now that the sun is no longer shining too brightly, I've decided to share with you one of the tests I carried out this summer with Oli the Belgian.
An essay, no, a comparison of impressions gleaned by Oli and me. An editorial written by four hands...
i receive an e-mail: "Okay Speedy, the Yamaha FZ8 is yours for a week, I'll take the XJR 1300, just to see if these 4-legged roadsters are still relevant."
appointment made for me with Team Oli le Belge for a week of fun.
Thursday morning. On the way to Yamaha Belgium's new address, Oli is waiting for me to pick up the two bikes.
first impression: I like the look of the FZ8, a massive roadster that nonetheless retains its clean lines.
The icing on the cake is the akrapovic muffler!
Right next door sits the "new-old" XJR 1300. In matte gray, it somewhat overshadows the more consensual-looking FZ8, though the Race blue version suits it perfectly. I have to say that this gray program and blue elements are the most successful for the FZ and MT ranges.
i hop on the FZ, Oli on the XJR and off we go, heading for the beautiful roads of southern Belgium.
Oli leads the way with his bike. It's really beautiful... Despite her "old school" look, she's a real eye-catcher. I feel transparent on my FZ. I also have the feeling that I'm always having to whip out the 4-legs to keep up with Oli.
Yet the 780 cc delivers 8 hp more than the 1250.
But let's not be mean, from 5,000 to 10,000 rpm, the in-line four has exceptional acceleration, and when the needle points to the red line, you'd better hang on!
But this hole in acceleration really penalized me during slow passages and low revs.
after a little investigation, I discovered that it was possible to add a miracle box to regain all the torque for Euro 3 homologation reasons. It seems that this device completely transforms the bike.
despite the many years of difference in the design of these bikes, they both give a lot of pleasure on small roads. Let's just say that the grip on the handlebars is very different. The 20-year difference is obvious from the dashboard alone. Once you've settled "into" the XJR, the old-fashioned features, including two large, round, chrome-plated meters, take you back to the world of the '50s. A clearly visible red zone at 9500 rpm is a value you're unlikely to use very often, as the joy of the big 4-cylinder is never to go beyond 5 or 6000 rpm.
riding the 8, the world is very different. You're sitting on the bike, really in control. The Deltabox aluminum chassis handles with precision and remains extremely stable. What's more, thanks to the new front and rear suspensions, the settings are ideal.
The ground clearance of 140 mm remains a hair too short for me. And for good reason, the footrests touch quite easily, but that's fun!
One very positive point is the braking, with a 310 mm double disc at the front and a 267 mm disc at the rear,
I did some heavy braking on various roads, including some with bad surfaces, in a zoning area and in a parking lot!
The braking performance of this four-wheeler is simply impeccable.
In terms of fuel consumption, with half sporty, half reasonable driving, the FZ8 consumes +- 6 litres/100km.
verdict. The FZ8 is still a very good roadster, both for muscular driving and for daily commuting in the urban jungle. But its €8,999 price tag with ABS puts it at a disadvantage against competitors such as the Kawazaki Z 800 ABS, the KTM 690 Duke or even the 690 Duke R version for a thousand euros more!
The XJR was the surprise of this comparison. Oli had planned to pit the FZ8 against the GSR 750 FREEGUN, but unfortunately the latter had been destroyed by a colleague a few days earlier. So he took the XJR as a spare. In the end, the XJR was far from lagging behind, and the rascal still has a lot left in the tank...
Something to think about!
