Please help me decide.....

[OBFJR]

Get the 07, don't look back. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Bob

 

[Panman]

A quick story; I just bought a 2007A 8/28 brand new and now have 3,000 miles to date (and love it mostly the clutch is sticky). Shortly after I was walking thru the shop at work and saw a picture hanging on the wall of a FJR-AE a guy at work had bought. He had a 06A and two weeks later he went and traded it in for the AE lost his but, but oh well that's what he wanted! Last week he trades it off for some 750CC hot rod thing. He told me he got boarded riding the AE that it didn't feel natural not having a clutch. I’ve been riding for well over thirty years I have a old Triumph Trident I play with my body is telling me I'd better ride now or it'll be to late but when I rode his AE I felt I might as well be in a Cage! And here's the thing if you have been riding very long at all, the clutch is your 2nd best friend and the Throttle is first! Get the Clutch! When I can't take enough pills to pull he levers it will be time to quit. Good luck Kevin.

 

[jekirby]

A quick story; I just bought a 2007A 8/28 brand new and now have 3,000 miles to date (and love it mostly the clutch is sticky). Shortly after I was walking thru the shop at work and saw a picture hanging on the wall of a FJR-AE a guy at work had bought. He had a 06A and two weeks later he went and traded it in for the AE lost his but, but oh well that's what he wanted! Last week he trades it off for some 750CC hot rod thing. He told me he got boarded riding the AE that it didn't feel natural not having a clutch. I’ve been riding for well over thirty years I have a old Triumph Trident I play with my body is telling me I'd better ride now or it'll be to late but when I rode his AE I felt I might as well be in a Cage! And here's the thing if you have been riding very long at all, the clutch is your 2nd best friend and the Throttle is first! Get the Clutch! When I can't take enough pills to pull he levers it will be time to quit. Good luck Kevin.

Thanks for the story Kevin. In another thread a member pointed me to , a good piece of advice jumped right out: If you can't decide, then go with the familiar. I guess I am leaning toward the 07. As I stated earlier, I do like to be in control. I have never borrowed or test rode a bike that I felt nervous on, but the AE gave me pause only because it was different. That said, it was not nearly as hard to take off and manuver as all the reviews would have you believe. I don't believe that I have read anything comparing it to a drag bike. With the exception of the type of clutch and it engages only once, most drag bikes utilize a push-button shift. If those guys have the guts to use a push button shift then it should be accepatable for the rest of us.

Could yo describe the clutch issue you have?

 

[turbodave_98]

I am a vintage rider and have both an 05 non-ABS and an 06 AE. Both are great bikes. After having my AE since for nearly 2 years, I decided that I didn't need 2 FJRs in my collection. I decided to trade away my 05 and keep the 06 AE. I have nearly 27k on it and the more I ride it the more I enjoy and appreciate the convenience of the electronic shifter. Don't listen when others say it is a clutchless or automatic transmission. It has a convential clutch that is merely shifted electronically. It shifts very smoothly and quickly. It takes very few minutes on it to get used to the system. If and when I get another LD bike, I will hope that the AE model is still available.

I must also add that the manual shifting clutch lever is something that is familiar to most of us riders, but the electronic version of shifting IMHO is here to stay.

My suggestion is get whatever bike suits your riding style. Both choices you have are magnificent.

 

[SR-71]

Ok! :clapping: 20+ replies. 20+ opinions? :clapping: great....

I'm guessing after reading all these responses, you're more confused than before you wrote your posting. Most people tend to recommend the bike they bought. Who knows, perhaps it's a way for people to justify their thought purchase processes.

I own an '07A, luv it, but you won't get any "XX model and don't look back" responses from me.

My suggestion is, analyze the situation yourself. It's not rocket science...

Do you get stuck in traffic a lot and/or do you plan to commute in heavy traffic regularly? (AE)

Do you enjoy feeling of being more connected to transferring power to the ground? (A)

Do you like the idea of the bike's computer having the ability to limit your bad shifting decisions? (AE)

Assuming you don't like scooters. Does the AE seem scooter'ish to you? (A)

Does shifting through the gears manual give you a rush? (A)

Do you see the clutch as a useless and/or old fashion gadget in today's technology? (AE)

Is resale a possibility in a few years? (always pick the newest model) or...

