dct. vs AE Is it worth the new technolgy.

[wnyfjr]

... Downshifting for the most part is smooth also if I keep my finger off the horn button instead of the one below it,

Try using just your forefinger to shift both up and down, it's a natural flicking action. Much easier than finger up, thumb down.

with my '06 I find myself upshifting with the paddle and downshifting with the toe shifter. Not every time, but most of the time. The only thing that catches me is when I don't downshift coming to a stop. The bike remains in whatever gear you left it in as you coasted to a stop so when the light changes I try to launch and...damn! <downshift-downshift-downshift-WFO!>

 

[mcatrophy]

... Downshifting for the most part is smooth also if I keep my finger off the horn button instead of the one below it,

Try using just your forefinger to shift both up and down, it's a natural flicking action. Much easier than finger up, thumb down.

with my '06 I find myself upshifting with the paddle and downshifting with the toe shifter. Not every time, but most of the time. The only thing that catches me is when I don't downshift coming to a stop. The bike remains in whatever gear you left it in as you coasted to a stop so when the light changes I try to launch and...damn! downshift-downshift-downshift-WFO!" :weirdsmiley:

Get in the habit of using your forefinger. There's no disadvantage that I am aware of.
Of course, you really want the Gen 3 or 4 varient, you can set it to down-change to 1st automatically as you come to a stop. It works brilliantly, no more "...damn! downshift-downshift-downshift-WFO!" moments -_- .

 

[Steve in Phx]

... Downshifting for the most part is smooth also if I keep my finger off the horn button instead of the one below it,

Try using just your forefinger to shift both up and down, it's a natural flicking action. Much easier than finger up, thumb down.

+1. This is what I do as well. No more accidental honks.

 

[FJRMGM]

i rode my friends 2017 Honda Africa Twin with the DCT and came away quite impressed!! In "Sport" mode it always up and down shifted just about the time I was thinking about doing it myself. So cool because it was almost intuitive......

The AE is a sweet bike to ride and button shift but the Honda is in another galaxy as far as how the DCT works. And how well it works!!

An FJR with DCT would be killer to ride!!

 

[allrider]

I have had my AE for 10yrs now and love it. It only let me down once when the heated throttle grip shorted out and caused a fault that affected its ability to shift. Once i chased that down and fixed it and cleared the fault code i was OK again.

I especially love it at track days shifting midcorner while passing someone on the outside without lifting a toe.

You need to take a DCT for a ride and compare it to an AE. Lots to unpack regarding the differences, but the DCT is superior in a number of ways. Most significant is it can be fully auto, down shifting to 1st at a stop all the way from 6th. AE's don't do that. And smooooth as can be. AE's are not always smooth or quiet.

The VFR1200 dct is the one to test ride to appreciate what it has to offer. Its the best comparison to the FJR AE.

 

[mcatrophy]

... down shifting to 1st at a stop all the way from 6th. AE's don't do that. ...

The Gen 3+ YCC-S FJR will shift to 1st all by itself. And the ECU deals with the throttle during gearchanges, giving a smooth change without the rider altering the throttle. I find holding the throttle wide open and flicking up through the gears somewhat addictive :evil: .

 

[allrider]

... down shifting to 1st at a stop all the way from 6th. AE's don't do that. ...

The Gen 3+ YCC-S FJR will shift to 1st all by itself. And the ECU deals with the throttle during gearchanges, giving a smooth change without the rider altering the throttle. I find holding the throttle wide open and flicking up through the gears somewhat addictive

.

Now I want to try the Gen 3 AS. Hey Yamaha!!! How about sending us the AS?

 

[Irishcurtis]

"An FJR with DCT would be killer to ride!!"


That was called the VFR1200F

As a previous owner of two AEs (and seriously considering a third), allow me to provide the final, definitive word on the subject...FJR1300AE with YCC-S is superior IN EVERY WAY to any standard shift FJR, regardless of generation!!

Thank you

 

[BanjoBoy]

... down shifting to 1st at a stop all the way from 6th. AE's don't do that. ...

The Gen 3+ YCC-S FJR will shift to 1st all by itself. And the ECU deals with the throttle during gearchanges, giving a smooth change without the rider altering the throttle. I find holding the throttle wide open and flicking up through the gears somewhat addictive

.

Oh thanks fer rubbing it in for us LUZERS in the states that don't get the genIII AEs. I can hold the throttle WFO 'n shift up.

If only momma Yama marketed AEs as speed shifters instead of a 660 lb n00b friendly scooters they'd still b sell'in 'em here!

 

[jammess]

I wonder why Yamaha doesn't sell the AE here? I was looking at a brand new left over 2007 AE at a small dealer in Eastern Oregon in about 2010 or 11. He wasn't far from my house and I used to walk by his shop every day. Then one day the AE was gone and I missed out, damn!

