A Little help please! Price and Height

[Roger P]

I live in orange county New York. I have come to your sight to have some questions answered. (yes i know there is a search box) A friend of mine has a 2008 AE version of this bike he loves it he has had no problems ever. My first question is i know a dealer that has 2 FJR 2009 brand new they are the AE models he is asking $11,000 is this a fair price i was going to offer $10,000 but i'am still learning about theses bikes. My second question is i am vertically challenged 5'6" my inseam is only 29" i know the seat is 33" and i believe that is at lowest setting what else can be done to the bike to get it down? The more i see this bike the more i like it. I currently ride a 2011 yamaha star stryker and a 2010 can am spyder. Thank you for your help. what do most members Ride the clutch or AE model no clutch per se' thank you...

 

[ionbeam]

A really good price for a brand new 2003 FJR was between $10.4K and $11k. The dealer is offering a brand new '09 FJR for '03 prices. That's not a bad deal if you can afford $11k. You can always try to negotiate but be aware that the opening bid by the dealer is really good.

There are several ladies here in the North East that are shorter than you are and they ride their FJRs just fine. If you are lucky, they will ride slow enough that you can keep them in sight Narrowing the seat at the gas tank helps a lot. Boots with a lot of sole will help and there are always lowering links which a lot of inseam challenged people have used. The ladies have no problem with lowering links but some of the guys that are not as trim and light as the women can have a little ground clearance problem. Lowering links = no center stand without rolling the rear tire onto a 2 x 6 board.

 

[Intech]

Many questions to answer. First - the price on the 2009 AE is too high IMO. For a little over 2k more you can have a 2013. What you need to do is shop around and see what they are going for. You need to come up with what YOU think is a good price and determine what you are willing to pay. You can offer whatever you like to a dealer. All they do is either counter or say no. Second - While this bike is pleasing to the eye the ultimate test is to ride it. The bike can be lowered, however that changes the design and handling. I am 5'7" with a 30" inseam and had no problem flat footing with the stock seat in the lower position. I changed to a Corbin which lowers it slightly more. You would just have to like a hard seat. There is a lot of threads comparing the A to the AE. Bottom line is if you are truley interested in the bike find a deal you are comfortable with and ride it for a while. If it does suit you then consider making changes. The FJR is the most fun bike I have ever owned. Good luck.

 

[bgross]

I live in orange county New York. I have come to your sight to have some questions answered. (yes i know there is a search box) A friend of mine has a 2008 AE version of this bike he loves it he has had no problems ever. My first question is i know a dealer that has 2 FJR 2009 brand new they are the AE models he is asking $11,000 is this a fair price i was going to offer $10,000 but i'am still learning about theses bikes. My second question is i am vertically challenged 5'6" my inseam is only 29" i know the seat is 33" and i believe that is at lowest setting what else can be done to the bike to get it down? The more i see this bike the more i like it. I currently ride a 2011 yamaha star stryker and a 2010 can am spyder. Thank you for your help. what do most members Ride the clutch or AE model no clutch per se' thank you...

If you hang around here for a while you'll notice that there's plenty of friendly ribbing about a lot of things, and the AE is no exception.

That said, the AE has a very small and VERY loyal following. Some like the ease of not using the clutch, some ride it because they have physical conditions/limitations. If it works for you (or anyone else) that's all that matters!

For some reason, it wasn't a sales success in North America. Some dealers tried to hold the price up high, arguing that it's 'rare' and if you want one, you'll have to pay. My local dealer had one on the floor, marked $16k+, for a couple years.

If it's the bike you like and you have the money, go for it.

The FJR - either the A or the AE - is an amazing machine. I've never met someone who was sorry they owned one.

 

[Roger P]

Many questions to answer. First - the price on the 2009 AE is too high IMO. For a little over 2k more you can have a 2013. What you need to do is shop around and see what they are going for. You need to come up with what YOU think is a good price and determine what you are willing to pay. You can offer whatever you like to a dealer. All they do is either counter or say no. Second - While this bike is pleasing to the eye the ultimate test is to ride it. The bike can be lowered, however that changes the design and handling. I am 5'7" with a 30" inseam and had no problem flat footing with the stock seat in the lower position. I changed to a Corbin which lowers it slightly more. You would just have to like a hard seat. There is a lot of threads comparing the A to the AE. Bottom line is if you are truley interested in the bike find a deal you are comfortable with and ride it for a while. If it does suit you then consider making changes. The FJR is the most fun bike I have ever owned. Good luck.

Thank you. really they will be priced around $13,000 i have not seen any around that price if it is true i may go for it it has a few more farkles on it that i like.

 

[Roger P]

A really good price for a brand new 2003 FJR was between $10.4K and $11k. The dealer is offering a brand new '09 FJR for '03 prices. That's not a bad deal if you can afford $11k. You can always try to negotiate but be aware that the opening bid by the dealer is really good.
There are several ladies here in the North East that are shorter than you are and they ride their FJRs just fine. If you are lucky, they will ride slow enough that you can keep them in sight

Narrowing the seat at the gas tank helps a lot. Boots with a lot of sole will help and there are always lowering links which a lot of inseam challenged people have used. The ladies have no problem with lowering links but some of the guys that are not as trim and light as the women can have a little ground clearance problem. Lowering links = no center stand without rolling the rear tire onto a 2 x 6 board.

