The Pinnacle Of Sport Touring Motorcycles

With styles ranging from laid-back cruisers, dirt bikes, hyper-naked bikes, and sport bikes, Yamaha has been renowned for being one of the biggest manufacturers in the world. Among these, one motorcycle that is a shining gem in Yamaha’s inventory is its top-tier sport-touring model, the FJR1300ES. While its sibling, the Tracer 9 GT+ is more of an ADV-type tourer, this motorcycle brings an athletic, sporty nature for strict highway duties.

Since sport touring is a very popular method of motorcycling, these bikes have been designed to handle rides as simple as daily commutes, as well as long-distance cross-country road trips without breaking a sweat. A compilation of on-road performance of sports bikes, the well-rounded nature of a touring motorcycle, and the latest developments in riding technology is a fitting way to sum up the FJR1300ES. Let’s dive deeper into its details now.

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Sport Touring At Its Finest

Old but no less than gold

The FJR1300ES is Yamaha’s premium sport touring model designed to offer riders a potent blend of performance, comfort, and advanced technology. Powered by a 1,298 cc inline-four engine, the FJR1300ES delivers strong and smooth power ideal for long-distance cruising and agile maneuverability. The bike comes with an electronically adjustable suspension system, allowing riders to adjust their ride quality to their liking at their discretion. This system, combined with the bike’s responsive handling and aerodynamic design, ensures a comfortable and stable ride at various speeds and road conditions.

With regard to riding technology and special features, the Yamaha FJR1300ES is equipped with everything a dedicated tourer could need. That includes (but is not limited to) cruise control, multiple riding modes, traction control, and personal ride customization. The motorcycle also boasts an advanced braking system with ABS, ensuring reliable stopping power to complement its four-cylinder powertrain. At the center of its console is a semi-digital display that provides clear and detailed information, while integrated hard saddlebags offer plenty of storage for long-distance touring needs. The final product is a comfortable motorcycle, well-suited for long-haul duties.

A Perfect Example Of Modern Muscle

Horsepower: 142 HP; Torque: 102 Pound-Feet

In order for the FJR to be the reigning champion of Yamaha’s sport touring class, it would need a muscular, high-bodied engine that delivers large amounts of power and torque across the RPM range. To achieve that, Team Blue has armed it with a liquid-cooled 1,298 cc inline four-cylinder engine that produces 142 horsepower and 102 pound-feet of torque. This helps it match up squarely against Japanese sport touring bikes like the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT.

Diving deeper, the engine utilizes a slant-block design with stacked, tri-axis gearbox shafts to keep its size condensed and balanced. On the inside, its lightweight forged pistons with carburized connecting rods provide plenty of strength and reduced reciprocating mass for enhanced durability. This CP4 motor is also aided by a slipper clutch for easier downshifts, which comes in very handy while managing torque levels through all six gears.

2024 Yamaha FJR1300ES Engine Specifications

Advanced Electronics To Get The Most Of Your Ride

All the tech you need to go the distance

The Yamaha FJR1300ES isn’t the premiere sport touring motorcycle just because of its engine alone. For it to dominate the roadways, it is aided by a series of modern riding features that make it one of the most reliable sport-touring bikes on the market. The Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCCT) is a by-wire system that delivers an instant throttle response under a wide variety of weather and altitude conditions. With that kind of flexibility, the FJR1300ES provides its riders with two different throttle response modes to choose from. T-Mode gives riders a smooth throttle response. Whereas, S-Mode puts greater emphasis on performance for riders that favor sporty, aggressive riding.

This motorcycle is also equipped with an electronically adjustable suspension system that allows riders several options to reach optimum comfort. Featuring four preload settings, three damping presets, and seven damping fine-tuning adjustments, the suspension can be customized to the ideal settings of every rider, passenger, and riding conditions. Another standout feature of this motorcycle is its lean angle-sensitive LED lighting system. It automatically illuminates its six LED lights sequentially through turns via Yamaha’s IMU. These come with toolless adjustment of headlight angle to account for heavy vehicle loads, too. An essential for safe riding during nighttime many more modern bikes miss out on.

It’s the same story in the luggage department. You get spacious luggage and storage features designed for convenience and practicality, fitted to the subframe. They are quick-release hard side cases that seamlessly integrate with the bike’s lines. These cases are matched to the ignition key for easy access. Additionally, the FJR1300ES includes a fairing-mounted glove box with a 12V outlet, useful for charging mobile devices while on the go. This setup ensures that riders can carry their belongings securely and access them effortlessly, making long-distance travel more comfortable and enjoyable.

2024 Yamaha FJR1300ES Key Features

• Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle
• Multiple ride modes
• Electronically-adjustable suspension system
• Lean angle-sensitive LED lighting system
• Assist and Slipper clutch
• Traction control
• Cruise control
• Heated grips

Satisfying Touring With Endless Turns

MSRP: Starts at $18,299

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If you take a close look at some of the other touring models on the market, the asking price is generally higher than $20,000. Several high-end touring models can have a starting MSRP in the $20k, $30k, and even $40k range. But in the case of the Yamaha FJR1300ES, a starting MSRP of only $18,399 makes this bike very attractive to prospective buyers. Though some other rival models will boast very high-end performance upgrades and advanced riding technology, the price tag is enough to push buyers away.

So it’s safe to say this motorcycle has everything a sport touring enthusiast needs, and nothing that they don’t. Whether they are riding to work, across town for a casual day trip, or over state lines on a giant cross-country road trip, the FJR1300ES is the premiere Yamaha model to get the job done. With the amount of versatility that this motorcycle has, there is no city, suburb, or highway that this bike cannot dominate. The fact that Yamaha hasn’t updated it in a long time yet, it shines just right in the sport touring world, only makes matters sweeter. Don’t you think?