AE vs. A?

[KTMRIDER]

Im sure this has been gone over a million times so feel free to point me to the thread. I'm a 47 yr old who enjoys the "SPORT" more than the tour. Im looking a FJR and appears I can get a much lower mileage AE for less money than a standard clutch model. I havent even considered an auto clutch model cuz I cant get past memories of riding a Honda 750 auto clutch back in the 80's that a friend bought.

How is the performance of an AE compared to a A model?

 

[Enn]

Well, I have never driven A, but due to the lightning speed gear change of AE I believe you get a new gear on faster. And you can comfortably do it also in the middle of a curve with no issues. Like F1. In terms of power, torque and suspension/handling they are identical.

 

[majicmaker]

It's the same bike except the AE rides like a Formula1 race car on two wheels. It'll be in the next gear in the blink of an eye. You're going to love it!

 

[KTMRIDER]

What about in an actual drag race? Does the AE have the proper calibration for aggressive launches? I have no illusions of this being a 1/4 mile hero.... I'm just trying to decide if its a neutered version on the bike.

 

[majicmaker]

It's not neutered in the least. Once you get used to it, you'll be able to keep up with any bike. Not Kidding. I do it all the time. It's the same engine power but now, you can actually shift faster than a clutched version. It'll be in the next gear as fast as you can think it. (.03 seconds). It will take your breath away.

Oh by the way! You'll get used to it in about 15 minutes. Not kidding about that one either.

 

[KTMRIDER]

Just watched a bunch of vids from a guy beatin the hell out of his AE.... burn outs wheelies ect.... not too bad!

 

[KTMRIDER]

It's not neutered in the least. Once you get used to it, you'll be able to keep up with any bike. Not Kidding. I do it all the time. It's the same engine power but now, you can actually shift faster than a clutched version. It'll be in the next gear as fast as you can think it. (.03 seconds). It will take your breath away. Oh by the way! You'll get used to it in about 15 minutes. Not kidding about that one either.

Can you shift under power or should you left off the gas? I assume you need to ease off the throttle. Also kinda odd to see the AE models for sale have no miles on them? Is there a reason I see 2007 bikes with 4 or 5, 000 miles on them?

 

[Patriot]

throttle control is everything...no feathering of the clutch while on a hill....no vroom vroom vroom without plowing into the car in front of you...it's a really different bike than a clutch...many love them, many only have one cause they were $1500 cheaper than a clutch, many get one to try and either love or tolerate it, or sell it in a relatively short period of time. And some have bad left wrists or lost a left foot in an accident and the bike's God's gift. There are aftermarket ways to make the throttle much more user friendly which matters on an AE...parking lot speeds smoothness takes talent and practice...

just IMHO...I wouldn't have one, but I like them and like some of the AE riders !!!

 

[Redfish Hunter]

The one deciding factor in the 1/4 mile drag race is the difference in launch technique. The AE cannot be launched in the same fashion as the conventional clutch version. Once rolling, as Majicmaker points out, the shifts are lightning fast. The 1/4 mile times for the AE are slightly higher (slower) than the convetional clutch bikes. Of course, most of us would NOT abuse our clutch for a dragstrip launch like the magazine guys do. We have to ride the bike home and we have to pay for repairs. They don't. That said, in the real world, there is almost no difference in 1/4 mile times.

 

[Top_Speed1]

And just when you thought that everything on the AE (here) was covered...

 

[Enn]

Can you shift under power or should you left off the gas? I assume you need to ease off the throttle. Also kinda odd to see the AE models for sale have no miles on them? Is there a reason I see 2007 bikes with 4 or 5, 000 miles on them?

It is a matter of taste, I would say. By manual it is recommended to ease the throttle a bit for the shift and most of us riding the thing are also doing so. But you can also simply hold your throttle in acceleration and it still shifts very,very smoothly, in fact it does it in a very cool way. But most probably that is not the best way to treat the clutch in a long run.

 

[Top_Speed1]

If your just flowing steady in traffic and need an upshift, I don't move the throttle at all, just click her in gear. Now if it is a more aggressive acceleration... a quick "jerk" (off)

of the throttle and back on between shift up-clicks and you will be know as "Mr. Smoothie".

 

[mcatrophy]

...Can you shift under power or should you left off the gas? I assume you need to ease off the throttle. Also kinda odd to see the AE models for sale have no miles on them? Is there a reason I see 2007 bikes with 4 or 5, 000 miles on them?

To add to what others have said, if you shift up keeping a high throttle setting, as the clutch disengages, the engine speed rises, maybe up to the limiter. As the next higher gear is engaged and the clutch starts to engage, the ECU ******* the ignition to lower the engine torque. The engine speed gradually comes down as the clutch is engaged further, until it is somewhere near fully engaged, then the engine torque is allowed to rise again.
This gives a smoothish change, but takes significantly longer than a momentary slackening of the throttle as you flick the switch. It certainly stops your rapid acceleration. And, long term, the clutch has got to suffer (but it seems to be a very robust clutch).

 

[majicmaker]

Think of it as a normal clutched bike. When you're ready to pull the clutch lever, you ease off a bit on the throttle. Not Closing it! Just ease off of it so the engine won't over rev. Same thing with the AE. Just before pulling the trigger, just ease off on the acceleration process. With the AE. Even if you don't ease off, all you'll get is a slight increase in the revs that'll last for about. .03 seconds until its in the next gear. This thing is awesome!

I'm convinced that the AE suffered from all the purest out there that kept saying to me: The best part of riding a motorcycle is going through the gears.

To them, my reply was: "No it's Not! The best part of riding a motorcycle is Riding the motorcycle!!"

I'm thinking the lack of interest is a very good thing for us. That means there will be many low mileage low priced replacement AE's for the foreseeable future. I'm not hating that at all. )

 

[fastpappy]

+1majicmaker said it all. The computer controlled clutch is still available across the pond. I gotta believe that mamayama will eventually make it available here again. If we were all so resistant to technology we all be ridding Harleys.

 

[majicmaker]

+1majicmaker said it all. The computer controlled clutch is still available across the pond. I gotta believe that mamayama will eventually make it available here again. If we were all so resistant to technology we all be ridding Harleys. :not_i:

From your lips to Gods ears Pappy! When the Gen III AE finally gets here, I'll be the first one on line to order one. Not yet though. My '06 is in its prime and running like a bat out of Hell. I can wait a while longer.

 

[Fontanaman]

For some light reading on prior Forum post of A vs. AE see this.

It boils down to what you prefer.