Sprocket
11-20-2006, 11:31 PM
Ok, for the record, the opinions expressed herein are mine. All mine. I am not a professional cycle tester, nor am I a professional writer. I'm a mere mortal man who had the opportunity to ride both bikes back to back. You may disagree, or agree. It really doesn't matter to me as I've got my new toy in the garage. :)
Hopefully this comparison will help someone who finds themselves unable to deceide...
Bikes:
Stock 2005 Yamaha FJR1300 with 10k miles
Stock 2006 Honda ST1300 ABS with 8k miles
Me:
35, been riding cycles concurrently since I was 5-6, no formal training, never been on a road track, raced enduros as a kid, still ride dirt when I can. Primarily a sport rider for my adult life, who is ready to slow down a bit and smell the roses. I prefer sport twins to anything for their torque, and love big singles. 5'10", 210 lbs. before gear. I wear 36" waist, 32" inseam, 16.5" neck, 32/33" sleeves, 10 shoe.
Gear:
Aerostich Roadcrafter 1-piece, Shoei X-11, Frank Thomas lined gloves.
Conditions:
Around 50-60F, overcast, mid-day on a Wednesday.
Road:
Typical 2-lane Texas highway with some nice twisty bits and decent straights, a little in town riding.
Looks:
Well, the Yammie looks the part of an aggressive bike. Harder angles, meaner look. The ST seems more rounded, organic, and a bit more polished (like all Hondas).
Power:
The FJR really comes alive as the tach swings past 5k or so, with a definite, pert "power band". The ST simply had linear power delivery all across the RPM range but less of it, but it did have that wonderful V4 sound! Both wheelie quite easily, um, from what I would guess of course... :)
Brakes:
I didn't think I'd like the Honda's linked brakes. An afternoon ride on a loner CBR1100XX back in '99 put a distaste in my mouth for the whole idea. It flat felt weird back then, but it seems it's well sorted on the ST. The ST brakes with control, right up to the ABS (which I rank much more confidence inspiring than that on the BMW R1100S my ST has replaced).
The FJR seemed to have more absolute bite, but at the cost of smoothness. I felt it would stop quicker from speed than the ST (without using the ABS), but not by much and certainly not without some pucker factor.
Suspension/Handling:
Being as I didn't have the time to setup each bike for my exact needs, I ran them as they were. Both worked well in the corners, with the Yamaha feeling more precise and having more feedback. It was definitely stiffer and more sport oriented, while the ST was much more compliant. Not spongy per se, but there was much less road feedback.
Neither wobbled, bobbled, or suffered any oddity. The ST simply took whatever line you gave it and stuck with it. The FJR seemed more willing to allow for transition to new lines as conditions warranted and the steering felt quicker at speed. It also fell into a line easier and felt more flickable (for something it's size). Both bikes felt solid at sporting, 8/10 riding, but I'd give the edge to the FJR if absolute handling manners were top priority.
Ergos:
Both had a reasonable reach to the bars. The FJR's pegs felt higher and more rearward, as a sportbike does. The Honda's pegs almost felt like they were placed on the frame just for me. Maybe a tad high, but only by the slightest bit. The ST also had a less aggressive forward cant of the rider, almost upright, while the FJR had me noticeably leaning forward.
Clocks:
Gauges and related instruments were easy to read on both, with a slight advantage to the Yamaha for readability. Plus the way the tach pegs when the key is switched on always amuses me... :)
Seat:
ST wins here. Period. The FJR didn't feel as padded or right for my rear. Just not soft enough on the edges I think.
Wind protection:
Again the nod to the ST. The FJR's screen seemed much smaller by comparison, as did the cockpit envelope as provided by the fairing. With both screens all the way down, my head was in clean air. With screens up all the way, I was looking through the screen on the ST (zero turbulence) and over on the FJR (still in clean air). There was noticeable pressure on my back on the ST with the screen fully up, but not bad. Wind noise was low enough on the ST that my missing ear plugs weren't so missed, but I would have preferred to have them while on the FJR.
Other:
As they always feel to me, the Yamaha was more exciting. It felt lighter at slow speeds, but the weight of the ST just melts once above parking lot speeds. The FJR was a frisky Cocker Spaniel to the Honda's docile Labrador. One ready to *GO!* at a moments notice and in short spurts, one ready to plod along and put in a day's work. Each was different, and I feel each would satisfy a different rider. Both fit the sport-touring mold, with the FJR as a SPORT-Tourer and the ST as a Sport-TOURER. Storage seemed close to equal on both bikes, but much less than my R1100S bags.
Overall:
Well, I bought the ST. 'nuff said? :) I wanted the "best" all around bike for me and my riding style/habits. Being comfortable was top priority, with wind/element protection in second. Power and handling were tied for third in my mind. Based on these criteria, I felt the ST was the better fit and voted with my check book.
(*DISCLAIMER: Test rides can be hard to swing sometimes, let alone getting free reign with two such bikes. My sincerest thanks to Randy Martin at Cycle Center of Denton/Honda Town (http://www.cyclecenterofdenton.com/) for putting bikes from his inventory in my paws. No, I don't think he'd do it for too many people, so I wouldn't bother asking unless you know him personally (and for quite awhile). Sorry.)
Hopefully this comparison will help someone who finds themselves unable to deceide...
Bikes:
Stock 2005 Yamaha FJR1300 with 10k miles
Stock 2006 Honda ST1300 ABS with 8k miles
Me:
35, been riding cycles concurrently since I was 5-6, no formal training, never been on a road track, raced enduros as a kid, still ride dirt when I can. Primarily a sport rider for my adult life, who is ready to slow down a bit and smell the roses. I prefer sport twins to anything for their torque, and love big singles. 5'10", 210 lbs. before gear. I wear 36" waist, 32" inseam, 16.5" neck, 32/33" sleeves, 10 shoe.
Gear:
Aerostich Roadcrafter 1-piece, Shoei X-11, Frank Thomas lined gloves.
Conditions:
Around 50-60F, overcast, mid-day on a Wednesday.
Road:
Typical 2-lane Texas highway with some nice twisty bits and decent straights, a little in town riding.
Looks:
Well, the Yammie looks the part of an aggressive bike. Harder angles, meaner look. The ST seems more rounded, organic, and a bit more polished (like all Hondas).
Power:
The FJR really comes alive as the tach swings past 5k or so, with a definite, pert "power band". The ST simply had linear power delivery all across the RPM range but less of it, but it did have that wonderful V4 sound! Both wheelie quite easily, um, from what I would guess of course... :)
Brakes:
I didn't think I'd like the Honda's linked brakes. An afternoon ride on a loner CBR1100XX back in '99 put a distaste in my mouth for the whole idea. It flat felt weird back then, but it seems it's well sorted on the ST. The ST brakes with control, right up to the ABS (which I rank much more confidence inspiring than that on the BMW R1100S my ST has replaced).
The FJR seemed to have more absolute bite, but at the cost of smoothness. I felt it would stop quicker from speed than the ST (without using the ABS), but not by much and certainly not without some pucker factor.
Suspension/Handling:
Being as I didn't have the time to setup each bike for my exact needs, I ran them as they were. Both worked well in the corners, with the Yamaha feeling more precise and having more feedback. It was definitely stiffer and more sport oriented, while the ST was much more compliant. Not spongy per se, but there was much less road feedback.
Neither wobbled, bobbled, or suffered any oddity. The ST simply took whatever line you gave it and stuck with it. The FJR seemed more willing to allow for transition to new lines as conditions warranted and the steering felt quicker at speed. It also fell into a line easier and felt more flickable (for something it's size). Both bikes felt solid at sporting, 8/10 riding, but I'd give the edge to the FJR if absolute handling manners were top priority.
Ergos:
Both had a reasonable reach to the bars. The FJR's pegs felt higher and more rearward, as a sportbike does. The Honda's pegs almost felt like they were placed on the frame just for me. Maybe a tad high, but only by the slightest bit. The ST also had a less aggressive forward cant of the rider, almost upright, while the FJR had me noticeably leaning forward.
Clocks:
Gauges and related instruments were easy to read on both, with a slight advantage to the Yamaha for readability. Plus the way the tach pegs when the key is switched on always amuses me... :)
Seat:
ST wins here. Period. The FJR didn't feel as padded or right for my rear. Just not soft enough on the edges I think.
Wind protection:
Again the nod to the ST. The FJR's screen seemed much smaller by comparison, as did the cockpit envelope as provided by the fairing. With both screens all the way down, my head was in clean air. With screens up all the way, I was looking through the screen on the ST (zero turbulence) and over on the FJR (still in clean air). There was noticeable pressure on my back on the ST with the screen fully up, but not bad. Wind noise was low enough on the ST that my missing ear plugs weren't so missed, but I would have preferred to have them while on the FJR.
Other:
As they always feel to me, the Yamaha was more exciting. It felt lighter at slow speeds, but the weight of the ST just melts once above parking lot speeds. The FJR was a frisky Cocker Spaniel to the Honda's docile Labrador. One ready to *GO!* at a moments notice and in short spurts, one ready to plod along and put in a day's work. Each was different, and I feel each would satisfy a different rider. Both fit the sport-touring mold, with the FJR as a SPORT-Tourer and the ST as a Sport-TOURER. Storage seemed close to equal on both bikes, but much less than my R1100S bags.
Overall:
Well, I bought the ST. 'nuff said? :) I wanted the "best" all around bike for me and my riding style/habits. Being comfortable was top priority, with wind/element protection in second. Power and handling were tied for third in my mind. Based on these criteria, I felt the ST was the better fit and voted with my check book.
(*DISCLAIMER: Test rides can be hard to swing sometimes, let alone getting free reign with two such bikes. My sincerest thanks to Randy Martin at Cycle Center of Denton/Honda Town (http://www.cyclecenterofdenton.com/) for putting bikes from his inventory in my paws. No, I don't think he'd do it for too many people, so I wouldn't bother asking unless you know him personally (and for quite awhile). Sorry.)