2023 FJR Predictions, speculations, heard it thru the grapevine....

[N4HHE]

I believe Yamaha ceased manufacturing major FJR parts commiserate with the end of sales in Europe. That there were so few USA models this year because all they are doing is using up existing inventory.

Then again there are the true believers who read a book stating “Just In Time” explains everything about Japanese manufacturing, who refuse to believe evidence. I have witnessed several Honda models the past 30 years for which the last year or two Honda had to scrape for fenders, turn signals, etc, to have enough complete vehicles to sell the engines and other bodywork they had laying around.

We have a few 2022s on this forum. What are the date codes on FJR specific parts such as fairing pieces? My 1998 Honda PC800 had everything from 1991 to 1994. 1997 and 1998 ran out of front fenders and self-canceling turn signals.

[Canadian FJR]

https://www.yamaha-motor.ca/en/road/mot ... FJR13AESNB

[LKLD]

So, black with gold emblems. Looks like we’re near the end.

Heated seats, TFT screen, Apple/Android integration would show that they WANT to get customers, especially new ones, into the showrooms. This is just getting rid of unsold inventory…imo.

[gixxerjasen]

Is there a "Heritage Edition" yet?

[raYzerman]

Using my OEM automotive career knowledge...... today's manufacturing does not stockpile inventory or components. A calculated sales projection is made for a particular model and they decide how many to make for the various homologations (requirements of countries they are sold in). In this case, it will be relatively low volume and an FJR batch run will be planned for their flexible manufacturing production line. Quantity/Date Releases for components are given in advance to the suppliers whether internal or outside purchase. All the parts will be staged and the batch will be built, then shipped to the end market distribution center. Unlike automotive, you won't get individual orders/sub-model/colour choices.

Distribution and retailing them is a whole operation unto itself.... and these days, dealers don't stock anything extra for the showroom. If you want one and they don't have it, they look into their computer and find out if the main distribution center has one. If there are leftovers, say 2022's by the time 2023's are announced, it should be relatively rare these days, or at least a very small number.

Service parts are another game......

[Hppants]

The car/light truck industry has changed due to COVID. Some say it won't go back.

You now order the vehicle and wait 3-6 months for it to be made.

[raYzerman]

Definitely supply chain issues..... chips still a problem and labour shortages. 2022 FJR's were sold with saddlebags to follow months later. I bought a saddlebag lid once, the Yamaha label said Made In India.....

[D-Eagle]

I don't understand how there is still a "chip" issue. If I remember right, everybody cancelled their chip orders during covid and I heard there was a factory fire. Shouldn't those things have been fixed 2 years later? I'm sure there is a much more complicated answer and I'm all ears if anybody wants to explain it.

[gixxerjasen]

I don't understand how there is still a "chip" issue. If I remember right, everybody cancelled their chip orders during covid and I heard there was a factory fire. Shouldn't those things have been fixed 2 years later? I'm sure there is a much more complicated answer and I'm all ears if anybody wants to explain it.

Automotive chips are very different from those in computers. When COVID hit people stopped buying cars and the car manufacturers stopped ordering chips.
Schools and businesses tried to figure out the remote working strategy and went crazy ordering laptops, tablets, phones,chromebooks, etc. This drove a huge demand for the chips used in those devices. With no orders for automotive chips the manufacturers of those chips spent the money and time to retool and go for where the demand is. Thanks to supply chain issues the demand has stayed there. Now, those chip manufacturers have the choice of keeping their lines going and manufacturing for that demand, or shutting down and retooling to build automotive chips again and satisfying that demand. Pretty simple to just keep with what you are doing now. It'll all catch up eventually but it's going to be a slow process.

Automotive manufacturers are selling models now with fewer features so they can make the vehicle with less chips, usually for the same or higher price. They also don't have a lot of motivation to put those features back at this point. They have so many orders that some folks aren't able to get their orders filled and have to have their order converted to the next model year and suck up the price increase for that next model year.

[wheatonFJR]

I don't understand how there is still a "chip" issue. If I remember right, everybody cancelled their chip orders during covid and I heard there was a factory fire. Shouldn't those things have been fixed 2 years later? I'm sure there is a much more complicated answer and I'm all ears if anybody wants to explain it.

