ST1300 vs FJR1300

[WhistleStop]

I've read some posts in which some fjr owners find the st1300 an inferior product compared to the fjr,and I would like to know why.
On a long ride to the Moab I got to ride my friend's ST1300 for at least 300 miles and found it to be quite a capable motorcycle.
I had no complaints whatsoever. The bike was flawless.

 

[Obo]

The FJR has a few more features that the ST doesn't have stock.

 

[mortenk]

I have ridden many thousands of miles on both bikes over the years (and owned both). They are very similar and capable bikes that cater to the same audience. Both are extremely reliable and easy to work on. There is nothing wrong with any of these - just a matter of personal taste. With a recent FJR you get more gadgets as it's 10+ years younger. Personally, I love the extra power and agility the FJR brings to the table - it's a lot of fun.

 

[SMSW]

It's been said that the FJR is a rougher, slightly more raw experience compared to the ST, with more power, perhaps sportier handling, and more toys aboard. (IIRC, Honda's s NSX sportscar was criticized for being too 'civilized'). It comes down to your preference - for every guy who likes apples, you will find one who prefers oranges.

 

[flyfisher]

Having owned both I would suggest you ride the same 300 miles on a FJR....then you decide what YOU like best.....

 

[RobbieAG]

Newer models of the FJR definitely have more features and as others have said, it's considered more sporty. I think the main thing it has over the ST1300 is that it's still in production, while the newest consumer model ST1300 is now 11 years old. As an owner of an 18 year old ST1300, it's getting harder to get parts (ex/ the ECU is no longer available).

 

[gmtech94]

I really like both of them . I think that the power is very similar as when we were in Montana and rolled on both bikes went just slightly above the speed limit . The St has 21 inches peg to seat height and the FJR is about 16 inches . A bit different especially on a longer ride . Mileage is pretty close but the FJR has a lot smaller amount of fuel on board . I am having a tough time figuring out which one to keep ,the cruise control is so nice .

 

[Larry Fine]

The St has 21 inches peg to seat height and the FJR is about 16 inches . A bit different especially on a longer ride .

That's a CRAZY difference! 16" is the standard wall-stud spacing.

That would make me look like a jockey, and be impossible to endure.

 

[Jeff F]

The FJR:

1. is lighter in weight, about 75lbs IIRC
2. has more power, 145hp vs 115
3. has more technology like cruise control, E Susp., heated grips, driving modes, LED lights, 6 speed, slipper clutch - 3 major tech updates since 2002.
4. has adjustable suspension all round.
5. has a good-enough fuel capacity, 4 litres. 25 vs 29.

I liked my ST a lot. Although the FJR is not as smooth, (what is?), I like the FJR more, mostly because of the above.

 

[Mellow]

has more power, 145hp vs 115

124 vs 117

 

[Jeff F]

124 vs 117

Hmm - ok, had to look it up, and not trust my feeble memory. Wikipedia says 141.5 vs 117

 

[Mellow]

Hmm - ok, had to look it up, and not trust my feeble memory. Wikipedia says 141.5 vs 117

My bad.. my quick google search wasn't good... does look like the 140 ish range is correct. Probably feels even quicker on a lighter bike...

Does Yamaha do that same stupid thing on the FRJ they do on the Super Ten and Tracer with the odd fuel gauge where the 1st element is 1/2 a tank?

 

[Upt' North]

FJR owners like FJR's, no surprise really .
But the new FJR's are just that, new, there's no such thing as a new ST13. It's an old bike with old tech. The last face-lift was 2008, in technology terms that makes the 13 ancient.
Welcome WS from Northumberland, England.
Upt.

 

[Upt' North]

2023 Yamaha FJR1300ES

The Yamaha FJR1300ES is a long-serving sport-touring motorcycle. Although somewhat outdated, the FJR is many riders’ ideal compromise between sport and touring.

www.cycleworld.com

 

[Jeff F]

Does Yamaha do that same stupid thing on the FRJ they do on the Super Ten and Tracer with the odd fuel gauge where the 1st element is 1/2 a tank?

Nope. I agree the S10 guage is weird.

The FJR guage has 8 bars like the ST, but it still takes some getting used to. The bottom 1/2 of the tank appears to go away pretty quickly and when you reach "empty" it changes from counting down (the fuel range remaining), to counting up, the miles you've ridden on a supposedly empty tank. You have about 30 or 40 miles of riding on empty, depending on how aggressively you've been riding or headwinds or weight on board or whatever.

