I'm considering buying an brand new 2007 FJR AE from a dealer. It's been at the dealer for a while. The AE has not been as popular in my area I guess. I'm pretty sure I'll love the bike, but I don't want to pay too much. Any thoughts on a good price?
Thanks.
Rob,
I don't know where you've shopped, but that specific bike has not drawn favor with a majority of the FJR group, nor the motorcycle community as a whole. I'm not dissing anyone's bike, but I've seen the AE's go for very little as compared to the A. They are plentiful, still new, still sitting in dealerships all over the country. You should be able to score one at a very low price. The fact that they are 2007 models, still available new and this is April of 2009 should speak for itself. Good luck in your search.
Ride Safe on whatever,
The Hound
According to an article published in the LA Times, fully a quarter of all FJRs sold these days are AE models.
However an '07 is now 2 years old - get a great price and make certain that you get a new battery, new fluids (including coolant and a hydraulic fluid flush) and that the full warranty is in force.
The extended warranty is an excellent investment at less than $400.
From the L.A. Times and others, in a syndicated piece written by someone named Susan Carpenter:
Yamaha -- the first major motorcycle manufacturer to introduce a clutchless motorcycle for the street -- saw a 13% increase in sales of its FJR1300AE from March 2008 to February, a time during which total motorcycle sales, both on- and off-road, were down 9%.
On the market since 2006, the semi-manual version of Yamaha's popular sport-touring model allows riders to press a button or a lever to shift gears rather than coordinate their left extremities to simultaneously squeeze a clutch with one hand and press a shifter with a foot. The clutchless AE, available for an $1,800 premium over the manual transmission version, accounts for 25% of FJR1300 sales.
Yamaha is "patiently watching" to see if the smaller displacement, fully and semiautomatic models that have come on the market in the last year "make any inroads," said Kevin Foley, Yamaha's media relations manager for street motorcycles.
So far, they appear to be.
Sounds pretty popular, especially given the price premium.
