Considering used: should I be afraid of the auto-clutch?

[HCB]

Actually, we've got a few folks with such as ankle injuries that won't let them work the shifter. It was go AE or give up riding. I'll take the AE thanks! Of course this doesn't apply to me, I just couldn't pass up the deal and wanted to give it a try.

Props to you on the bicycle escort thing. I did the Hotter Than Hell 100 last year as an escort. No thanks, not ever again. I can't think of a more boring way to spend time on my motorcycle. I'm sure the bicyclists are happy there's lots of folks like you out there to volunteer.

And I can totally understand the physical inability thing; injuries and stuff, no problems, no condemnation. But claiming a clutch is too tedious to pull seems weak, like belly-achin' about the heat in Texas or the cold in Massachusetts; it's the nature of the beast.

Thank you, I love doing that ride (MS150/Ride MS). I don't think the HTH100 is a charity ride so I'm not sure I'd be motivated to do it... As for the riding, yeah, it's a bicycle ride, not a motorcycle ride, so not very entertaining for the motorcycle aspect but when the riders are giving up so much to help a charitible event it really feels good to help them. I think we could always do to have more motorcyclists who understand that it's not a poker run...

--HC

 

[HCB]

It looks like you have done your initial homework, now go find one to test ride. You know what issues you are concerned with. Some are overcome with mechanical fixes, like low speed throttle issues on the 06-07's. Other things like bleeding the clutch is a PITA, but I only do it every couple years, and if you have a tech meet in your area it will be that much easier with some help. The rest comes with time in the saddle to smooth out your technique.

You'll know if it's for you or not fairly quickly.

The only other issue is Radio Howie chiming in from time to time on all things Gen II or AE. Think of him more like Radio Interference.

Thanks for the reply. I will still entertain the idea of one but the one I was looking at, while a pretty good deal on the price, was a 9 hour roundtrip from me. I go that way about 1-2 times a month but was considering a special trip just to look at the FRJ AE. I decided to wait until my next regularly scheduled trip. If the guy still has it I'll look a it.

I live in a rural area so there won't be any tech meets anywhere near me...of course, it's a sport-TOURING bike so I could ride to a meet about 90 miles away (I'm sure there's one in DFW).

--HC

 

[HCB]

I have blead my '08 AE a couple times useing a mighty vac. It might throw a fault for excessive movement after bleeding with vacuum due to the slave cylinder retracting. Cycle the key a couple times and actuate the shifter and it should reset itself. No need to remove swingarm unless you want to manually exercise the clutch.

I love my bike. Neatest thing since sliced bread!

I dunno what you wrote, I couldn't stop staring at your avatar/pic chick. My daddy would say that anybody who wouldn't eat that is queer.

--HC

 

[networkguy]

And I can totally understand the physical inability thing; injuries and stuff, no problems, no condemnation. But claiming a clutch is too tedious to pull seems weak, like belly-achin' about the heat in Texas or the cold in Massachusetts; it's the nature of the beast.

Thank you, I love doing that ride (MS150/Ride MS). I don't think the HTH100 is a charity ride so I'm not sure I'd be motivated to do it... As for the riding, yeah, it's a bicycle ride, not a motorcycle ride, so not very entertaining for the motorcycle aspect but when the riders are giving up so much to help a charitible event it really feels good to help them. I think we could always do to have more motorcyclists who understand that it's not a poker run...

--HC

A couple of things.

First, its not an auto clutch. Its an electronic clutch. There is a difference

Second, on my bolded above, this obviously comes from someone who doesnt have carpel tunnel. Ive ridden for 30 years, and the last 3 or 4 before I got my AE were terrible. Commuting was impossible, and long trips were dicey. Ive literally had to stop for 30 minutes and apply ice to my left wrist on a road trip because I got stuck in traffic 400 miles from home. As others have mentioned, the AE is the difference between enjoying riding and having it be painful. Or in some cases, makes it so one actually CAN ride.

OK enough of the rant. I love my AE. A standard clutch is a fraction faster off the line, but the AE makes up for it in its quick shifts. A human cannot shift as quickly or as smoothly as the AE can.

 

[Hefty]

I agree with the quick shifts from the AE. When I first test rode mine I was extremely impressed with how quickly I could toggle through the gears. I was a skeptic before getting on one, but after 5 minutes I was sold on the AE. I don't have any physical ailments that keep me from being able to pull a clutch lever and I've never minded it in the past, but having the AE sure is nice imho

 

[gixxerjasen]

Well I'll bitch about the clutch pull in heavy Dallas traffic as much as I'm preparing to bitch about the heat in Texas in the summer. That's just me.

As for shifting gears, it'll shift one at a time very quickly, but try to do multiples and it's not as fast as a manual clutch. Try using the foot shifter to jam down two or three gears in order to tear up a passing maneuver....you'll only have likely gone down one gear.

 

[mcatrophy]

... Try using the foot shifter to jam down two or three gears in order to tear up a passing maneuver....you'll only have likely gone down one gear.

That's one reason why I always use the finger flicker. Much easier to guarantee a proper release between changes.

