stop.It puzzles me why a more comfortable seat wasn't considered when they designed the bike.

[@nukadog1969]

That buzziness around 4-5k is what I call "releasing the angry bees". I have a Gen2 version that I picked up a couple of months ago and I can't wait until I have a reason to buy a new one! However, I do think the Gen2 design looks better. Great review!

[@alp3781]

Great review !!! I got mine few months ago. 17 ES, black. Last one at the dealer. After a test ride locally and hwy, I was like....it is a deal by me. I am 6'4", 190 lbs. Just perfect bike all around. I love the 6th gear. It is a great + to the bike. I just wished for the rear top case to come standard. It is around 900.00 complete kit. Safe ride, all.

[@michaelgibbons8205]

Awesome review, dude! I really appreciate that you don't sugar-coat things......very insightful and helpful.

[@Bogart3443]

Good Job Serge! I'm a big fan of Anthony doing the product reviews and who doesn't love Lemmy, keep up the good work!

[@christianpaul3303]

Only reason I’m even considering this bike is the Kawa Concours (stronger engine) STILL doesn’t have cruise control. After half a day riding it’s sorely missing.

[@TheVigilantStewards]

These are the best motorcycle videos I've ever seen! Love the R1200RS one and this too

[@versyschris]

Awesome review. Your channel rocks!

[@letitrest4662]

The Fjr is "buzzy" ? This must be the first motorcycle you've ever reviewed. I've owned 11 motorcycles, including my 2013 Fjr1300a. Besides my 2000 goldwing, my Fjr is the smoothest bike I've owned, and that includes the two fj1200's . A 1986, and then a 1989.

[@VRFlightSimGuy]

Great review, I love my 07 - Interesting how the new ones also suffer from vibration issues.

[@herkko61]

Kawasaki GTR 1400 year 2007 has 6 gears + slip clutch, more power, red zone 10500 rpm instead of Yamaha's 9000 rpm, only 10 kg weigh difference. Both are very good bikes and extremely reliable.

[@mojo4376]

But the Kawi is Fugly

[@goneballistic]

I want one of these bikes so bad. They look awesome and sound like they'd be great touring bikes

[@steveoshortt4791]

This is exactly what I'm looking for

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Fantastic review. Really great work here.

[@coandc]

I would love to see a comparison of this bike and the r1200rt. I know the prices are very different and I’ve ridden both for a few miles, but it wasn’t enough to really get an accurate impression of distance riding on them.

[@pedrovazz]

I have had an RT from 2010 during 4 years and I have also ridden several FJR1300 and to me this can be summarized in wether you want a sports touring more on the sports side (FJR) or more on the touring/confort side (RT). The FJR is confortable, nimble after 5/10 Mph and I had some times where a super sport rider in front of me was wishing I had an RT :) (I know I know it was not on track and probably the guy was just being careful). The RT was a motorbike that I was commuting with, I was traveling with, I was going to the bends with it (not at the same pace or agressivness...) and I was doing that with extreme confort. The difference in confort for the RT is that you don't feel anything in the wrists, the windblast can be avoided easily because both the fairing as the windscreen are in a higher position than the FJR, the legs on the FJR are also a small bit higher than in the RT. Now the lack of confort of the FJR, to me is not enough to leave it aside of the RT. The only reason I bought and prefer the RT is because it was about 50/60 kgs lighter and is really easy to ride in the city, even with that bulkiness...You should really try both (if you haven't done it already)...If it wasn't for the weight (i'm a week guy :D) I would have one. Cheers

[@Ritalie]

The 6th isn't really an overdrive. The gears might be less than 1.00:1 but the final drive is still too low. Turning 4000 rpms at 70 mph is not a legit overdrive. They don't currently sell a motorcycle with a proper overdrive. The term shouldn't be used to describe a close ratio transmission. I keep hearing reviews calling 6th gear an "overdrive" when it's only barely a hint higher ratio than 5th.

[@UhuruFrontier]

RevZilla, fantastic review. Can you review the Yamaha XSR900 next.

