Paging Smoker for a comparison between the two.
Comparo I wrote a while back...
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,52780.msg1220725.html#msg1220725DISCLAIMER: I've only had the FJR for a week, so this is not a long term comparo. I have put 1,200 miles on it, and did a little of everything I had done in 21K miles on the Concours, so I think I can give a fair representation of both.
Both bikes I owned in stock form as far as performance, and both had almost the exact same farkles on them; top box, PR2's, bar risers, and aftermarket seat; I know pipes and maps change the performance, so this is a good base line comparison. For reference, I'm 5'9", 170 lbs, my wife is 5'7", 115 lbs.
Engine and transmission:
Concours- despite having more displacement, the engine (in stock form) felt a little neutered. While smooth and powerful, with 2 people and 3 weeks worth of luggage, I felt like I had to keep the rpm's up in the mountains or when passing. No big deal, once over 6K rpm's this bike is a missile,no matter what was on it. The transmission on the Connie was the smoothest shifting I've ever had. No missed shifts, no false neutrals, great trans.
FJR- while very similar in power, it seemed to be the opposite of the Concours, the power was there in the lower rpm's, but dropped off above 8K or so. I really enjoy having the power down there where I live most of the time. More weight (passenger) seems to affect the power more than on the Concours. No 5th gear? Really Yamaha? Shifting is a little more"clunky" on the FJR. Upside to no 6th gear, no downshifting to pass. The shaft jacking is noticable, but not annoying.
Suspension and brakes:
Concours- with both my wife and I being smaller in stature, the suspension on the Concours was fine, even with all the luggage for our 3 week trip we took last year. Lots of adjustibility on both front and rear was nice to have, though I never messed with it much other than cranking up preload. It was a nice blend of comfort on the interstate and handling in the mountains. I think I was faster on the Concours, but that may be due to my familiarity with the bike, not that the suspenders are better per say. The abs brakes on the big Connie are fantastic, I never felt any fade, and very little front end dive under hard braking. Having abs in inclement weather is a nice added feeling of security as well.
FJR- I haven't had a lot of time to mess with the suspension on the Yamaha, but some initial impressions are that they're not quite as good as the Concours, a bit smoother on the highway, but when the road gets twisty it takes a little more effort to ride it fast. Maybe I just need to work on the adjustment some more, if that doesn't help, I may spring for a Penske down the road. I was surprised how quickly it touched the pegs, especially with a passenger, I felt like I had more lean angle on the Concours. I have the non-abs model FJR, so it's not really fair to compare to the Kawi, but the feel is pretty close to the same, just a little more front end dive. Again, might be that I just need to mess with the adjustments some more.
Rider and passenger accomodations:
Concours- the stock windscreen absolutely sucked. I have less buffeting on my Tiger. I added a V-stream, which was a vast improvement over stock. The riding position was with a slight forward lean, which feels natural to me. Gave me good feedback from the front. The pegs were a little high for the "touring" aspect of the bike, but the height came in handy when I had it at the edges of the tires. Seat height was a bit high for my 32" inseam, and that became a factor when we were 2 up and fully loaded. The Concours is more roomy than the FJR, which isn't a huge deal for two smaller people, but I can see the advantages of that with two larger people. The only complaint I had from Andrea on the Concours was that her knees started to bother her after 2 straight weeks of solid riding. She wasn't getting knocked around by the wind (with the V-stream), and she was just high enough to see over my head to see what was coming.
FJR- wind management is super on the Yamaha. The stock screen is a winner. The riding position is leaned forward moreso than the Concours, and that combined with the smaller physical dimensions of the bike makes it feel more sporty than the Kawi. And with about 30 lbs less weight and a lower seat height makes it much easier to handle at parking lot speeds. Andrea says the FJR is a little more cramped, but that makes her feel more secure, therefore more confident and comfortable.
So to sum it all up, I wouldn't necessarily pick one bike over another. They're both great bikes for the intended purpose. If I was forced to choose though, I would pick the FJR, only because it fits ME better than the Concours. They both are superb 2 up sport-touring motorcycles, if I did all my riding alone, I wouldn't need quite a large bike, but I happen to have a riding wife, and keeping her happy is job #1. So for what it's worth, there's my opinion of the two finest sport-touring machines available today.
