Whats the "sweet spot" for you

[Robbo]

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The stock RD250 is 30hp. I weigh about a buck fifty and the bike is about 350lbs. It’s a blast to ride when the 2-stroke hits the powerband .

The CB350 Four is 4 more hp with 40lbs of added weight.

Two completely different rides.

Got a CB550 four in the works...450lbs and a whopping 38hp . Hoping this will become my bike for multi-day rides and moto camping in 2021 .


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[GreyGhost]

That'll get ya more inertia, not more torque... and it would sap torque when you want it most, when the motor is spinning up

Well, it depends how you use it. Heavy flywheel works either way. You can spin up the engine and use the clutch to meter out the stored inertia for a burst of torque the motor could never deliver. After the short burst, you are back to a tractor again though.

 

[Trials]

That'll get ya more inertia, not more torque... and it would sap torque when you want it most, when the motor is spinning up

Bolt on weights was standard equipment difference between a TY and a MX in the 1970's, I use to take them off to make it spin up faster. ymmv

If you need torque buy a diesel

 

[basmn]

Ya, there is... Torque. I know an FJR is bigger displacement and around the same HP, but it has an FZ1 by 40-50% in torque dept.

An FZ1 is a disappearing dot in an FJR's mirror on mountain climb.

Maybe so , but no contest in the cornering department, so the FJR would catch up at the gas station at the top of the mountain. ??????. The FJR is a great touring machine with tons of power BTW. Its also VERY HEAVY.

 

[Mad Mike]

Maybe so , but no contest in the cornering department, so the FJR would catch up at the gas station at the top of the mountain. ??????. The FJR is a great touring machine with tons of power BTW. Its also VERY HEAVY.

Not sure about that. One of my buddies rides an FZ1, she loaned it to me for a few hour ride thru the Hali Highlands -- not gonna take on an FJR, even on a twisty road.

 

[nakkers]

I really don’t look for HP. It’s more what bike is it and the kind of ride you’re doing.

I’ve had a riot on pit bikes and little KX80 dirt bikes and laughed my butt off.

On the street, I’ve had bar hoppers and middle weight sport touring machines and they have been a pleasure. Ask them to ride the weekend? It would be a daunting task.

Have a big touring bike, great to cross the country but, not as much fun to move it out of the garage for an impromptu milk run.

I owned a 600ss when I first started out and lived in BC. It was awesome! I was young and my body didn’t mind the position. But it still sucked if I had to ride from Dawson Creek to Edmonton.


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[GVH]

SV650 Naked or my DL650even the Bandit 650 about 70-90 HP does me fine. The more HP and sportier the machine even at 50 + my stupid gene start to kick in.

 

[Wingboy]

Bolt on weights was standard equipment difference between a TY and a MX in the 1970's, I use to take them off to make it spin up faster. ymmv

If you need torque buy an electric.

Ftfy

 

[Priller]

Not sure about that. One of my buddies rides an FZ1, she loaned it to me for a few hour ride thru the Hali Highlands -- not gonna take on an FJR, even on a twisty road.

Sorry, I have to question this. Are you actually saying that a Yamaha FJR1300 is faster on a twisty road than a Yamaha FZ-1?

I know specs don't tell the whole story, but let's break it down:

Power: FZ-1 148 hp, FJR 145 hp (2% to FZ)
Torque: FZ-1 80 lb.ft, FJR 92 lb.ft (15% to FJR)
Weight: FZ-1 487 wet, FJR 644 wet (32% more FJR)

Add the squishy touring oriented suspension and lack of ground clearance on the FJR, and it wouldn't even be close if ridden in a spirited manner.

Granted, I've only ridden the OG carburated FZ-1, and I've never even sat on an FJR. But that old FZ could keep up with sportbikes up to about 7/10ths (which is already getting too fast for the road, at least in my comfort zone - knees start getting dragged at 8/10ths). It would take a heck of a rider to hustle a luxo-tourer around corners at that pace. I tried to make a ZX-14 do it for the better part of a year, and eventually gave up and traded for a ZX-10R...

Top speed would be an interesting test, as the FJR is more streamlined, but also has a larger frontal area. Gearing would likely play a big role, as the FJR probably has a long 6th for better mileage.

 

[Mad Mike]

Sorry, I have to question this. Are you actually saying that a Yamaha FJR1300 is faster on a twisty road than a Yamaha FZ-1?