[@RevZilla]

+1AmericanInAsia That's definitely pretty high up on the list of bikes we'd like to review! -DrewZilla

[@Visionery1]

Interesting that the latest T-Max 560 is only marginally cheaper than the latest FJR1300. I'm wondering if one is not priced too high, or the other too low.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

I'm glad there are a couple of great 1000cc-ish sport touring alternatives that have been given some serious attention, otherwise these 600+ pound bruisers would break the bank until they are sitting on a showroom floor for the 2nd or 3rd year of no sale. Stuff like the refreshed high tech Ninja1000 (TC, IMU, modes), the Versys 1000, or even the quirky FJ-09 (needs a lot of work). Suzuki had a great standard with the 1250 Bandit (now discontinued the 2nd time; excellent quarter fairing and bruit torque off the bottom) and I don't think the GSX-S1000F really qualifies as any kind of touring bike (subframe is nonexistent and wind control is only concessional). Otherwise the Euorpean machines in the ADV market are swinging too far from the true sport-tourer motorcycles. ADV bikes are awesome, but not quite the sublime machines stuff like the FJR and C14 and N1K are designed to be.

[@MrJohnnynapalm7]

Good video and great photos.

[@screaming1967]

I just bought one!!! Today

[@Wadeifer]

Need to update review to 2021

[@PEPWEY]

Would've liked to see a hi res color display. Kudos on the trans revamp.

[@kmg501]

Man, I just woke up and am all emo, seeing all that gorgeous scenery and nice ride has made me jelly, lol.

[@happytrails1963]

Good review. An amazing machine. For potential buyers it might be worth noting the price went up on these for 2016.

[@frankwright460]

Aesome review man. Love it

[@thomashowl6488]

Really wanting an older FJR, but I feel like it might be a pretty "scary" switch from my Ninja 250R. I just want a nice comfy sport touring bike for rides from Michigan to Florida.

[@RevZilla]

Yeah, it's a bit of a jump from a 250 to the FJR, but the center of gravity is pretty low on the FJR. So if you get on one, see how the weight feels. -DrewZilla

[@johniac7078]

Great bike. am glad they added a 6th gear, it really needed it.

[@이현기-t1c]

Tactical Prioriㅗㅗ

[@pippuzzu1981]

From wich made year they added the 6th gear?

[@langhammars]

5:33 > So... cars with boat trailers are allowed doing over 70 mph in the US? We have a limit at 50 mph in Sweden. :-) Great review by the way! Big thumbs up.

[@robertbrandywine]

Those speed differentials are dangerous IMO. Keep all traffic moving at the same speed.

[@TheGabesnell]

Yes. While speed limit for trucks in most open road places is 65mph for trucks with trailers (semi trucks, the big ones). Cops usually don't mind them going 70. Also with the cb radios, the trucks know where all the cops are so you often see them going 80.

[@Ian-ji4mz]

nice review & cool video guy's

[@oshkoshbjosh986]

youre the man spurg'!

[@davidadkins2563]

Maybe you can help,, I’m looking at buying a 2017 fjr1300 but the problem is,, it is white,, not police white a off white,, I ran a vin check and it comes up with no accidents no salvage and no theft,,do you know if Yamaha made any white models in 2017..don’t want to buy a bike that was in an accident..strange that someone would decide to paint a bike and pick white

[@786philb]

I wanted this bike, But settled on a triumph sprint gt. se. The Yamaha is more refined and electronical, But over £7000 English pounds more. It just doesn't warrant such a big price tag difference. I feel the same about BMW also.

[@turbo311]

Finally has all the things I want to buy this bike. Hmm...

[@alenfora1400]

Hope my next year i buy the older fjr i own now a gsxf750 98

[@djurcinovski]

id like to see Honda crf250l review and something like project bike what mods will u do to make it some kind of soft adventure touring with luggage .

[@barryroberts2474]

Great review, only thing cut the music!

[@quidestnunc9238]

Agreed. And lose the wind buffeting sounds.

[@algorerhyth]

great reviews ...anthony shout out!

[@gioredrossi]

FANTASTIC.!

[@Pepsiphopia]

288. The old Opel Kadett with LCD instruments also said 288 when all was ok.

[@nelsonpinhal]

Awesome review, good job Spurgeon👍👍👍👍👍. Really like the bike but I'm a st1300 fan. Did you made any review about the st1300??? thnx

[@SpurgeonDunbar]

+N P The ST1300 was a great bike. I am a big fan of Honda V4s. I rode a 2012 ST1300 on a trip through Tennessee once and I was the proud owner of a '98 VFR800. However, as Honda ceased production of the ST1300 in 2013, there is no longer a new version of the bike to review. There is no doubt that it will remain a great used option for years to come.

[@lordoftheviolin]

Great video

[@bobvanarsdale874]

How come on touring bikes no one ever rides with a pillion I have owned lots of bikes over the years and I am interested in the Fjr how is the bike from the passengers point of view ?