Automotive chips are very different from those in computers. When COVID hit people stopped buying cars and the car manufacturers stopped ordering chips.
Schools and businesses tried to figure out the remote working strategy and went crazy ordering laptops, tablets, phones,chromebooks, etc. This drove a huge demand for the chips used in those devices. With no orders for automotive chips the manufacturers of those chips spent the money and time to retool and go for where the demand is. Thanks to supply chain issues the demand has stayed there. Now, those chip manufacturers have the choice of keeping their lines going and manufacturing for that demand, or shutting down and retooling to build automotive chips again and satisfying that demand. Pretty simple to just keep with what you are doing now. It'll all catch up eventually but it's going to be a slow process.

Automotive manufacturers are selling models now with fewer features so they can make the vehicle with less chips, usually for the same or higher price. They also don't have a lot of motivation to put those features back at this point. They have so many orders that some folks aren't able to get their orders filled and have to have their order converted to the next model year and suck up the price increase for that next model year.

I wonder how many chips are in my old 1967 red Ford Custom 500? No, it didn't have AC nor lane sensors, or quite frankly adequate seatbelts, nor did it have vibrating or warming seats. But for $300 in 1976, it got me to high school and back. A little tiny 289 in it, and a suspension as strong as my pants suspenders.

[bungie4]

My mom at one time had a 78 international scout. Mechanically hella well done.. cam gears, sodium cooled exhaust valves, dynamically balanced.. electronic ignition.

Which shit the bed 40km in the bush behind igloomikfuktuk. Called the international dealer for as replacement control module. $600 and made from unobtainium. Fine. Start calling the local wreckers. Nobody has one. But one has a wrecked international pickup with a v8 in it.

I scadaddled over and pulled the distributor, coil.. the entire primary side of the ignition system. Stopped and bought a set of points and a condenser. Drove back in behind igloomikfuktuk and swapped it for the bush fix parts.

Engine fired up first try and was a $100 well spent because we never had a lick of problems with that truck after that. Probably because it contained no other electronics.

Well, until the sheet metal turned itself to it's base elements via slow oxidation.

[wheatonFJR]

^^^^
Attaboy!

[Hack]

So, if new fJR's become unobtainium post 2022... What will be available as a close alternative?
Should we expect the end for more/other similar machines..?

I thought about a new '22, but the black and gold... Yuck.

[FJRoss]

So, if new fJR's become unobtainium post 2022... What will be available as a close alternative?
Should we expect the end for more/other similar machines..?

I thought about a new '22, but the black and gold... Yuck.

I have to wonder if they might drop it for a year or two and then bring it back from the dead with a brand new engine (triple) and some more updated electronics. I'm sure they could expand one of their smaller triples to fit the FJR or repurpose one of their snowmobile engines. Surely there is still some market for a well-performing sport tourer - as long as they don't turn it into a bloated pig.

the FJR is a great platform and it was clear to me that the "new" Venture was never going to make it as a touring bike to replace the it. Take the worst aspects of a Goldwing and a Harley Ultra and charge way too much for an underperforming and overweight slug. I can't understand why they didn't improve on the earlier Venture with the water cooled V4 engine if they wanted a larger tourer. That was a great motor (although carburetted) but perhaps it couldn't be made to comply with new pollution standards - even if they changed it to fuel injection.

If the FJR comes back for 2023 and later, it is a safe bet to say that the only changes might be in paint colors.

[Toter]

Unfortunately, I think the handwriting is on the wall for our beloved FJRs. If they can manage to continue to sell them in places, without major platform and engine revisions they will do so. If not, it will be discontinued. Adventure style bikes, and street fighter styles are the current trend with younger riders. The FJR is known as an "Old Man's" bike. Unfortunately, the group of riders loyal to this platform is slowly aging out of riding, or migrating to smaller/lighter bikes. If more young people become interested in the FJR, it may be able to survive in a manner similar to the Suzuki DRZ-400. A motorcycle virtually unchanged over 20 years. Time will tell.

[FJRoss]

Adventure style bikes, and street fighter styles are the current trend with younger riders.

