When it comes to my sport-touring preferences, I like an accent on sport. I used to rack up hundreds of miles in a day on my Yamaha Seca 550, sans its distinctive bikini fairing, so I do not need to be pampered to go the distance.
The Yamaha FJR1300 is a traditional design with a bow sport that puts performance ahead of the bells and whistles, and when the exchange between 14 and Kawasaki Concours 2009 BMW K 1300 GT, it is indisputably the king of twisties.
I enjoyed the FJR1300 ergonomics every time I slipped into the cockpit. It feels compact and ready to dice-definitely more sport than touring.
The Yamaha gauges are easy to read, though I would rather have a large digital velocity readout than its distracting 270-degree, 170 mph analog needle sweep.
The Yamaha FJR has a natural turn-ins that made him carve through turns with remarkable agility for a motorcycle that weighs 641 pounds is claimed, is filled with liquid (it has the largest fuel tank capacity of the three). Once done, the FJR1300 willing to hold the line, but allows adjustments required as a condition (including rider error) requires. For comparison, in 2009 Concours 14 feels a bit slow, because a few more pounds and plusher suspension, while the BMW K 1300 GT has the feel strange that no-dive front suspension Duolever single-shock (which is undoubtedly good for two-up ride).
