Yamaha FJ-09 Sport Tourer Update

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There was an article in last month's Cycle World about this same thing, and it has some photo "renditions" of what the FZ-09 might look like that are very similar to these "photographs".

Personally, I like it. Toss a couple of bags on there (photos look like there is some pannier hardware there already) and it would make a great little 1-up SPORTtouring bike on a similar tack as the old Triumph Sprints, Ducati ST series or Honda VFR800, but most likely even lighter and quicker than any of those.

Now if they can keep the price tag low like the FZ-09 they'll have a real winner.

 
Motorcyclist mag had an article with pics in their November issue.

i don't know why the yahoo article refers to it as an entry level bike.

Looks like it could be a very capable sports tourer.

Looks like a good competitor for the Ninja 1000.

 
iliveforcurves said:
Who wants to lube a chain every day on a road trip? Not me.
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Then don't, because it is not needed.

Or if you are looking for a reason not to buy a bike with chain drive then don't do that.

But nobody needs to lube a chain every day. That is just silliness

 
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Chain drive wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.

It does need at least a 5 1/2 gal tank to qualify as a sport tourer.

 
Fred W said:
iliveforcurves said:
Who wants to lube a chain every day on a road trip? Not me.
Click to expand...
Then don't, because it is not needed.

Or if you are looking for a reason not to buy a bike with chain drive then don't do that.

But nobody needs to lube a chain every day. That is just silliness
Click to expand...
Hey Fred,

It's been a long time since I owned a bike that had a chain. How is it that the modern chain doesn't require much lube? Years ago, my bike had an automatic oiler. What a mess it made, but of course I put up with it figuring it would enable my chain to last longer. Can you shed some light on need to lube the chain of a bike like the FZ09?

Gary

darksider #44

 
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stealth1 said:
Chain drive wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.It does need at least a 5 1/2 gal tank to qualify as a sport tourer.
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Agreed that the range needs to be adequate, but what if the 900cc engine gets 50 mpg? Then a 4.5 - 5 gallon tank would be more than adequate and have a smaller weight penalty to boot.

I'm not saying that it will get that kind of fuel mileage. I'm astounded at how poor most bikes' mileage is considering their small weight and low rolling resistance.

garyahouse said:
Hey Fred,

It's been a long time since I owned a bike that had a chain. How is it that the modern chain doesn't require much lube? Years ago, my bike had an automatic oiler. What a mess it made, but of course I put up with it figuring it would enable my chain to last longer. Can you shed some light on need to lube the chain of a bike like the FZ09?
Click to expand...
I recently made a post in another thread that I will copy & paste here.

Bounce said:
Isn't lubing the chain 2 or 3 times a day sort of inconvenient?
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It depends on who you ask.

Some people think you still need to lube your chain at every gas stop. That kind of thinking is mostly a hold over from the past when chains were not as advanced as they are today.

If you look at the wear points on a drive chain, it is primarily at the pin / roller interface, where the male pins on the outer half chain links run through the hollow rollers of the inner half links. On modern drive chain that area is pre-lubricated with heavy grease and sealed with o-rings. When the chain is in use the rollers contact the teeth of the sprocket and roll down the ramps of the teeth, so there is no friction or wear on those teeth unless / until you lose the sealed lubrication and the rollers start to seize up.

On a properly aligned driveline there is minimal contact of the chain plates with the sides of the sprockets, only enough to keep the chain centered on them, so the wear there should also also be minimal. The main thing you are doing by lubricating a modern o-ring chain is weather protection, helping to keep the chain from rusting, and keeping the o-rings sealed and lubricated from the outside so they do not wear out and lose their internal lube.

One of the worst things that you can do to a chain is to clean it too much. Scrubbing a chain with solvent and a brush is a great way to force dirt behind the o-rings, which is the beginning of the end for your chain. You are much better off using a relatively dry type of lubricant that does not attract dirt and doesn't need a lot of cleaning. When you do clean it, using a light oil (WD40 as an example) and rags is preferable to brush scrubbing or soaking in cleaner / solvent.