I know specs don't tell the whole story, but let's break it down:

Power: FZ-1 148 hp, FJR 145 hp (2% to FZ)
Torque: FZ-1 80 lb.ft, FJR 92 lb.ft (15% to FJR)
Weight: FZ-1 487 wet, FJR 644 wet (32% more FJR)

Add the squishy touring oriented suspension and lack of ground clearance on the FJR, and it wouldn't even be close if ridden in a spirited manner.

Granted, I've only ridden the OG carburated FZ-1, and I've never even sat on an FJR. But that old FZ could keep up with sportbikes up to about 7/10ths (which is already getting too fast for the road, at least in my comfort zone - knees start getting dragged at 8/10ths). It would take a heck of a rider to hustle a luxo-tourer around corners at that pace. I tried to make a ZX-14 do it for the better part of a year, and eventually gave up and traded for a ZX-10R...

Top speed would be an interesting test, as the FJR is more streamlined, but also has a larger frontal area. Gearing would likely play a big role, as the FJR probably has a long 6th for better mileage.

My experience comes from riding both. My riding buddy has a '17 FS1, can't keep up with me on my FJR, when we swap I can't keep up.

 

[Trials]

If it can't keep up, the bikes obviously broken.

 

[boyoboy]

you guys are making me smile lol

 

[GreyGhost]

you guys are making me smile lol

At least the winter bickering is somewhat bike related for the moment. It's a nice change.

 

[boyoboy]

If it can't keep up, the bikes obviously broken.

which one?
I can be an instigator lol

 

[Mad Mike]

If it can't keep up, the bikes obviously broken.

We're also talking about riding on the street, within the confines of a 7 day impound. The track is going to prove out differently.

 

[Mad Mike]

which one?
I can be an instigator lol

Sure. Start by saying "its probably the riders"!

 

[Priller]

We're also talking about riding on the street, within the confines of a 7 day impound. The track is going to prove out differently.

Just to be clear, does this mean safe from a 7 day impound or at risk of one?

My experience comes from riding both. My riding buddy has a '17 FS1, can't keep up with me on my FJR, when we swap I can't keep up.

Fair enough. I can't speak to the FJR's capabilities, so it's all conjecture and spec sheet racing on my end. All I can say is that based on my experience with an older FZ-1 and a ZX-14 (which weighs almost 100 lbs less than an FJR and has a good bit more power), I was way more comfortable going quick around a corner on the Yammy. Maybe the newer ones have softer suspension. The first gen ones are stone classics, one of the best bikes ever made, IMO.

I gave up my 14 partly because I simply couldn't keep up on a twisty road (though if I'd done up the suspension, I might have had a better shot) and would end up cheating by blasting the straights, which is the opposite of why I ride. Maybe that says more about my riding skill, I don't know...

 

[bigpoppa]

Just to be clear, does this mean safe from a 7 day impound or at risk of one?


Fair enough. I can't speak to the FJR's capabilities, so it's all conjecture and spec sheet racing on my end. All I can say is that based on my experience with an older FZ-1 and a ZX-14 (which weighs almost 100 lbs less than an FJR and has a good bit more power), I was way more comfortable going quick around a corner on the Yammy. Maybe the newer ones have softer suspension. The first gen ones are stone classics, one of the best bikes ever made, IMO.

I gave up my 14 partly because I simply couldn't keep up on a twisty road (though if I'd done up the suspension, I might have had a better shot) and would end up cheating by blasting the straights, which is the opposite of why I ride. Maybe that says more about my riding skill, I don't know...

bet the tuono pulls harder than the fz1 though

 

[Priller]

bet the tuono pulls harder than the fz1 though

Oh, yeah, different league. Not close. But the reality is that it's all a bit of a moot point on the road, at least for how I prefer to ride. I like small groups (4 max) doing a Pace kind of thing, so acceleration isn't a huge factor, but corner speed is. The 14, for example, was great at the former, but absolutely crap at the latter. The suspension was too soft and the bike (and me!) too heavy, so it'd get pitchy, squat and run wide and generally be a lot of work in transitions. It was No Fun, and I've never been so happy to trade a bike away...

 

[Katatonic]

I used to have an FJR1300 that had a power commander and pipe. My best was an 11.99 1/4 mile. My ‘16 Tuono had a race tune, Arrow pipe and lightweight forged wheels the best I ever did at the strip was an 11.00 flat. I had my current ‘17 Tuono at the strip when it only had a race tune done - nothing else, and the best I managed was 11.50.
My point is, FJR’s might be big, heavy touring machines, but man can they rip your arms off!

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