 

[owsley]

"Gen III European models downshift by themselves"

yes, thanks for rubbing that one in! for us yanks

 

[fjrbird]

A week ago I was helping a friend who bought a used 2007 A for a ride home. Man that standard clutch was hard on my hand! At stop lights, it took considerable tension on my fingers to hold the clutch on the 1st gear. After about 80 miles home, I felt sore on that left hand. I now appreciate much more on my AE and promise myself to keep it forever

perhaps!

 

[gregory]

Bought an Africa Twin with the DCT. I didn't think I would like it as much as I do.

 

[BanjoBoy]

A week ago I was helping a friend who bought a used 2007 A for a ride home. Man that standard clutch was hard on my hand! At stop lights, it took considerable tension on my fingers to hold the clutch on the 1st gear. After about 80 miles home, I felt sore on that left hand. I now appreciate much more on my AE and promise myself to keep it forever

perhaps!

Bought an Africa Twin with the DCT. I didn't think I would like it as much as I do.

Yeah, I just got the AE cuz my left pinky finger was broke, 'n figured I sell it once healed, butt now I'm really dig'in it, n just can't see go'in back to that primitive clutch thang. (Although, they are nice when yer battery's dead.)

 

[ThwartedEfforts]

The DCT on the VFR1200X Crosstourer was what prompted me to get the AS/AE version of the FJR.

The Honda approach does indeed feel the more advanced system, in that it fully automates upshifts and downshifts whereas YCC-S only does downshifts - and then only on more recent models, and you have to remember to thumb the 'Stop' button each time you start, and Uncle Sam can't have it anyway

Thing is though, 'more advanced' is not the same as 'more desirable'. And there is no direct DCT equivalent of an FJR with YCC-S: the Crosstourer is a comfy and flickable armchair, but it lacks the LED lights, cruise control (what the hell Honda), selectable ride modes, electronic suspension, full fairing and so on, and I confess I'm not drawn to adventure bikes anyway. Personal choice, but the beaky-nose/square-panniers/lifestyle thing is not me. A guy at work commutes on a Versys complete with Dakar clothing and aluminium boxes - presumably for his ham sandwiches - and is known as Lara Croft. When car drivers snicker at you, it's time to stop and think.

The only obvious Honda parallel is the Gold Wing DCT, which is double the price and you need to be double the age to ride it

FWIW I did a lot of reading on DCT after my first ride and found two or three instances of DCT failures in full-auto which left me feeling concerned, most memorably this one from 2016 where Honda ended up replacing the whole bike. What was most troubling is that they never explained what actually failed. I don't want to trash the tech because I like it, it's a huge step forward, and the ease of use it offers can only encourage more riders, but until more manufacturers offer similar systems on a wider range of bikes it'll remain a niche choice.

 

[mcatrophy]

... and you have to remember to thumb the 'Stop' button each time you start, and Uncle Sam can't have it anyway :not_i: ...

Curious, my 2018 bike remembers the "Stop" setting when the ignition is cycled, though it always turns off the cruise control "Power". Which does annoy me.

 

[ThwartedEfforts]

I checked mine this morning thinking I might've imagined the whole thing. But no, it definitely forgets "Stop" between turns of the ignition.

Any way of finding out what firmware version I'm running?

 

[mcatrophy]

...Any way of finding out what firmware version I'm running?

Not that I'm aware of. And changing the ECU firmware is a whole other subject, I don't believe it's ever been done on an FJR, even though some websites promise it. Some owners have changed out the whole ECU to upgrade. 2013 bikes in the USA had their cruise control limited to about 80 mph, 2014 were at the European limit of about 100. A few did change their 2013 ECU to a 2014 ECU to get round this, quite an expensive option, but it worked.

Earlier YCC-S bikes had the mis-feature that they wouldn't allow the use of the finger gear-change until after that had been selected with a button. As part of a heated vest controller I made (forum link and website link), I put in a relay whose contacts were across that select button, which, after a few hundred millisecond delay would close for a few hundred milliseconds. This then always enabled the finger switch after each ignition cycle. I contemplated using this on my new bike to select the cruise "Power", but in the end didn't, but you might consider something similar to activate the "Stop".

On my previous bike, I made a bracket to hold in the button that selects the CC "Power" (link). This did turn it on after each ignition cycle, but I removed it because the bike was having an issue, and I wanted to be absolutely sure this wasn't contributing to it. Never refitted it. However, you might try this for the "Stop"selection button.

 

[FJRPittsburgh]

Still riding my 2008 AE. If Yamaha doesn't send the AS/AE's back to the US soon, my next bike might have to be a DCT Gold Wing.

 

[Brodie]

^^^^^ Im still 39, damn-it !!!

Thankfully thats way too young to drive a Gold Wing.

Ill just stick with my Advanced Edition bikes thank you very much.

Brodie