I always got my eye on the ladies

 

[Roger P]

I live in orange county New York. I have come to your sight to have some questions answered. (yes i know there is a search box) A friend of mine has a 2008 AE version of this bike he loves it he has had no problems ever. My first question is i know a dealer that has 2 FJR 2009 brand new they are the AE models he is asking $11,000 is this a fair price i was going to offer $10,000 but i'am still learning about theses bikes. My second question is i am vertically challenged 5'6" my inseam is only 29" i know the seat is 33" and i believe that is at lowest setting what else can be done to the bike to get it down? The more i see this bike the more i like it. I currently ride a 2011 yamaha star stryker and a 2010 can am spyder. Thank you for your help. what do most members Ride the clutch or AE model no clutch per se' thank you...

If you hang around here for a while you'll notice that there's plenty of friendly ribbing about a lot of things, and the AE is no exception.

That said, the AE has a very small and VERY loyal following. Some like the ease of not using the clutch, some ride it because they have physical conditions/limitations. If it works for you (or anyone else) that's all that matters!

For some reason, it wasn't a sales success in North America. Some dealers tried to hold the price up high, arguing that it's 'rare' and if you want one, you'll have to pay. My local dealer had one on the floor, marked $16k+, for a couple years.

If it's the bike you like and you have the money, go for it.

The FJR - either the A or the AE - is an amazing machine. I've never met someone who was sorry they owned one.

It does not matter to me what type of tranny it has but the price caught my eye and being new with full warranty. I may consider going new if i can actually sit on one and get the seat down an inch or 2. I tried to sit on one at the Motorcycle show in nyc but their was a long line waiting and no local dealer has one yet.

 

[garyahouse]

Here's what I'd do. You've got a pretty good deal staring at you. Yeah, the bike is 4 years old. Yeah, the'll be worth no more than any other 09 once it's used and out of warranty. But you are getting a new bike for 11k, not a bad deal at all. It's not a steal, but it is a reasonable deal. And for guys that WANT the auto clutch, you can't buy them any more. 09 was the last year they were available here in the states. One thing's for sure, there are none of them available around here. Can you get a better price? Maybe. Roll the dice and make an offer, say 11k WITH the 4 year factory YES warranty. I think they go for about 370 or 380. Get yourself a set of lowering links. Sure, it's gonna change the handling of the bike slightly, but considering what you're riding now, even then it'll be a better handling machine that what you're used to. The dealer can get em easy enough. I'll bet they can install them on the bike before you leave the dealership. Since the first month on your new bike is a critical and typically a clumsy time, having the lowering links in place from day one might be a good idea. They'll lower the seat height a significant amount. In addition, a seat like a Corbin can lower the saddle height even more. Corbins are available on the forum for a couple hundred from time to time.

Good luck, and welcome to the forum.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[TomInPA]

+1 Gary...And get the $80 sliders. The AE is an awesome machine, and with Brodie piloting, gave me all I could handle up the switchbacks of Mt Hamilton. I was very impressed, and will never look at those the same.

 

[C&C]

If you tend to hold onto a bike for a pretty good number of years (and you like this bike) it may just be a deal you can live with. If you tend to ride a couple years and trade (for something else) you stand the chance of losing (due to type and age of the bike); your call.

 

[Enn]

Although I have nothing wise to say about the price in US, I can confirm that AE is a fantastic bike. I'm riding one of those myself and switching the gear by just a gentle finger touch is extreme fun and practical as well IMHO. It is lightning fast and smooth, also very convenient at traffic lights and jams. And it is very reliable too, I do not know anybody to have had problems with the system.

By the way, a bike like that would cost around 16 kEUR (21 kUSD) here, so you, Americanos, get most of stuff for ridiculous prices. Enjoy!

 

[ultimateanswer]

What you need to understand is that this bike has sat on the dealer's showroom floor and had four birthdays at this point. You, for the lack of a better phrase, have him by the short and curlies. What I am seeing through the dealer network is that there are about 2 dozen of these located in the US market and that means that these bikes are holding up 2013 model orders for the dealers who are still sitting on these bikes. If you are comfortable with buying a "new" bike and rolling across the curb line with a four-year-old used bike then I'd say jump on it. But for no more than $10,000. The last thing you want to do is to buy a bike that you are going to be $4,000+ up side down in right off the bat. At the $10k price point, if you had a change in circumstances, you could market yourself for around 9 and only lose a grand in rather than $4k.

 

[Roger P]

Thank you all you gave me alot to think about. I'am sure that if i go with a AE i will catch on fairly quick my spyder shifts kind of the same way accept for the fact that if i'am in 5th gear and press on the brake it will automatically down shift it's self but i can do it myself also. I did a search on the lowering links and found them. Seems pretty straight forward i also found on here how to install them. I definitely like hearing everyones opinion you all gave me things to think about but 1 thing is for sure after researching all sport touring bikes this is what i will go for just as soon as i can make sure that i will be confidant and comfy, no bike is worth having if you are not comfy.

