FJ-09 ST

BakerBoy said:

Did y'all see the wet weight?! 462 lbs. That's 268 lbs lighter than the ST13!!

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Yes I did. That is one nice bike!

Yamaha has been really good about listening to feedback and fixing things they missed the first time. Hopefully with this version they fixed the suspension and fueling complaints many reviewers seemed to have when riding the FZ-09 platform.

SupraSabre said:

Chain drive...nope, not for the type of miles I put on!

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Exactly what I was thinking. Other than that I like the looks.

I'm not sure when matte became a color. Seems to me that you should pay a little less for a bike that is not painted. Just my two cents. Other than that I like the bike.

Temecula Steve said:

I'm not sure when matte became a color. Seems to me that you should pay a little less for a bike that is not painted. Just my two cents. Other than that I like the bike.

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LOL. The first bikes with flat finish that I remember were Harley's about ten years ago. Not my cup of tea. Something about bright Candy colors and chrome that makes me think motorcycle.

Stopped by local dealer last week to look at this beauty. Liked everything I saw. Really feels light and balanced, putting it up on the center stand felt like a bicycle when compared to the ST1300.

The FJ-09 still intrigues me ... I prefer a bit more weather protection than it offers, but I want the weight reduction moreso. The ST is just too heavy ... the FJR is better, but still is heavy. The RT is better yet. The FJ-09 much better.

A good thread on the FJR Forum, with commentary from those that have ridden it and/or now own one: http://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/160177-yamaha-fj-09-sport-tourer-update/

I rode up to my local dealer and test sat one. Too tall for me. I'm probably a little shorter than Bones (met him once at OH-Stoc and I think he was maybe a hair taller).
Was kind of lean and sparse as far as wind protection goes it seems. By the time you add saddlebags and trunk it's going to be in the $12K range plus any dealer charges.

I don't know... it was like a more powerful NC 700x imo. for the diff in money I think I'd take the NC 700X and settle for a few less ponies.

However I love my ST and it isn't going anywhere.

I rode one yesterday and can say that it is a hoot! Wind protection is more adventure or sport bike than a touring bike. Engine is awesome! Revs smoothly and freely. 3 modes to choose from. Good brakes w ABS, decent suspension. Gearbox was kinda notchy (standard Yamaha?!) I could buy one of these!

Hard bags w mounts and locks will set you back another $1k, and if those are too small for you, you can get a set of FJR bags that use the same mounts.

Many are buying at $10k or less out the door. Dealer I was at didn't feel they could sell it for what I offered... Oh well, there are other dealers!

I haven't ridden one yet but I'm pretty sure this will be my next bike. My problem is that I don't want to sell the Tenere so it will be an additional bike. My better half is not fully on board with this idea..............yet. I will keep working on her though.

I really need to go ride one but my fear is that it will only make the longing more intense. I haven't heard anything bad about the bike other than seat and wind screen. The two things most people complain about on just about any bike.

I will keep dreaming.
Mike

I rode one back in the winter when they hit dealers. In the reverse of the usual complaint that Japanese bikes are too bland I judged the 847cc triple more edgy and less refined than the Triumph 799cc triple but the Yamaha trumps the Tiger by 20 hp. I also did not like the flat reflective face of the instruments. The particular time of the day and route produced an annoying reflection of the sun. One of the mags did a three bike comparo this month and the FJ came up last however my local dealer says they have been a good seller this year so what do I know?

dduelin said:

I rode one back in the winter when they hit dealers. In the reverse of the usual complaint that Japanese bikes are too bland I judged the 847cc triple more edgy and less refined than the Triumph 799cc triple but the Yamaha trumps the Tiger by 20 hp. I also did not like the flat reflective face of the instruments. The particular time of the day and route produced an annoying reflection of the sun. One of the mags did a three bike comparo this month and the FJ came up last however my local dealer says they have been a good seller this year so what do I know?

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Motorcycle reviews mean absolutely nothing to me. There is a big difference in riding a bike for a day and living with a bike for several years. It is the small things that can become big things on bikes that go largely unnoticed in motorag reviews. They never do any service/maintenance work themselves, pay for farkles themselves, etc..... I think they are a joke and don't currently subscribe to any motorcycle magazines. I would much rather gather my information from actual long-term owners and internet forums are really the only medium for that information. To me, that's where you see faults, trends, kudos, etc.... with a bike.