 

[RadioHowie]

A standard clutch is a fraction faster off the line, but the AE makes up for it in its quick shifts. A human cannot shift as quickly or as smoothly as the AE can.

Yep, according to an AE expert on the forum, the AE can shift 55 times a minute!

 

[Sarge]

Do not worry about the auto clutch. If you like the bike and the price is right then jump! I bought an '06 AE a few months back and with about 3000 miles so far I have no regrets. I ride other bikes daily with the clutch and have no issues transitioning from one to the other. I do find it to be a bit jumpy at take off when it is cold but once it is warmed up it rolls on power as smooth as I can (or smoother) with a manual clutch. Whether you buy one with an auto clutch or not, enjoy whatcha get and ride safe!

 

[mcatrophy]

...

Yep, according to an AE expert on the forum, the AE can shift 55 times a minute!

Come on, RH, that's a rate, not a number. Your FJR (and possibly my "POS" Gen II) can do 160 miles per hour

. Doesn't mean it has to do all 160 miles for a whole hour to prove the point

. (Would empty its tank long before then anyway. Unless you've got one of those hollow metal pillion thingies full of fuel behind you.)

The AS (AE) can change a gear in a few tens of milliseconds (I don't remember the quoted figure, but it's as fast as I can flick the Loser Switch), and even your manual gear change can surely manage one shift per second which would be 60 per minute as a rate. So anyway, didn't you mean to laugh at 55 per second?

I think you just can't find a way to farkle the electric gear change on to your bike, and you're jealous

.

Now, where were we? Oh, yes, fear of the "auto-clutch". I now fear the wrath of RH

. Going to hide in a dark corner somewhere...

 

[HCB]

Thanks for all the input. I didn't rush to buy the thing (had a trip out of state planned which I'm now on and didn't buy it before I left), and I won't rush when I get back.

I'm not cussin' those with legitmate handicaps and wanting to ease/enable their riding.

I'm still not sure that I can feel comfortable on an "auto-clutch" and won't know until I ride one...not gonna rush into it. If the bike had a regular clutch setup I'd own it and be riding it not discussing it.

Still kinda thinking a clutchless ("auto-clutch" for the purists) MC is kind of like decaf coffee...and decaf coffee is like goin' down on your own sister...sure, it tastes the same, but it's not !%^%$} right!

--HC

 

[RadioHowie]

Still kinda thinking a clutchless ("auto-clutch" for the purists) MC is kind of like decaf coffee...

This immediately made me think of David Letterman and his heart surgery back in 2000. When he came back on the air, he complained about his doctors switching him to decaf, or as he called it, "useless, warm brown water".

Perfect analogy for an AE. Thanks for the comparison. :lol:

 

[AGirlOnTheGo]

I too considered the AE when I was hunting for a FJR. I looked at several of them and the owners all had other bikes, most of the AE's did not have high miles, which leads me to believe their owners did not like the auto clutch. As a life-long rider, I simply prefer the traditional style on my moto. I do however have the inline auto-clutch on my sports car and love it. I simply may not have been evolved enough to get my brain around the no clutch process on a bike.

Good luck!

AGirlOnTheGo

Hey, all. I am looking at a used 07 FJR with the auto-clutch. From my light reading so far 1) that was only offered on the 06 to 09 YM, 2) I've not found a lot of posts on this site regarding the auto-clutch, so...apparently it didn't last long (4 model years) and not a lot of people are talking about them.

I'm not sure I want the auto-clutch (one review I read from back in 06 about the "new" auto-clutch said it wasn't really great for low speed u-turns and one event I do each year is endless back and forth with cyclists so I'm doing low-speed U-turns for two days). I'm also concerned about the complexity of the system and the maintenance/parts to fix it.

Love to know what the community thinks and knows.

Thank you.

--HC

 

[Scotty]

Hey, all. I am looking at a used 07 FJR with the auto-clutch. From my light reading so far 1) that was only offered on the 06 to 09 YM, 2) I've not found a lot of posts on this site regarding the auto-clutch, so...apparently it didn't last long (4 model years) and not a lot of people are talking about them.

I'm not sure I want the auto-clutch (one review I read from back in 06 about the "new" auto-clutch said it wasn't really great for low speed u-turns and one event I do each year is endless back and forth with cyclists so I'm doing low-speed U-turns for two days). I'm also concerned about the complexity of the system and the maintenance/parts to fix it.

Love to know what the community thinks and knows.

Thank you.

--HC

Go for it. I have a 2007AE. Great low maintenance bike. It can be tricky at low speeds. The trick is don't use first try 2nd or even 3rd and with a little rear braking you can turn the bike quite easily around in U turns, gas stations, etc. Flying down a good backroad it is pretty neat to just click once or maybe a second time roll into a corner push a little more and accelerate though the corner then when you get it all lined up another flick and pin the throttle(Ferrari style).

 

[rodentrancher]

Have a 2006 AE. Love it, but I bought it because of a damaged left wrist/hand. The electronic clutch saves a lot of pain, doubt I'd still be riding if I had to use a conventional clutch. The AE does have some quirks, the odd placement of neutral and the fact that it can still roll in gear unless the ignition switch is off being the ones that annoy me the most.

