AE vs Standard Clutch Pro and Con

[sharkey]

1 month owner of a 06AE and I gotta say I'm liking the AE version. Had I not found the AE, I probably would have gone with something else, maybe a VFR? I traded in a Burgman650 which was a great scooter but I thought the suspension was lacking. I know the AE is not an "automatic" but of all the non traditional shifting methods out there, I think Yammy chose the right one with the AE version. Beats Zuki's CVT tranny and Honda's DCT in my opinion.

Slow speed takes a bit of practice but I found a lot of the forum complaints about slow speed problems and abrupt shifting to be a bit over the top. Also consider that I'm 5'4 and 135lbs.

I don;t know about long term liability other than I read a lot about the AE prior to my purchase and didn't see any reoccuring issues. I considered the F800ST and man, they have had issues.

Is the FJR perfect? No and no bike ever is. Too heavy, seat height too high, and more effort for turn in are some of my gripes. My ideal bike would be a FJR900AE that weighs about 100lbs less, has a 30" seat height, stronger subframe, and about 100-110 HP with low end power.

If I want to use a manual clutch, I just start my Honda 919 and take off. I would love a ST built around the 919 engine and tranny but now I'm going way off topic.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Sharkey...Did you consider the Ninja 1000? Have hard bags and everything, including an electric windshield. Either way, you will like that AE. Seems almost everyone who has one really enjoys it.

 

[sharkey]

Sharkey...Did you consider the Ninja 1000? Have hard bags and everything, including an electric windshield. Either way, you will like that AE. Seems almost everyone who has one really enjoys it.

Maybe I considered it too late. I sat on one in the dealership but didn't ride one. Price was a bit of a factor too. I didn't like the seat position and didn't think I could get one with a centerstand. Had I found a low mile 09 FZ6, I might have actually bought that and added Givi bags to it. A buddy just bought a new RT so that kinda pushed me up to a true ST. I didn't tell him but I think the Yammy has better build quality. I've had a ZZR600 and Sprint ST in the past so I probably should have researched the Ninja a bit more but the more I looked, the more the FJR AE made sense. Insurance was also cheaper than a VFR I was also looking at.

 

[majicmaker]

Welcome, sharkey. You are now in the Wonderful World of the AE! You'll never want to yank on another clutch lever again! Enjoy... )

 

[bikerkash]

I have over 150k on AE bikes and never had any Yamaha related issues, except for the headlight lenses which were covered under warrenty. As many have suggested one of the hardest things to master is low speed maneuvers. It is much easier to keep the bike in 2nd gear you will be much smoother. I would like to see Yamaha go to the Dual Clutch set up like the new VFR Honda. It seems like that would be a winner in many ways especially with the age of the average rider getting older and so many of the younger potential riders do not know have to drive a shift car let alone a motorcycle.

 

[gixxerjasen]

My coworker rides one of the Star cruisers. He was looking over my bike as he's been thinking about something new. I tried to explain the AE system to him and he wasn't getting it. Finally I hopped on and showed him. It was cool to watch his mind get blown. He said "I have GOT TO HAVE THIS BIKE!"

LOL!

 

[bucky]

I have an 08AE I bought new in January 2010 for $10k from a dealer auction from bankrupt dealers bikes. No complaints here. I also ride a 2008 FZ1, a 2007 V-Star1300 and a Suzuki M50 all normal clutches. Kind of nice to use a finger to shift once an a while. Slow speed is no problem here. If you can walk and chew gum you can get the hang of it in a couple hours.