Yamaha XJR1300: PH2 Review

Yamaha's air-cooled classic gets a new outlook on life

Fashion is a funny old thing. It is almost impossible not to look at old photos and cringe in shame at some horrific hairstyle or dubious clothing choice. And wherever there is a new fashion trend there will be doubters and critics. People couldn't understand why new romantics wore make up, punks used to be frowned upon until David Beckham made the Mohawk cool and the good old mullet has always had its lovers and haters. Well, motorcycling is currently having its own controversial fashion crisis and it revolves around the hipster culture.

Old design gets a makeover - can it stack up?

Basically, it's younger males with beards and tattoos who are riding customised bikes as fashion or lifestyle accessories. To some this is enough to send their blood boiling, to others its just another motorcyclist on the street. Whatever your take, and I'm guessing the chatter after this article will thoroughly cover this Marmite culture, the simple fact is that manufacturers are catering for this new trend. As well as the likes of the Ducati Scrambler range and BMW R NineT we now have an updated Yamaha XJR1300 to add into the mix.

For fashion, not practicality
The XJR isn't exactly new, it's been around in some shape or form for 20 years now, but for 2015 Yamaha have given it a bit of a makeover in an attempt to attract this new fashion conscious buyer. Although the air-cooled engine is essentially unchanged bar a bit of an ECU update, Yamaha have given the suspension a new lease of life with a black DLC (anti-friction) coating on the forks and the latest Ohlins twin dampers. On the styling front, and this is where it matters, the subframe is 10cm shorter, seat restyled to mimic a cafe racer, the headlight reduced in size, bars widened and the tank sculpted to help show off the motor. By chopping 6.5 litres from its capacity via sculpted sides, Yamaha has helped emphasis the width and size of the air-cooled motor. Why? Simple, air-cooling is, er, cool and the XJR has the biggest air-cooled inline four currently in production. And this is the XJR's big selling point.

Time to show off the big air-cooled motor!

Meaty monster
That engine has always been the XJR's outstanding point and although it would have been nice to see Yamaha fit a sixth gear, you can't complain about its performance. The grunt, smoothness and refinement from the inline four is outstanding and it pulls like a train from as low in the rev range as 2,000rpm. Having had so many years to get it right it's no surprise there is little to moan about and if you want relaxed riding there are few better. Having not ridden an XJR for a while I had forgotten just how pleasant it is, even down to the small things such as a slick gear change. I also love the sound it makes, which is a lovely deep rumble that rises pleasingly when the revs increase. OK, on a hot day in town the lump pumps out a fair bit of heat and can make your thighs sweaty, but overall it's outstanding and doesn't feel dated. The chassis, on the other hand, is a slightly different story.

Retro appeal
You can't disguise the fact that at 240kg the XJR isn't exactly a ballerina and to ride it feels like a bike from another era. It might have Ohlins suspension and DLC forks but they can only really mask over the fact it's a big, heavy, bike with a steel cradle frame. The new bars, which are wider and higher than before, help you pump your chest out and wrestle the bike, but it isn't a patch on a new generation of sports naked. But there again, it isn't meant to be.

Ohlins dampers are new for this XJR1300

It's a bike that reflects a slightly bygone era and that will be the charm to some; the handling is in keeping with this character. For my part I actually really enjoyed wrestling the bike a bit and giggling at the slightly wobbly feel from the chassis when pushed hard (mainly on down hill hard braking areas). Although the brakes have enough bite to deal with the weight, I'd like to have seen ABS as at least an option because when the road is a bit damp and the forks are compressed you are never 100 per cent what the front tyre is doing, And if you want a slightly sportier outlook there is always the Racer version.

Retro racer
Alongside the standard XJR, Yamaha has also unveiled a Racer version. Essentially a £1,000 dealer fitted body kit the Racer adds clip-ons, a carbon nose cowl, carbon pillion seat cover, carbon mudguard and leather strap over the tank to give it an endurance racer style. To ride, this has the effect of putting your weight more over the front of the bike, helping it corner a bit better and adding a dose of extra sporting attitude. However this does come at a price and as good looking at the Racer is, at slow speed the stretched out riding position is pretty uncomfortable on the wrists. If you are considering a Racer, take one for a test ride first as some riders didn't mind the riding position, other were cursing it and nursing aching wrists.

Not bad, but rivals do it better

Fashion victim or cool kid?
It would be easy to slate the XJR as a bike created to please a new fashion. But I actually really like the new look and at £8,599 it's good value when you consider the R NineT is £11,750. But where the BMW is a new bike made to look old the XJR is an old bike given a bit of a tart up and it feels this way to ride. For gentle cruising the air-cooled engine is great and the chassis certainly up for the job, but it can't be pushed as hard as the BMW.

There is another slight issue too. A lot of XJR owners like the older model as it has a massive rider and pillion seat and a big tank range. This asset has been sacrificed for the sake of fashion and while it should do around 150 miles on a tank, that's less than before and the pillion seat is pretty poor. Personally, I'm kind of swaying towards the looks of the new model over practicality. However I don't take a pillion that often and I am sure some owners will disagree.

Quick vid here.

YAMAHA XJR1300
Engine: 1,251cc inline four
Power (hp): 97@ 8,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 80@ 8,750rpm
Top speed: 135mph (est)
Weight: 240kg (wet)
MPG: 55 (est)
Price: £8,599 (Racer £9,599)