 

[gimmeit]

... just as soon as i can make sure that i will be confidant and comfy, no bike is worth having if you are not comfy.

Indeed. I've had my 2007 FJR-A (with the clutch) for about 2 weeks. I've put about 300 miles on it so far. It's mostly stock. The handlebars were initially in the most forward position (toward the front of the bike). I moved them to the rear (closest to me). I'm not sure if it's been better or not. I sometimes feel I am reaching for the bars. Also, my neck will bother me after even just 20 minutes or so. Especially with the windshield (currently using the yamaha touring screen) in its highest (or close to highest) position. I think from the back pressure (your head being pulled forward) you'll see discussed on here.

I've tried a bit with seating positions/adjustments such as attempts at the "master yoda" position (not sure if I'm doing it quite right). All-in-all I'm still willing to work with it by getting used to it or possibly making other adjustments (bar risers, other windscreen, etc).

This is my first sport-touring bike. I had an FZ6 before this and Honda Shadow 600 before that. I might suggest looking for a less expensive (older) bike if you're unsure. If you really like it, you could use it as a trade-in for a new one. Don't be afraid of the miles. I was able to get mine with 16k but anything that's been well/decently maintained should be fine. Another idea is to find a used bike that already has some farkles on it, ideally with the stock parts as well to have both options to try out.

I can't speak to the AE version, but if that's your leaning, I'm should it would be fine for you. Some people talk about the clutch being stiff on some models. I've found mine to be so-so. Sure it might be a bit firm to pull, but I haven't found it too bad. However, I also got this bike more for the "touring" and not so much the around town (traffic lights). The stop and go traffic might actually be better for me (so far) than traffic lights as I tend to keep the bike rolling at a somewhat consistent speed which minimizes shifting/clutching.

 

[Roger P]

Hey Gang just wanted to update you on my findings so far. I did find a couple of leftovers 11,13 zero miles on both at the end of march my local dealer is having the yamaha truck come in to do test rides so i am looking forward to getting a chance on the fjr. I did finally sit on one its not bad but not perfect as far as touching the ground i get my toes and alittle more to touch. Well we will see how the test ride goes and update from their.

 

[William England]

Measured inseam 28.5; I wear 30" pants. Seat height is 30.5" on low. If you have some experience on heavy bikes, you're fine. Used to ride an 800 pound 33" ST1100, no problem. I could toe it on both sides, or just get one foot down. If you can touch at all on both sides you're fine. Go Ride!

 

[LKLD]

I was in the same boat ( 5'7" ) and worried about touching the ground. It did take about 500 miles to get over the fear factor. I am now just short of 3000 miles and feel very comfortable with it now. Instead of looking for ways to adapt the bike to me, I adapted to the bike. This may not work for everyone, but I feel it worked for me.

 

[Granger]

I own an '09 FJR-AE. I bought it last summer with just 600 miles on it for a low price. I have a 28" inseam. I changed to a custom seat (now a Corbin), put on helibars and a riser to move the bars back and added highways footrests, sliders and cruise-control (and other farkles), and now the bike is comfortable and I can put my feet on the ground, but frankly except for stops signs and lights I don't do much of that on this bike!

The bike itself is a keeper! Just won't quit and has seemingly endless power. The finger-shift allows me to easily flick through the gears without thinking about it. The '09 age is a non-issue, except your tires will need replacing before the usual mileage because the rubber has been drying out for 4 years sitting on the dealer's floor and won't have the same adhesion and flex.

I personally wouldn't fight like hell for $10k, but you might get the dealer to throw something else in like an extended warranty, which I do have but haven't needed it and from what I hear from other owners will probably never use.

I rode the Honda ST, the Kawa 14, and the FJR was the winner, but I admit its a personal thing. Some people like spending over $26k and getting a Beemer, but shit, somebody's gotta fuel the economy!

See you on the highway.

 

[JimNtexas]

Measured inseam 28.5; I wear 30" pants. Seat height is 30.5" on low. If you have some experience on heavy bikes, you're fine. Used to ride an 800 pound 33" ST1100, no problem. I could toe it on both sides, or just get one foot down. If you can touch at all on both sides you're fine. Go Ride!

I'm about the same inseam, and he's right about the seat height. It's adjustable. I bought a leftover AE for $10.5K out the door 3 years ago and have been very happy with it.

Do this to verify the price. Get the VIN of the bike you're looking at. Call Yamaha customer service with it and verify that it has the full warranty. Some of these leftover are 'auction bikes' like mine and may not be YES eligible. Then call D&H cycles in Alabama and get the current price of a new 2013, and of the YES for your 2009.

The YES is a no-brainer whatever new FJR you buy, just for peace of mind. These bikes are very reliable, which is why the YES is a fraction of the cost of extended warranties from other brands.

Now you'll have enough information to make an informed decision.

I was coming off of a Ninja 250. I dropped my AE with 3 miles on the odometer the first time I stopped for gas. But that was just buffoonery on my part. Still, I wish I'd had the dealer put frame sliders on before I rode it away.