I've joined the FJ forum and while the bike is still relatively new, they seem like a happy bunch of owners overall without many complaints except the two I mentioned. Time will tell if any faults start showing up.
Mike

It does have the same electronics as the Tenere and FJR as far as dash/controls which is cool - it's too bad they didn't also share the same tire sizes which was cool about the Vstrom 650

Bug Dr. said:

Motorcycle reviews mean absolutely nothing to me. There is a big difference in riding a bike for a day and living with a bike for several years. It is the small things that can become big things on bikes that go largely unnoticed in motorag reviews. They never do any service/maintenance work themselves, pay for farkles themselves, etc..... I think they are a joke and don't currently subscribe to any motorcycle magazines. I would much rather gather my information from actual long-term owners and internet forums are really the only medium for that information. To me, that's where you see faults, trends, kudos, etc.... with a bike.

I've joined the FJ forum and while the bike is still relatively new, they seem like a happy bunch of owners overall without many complaints except the two I mentioned. Time will tell if any faults start showing up.
Mike

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Fair enough. I only had a few miles on the bike to make the judgements I made. It was enough to go back to the dealer and not pursue it further.

I try and take as much information as possible to form my own opinions. Bike magazine reviews are one source as are internet forums and personal likes & dislikes from owners I know. It all adds up over time. One problem with internet forums is the good sources are hard to quantify from the posers and keyboard jockeys. Personal views are largely objective based on personal frames of reference, breadth of experience, age, etc., while good magazine reviews include subjective performance and maintenance information. Both are good to have! If the bike is popular and there are multiple published reviews over time and huge forum resources then there are more data points emerging and solidifying over time. An inquiring mind, in my view, would want as much information as possible instead of limiting it. I trust myself to weight the information accordingly.

Quality of information is more important to me than quantity.
Mike

fnmag said:

I'm glad to hear that one can install the FJR bags on this bike. I've had 4 dealers tell me that only the little bags would fit.
I still have this problem with the gas tank, as in too small. I also understand that it is a good seller for Yamaha.

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The FJR bags are about $800 each.......ouch! Yamaha used to make an unpainted FJR bag that was about $300 but they've discontinued those. Givi makes V35s that look nice. Also, SW-Motech just released a side case carrier so your options have expanded considerably, especially if you don't mind the adventure bike look on your FJ. It seems that the aftermarket is catching up to this bike pretty well. I think the FZ-09 was a top seller for Yamaha. Duelin can tell you...........he reads all of the motorcycle magazines Sorry, I couldn't resist.......it's been one of those days.
Mike

09 sounds great/ watched it on a youtube shoot out, the big problem I have with it is the stated 37 mpg!!!! Smaller, lighter, faster,?, less wind protection and less mpg. Doesn't make any sense !!!

Al st1100 said:

09 sounds great/ watched it on a youtube shoot out, the big problem I have with it is the stated 37 mpg!!!! Smaller, lighter, faster,?, less wind protection and less mpg. Doesn't make any sense !!!

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Where did you see that? Yamaha claims 44 mpg. People are averaging mid 40s as best as I can tell.

Here is a link to Fuelly that shows 45mpg:
http://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/yamaha/fj-09
Mike

Bug Dr. said:

Where did you see that? Yamaha claims 44 mpg. People are averaging mid 40s as best as I can tell.

Here is a link to Fuelly that shows 45mpg:
http://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/yamaha/fj-09
Mike

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvfwgnwpA34 motorcycles.com

Yeah, I've seen that video too. You can get crappy mileage out of any bike if you flog it constantly and use the computer to figure your fuel consumption. It doesn't mean anything in real world applications. Video reviews are nice to see but they carry the same weight as magazine reviews with me......not much. It's a bunch of folks flogging bikes for a few hours and returning them back to their respective dealerships. Big deal. It tells me nothing about long term ownership. If they spent their own money for their own farkles and had to live with these bikes day in and day out you can guarantee their perspectives would change.

Let me borrow your bike and I bet I could knock off 10 mpg of your long-term average fuel consumption too.
YMMV
Mike