VOL. 52 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 27, 2015 P65
minimal pulsing. Rear also does a good job of
slowing the bike down, but I felt the rear pedal had
an overly squishy feel with too much pulse. The
rear is by no means bad, I personally prefer a little
more feel from the rear brake lever. Overall, the
combination of the ABS-equipped brakes and the
new long-life Dunlop Sport Max D222 Roadsmart
II sport touring tires were both confidence inspir-
ing and provided plenty of control, especially in
wet conditions and on dirty roads.
The KYB suspension package on the new 2015
FJ-09 is top notch. The 2014 FZ-09's suspension
was overly soft, which hurt the overall stability and
smoothness of ride. The FJ-09, however, received
a good amount of attention to the suspension de-
partment in order to increase control and comfort
of the 41mm KYB fork and rear mono-shock with
the extra weight of the FJ-09. Both front and rear
spring rates are more than two times
stiffer for better load bearing, and the
dampening was greatly increased
on both ends for better overall
control and to accommodate the
bike's additional weight and potential
added load. The fork offers rebound
damping adjustment only, the shock
rebound and preload. On the road
the FJ's suspension improvements
are immediately noticeable, as the bike holds up
better in the stroke, has a plusher controlled feel
and has almost no front-end dive under braking
compared to the FZ-09. I have so far made zero
changes to the FJ's suspension settings—Yamaha
nailed it.
The cockpit has a nice neutral feel and you sit
more upright compared to the FZ-09. The handle-
bars are 20mm higher and 17mm closer, which
puts the rider in a noticeably more comfortable
riding position. You also have the option of turning
the bar mounts for an additional 10mm of pull-
back. Clutch pull is light and responsive and offers
excellent bite. Just like the front brake lever, you're
able to adjust the clutch lever position depending
on rider preference.
One thing we would've liked to see different is
that once you shut the bike off it returns to stan-
dard ignition mapping and traction control set-
tings. Although it's very easy to return to the map
you were previously in and turn off TC. I would
prefer the electronics remember where you left it
that way for start-up.
The FJ's ABS system is one of the better work-
ing systems I've ever experienced. The front
brake is the most impressive, there's a solid feel
at the lever and the pads have a good bite on the
front discs, bringing the bike to a controlled stop
quickly without the tires breaking loose and with
Sport
touring or
not, the
FJ-09 has
improved
suspension
and fueling
over the
FZ-09.