Speedy and Oli
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| Yamaha XJR 1300 2015 | Yamaha 800 FZ8 2015 | ||||||||
Chassis |
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| Nombre de places | |||||||||
| Frame | |||||||||
| Double berceau en acier | type Diamant en alu | ||||||||
| Fuel capacity | |||||||||
| 14.50 liters (3.83 US gallons) | 17 liters (4.49 US gallons) | ||||||||
| Oil capacity | |||||||||
| Seat height | |||||||||
| Seat height : 829 mm (32.64 in) | Seat height : 815 mm (32.09 in) | ||||||||
| Length | |||||||||
| Length : 2,190 mm (86.22 in) | Length : 2,140 mm (84.25 in) | ||||||||
| Width | |||||||||
| 820 mm (32.28 in) | 770 mm (30.31 in) | ||||||||
| Height | |||||||||
| Min height : 1,120 mm (44.09 in) | Min height : 1,065 mm (41.93 in) | ||||||||
| Ground clearance | |||||||||
| Wheelbase | |||||||||
| 1,500 mm (59.06 in) | 1,460 mm (57.48 in) | ||||||||
| Dry weight | |||||||||
| Curb mass | |||||||||
| Weight when fully loaded | |||||||||
| 240 kg | 211 kg | ||||||||
| Brake assist | |||||||||
| ABS as standard | |||||||||
Front axle |
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| Suspension | |||||||||
| Telescopic fork, Ø 43 mm | Reverse telehydraulic fork Ø 43 mm | ||||||||
| Wheel travel | |||||||||
| 130 mm (5.12 in) | 130 mm (5.12 in) | ||||||||
| Angle de chasse | |||||||||
| Setting | |||||||||
| Brake | |||||||||
| Braking 2 discs Ø 298 mm (11.73 in), 2-piston caliper | Braking 2 discs Ø 310 mm (12.2 in), 4-piston caliper | ||||||||
| Wheel | |||||||||
| Front tire : 120 / 70 - 17 | Front tire : 120 / 70 - 17 | ||||||||
| Pressure | |||||||||
| 2.5 bar | 2.5 bar | ||||||||
| Handlebars | |||||||||
Transmission |
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| Gearbox | |||||||||
| 5 stage gearbox | 6 stage gearbox | ||||||||
| Transmission | |||||||||
| Secondary by chain | Secondary by chain | ||||||||
Rear axle |
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| Suspension | |||||||||
| 2 Öhlins lateral shock absorbers | Mono-damper | ||||||||
| Wheel travel | |||||||||
| 110 mm (4.33 in) | 130 mm (5.12 in) | ||||||||
| Setting | |||||||||
| Brake | |||||||||
| Braking 1 disc Ø 267 mm (10.51 in), 2-piston caliper | Braking 1 disc Ø 267 mm (10.51 in), 2-piston caliper | ||||||||
| Wheel | |||||||||
| Rear tire : 180 / 55 - 17 | Rear tire : 180 / 55 - 17 | ||||||||
| Pressure | |||||||||
| 2.5 bar | 2.9 bar | ||||||||
Motor |
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| Motor type | |||||||||
| 4 cylinders online , 4 strokes | 4 cylinders online , 4 strokes | ||||||||
| Cooling system | |||||||||
| combined air / oil | liquid | ||||||||
| Fuel system | |||||||||
| Injection | Injection | ||||||||
| Fuel | |||||||||
| Starting system | |||||||||
| Timing | |||||||||
| 2 ACT | 2 ACT | ||||||||
| Number of valves | |||||||||
| 4 valves per cylinder | 4 valves per cylinder | ||||||||
| Displacement | |||||||||
| 1251 cc, Bore x stroke: 79 x 63,8 mm | 779 cc, Bore x stroke: 68 x 53.6 mm | ||||||||
| Power | |||||||||
| 96.6 ch to 8,000 rpm | 104.5 ch to 10,000 rpm | ||||||||
| With compressed air | |||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Compression | |||||||||
| 9.7:1 | 12 : 1 | ||||||||
| Torque | |||||||||
| 11.10 mkg to 6,000 rpm | 8.40 mkg to 8,000 rpm | ||||||||
| With compressed air | |||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Émission sonore | |||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Motorcycle can be restricted to 34ch (A MTT1 Permit) | |||||||||
| No | No | ||||||||
| Motorcycle can be restricted to 48ch (French A2 Permit) | |||||||||
| No | No | ||||||||
Options/Equipment |
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Practical information |
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| The advantages | |||||||||
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| Performance | |||||||||
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| Country of manufacture | |||||||||
Compare |
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Torque
Yamaha XJR 1300 2015
: 11.1 mkg
Yamaha 800 FZ8 2015
: 8.4 mkg
Power
Yamaha XJR 1300 2015
: 98 ch (96.60 hp)
Yamaha 800 FZ8 2015
: 106 ch (104.50 hp)
Power-to-Weight ratio
Yamaha XJR 1300 2015
: 2.35 kg/ch
*
Yamaha 800 FZ8 2015
: 1.88 kg/ch
*
Torque-to-Weight ratio
Yamaha XJR 1300 2015
: 20.45 kg/mkg
*
Yamaha 800 FZ8 2015
: 23.35 kg/mkg
*
Speed
Yamaha XJR 1300 2015
: approximately 220 km/h (136.70 mph)
Yamaha 800 FZ8 2015
: approximately 230 km/h (142.90 mph)
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