Alan has very kindly taken much trouble to give us an objective comparison. Thank you very much, Alan. Also, how did you solve the hunting problem "with careful tuning??" Hope you'll join the group..I'm the only ANZAC representative at present, and could do with a bit of support amongst all these yanks! :>} Below are his comments: "dear rob,
sorry to take so long - we have just got back, and i have been catching up with work, sleep and the family. will i be happy to go back to the gts1000? damm right! ok, the beginning: 1) roadholding: once i had sorted my gts, the road holding is far superior. direction changes mid corner, to take an extreme example, is simple on the gts. the fjr suffers from frame flex. not a lot, but it is no omega frame. 2) the motor: the fjr13 is a monster of a motor, and leaves the gts for dead. it pulls like a tractor, is explosive over 110kph and pulls out to 260kph plus. But the gts is no slouch, and is more than enough for me. i also prefer the 'raw' edge of the fzr1000 motor a lot, and prefer the way it does rollons. 3) the injection system: the fjr13 is a progression from the gts1000. as a result, it is smoother and more responsive. it also has 2 more sensors, a trick reed valve air induction system and a new generation cdi which does things like shut off the fuel when you roll off the throttle, until the road speed and the engine speed are aligned. the fjr13 does not 'hunt' at steady throttle openings, tho i solved this problem in my gts with careful tuning. but, despite that, the gts stands up well in the comparison, and considering it is now 12 years old, was very advanced and is not something to be concerned about. 4) fuel consumption: this is where the big difference is found. on my gts at 100 - 110 kph, i get about 14 to 15 km per litre. hard riding, it drops to 11 / 12km per litre. the fjr did not drop below about 14 km per litre, even when we were on the gas hard, like day 9 where i got 14.6 km per litre, even tho we were over 160kph for most of the day. at legal speeds, i was getting almost 20 km per litre. plus the fjr13 has a 25 litre tank. result - touring distances are easier, and you are not looking for the next fuel stop. on most days, i was filling every second fill, because the fj12 and xjr13 were using so much fuel, they were only able to get about 220km out of a tank. but, i like to stop every 150 to 200km anyway, so except in exception circumstances where the fuel stops are too far apart in some remote parts of oz, the gts has enough range for me, and it is not an issue. 5) other big difference is the shaft vs the chain. i solved the gts chain problem by using a scottoiler and this is fine for me. i can do 4 to 5,000km between adjustments, and that is good. the shaft on the fjr13 is the usual excellent yamaha shaft and has very little lash, and never 'falls behind' the gear change like the xj9 used to do too me when i short shifted. 6) comfort: i found the fjr13 has a great seat, and the gts can get hard if there is no sheep skin cover. i think the foam in the fjr seat is more sophisticated than the gts. 7) ride position, ergonomics: give me the gts every day!! i did not like the handlebar angle on the fjr13, and i found it was too high for me. the reach was ok, the turning circle a not as small as the gts and the peg position ok. however, over all i prefer the gts because it is a little lower and you sit 'in' the bike, rather than 'on' the bike. 8) suspension: give me the gts. on rough roads, the gts eats the fjr13. the gts has a more sophisticated suspension, i can tune it more easily, and i do when i know the roads. 9) the variable windscreen: yeah, well i played with it for about 5 or 6 days, and in the end, i left it in the low position. it does not work as well as the std gts high screen, because it does not 'kick' the air over the rider. in the fully up position, the air sweeps over and then comes in behind you, which is disconcerting. 10) fairing: i prefer the gts as it gives more protection and esp the knee bulges, which is where you feel the cold. 11) lights: i never did get the fjr13 set up correctly, as there is a lot of variation between 'loaded' and 'un loaded' in the suspension. i have the gts set, and it does not change. i do not think there is much between the lights, and prefer the gts. the fjr13 is too difficult to adjust. 12) other: the fjr13 needs a glove box or something. i put a bagster on the fjr13 and this solved the problem, but i sure missed my glove box. the fuel tank on the fjr13 is also easier to fill, and you do not suffer the cutoffs you get with the gts. 13) if i did not own one of the most interesting bikes ever made, ie, a gts1000 on which i have lavished much love and money, i would buy a fjr13. but i have a gts. i don't need a fjr13. i like the fjr13, but it is just another v well made yamaha in line 4 with good injection. the gts is a head turner and much more 'fun' to ride. easy choice. alan Regards, Rob Chapman