Not to be trusted or make sure you have a siphon and are riding with SuperTanker buddies.

 

[Mellow]

Nope. I agree the S10 guage is weird.

The FJR guage has 8 bars like the ST, but it still takes some getting used to. The bottom 1/2 of the tank appears to go away pretty quickly and when you reach "empty" it changes from counting down (the fuel range remaining), to counting up, the miles you've ridden on a supposedly empty tank. You have about 30 or 40 miles of riding on empty, depending on how aggressively you've been riding or headwinds or weight on board or whatever.

Not to be trusted or make sure you have a siphon and are riding with SuperTanker buddies.

So sounds like the same gauge issue... That always drove me crazy and even on the new 9gt+ they appear to have done the same thing.. I just don't get the logic lol But, if that's the only issue I'd learn to live with it.

I love how the RT has many bars and they are linear but I don't even look at them as the miles-to-empty number resets when you fill and start moving... and constantly corrects itself depending on your riding style. I've been afraid of BMWs for years due to the maintenance rumors, etc... etc.. but I'm glad I decided to give them a shot... so far...

 

[mortenk]

My bad.. my quick google search wasn't good... does look like the 140 ish range is correct. Probably feels even quicker on a lighter bike...

Does Yamaha do that same stupid thing on the FRJ they do on the Super Ten and Tracer with the odd fuel gauge where the 1st element is 1/2 a tank?

Nope - my FJR has 8 bars and each one corresponds to 25-30 miles. It's not perfectly linear, but pretty close. It has a Range indicator, but that's wildly inaccurate (reads ZERO when there's at least 30 miles to go). It counts miles since you hit "reserve" which is very accurate. I know I can get approx. 60 miles max in that "mode", so fill up at 30-40 on that counter and you'll be just fine

 

[STRider]

I love my 1100 which I bought new in '91 and am the only owner. I l5ived with 1300 envy since first seeing one in the parking lot at work back in '03, before buying a used 2012 1300 in '20.

It's not hard to add some key updates modernize the bike, though others may think it's a lot of work. I find these tasks therapeutic and quite satisfying if I say so myself.

MC Cruise is indistinguishable from conventional OEM cruise controls from the era of the bike. Sure it'll never have adaptive features, but otherwise I find it flawless.

Heated grips don't get any easier than the Koso Apollo grips with the control built into the left grip.

LED lighting is also as easy as inserting the bulbs and maybe buying clear front lenses to rock the switchback look. Don't forget to replace the flasher unit to support the LED bulbs vs. incandescent.

But no doubt the Yamaha remains a viable rival to the ST1300, or maybe reverse that.

Before finding my ST1300 I nearly bought a superclean FJR with all the bells and whistles (except the auto-tranny? clutch?) I'm convinced I would've been very happy with it, but I'm not sure the 1100 sitting next to it in the garage would!

 

[mortenk]

Nope - my FJR has 8 bars and each one corresponds to 25-30 miles. It's not perfectly linear, but pretty close. It has a Range indicator, but that's wildly inaccurate (reads ZERO when there's at least 30 miles to go). It counts miles since you hit "reserve" which is very accurate. I know I can get approx. 60 miles max in that "mode", so fill up at 30-40 on that counter and you'll be just fine

In other words: I normally reach "reserve" somewhere between 200 and 240 mi on my FJR. The last bar then starts to flash and I have max 60 miles left. Effective range is between 250 and 300 miles, which is about 30 miles less than my old ST1300. The ST has about 13% higher capacity, but the FJR is about 5-10% more efficient - hence the smaller difference in range. If you care about fuel cost (a lot of us say that we don't but then bitch about high gas prices anyway...), the FJR wins hands down as it runs on regular. Combined with the 10% better efficiency, this will result in gas cost 20% lower on the FJR compared to the ST.

 

[gmtech94]

My St and a FJR went a few thousand mikes on trips and at fill ups we were usually within 50 cents on every fill up . Both used only regular and did not vary much . I usually had about 3/8 of a tank at fuel time . FJR was on the last bar . Your results may vary and I do really like both bikes and can't keep both so one has to go . Liking the St a bit more as it feels a bit narrower at the tank section .