Have you looked on ebay to see how fast FJR's depreciate? ('07)

Which color pleases you more?

Yam builds a great FJR, but mechcancial problems have occurred in past models. Common sense tells you the more complex a machine is, the more parts there are to break. (A)

AE's have only been around for a couple of years. Will they hold up for long periods? Your guess is as good as all the AE owners out there. (A)

Good luck with your decision.

SR-71

 

[Jagermeister]

OK, I know this will draw the scorn of any happy AE owner, but the Service Dept Mgr at my Local Dealer said he's had 3 '06-07 AEs in for warranty tranny work.

I'm not convinced the bugs are worked out. Just sayyin!

 

[greg97224]

No question, the 07 isn't even broken in yet, you get the YES, and you are not getting an AE. I agree with others, the AE might be more difficult to sell down the road. Besides, the 07 is much more handsome.

 

[Flyguy]

Being a very pleased AE owner I would (naturally) choose the '06, but then I enjoy owning something different. I am unaware of any tranny problems associated with the AE specifically. The ease of riding this bike generates a lot of loyalty which is why you hear owners so staunch in their views. I have switched a number of times with A owners during group rides and always find myself grinning when I get mine back. Reminds me of an early reviewers comment that he was dissapointed he could not ride the AE back to the hotel after the comparison riding was done as someone else had beat him to the bike. The point is, don't be afraid of the AE, it is a truly unique bike and at that price you've already got the depreciation out of it.

 

[FJR1300Mark]

I do appreciate the odd or different - I drive a 2CV

I chose the 07A for me and I love it. I did make some changes to make it near perfect in shifting. You are in a nice position to have two great choices.

enjoy the ride.

 

[Rondo777]

I own an 06 AE. I've been all over this forum for the past 6 months since buying the bike. I love mine (It does take getting used to) but I would do it again in a heartbeat. In the time I've been on this forum that has been the opiinion of every AE owner that has commented. Except for 1, I forget the details but he had electricle problems and was really stranded bad. I think it had to do with his heated Grips not working properly from day one and being wired in with the shift mech. Anyway, all of us who own AE have has regular clutches before so can actually have an informed opinion. All of my regular riding buddies are on R1's and R6"s we all ride agressivly and I'm right in there with them. Either way I'm sure you'll be happy but the AE is very cool. The only thing I don't like about it is that I am so spoiled by it that unless other manufactures come up with somthing similar I have nothing to even consider for future purchases

 

[clutchless1]

You are going to have to make that decision yourself. It's going to be hard figuring out exactly which one to settle on because both bikes have so much to offer to the rider. It really depends on what type of riding you do in order to figure out which one fits your needs better. I'm sure you already know the AE Model is higher in it's initial price, that said are you going to need the YCCS and the heated grips when you ride.

I own the 06 AE Model and have not looked back in a long while, at first I thought I may have made a mistake purchasing the AE Model over the A Model, but I can honestly say I didn't. If I had to replace the AE Model right now that's what I'd stick with because I like it so much. I didn't think the AE was all that different from the A until I went on a long road trip this last fall. Once we arrived at our destination I found we were going to be dealing with wall to wall traffic all weekend. In dealing with this traffic is where the AE came into it's own, the bike was an absolute pleasure to ride compaired to any other bike I've ever ridden in a situation like this. But personally I think this is where the AE shines over the A, but once you get there this is where the difference's end. Both bikes are so superbly designed and balanced neither of them has a weakness the other can jump on to make anything out of.

Now that you are aware of the warranty and price of both bikes you need to figure which one meets your personal needs better. If you think there is a possibility you may trade the bike away in a year or two the A Model could very well be your best choice just because it will be worth more because it's an 07 model. If you aren't going to trade your bike often and do a lot of riding in traffic, the AE may be the better choice between the two. It's really a simple thing to figure out, but a hard one to accomplish because both bikes being almost the exact same are just so damn good. The AE also makes riding available to some who have severe problems with their left hand, it could be surgery or arthritis has left a rider with severe pain that is brought on by having to squeeze and release a clutch lever, it could even be because they have completely lost their left hand in some type of accident. There are many reasons some choose the AE Model over the A Model, you just have to figure out if it's right for you and your style of riding.