[@RevZilla]

It's a good option for two-up riding, though I'd say most people who regularly ride two-up end up going with bigger bikes like the Goldwing, BMW K1600, or Harley. -DrewZilla

[@MannyVel]

How tall are you ? You seemed like you had no problem placing your feet fully on the ground.

[@RevZilla]

According to the last pencil mark on the wall here in our office, Spurgeon is about 6'3". -TeamZilla Chris

[@brilwiljeff]

I watched your post here.I'm going to have some coffee then watch it again. The bike looks sweet

[@truespeed8834]

Excellent review.

[@rijden-nu]

@7:50 The relatively easy adjustability of the handlebars would have been worth a mention. Maybe even a try. Also... Was this video sponsored by Yamaha? If not, then wow, you guys must really love it, and if so, then that would have been honest to mention as well. Anyway, doesn't matter for me now, I already bought one, just waiting for it to be customized and delivered \o/

[@orenovadia6590]

so.... coould i add the sixth gear to the older one?

[@robcig]

Great short review. Where can I read the in depth review?

[@RevZilla]

+robcig I've included it below. Hope this helps! -DrewZilla *www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2016-yamaha-fjr-1300-first-ride-motorcycle-review

[@robcig]

Great review. Any news on the 2019 model? I've all but given up on the Kawasaki 1400 GTR...

[@RevZilla]

We don't have any news on a 2019 model. -DrewZilla

[@tomaustin3598]

Would love to know which routes y'all rode. Looks like some beautiful country. And as always, great work on the review!

[@RevZilla]

+Tom Austin Spurgeon details the roads in his companion article, which is linked in the video description as well as below. Roads include Beeline Highway and 89A. -DrewZilla *www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2016-yamaha-fjr-1300-first-ride-motorcycle-review

[@MrThuggery]

Revzilla FINALLY did a review on a REAL bike! Nice.....

[@kugangles9860]

It's too bad Yamaha is no longer updating this model. I love my 2018 but some new tech and a few more ponies would be killer.

[@cre8tivjacks]

How are you catching in helmet audio? What's your gear setup? That's some of the cleanest I've heard at speed. Oh, awesome bike and awesome review as well!

[@RevZilla]

+Gamber Nation We use a Sena 20S paired via Bluetooth to the Sena GP10 Audio Back, which is attached to a GoPro. -DrewZilla *www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sena-20s-bluetooth-headset *www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sena-bluetooth-audio-back-for-gopro-with-waterproof-housing *www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/gopro-hero4-silver-camera

[@hANNAbONE]

hmm...yeah, about that color. If this scoot was in red or black or yellow or even white I'd be all over it. I cannot get past that color. Love the vid and the info and the videography. Great job. It has all the refinements I've waited for from Mother Yamaha. Good job listening to us.

[@TheInkyHuedDinkyFued]

Have Yamaha finally changed their soft buttery keys or that poor side case lock design?

[@ff2346cookson]

excellent review...I have a 2005 fjr and love it..and in that colour too. The only thing I would want, is that 6 th gear and get rid of the Yamaha first gear clunk...otherwise fantastic bike.

[@bgm1911]

great intro!

[@Quagmire88]

Is that the revit tornado jacket? What do you think of it?

[@JosephMorganMedia]

+Quagmire88 he works for them , im sure hes just sponsoring

[@dustincarpio3086]

+Joseph Morgan To be clear. Spurgeon works for RevZilla, not REV'IT!

[@SpurgeonDunbar]

+Quagmire88 It's the new Tornado 2 (www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-tornado-2-jacket). I like it because it feels so much tougher than the old one. Rev'It! updated all of the materiels in the jacket so you're getting higher denier counts for better abrasion resistance while also upgrading to their Seeflex CE 2 impact armor in the elbows and shoulders. It was the perfect suit for this trip. In the mornings temps were in the mid-30s and with the liners in I was completely comfortable. In the afternoon as the temperatures crested into the high 80's I pulled the liners out and enjoyed the massive airflow. I (luckily) didn't have the opportunity to test out the waterproof functionality of the liners. Personally, I think they did a really nice job with this new Tornado 2. It's a great option if you are looking for a mesh jacket to handle all types of weather and temperatures.

[@JosephMorganMedia]

Dustin Carpio My bad, thanks man. Im new, i thought Rev'it was a product line coined by RevZilla for obvious reasons xP

[@thadrifter_]

Love the review! But what jacket are you wearing?

