Am a new member of the site, longtime rider, and presently ride a '05 Honda ST1300. Really enjoy its smooth and refined manner, but am being drawn more and more to the greater sporty nature of the FJR. A couple of years ago I had an extended testride of a 2003 FJR that left my right hand buzzing and numb after just 1 hour. My question is, are the "re-designed" 2006 and 2007 models significantly smoother? I have read that there were some engineering changes that helped noticeably in this regard, but want to hear it direct from you guys, actual owners.
Also, anyone who made the move from the Honda ST to the FJR, and if so, how would you compare their strengths and weaknesses (particularly when looking at '06 and newer FJRs).
Thanks a ton.
D Bones
I'm currently on a fjr 2006 coming off an st1300. I would have to say that both bikes have there pluses and minuses (depending on rider tastes). Heres the highlights:
1. the ST is a pig compared to the FJR. The St feels much lighter than it actually is, but its still really heavy compared to how the FJR feels (even though the wet weight difference is only about 50lbs). i almost forgot how big this difference is untill i got to do a comparison side by side.
2. The ST puts out more heat than the FJR. This topic always get blasted. I came off an st1100, and compared to it, the st13 is flat out rediculous in this department. Now dont get me wrong, the FJR (even with all the new heat fixes), is not as cool running as the st1100 i had, but its a huge improvement over the older FJR's and the St1300.
3. The Stock ST13 has a more relaxed seating position for the long haul. The fjr is a more sporting position. Some people like that, others dont. I prefer a more relaxed position, so i updated my FJR with risers and a device that moves my bars back.
4. Engine: FJR is a flat out rocket compared to the ST13. But, the ST13 has more than enough power for all but the insane. Theres no doubt that the FJR is a rocket ship. but it does come with a price. There is a noticable vibration through the bars and pegs which starts around 4500 rpm's (appox. 85 mph) on the FJR. Vibration is not a word in the ST1300 v4 dictionary. FJR followers claim this can be eliminated with a particular type of Throttle body sync and foam grips. I have installed "grip puppies" and found some relief, but it's definitly still there. It tends to be a non issue due to the fact that when your traveling at those types of speeds, a little vibration is the least of your concerns. but I think its definitly worth the mention for this blog.
5. Looks: I like the looks of both bikes with the bags on. the FJR looks alot better than the st with the bags off. Most of the Sport touring folks i know, never take the bags off (including me). Overall, my vote still goes to the fJR is this department.
6. Handling: I aint touching this. Its all about the rider. Both bikes handle great. i will say that the ST did have some high speed wobble. the FJR is rock solid all the way to insane zone.
7. Build Quality: you will not find two better built machines
8. Seat height. I was really happy when they announced that the st13 seat height was going to be less than the st11, but the difference was minimal. With a corbin installed, my seat height on my fjr is 29 inches.
9. Riding position: As we all know, the riding position is more forward on the FJR. Some like it, some dont. Its rider preference. But there is a caviat here. The bars on the FJR are at somewhat strange angle. i'm not quite sure how to explain it, but the complaints arent centered around how far forward the rider is, but on what this angle does to our wrists. Wrist pain has been a popular topic on the FJR site. The bar adjustments (forward and back) dont seem to have any bearing on this complaint. Bar risers (or the new Triple clamp that heli has designed for the bike) greatly reduce or eliminate this issue. I've never experienced anything quite like it. Usually the more forward position of sport bikes has effected my shoulder areas, not my wrists. I've eliminated the problem with the heli T-clamp and risers, But , once again, its worth mentioning.
10. Wind protection: The St13 stock has better wind protection than the stock FJR. Given that the St13 is wider and has a larger windscreen, i would expect that. Windscreens are a funny topic. Once again rider preference is all over the board. Some FJR owners want smaller screens, others want larger screens. Whats worth mentioning is that many FJR owners do not like the 'stock screen". they claim its noisy and causing buffetting. Theres some great after market screens available that people are using. I didnt have any issues with my st13 stock screen and dont recall it being much of a topic of discussion on st13 board.
11. Hard bags: The hardbags on both these machines are about the same size and both will accomadate a full face helmet. I like the looks of the FJR (were not talking about on or off the bike....just by themselves) bag better than i do the ST's. Some of the articles i've read state that the shape of the ST's bags (smaller towards the back) make them a little less usable than other types of hard bags. I did not find this to be the case with my st13. I could easily fit a laptop in the st's bags. The FJR bags on the other hand have a very cool shape, but they come with a price. Due to there shape, flat (non flexible) items such as laptops can be a problem. I've been able to work around it, but its definitly worth mentioning. i also liked the way the st's bags were divided. its about half and half configuration allowing you to store clothing item in either side (main compartment or the lid). The FJR bags are cut more in a 75 / 25 configuration, which makes it hard to store things in the lid of the case.
Heat and weight were my pitfalls on the st1300. "Out of the box" configuration is my pitfall on the FJR. I had to do some farkling to get the bike to what i thought should have come out of the box. I never had to do that with any of my hondas. I couldnt do anything about the st13 heat (My bike flat our broiled me and i dont have any faith in the "heat blanket" the st guys are talking about...its a design flaw gentlemen!! (and i expect honda will fix the issue like yamaha did in a later model)) or weight on the St13. I'm able to make corrections to my issues with the FJR. FJR owners tend to be tweakers. I'm amazed at the information on the FJR board.
I'm very interested in seeing the next generation of ST. The new BMW and FJR have really taken this sport touring thing to a new level. Honda has a good product but needs to step back up to the plate.
that ought to cover it.
GreyGoose
