2006 Yamaha FJR1300A Sport Bike reviews

I've had the bike three years now and am closing in on 40k miles. I've had several long road trips with many 700+ mile days, including a 4,200 mile trip through British Columbia, down the Pacific coast to So. Cal and back to Colorado. The bike is dependable, fast, light, comfortable, cheap to own, easy to maintain, fuel efficient and fun to ride one or two up. I'm taking my honey on a jaunt to Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands this weekend and know it'll perform flawlessly. I've considered other touring bikes like the Victory CCT, but that bike's size and crappy gas mileage make me realize I already have the best bike for my riding style. I fully expect to reach 100k on this ride.

This is one class act. FJR - best bike for the money. I have put 8k miles on mine since I bought it and have enjoyed every mile whether it's the beat back and forth to work or a weekend outing. Once again, Yamaha sets the mark.

This is my second FJR. I bought the 2005 used with 5,000 miles. I lucked out and found a new 2006 in June of 2007 and snapped it up! Just the fact that this is my second one should speak volumes. Every bike has issues. These are the issues I will be working on with this rocket. 1.) The throttle is a jerk. I like to gas it the second half of curves and with this bike, you have to work at it to get it smooth. 2.) The seat sucks after about 100-200 miles. Are there many stock seats out there that actually do not suck after a good ride? I will be putting a Corbin modular seating setup on it. Also, the seat wobbles if you set it to the upper level. 3.) The windshield could be harder (less flexible). If it was the same thickness material as most, it would not flex so much. The group I ride with all have differnets makes of bikes: BMW, Suzuki & Honda. This Yamaha FJR1300 is second to none of them. This bike loves to take trips. It eats Harleys for a snack and dines on most others for meals. You can treat it like a crotch rocket and it begs for more. If you can only have one bike, this is the one!

Who would have ever thought that you could have a nice touring bike with the power of a crotch rocket? This bike is it! I remember all of my friends trying to scare me to death about the size of the bike. But when I finally picked it up and rode off to the eastside of Cleveland, it was as gentle as a lamb. But after I broke it in, all hell broke loose! I really felt like I was in a jet fighter! It was an unbelievable ride. The adjustable shield is a blessing in disguise. It really comes in handy when you just want to enjoy the scenery without the extra wind in your face. Although I still have some tests to take it through, I know this is a bike I will have a for quite a long time. I've recommended this bike to anyone that wants speed but wants to travel.

The first weekend I had the bike, I went on a 200 mile ride in the twisty wine country roads between Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. I scraped my boot a half-dozen times. My rear tire came briefly unstuck once due to sand on the road. We took the 101 back and I touched 130 (with power in reserve) just to see how it opened up. The part that got me the most, however, was my ability to stand up and walk around after the ride. The ergonomics are great for longer rides. My previous bike was an SV650S, and while it was a lot of fun, I couldn't walk after a 3 hour ride. I just find the level of fatigue I have with this bike to be substantially less. In terms of stability, this bike is fantastic. I recently was on the freeway doing about 80 with the rest of traffic. I was in the fast lane and a truck in the lane next to me had a mattress blow out of the back. I started to swerve around it, but the wind blew it across my planned path. So I goosed it to take some weight off the front and hit the mattress straight on. It folded up a little, like a taco, and caught my boot, but the bike pulled me through with no loss of control (yeah, I'm extremely lucky). I've had the bike in the heat this summer during the freak heat wave, when sitting at an intersection meant sitting in 90 degree heat. The airflow on the bike is great when it's moving. Sitting at an intersection, you start to notice a bit of the engine heat after a minute. Now that the weather is cold and wet, I sometimes wish that I had a hotter bike. Guess that's what gear is for. I've done a couple hundred miles of 2up riding. My passenger is 5'2' (though I've ridden with taller passengers as well, up to 6'2' when I had to pick up a buddy from the train station). The bike handles nicely with a passenger, though I haven't done anything too adventurous. My typical ride is the 12 miles between my girlfriend's house and mine, mostly on the freeway. The adjustable windscreen is nice. I can ride at 80 all day without earplugs with it up. That wasn't something I expected. I'm currently getting almost 40 miles per gallon. Oh, and my instantaneous miles per gallon readout doesn't work at all. I'll have it checked next time I bring it in, but it is odd that the cumulative mpg works. Very happy with this bike.

I have been admiring this bike for over 3 years. My purchase of a 2006 model confirmed my feelings about it. It is incredibly powerful, comfortable and beautiful to look at. I was looking at the Honda ST, BMW K1200GT and the Yamaha. For the money, it can't be beat. My only change will be the shield because I would like more height for winter riding.

This bike is absolutely amazing. I switched over from the cruiser gig. I found that actually riding motorcycles over long distances is much more fun than simply riding to the next posing local. This bike does the trick. Plenty of power, serious type power. Comfort is fine, stock seat isn't bad. I did 1100 miles in 18 hours and was feeling it, but it wasn't out of line pain (after that much time, you're going to feel it). The adjustable windshield is great, easy to find the sweet spot. The hardbags hold plenty. Read the reviews from any motorcycle rag and you will know, this bike in the real deal. Dump the lame Harley and start riding.

Purchased my 2006 FJR 6 months ago and I've not been dissappointed. The acceleration of this bike is unbeatable, in ANY gear it just pulls. Handling is fantastic, I've taken it up to northern Arizona thru some nice curves and it is just sweet to ride. The seat is comfortable at 1st, but over a 150-200 miles seems a bit underpadded... maybe just me.. the adjustable front winshield is awesome, although it could stand to be an inch or two higher... Love this bike! I've also ridden a ST1300 which seems to have a more refined ride and bit more comfortable saddle, but lacks the raw power and the meaner sound that the FJR gives you.

This bike put a smile on my face the moment I left the dealer. I traded-in my '04 V-Star Silverado for this bike and I have had no regrets. The seat is very comfortable but a little high. I adjusted it to the lower setting but I have trouble paddling the bike around obstacles at work. The engine has plently of low and mid-range power. I am experiencing trouble shifting out of neutral into first gear when I first start the bike. Once it warms up, the shifting problem goes away. The hard bags are great. I can get more stuff in them than on my cruiser saddlebags. The windshield is adequate but will probably install one that is about three inches taller. I like the 12v outlet and will use it to plug-in my electric vest and charge my cell phone.

This is a 2005 model and is my first Yamaha since I sold my BMW 1150GS. Power is excellent and is very linear like my previous BMW only much more of it. It is very fast and quick when you want it to be. The EFI system is excellent and unlike the BMW does not "hunt" for the right fuel amount which was very annoying on the BMW. It handles very well above parking lot speeds (heavy at Safeway). It's a smooth riding bike but a bit cramped for anyone 6'1" or taller. The stock seat tends to push me into the tank and prevents me from more than 150 miles before I take a break. Wind protection is good. I have the heated grips which work great but the mounting and integration is weak. On the '05 models you get quite a bit of heat off the engine durng summer...you will notice it. Reliability has been excellent with basic maintenance a snap. The quality of fit and finish is 1st rate. It's a great all around bike if you're looking for a "sport tourer".