[@SpurgeonDunbar]

+Luke Powell The new Rev'It! Tornado 2 (www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-tornado-2-jacket). On these shorter first looks we don't always have the time to include the gear section like we do on the full bike reviews. But if you're ever curious, Lemmy and I always include all of the gear we wear in the corresponding Common Tread article (www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2016-yamaha-fjr-1300-first-ride-motorcycle-review) Check out the "Shop the Gear" sidebar on your desktop or if you're reading via mobile, just scroll all the way to the bottom.

[@thadrifter_]

Rad! Thanks!

[@FxMoto]

Does anyone know the background track beginning at 6:50 ?

[@RevZilla]

We don't have the song title at hand, but we get all our music from premiumbeat.com. -DrewZilla

[@42clarks]

what is the instrumental used at the end of the video?

[@RevZilla]

We don't have the song title at hand, but we get most of our music from premiumbeat.com. -DrewZilla

[@pappaclutch3266]

FJR OR Super Tenere?

[@DumbledoreMcCracken]

Thanks man

[@4637bigred]

Dude, you let a SUV pulling a boat pass you. Lol nice video

[@Silver1137]

What area of AZ is this?

[@RevZilla]

+R.Williams In Spurgeon's companion article, he mentions the area as being the mountains north of Phoenix. Feel free to learn more below. Hope this helps! -DrewZilla *www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2016-yamaha-fjr-1300-first-ride-motorcycle-review

[@UhuruFrontier]

RevZilla, can you get your hands on a EBR 1190!

[@RevZilla]

+1AmericanInAsia It's a possibility. Now that they're resuming production, we may take a spin on one. -DrewZilla

[@static369]

Can you guys check out the new zx14r?

[@RevZilla]

+Muhammad Kamaruddin There are a lot of bikes we'd like to review, and the ZX14R is among them. Hopefully we'll be able to review it eventually. -DrewZilla

[@craigmax3779]

I'm looking at getting an fjr13. Some 9f them in my price range have lots of miles. One has 80k. To me thats alot. I've never owned a bike with that kind of clock time. I like them m9re then that Kawasaki Concours. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks guy's.

[@RevZilla]

Used touring bikes like the FJR tend to have a lot of miles, but overall bike condition is more important than the mileage. Lemmy's _Used Bike Buying Checklist_ offers some advice on what to look for. See the *Once You Arrive* section for specific details. -DrewZilla *www.revzilla.com/common-tread/the-used-bike-buying-checklist

[@sfv650fu]

For the FJR1300, 80k (miles or km?) isn't much. I've seen one in action with 425000 km on the clock. Still runs like a Swiss watch. These are iconic bikes with bullet-proof engines designed to cover a lot of ground before they bite the dust. Don't let 80000 on the odometer put you off.

[@craigmax3779]

SFV650FU Miles. It sounds good still. But the prices are right.

[@guyderrien9109]

How much would you pay for a bike like this

[@johnmadsen37]

Yeah, nah. 3k rpm is a good rpm , as it’s a low rpm huge motor. So 65-70 is 3k in 6th. I’ve done 135 on a ‘track’ and it’s pushing high rpm. This motor can idle up a very steep hill in 1st. The electronics will keep it from stalling unless your almost stopped. I change suspension (Es) multiple times , 3 settings, soft is very soft. Hadley fell bumps. But in stop and go it will dive. I go still when maneuvering through traffic. It’s not an upright 100%. I wish it was. I’ll probably raise the bars. This is a sports touring. It’s very fast. But not an m1. Obviously.

[@Saady2s]

Abs?

[@JT001225]

Love it

[@suao60101]

Do anyone know which helmet brand that the host had

[@SpurgeonDunbar]

+歐泫泊 I was wearing a Nexx XT1 (www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/nexx-xt1-helmet-solid). If you are ever curious about the gear that Lemmy and I are sporting in these videos, we always list it out in the "Shop the Gear" sidebar of the corresponding Common Tread article (www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2016-yamaha-fjr-1300-first-ride-motorcycle-review).

[@boxofmoles4057]

What jacket is that?

[@RevZilla]

Spurgeon is wearing the REV'IT! Tornado 2 Jacket. -DrewZilla *www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-tornado-2-jacket *www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-tornado-2-hv-jacket

[@jearley22]

nice review. thanks for not acting like the Anthony.

[@ralphdaugherty9784]

is this fast like the r1?

[@RevZilla]

It's quick but not R1 fast. -DrewZilla