I agree with you about current trends but I think the pendulum will swing back eventually. I see FAR more adventure-style bikes than people who actually ride them as such. I also see more "street fighter" style bikes parked at Starbucks than on the highway. I think there will be a market for a solid sport-tourer but they will have to get the design right to appeal to enough people. Will the actual riders ever win out over the "posers"?

While electric is a great solution as a commuter vehicle, the weight (and space) penalty for batteries makes it impractical as a long-distance tourer. (I'm not stopping for a half hour or more every 100 miles to charge.)

Tough to get the right mix of reliability, power, handling, suspension, storage space, comfort, serviceability, aesthetics and amenities while keeping weight and costs to an acceptable level.

[wheatonFJR]

If they stop producing them, I will be sad...but will ride the piss out of "Lucky" until I can't anymore. Then I will either transition to a lighter bike or a Hoveround. Time will tell.

[Festus]

I keep repeating myself but I get tired of hearing how horrible the motorcycle business is these days. They keep blaming it on the younger people don't want to ride.

I turn my TV on and I see ads for cars, apps for your phones, electronics, beard trimmers, and everything else. I never see motorcycle ads until watching motorcycle racing.

Want to sell motorcycles to people that don't have, or aren't interested in motorcycles? Seems simple. They'll never see your ads if it's only run during an event they'll never watch. Seems stupid to me. Advertise your bikes during the shows they watch. I understand it's expensive, but you are fighting for your survival, so you better figure out a way to get ads on Facebook, YouTube, or tik toc. I see ads every time I watch videos. 99% of them are things that have no interest to me and I'm not even the right customer base. Trying to sell me on Disney stuff when I don't have kids seems a waste of time.

But nothing from motorcycles. It's not the consumers fault they aren't aware of your products.

The ads run during MotoAmerica were awesome commercials. I mean really, really well done. They'd play well to younger people. Nope, just keep sitting on your hands and blaming everyone else.

[Toter]

Adventure style bikes, and street fighter styles are the current trend with younger riders.

I agree with you about current trends but I think the pendulum will swing back eventually. I see FAR more adventure-style bikes than people who actually ride them as such. I also see more "street fighter" style bikes parked at Starbucks than on the highway. I think there will be a market for a solid sport-tourer but they will have to get the design right to appeal to enough people. Will the actual riders ever win out over the "posers"?

While electric is a great solution as a commuter vehicle, the weight (and space) penalty for batteries makes it impractical as a long-distance tourer. (I'm not stopping for a half hour or more every 100 miles to charge.)

Tough to get the right mix of reliability, power, handling, suspension, storage space, comfort, serviceability, aesthetics and amenities while keeping weight and costs to an acceptable level.

I don't think the Sport Touring platform will ever "come back" as we knew it in the past. The adventure bikes fill this space quite well. I would even argue, they fill it better. My 2014 BMW R1200GS is quick, handles effortlessly, has a more relaxed and comfortable riding position, and has all the electronic riding aids to help protect a rider from adverse conditions, and themselves at times. It also allows one to head off onto a gravel or forest road without fear. I think the sport touring segment has been replaced by the adventure tourer.

[Toter]

Adventure style bikes, and street fighter styles are the current trend with younger riders.

I agree with you about current trends but I think the pendulum will swing back eventually. I see FAR more adventure-style bikes than people who actually ride them as such. I also see more "street fighter" style bikes parked at Starbucks than on the highway. I think there will be a market for a solid sport-tourer but they will have to get the design right to appeal to enough people. Will the actual riders ever win out over the "posers"?

While electric is a great solution as a commuter vehicle, the weight (and space) penalty for batteries makes it impractical as a long-distance tourer. (I'm not stopping for a half hour or more every 100 miles to charge.)

Tough to get the right mix of reliability, power, handling, suspension, storage space, comfort, serviceability, aesthetics and amenities while keeping weight and costs to an acceptable level.

I don't think the Sport Touring platform will ever "come back" as we knew it in the past. The adventure bikes fill this space quite well. I would even argue, they fill it better. My 2014 BMW R1200GS is quick, handles effortlessly, has a more relaxed and comfortable riding position, and has all the electronic riding aids to help protect a rider from adverse conditions, and themselves at times. It also allows one to head off onto a gravel or forest road without fear. I think the sport touring segment has been replaced by the adventure tourer.