Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/452615
2015 YAMAHA FJ-09 FIRST RIDE P66 The right handlebar switch controls off/on, ignition modes and hazards, while the left switch operates high/low beam, turn signals, horn and heated grips (when installed). The 12 volt outlet on the inside of the fairing is a nice feature and is easily accessed. The FJ is ready to accept an additional 12v outlet, which can be purchased as a Yamaha accessory. My FJ was equipped with heated grips and they were a life saver on this day. Level 1 is just enough to keep you comfortable; level 2 did the job when it was raining and the temps dropped into the low 50s, and level 3 had my hands cooking. Unless you wear heavy-duty cold-weather gloves, you probably won't use the level 3 all that much. Yes, they get that hot (but that's a good thing!) The bar controls are easy access and a breeze to use even while wearing thicker gloves. The new LCD dual screen meter provides plenty of information to the rider and is very easy to read at a glance. There's a large mph and rpm readout, as well as fuel consumption, clock, map mode, eco mode, TC and more. When equipped with heated grips, it also shows which heat level you're currently on. I, however, wished Yamaha would have added a tire-pressure monitor of some sort. I feel this is necessary information for the sport touring rider. Compared to the FZ-09, the addition of the fair- ing, windscreen and handguards make a notice- able difference in the amount of wind the rider feels while traveling down the road. This makes a huge difference when traveling long distances, in cold temps and in our case when riding in the rain. Windblast is greatly reduced and buffeting is nominal. At steady high speeds, such as blazing down the freeway, you start noticing a bit more buffeting. Crouch slightly and the buffeting goes away. Yamaha offers an optional taller windscreen, which will certainly benefit the taller rider. The windscreen offers 30mm of tool-less adjustment via two plastic knobs located behind the screen, which I found easy to operate. Yes, a motorized windscreen would be nicer, but Yamaha chose the less expensive manual route, and I'm okay with that. It's not a deal breaker in my opin- ion. I'm a big fan of the FJ's handguards and would recommend them for your FZ-09 without question. And they bolt right up. Unlike the long one-piece seat of the FZ-09, the FJ-09 has a new two-piece seat design with more cushion and a narrower hip point. The seat is also longer for both the rider and passenger and has more rounded edges. I found the seat shape and padding excellent for long days in the saddle. At 5'11" with a 34-inch inseam, I could easily plant both my feet on the ground at intersections and had plenty of room from the top of the seat to the footpegs. Seat height can be easily adjusted via the plastic base mount on frame. Just pop off the rider portion of the seat, reposition the plastic base and re install, that's it. Stock position is 33.2 The FJ-09 gets new dual LED headlights.