VOL. 52 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 27, 2015 P63
fine the FZ base and create a light, well-handling
and affordable adventure sport touring machine
for the masses. To put it simply, the FJ-09 has the
same engine, frame and swingarm as the FZ-09
but with a larger fuel tank (4.8 gallon which is up
1.1 gallons from the FZ) with a claimed 44 mpg, a
front and side fairing, windscreen, handguards, a
130.6mm longer and stronger subframe (for car-
rying bags and people), larger seat and a center-
stand. Basically, this is the FZ-09 designed to be
ridden for longer periods of time and not neces-
sarily always solo.
It's no secret that sport touring motorcycles
aren't cheap, usually ranging from 12k to 22k de-
pending on which brand you choose. Sport tour-
ing motorcycles aren't known for being lightweight
machines either with some ranging from 600-700
pounds! These two points are some of the things
that Yamaha focused especially hard on in order
to get the FJ-09 to stand out from the rest, and
it looks like they hit their mark, as the FJ comes
in at just over $10k and a claimed weight of 462
pounds (without bags), which is just a 48-pound
increase over the sporty FZ-09.
The FJ-09 has the same liquid-cooled, fuel-
injected three-cylinder DOHC 847cc engine and
11.5:1 compression as the FZ-09, with a claimed
ballpark figure of 115 horsepower and 65 lb-ft. of
torque. This combination gives the FJ-09 a sporty
feel with its instant throttle response, torquey char-
acter and pleasing sound just like that of the FZ.
For those wondering, the six-speed transmission
ratios are also the same.
The FJ-09 received new, more refined, ECU
settings best suited for sport touring riding. Like
the FZ-09, the FJ comes with D-mode variable
throttle mapping with three available ignition maps,
which gives the bike a noticeably different feel
in each. Standard mode is pretty darn perfect,
as it has an excellent mix of sporty feel, smooth
delivery and impressive power throughout mak-
ing it the optimal setting for all types of riding from
canyons to city streets, while still very useable in
freeway traffic. Because of that, standard mode
was our mode of choice most of the time. A-mode
is definitely the most aggressive of the three and
reminds me most of the FZ model with its quick
power delivery and maximum overrev, making it
good for canyon riding or when you need to get
a little aggression out. B-mode or the mellowest
of maps is a good setup for wet road conditions,
The new FJ-09
isn't much more
than the FZ-09
and is made to
be ridden for
longer distances.
