Good day, rider! Today we’re going to dissect more motorcycles side by side. We’ll be exploring the Honda ST1300 and the Yamaha FJR1300, two of the most popular sport touring bikes from Japanese manufacturers. We’ll get into the German makes in a later post. Let’s get a little history on these two bikes:
Honda started the ST line back in 1990, when they introduced the ST1100 and they worked the ST1100 for the next 12 years and then introduced the ST1300 in 2002. The ST1300 would continue in production for the next 11 years, where they made slight tweaks and continued refining the machine until they switched production to a CTX1300 in 2013. The ST1300 is a highly regarded sport-tourer because Honda had over 20 years of tweaking it and perfecting the bike, which resulted in a really high performing, quality machine.
Yamaha introduced the FJR1300 in 2001, just barely ahead of the ST1300, but Yamaha’s introduction of a 1300 model is arguably what sparked Honda to go to a 1300 as well. While FJR1300 wasn’t introduced until 2001, it was built from the Yamaha FJ1200 which was introduced back in 1986, so this bike has a long rich history of high performance. The FJR1300 is still in production today in 2020, Yamaha has made tons of improvements and changes over the years, making the FJR1300 a top competitor in its class.
Because Honda stopped making the ST1300 in 2012, we will be comparing the 2012 models of the ST and the FJR. Let’s break down some specs!
| Honda ST1300 | Yamaha FJR1300 |
| Original MSRP $18,230 | Original MSRP $15,590 |
| Wet Weight 730lbs | Wet Weight 644lbs |
| 125hp with 85ft-lbs of torque | 145hp with 99ft-lbs of torque |
| 1261cc engine with 5 speed transmission | 1298cc engine with 5 speed transmission |
| Average Nada value in 2020: $8,585 | Average Nada value in 2020: $6,910 |
The numbers are a little deceiving, as they will immediately make you wonder why the Honda gets such glowing reviews when it’s heavier, less powered, has a smaller engine, and costs thousands more than the Yamaha? Now, luckily I’ve been able to ride both and know several people with these bikes who’ve been able to provide additional insight into this discussion.
The Breakdown:
Power– if you want raw, nasty, big bike power then the FJR1300 is for you. This is a fast bike, make no mistakes. You see that it has 20 more hp than the ST and 14 more ft-lbs of torque as well, which makes a big difference when you line them up head to head.
Handling– this is where the Honda starts to take the lead, the ST has such a refined experience that it is incredibly smooth and very agile. This tends to be a big deciding point when people are considering between the two bikes.
Quality– once again, Honda is going to finish ahead in this category. While both bikes are high quality machines, it appears that Honda’s engineers focused a little more on the long term and the ease of working on the bike. The Yamaha is designed excellently for speed, but when that is the focus other elements tend to struggle and the workability of the Yamaha goes down, it’s no joy to tear it apart to fix or service properly.
Appearance– this is more of a personal one for the consumer, but overall the Yamaha FJR1300 gets the higher podium finish for looks. Very sleek and refined, it doesn’t boast the mild mannered looks of the ST1300. The FJR gets a little bit harder lines for a more aggressive look than the ST1300, for younger riders they tend to choose the FJR because it looks more aggressive than the ST.
Personal takes– myself, I am all about power… and therefore I personally take the FJR as my preferred sport tourer in this head to head matchup. The slight handling and smoothness benefits of the ST weren’t enough for me to sacrifice all that extra power in the FJR. However, doing maintenance on the ST was definitely much easier than the FJR, as is standard with all the Yamaha’s I’ve had, they don’t make working on the bikes super easy, but once again, not enough of a buzzkill for me to take a different bike.
I believe anyone looking into sport touring would love either bike, if you’re not as much into power as I am, then I’d probably steer you towards the ST1300. Very refined, smooth, quality machine that won’t let ya down. If you want to sport tour and keep up with sport bikes, then I’m pushing you towards the FJR!
Stay tuned for our next side by side review!
Moto Insight 