Other folks have already described the low speed tricks you need to use in the parking lot (rear brake/2nd gear, etc).

If you don't have a physical reason to want the auto clutch, I wouldn't go out of your way to get one. However, the AE models often go for considerably less on the used market than a similar standard FJR. If you can save a pretty penny on the AE, you might want to consider it, even if you don't "need" one. Certainly there's nothing "wrong" with the AE.

 

[johndaub]

In 2007 I wanted to get a new Connie or the FJR. I liked the looks of the FJR better so wanted to test ride. They would only let me test ride a used bike and happened to have a 2006 AE. I said I did not want the AE (cost and reliability) but test rode it to see what the comfort, handling and engine were like. They said "come back within an hour". In that hour, I fell in love with the AE. Now that I am developing some carpal tunnel, I am glad I got the AE. I do not like to think of it as auto-clutch, I like to think of it as Formula 1 semi-automatic technology.

 

[Granger]

"I appreciate the post to throw some money at it to make it more rideable but the purchase price isn't compelling enough to make that an enticing option."

The writer's comment about solving an accel-jerk problem with money referred only to Gen-I AE bikes, but with a Gen-II AE there is far less issue, so no need to throw any money at the problem. As an '09 AE owner I have zero issue with abrupt accel, so someone's just being picky.

I bought a used 2009 AE for $11k with only 662 mi. in perfect condition, so I don't think you have a price issue to make. Also, there's more than one dealer out there with an unsold AE for low bucks. Why unsold?, because some people, who happily drive cars (and trucks!) with auto transmission their entire lives, make shit up about being a "purist" when it comes to two wheeled, motorized transportation, when really this is just their personal line of BS.

The AE flies, it handles just like an "A", and it shifts perfectly and on time, and I can wave (or give the one-finger salute) with my left hand while I'm doing it. If someone tells you that the AE weighs more, then I am happy to have a conversation with them about dragging their 230 pound butt on their A to try and follow my 170p on an AE through the twisties some time, so it's academic.

Bottom line, some bike owners don't like any color but black. This doesn't make black the best color or even a "manly" one, it's more a comment on their total lack of imagination. I rode both versions of FJR before I bought one and it's the same damn bike. But when I drive a car I like being able to occasionally sip my coffee while making turns (due to it being an automatic) instead of having to use both hands and both legs to find & use 2nd gear. Same issue here, and it didn't cost me a cent more on my purchase price. The riders who pooh-pooh AEs don't know I have one as I pass them or accompany them until we stop to chat and look at each others' bikes. I guess those who make it a big deal aren't personally secure enough to own one.

See you on the highway,

Granger

 

[fjrbird]

I too considered the AE when I was hunting for a FJR. I looked at several of them and the owners all had other bikes, most of the AE's did not have high miles, which leads me to believe their owners did not like the auto clutch. As a life-long rider, I simply prefer the traditional style on my moto. I do however have the inline auto-clutch on my sports car and love it. I simply may not have been evolved enough to get my brain around the no clutch process on a bike.

Good luck!

AGirlOnTheGo

Hmm, I don't see any statistical evidence to back up your claim "...AE owners did not have high mile". I checked Craigslist and seen lots of non-AE bikes for sale with lower mileage as well. Perhaps riders who have lower mileage on their bike are just entertaining motorcycling, and love the FJR performance as well other aspects. But when getting into actual riding, there are many other factors that could make reality harsher. Health issue, wrist pain, back pain, busy work schedule, kids, etc. all make riding almost impossible, or no fun. I can tell for sure that riding is a serious sport. And if one doesn't fit, don't even try, or waste time and money.

Hey, all. I am looking at a used 07 FJR with the auto-clutch. From my light reading so far 1) that was only offered on the 06 to 09 YM, 2) I've not found a lot of posts on this site regarding the auto-clutch, so...apparently it didn't last long (4 model years) and not a lot of people are talking about them.

I'm not sure I want the auto-clutch (one review I read from back in 06 about the "new" auto-clutch said it wasn't really great for low speed u-turns and one event I do each year is endless back and forth with cyclists so I'm doing low-speed U-turns for two days). I'm also concerned about the complexity of the system and the maintenance/parts to fix it.

Love to know what the community thinks and knows.

Thank you.

--HC

 

[FJRPittsburgh]

Have no fear whatsoever. Listen to the reviews of people who actually own an AE. I would consider reviews of AE's from non AE owners as suspect. The bike is absolutely fabulous. Buy it, because after your first test ride, you're going to fall in love with it. I just got back from a few 3-day trips while accumulating another 5,000 miles on my AE. No more old fashioned manual clutched bikes for me. Best of luck in your decision.

Jeff

 

[RadioHowie]

The writer's comment about solving an accel-jerk problem with money referred only to Gen-I AE bikes, but with a Gen-II AE there is far less issue, so no need to throw any money at the problem.

There is no such thing as a Gen-I AE, as all AEs are Gen-II spawn.