I have taken to using Dupont Teflon Spray lube ion my chains for several reasons. It sprays on thin and clear, and dries to a waxy paste that coats the chain, but will not fling off and make a mess. It also doesn't seem to attract nearly as much dirt as some of the gooey spray lubes do. I find that I do not have to clean the chain nearly as often, which as described above, is a very good thing.

I tend to just spray my chains every now and then with the Dupont stuff without cleaning. Not even every day, if there has been no rain. Maybe twice a season I will clean the chain when I am cleaning the rest of the bike. And my chains last as long or longer than most other folks. 20-30k miles is a reasonable expectation, though I have heard of 50k miles and more on some bikes using the same regimen. The cost is equivalent to a set of tires, not such a big deal.
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You are right, chain oilers are a messy PITA. But they really are not needed on modern o-ring chains. Convincing some folks that this is the case isn't always easy, hence chain oilers are still bought and sold today. Empirical evidence shows they are not doing much except making a big mess. If I believed that I needed to use one, or religiously lube my chain at every rest stop, I would feel as negative about drive chains as some other folks seem to.

Here's a good analogy: Using a chain oiler, or lubing your drive chain religiously at every opportunity, is a lot like greasing the driveshaft splines on an FJR1300: It's not going to hurt anything, but it isn't really accomplishing much either.
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I lubricated my 2001 Trophy's O-ring chain every few hundred miles from new, with a proper chain-specific lubricant.

The chain was totally knackered by the time I sold it at just about 18000 miles. On my last ride I had to stop and adjust its chain every 200 miles or so, it was stretching like crazy.

Vowed never to have a rear chain again.

YMMV.

 
Chain lube every 500 miles is usually adequate.

My FJ1200 would stretch chains and hook sprockets by 15000 miles--About $250 every other year or so.

Just put a new chain and sprockets on a friends Blackbird , I can hear the chain coming up behind me.

No more chains for me..

 
I get 15-20k miles out of chain and sprockets on my Vstrom and VFR, with minimal lube methods that I described above, which is very little effort

Do you have to replace them now and then? Yes.

Is it hard to replace a chain and sprocket set? No worse than changing a set of tires, IMO.

My damn FJRs keep wearing out tires every 8-9k miles, faster if I'm really having fun. Those tires cost more than a chain and sprocket set.

Lots of other (lighter) bikes get much better mileage out of the same tires. I would bet that the FJ-09 will get nearly twice the mileage out of a set of multi-compound ST tires (Michelin PR's, etc) than an FJR does. The savings in time and labor on tires alone could easily cover the added cost of chains and sprockets.

Not trying to talk anyone into having a chain driven bike that doesn't want one. Just saying that it really isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.

 
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Also don't care for a chain. Like the bike but wish it had a shaft.

 
Fred W said:
I get 15-20k miles out of chain and sprockets on my Vstrom and VFR, with minimal lube methods that I described above, which is very little effort
Do you have to replace them now and then? Yes.

Is it hard to replace a chain and sprocket set? No worse than changing a set of tires, IMO.

My damn FJRs keep wearing out tires every 8-9k miles, faster if I'm really having fun. Those tires cost more than a chain and sprocket set.

Lots of other (lighter) bikes get much better mileage out of the same tires. I would bet that the FJ-09 will get nearly twice the mileage out of a set of multi-compound ST tires (Michelin PR's, etc) than an FJR does. The savings in time and labor on tires alone could easily cover the added cost of chains and sprockets.

Not trying to talk anyone into having a chain driven bike that doesn't want one. Just saying that it really isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
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Good post Fred.

It's usually easy to upgrade to a better chain when you replace the original because that's one place manufacturers tend to cut costs, The second chain then lasts longer than the first.

Chain drive also makes it easier to change your final drive ratio.

I like shaft drive too, but chain drive has it's points.

 
Uhhhb.... Fred? You didn't demo tinge FZ-09 did you? That thing eats rear tires. It may be light weight but that torquey motor sheds them. .

Thanks on a very informative post on chain maintenance.

 
I'd ass-u-me that the FJ-09 will be slightly heavier and the engine somewhat de-tuned as a sport touring bike in comparison to the "hair on fire" FZ-09.

No, I could not bring myself to test ride the FZ-09. I'd spent too much money already that day.
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