If I had to describe my AE to someone I would have to say this. This is the most boring bike I've ever owned, but it's the most exciting one I've ever ridden. The boring part of it comes into play because once you add a few things to the bike...That's it! There is no need to keep adding anything else because the bike just doesn't need much to begin with. I mean you can add a seat, exhaust, GPS, or just about anything else to the bike, but it just doesn't need it. How can you improve on the design of this bike? About the only reason to add anything to this bike is just to make it your very own, but as I said before it just doesn't need it. So boring is a good thing. I say the FJR is the most exciting bike I've ever ridden because all you have to do is get on one and ride, and you'll figure it out on your own.

Good luck in your search, I'm sure which ever Model you finally end up with will definately make you a happy person.

 

[MrTwisty]

I only use the clutch on my '07 50% of the time anyway (only on downshifts). The bike shifts so smoothly, I can't see the advantage of the AE. It just seems like something else to go wrong.

 

[fjrchooser]

If you are having bone/arthritic problems go AE If not go A if you can handle the clutch pull. Its strong for "some" peoplecough TWN cough

Now that ***** funny, I don't...

 

[jekirby]

Hey everyone. Thank you all so much for the input. Today I spent a lot of time with the 06 AE and in the end chose the 07 A. What a bike!! When I finished my ride tonight it was 27F. Nothing but numb fingers. First add will be heated grips. That was one thing that I really liked about the AE.

I have been riding for 20 years, I know how to run a bike. First test ride yesterday was just around the parking lot and it handled great. I personally had zero problems with very slow u turns and such. Out on the open road pushing it through the mountain that we have around here, I just couldn't get the bike to shift smoothly. Throtttle held open....nope.....back off throttle significantly.......never do that again....blip the throttle....still hard shift. I think that I accidentally had a few good shifts. It seemed that the clutch engaged too quicky on the upshifts. I was convinced that I cohld do it better, smoother. Down shifting and allowing the engine to slow the bike was where the electric clutch was a pleasure. I do not think that I could shift that quickly. I have ridden many bikes over the years, mine, test rides, friends and with the first use of the clutch that usually was all that was needed to know what that particulat bike needed. What disppointed me about the AE was that after 45min, I still was not comfortable with the bike. That said, I had fun on the bike and the novelty of finger shifting was a kick. I do feel that the AE has it place and I do think that Yamaha did a good job with it, but I guess that in the long run I figured that I would lose patience with the bike and have a hard time selling it especially since the dealer had two that weren't moving. So.....I stuck with the familiar and I do not believe I will never regret it.

John

 

[Fencer]

did you ask if the ECU recall had been done?

 

[jekirby]

did you ask if the ECU recall had been done?

No I did not. I actually meant to, but it slipped my mind. It is a moot point though, I have the 07A now and am satisfied with my decision. What was the problem with the ecu?

 

[Topspeed]

The ECU recall was particularly for 07's, but included 06 as well. When traveling at a sedate speed on altitude (approx. 1000 foot changes) changing roads the bike might surge causing a startling if not dangerous experience depending on where it happened. Some never seemed to have a problem, and others had it happen multiple times. Since its a warranty service and doesn't take long to have it switched I would check with dealer to see if was done or not.

 

[bikerkash]

I had one of the 1st 06 AE models because I was having some issues with my left foot. I ride 25 to 30k per year and thought this would be the answer. After 5k I got use to the auto clutch but I never felt comfortable at parking lot speeds. The clutch is either on or off. I found this an on going problem and never got comfortable with the bike at parking lot speeds. I guess I would tell you that unless if you have some issue that you would need this feature you would be better off with the clutch bike. I totaled my 06 a year ago next week. I'm not capable of riding yet but I think I'll be by next summer and my next bike will be an 08 FJR A bike.

 

[rcpd807]

oops

 

[Rondo777]

Congrats on your purchase! I'm sure you wont be disapointed. The AE def takes time to get used to. Its not for everyone. After about 500 miles it all fell into place for me. The shifts are so smooth that every now and then I find myself having to check the digital display to see that it actually happened. Be sure to check out all the little mods that you can do on your 07 they apply to both your manual clutch and the AE models, Barbarian, G2, remove the slack from your throttle cable and unwinding your throttle spring one turn. You'll find them all here on this forum and they will make a great bike just that much better. Once again, congrats and ENJOY THE RIDE. :clapping: