If the assistance with piloting has the wheel in motion, Grail of the assistance to the person who is the automatic transmission is still not a great success in the motorcyclists. Pushing only halfway the concept, Yamaha FJR 1300 AS and its robotized clutch evolve by keys in 2013, for more facility and of comfort of control. Finally on the royal roads?
If the love lasts for three years, rare are those to have succumbed to the sirens of Yamaha FJR 1300 AS these last seven years. Only 1,000 motorcyclists became purchasers from there, while the Yamaha FJR 1300 A, with its classical box, ran out with 17,000 specimens – including 3,000 allocated with the Police and the gendarme- from its exit in 2001.
But although Aprilia and Honda pain to run out their Mana and VFR 1200 DCT, Yamaha does not lower the arms. The firm with the tuning forks continues its search of one of automation measured with a clutch robotized YCC-S of second generation.
Lifting of circumstance
The FJR will thus never be a large scooter! Without revolutionizing this high-performance touring car the more traditional alternative will continue its brilliant career, the engineers come to add to the version Premium AS an electronic system of adjustment of the suspensions.
Yamaha FJR 1300 AS 2013 shares the other evolutions of the classical version of which you can read the test on bikescatalog since last December: the speed regulator, the anti-skid TCS, the electronic control of gases, D-Mode offering two choices of cartography and… its new figure.
However nothing revolutionist, even improved, the forms remain angular, tended, very personal and in a word classy in the new color bronzes (AS only) associated with some gray yokes.
The front face was redrawn, of the fine slopes of leds (fires of day) underlining the almond headlights and the front indicators, with diodes also, from now on integrated. Entered of air frontal and extractions are increased to support the evacuation of the calories which heated the legs downtown so much. More visible and perfectly in the move, a fork reversed – essential to the electronic adjusting device – fact its appearance on the AS.
In known ground
One finds oneself in ground known with the handlebar of this Yamaha FJR 1300 AS 2013. Large modern and bulky GT, it immediately makes feel its 296 kg all full facts, that is to say 7 kg more than the version with classical clutch. Like others, it can escape to you in operations more easily than a BMW R 1200 RT whose center of gravity is placed much low. The position of control remains natural and worthy.
Being appropriate for the large gauges, it can be adapted to the morphology of each one with an adjustable handlebar on three positions of retreat and a pilot saddle on two levels (805 or 825 mm) thanks to a simple handling. A third, lower still, would not be superfluous because its width combined with its firmness do not plead in the favor of small the templates the stop.
The electric windshield was widened. That of our motorcycle of test was the 100 mm higher accessory available to the Yamaha catalog: an option which it would seem logical to find in series on such a GT! As well as the control units charged out of rocking-levers and various push rods, the instrumentation took gallon and many new features. Checklist: windshield in high position engaged heating handles and coughs up attached. An eye on the three dials of the instrument panel, another on the track of takeoff, we take our take-off…
A cure of softness
On the Yamaha FJR AS, it is first in top with the selector, or more instinctively with the index. The choice is from now on possible without another form of handling. The illusion of a box 6 or an increase in cubic capacity in 2013 made failure… Yamaha rather concentrated on the assistance’s and the operation of the robotized box which it seemed urgent to improve.
Initially, the manufacturer added the Stop Mode, which retrogresses automatically in first when one stops. He supervises the driving mode according to the committed report. An asset for the city where the stop & go are frequent! The system, which is not useful for all that engine brake, can be activated or disabled at will.
More essential, the new cartography of the YCC-T wrinkle-by-wire refines the opening of gases appreciably. Offering a more progressive answer, it gums the jolts completely.
Throughout the tour which carried out us of Paris to Bale, I will take a permanent pleasure to use this box whose clearance of the pallet to the handlebar was reduced. Announced of faster 30%, the robotized selection manages to make very quickly forget the assets of the old motorcyclist traveler that the gimbals joint, respecting the standards of the category, will discharge from any preoccupation with maintenance. Only flat in this idyllic table, on road with stabilized mode, of small swarming invade the orders and base.
Distracting technology
In faster control, it will be advisable to pass the D-mode on S to obtain all the rage of the engine. Under these conditions, the YCC-T makes feel a not very sporting dead time, like a pause between the rise and the descent of the reports proving that no current automatism manages to replace human dexterity.Like the motorist handling his GPS or its telephone, it too much sometimes happened to me to leave the road of the eyes to concentrate me on the handling of the computer…
Notice more serious for submission to Mr. Yamaha: rather than to be integrated into the menu, a dissociated ordering of the electric windshield, than one uses more often than the adjustments of suspensions, would be the welcome. Like the enveloping careen-age, the windshield high optional offers a good protection. The reserve of 25 liters which is held well between the legs promises an autonomy of 350 km. Excellent!
A fitting with small onions
Ah suspensions! Vast in this subject and formerly spine in the tire of this Yamaha FJR 1300 AS 2013. Imperfectly slowed down, they put at evil the rigor of it and keep on the ground. The year 2013 fact clean slate on the bad memories, since the version AS does not propose less than 84 combinations of adjustments: 12 possibilities with for each precision adjustment (easy to handle only with the stop) energy of – 3 to + 3. Solo, duet, with or without luggage, you will always find the solution adapted to the load of the moment… for little that you try hard of it.
Whereas the motorway at legal speed puts up with the position Software or Standard, the passage in position Hardware is enough to reveal inclinations of Yamaha and its serenity to take a suitable angle on road without burdening comfort exaggeratedly. Balanced well, this Yamaha FJR 1300 AS does not claim effort exaggerated with control, taking into account the high weight. Its couple of 120 Nm with 6,000 rpm vigorously extracts it from the turns.
Far from being as sharp as the reference BMW R1200R, it is located in the current average in term of handiness and addresses as you the tops as regards security. With its powerful but progressive braking is added the coupling partial of the discs before and back. Like traction control, ABS takes care in any discretion (except on very bad coating). Holding the parquet floor and flexible with wish, Yamaha FJR 1300 AS 2013 approaches a little more ideal of the motorcycle Great Tourism.
Assessment: A strategy and evolutions
With this upgrade, large the GT of Yamaha thus addresses as you new horizons. Halfway between traditional motorcycle and automatic oddity, its technology reduces control thanks to the YCC-T all while complicating it by a plethora of electronic offers of which it would be a shame to deprive itself. To clear a niche in the niche is never simple!
Yamaha FJR 1300 AS 2013 acts like a ice-breaker opening a new way in a category for a long time struck of opposition to progress. If the semi-automatic transmission, like the electronic suspensions, is from now on widespread in the world car, the planet motorcycle for its part prepares there with… retained. However Alexandre Malinowski, person in charge of the communication at Yamaha, affirms it: “the owners of Yamaha FJR 1300 AS do not plan any more to return to a classical motorcycle”.
But this one made pay the price of its innovations and their improvements. Passing from 17,999 € with 19,499 € (promotion current with 14,999 € on the model 2012), the version 2013 is 2,000 € more expensive than the FJR 1300 A. It will find on its road Honda Pan European growing old but displayed with only 15,490 €, the bright GTR 1400 proposed with 17,449 € by Kawasaki, the news Triumph Trophy 1200 SE with 18,870 € and BMW R1200RT which, with its Pack of equivalent options RT2, are worth 19,330 €. Crowned battles in prospect!
