Purchasing a FJR1300A or AE

[Av8rider]

I have only been looking at Sport Touring bikes for about a week. I have found two '07 FJR1300AE's, a new one for $11,700 and the other with 2000 miles for $10,500 both plus tax and license. I'm not sure about the automatic transmission, they're also both silver and I would prefer the Dark Cherry or Black.

What is the consensus about the automatic transmission?

I have not found any [New] 07's on eBay Motors, or anywhere else online, where do you find good deals?

Are there things about this bike that I should be aware of, things I should know to ask the dealer/seller before I purchase?

Neither of the two dealers I visited in California would let me test ride the bike, is this normal?

 

[Av8rider]

Also, I;m new to this forum and it certainly isn't my intention to start a flame war about the manual versus automatic transmission. I just haven't seen motorcycle with an automatic transmission since I was 10 with my Honda ST90...

I realize this is an FJR site but I'd also appreciate any insight about the '08 Kawasaki Concours 14 and how it compares to the FJR1300A. Which would you purchase if they were the same price and why?

I found a new '08 Kawasaki for $12,300 [including all the usual dealer fee's but not tax and license] around $11,600, I don't know if that's a good deal or not. But sitting next to it was an 08 black FJR, :dribble: man is that a good looking bike, but it ended up costing about $900 more.

Thanks in advance, I imagine you get a ton of people asking for help to make up their minds. :blink:

 

[wfooshee]

First, make sure you understand that it's not an automatic transmission, it's an automatic clutch. The transmission never shifts of its own accord, but the clutch action is automatic when you as the rider initiate a shift. Clutch action matches the throttle pretty much, i.e. hard throttle is quick clutch, tooling around gently gives a gentler clutch action.

As for yeas and nays, I can't imagine giving up clutch control, but those who have one pretty much love it, to a man.

Pricing, I couldn't tell you anything about. I got a used '03 dirt cheap last summer.

 

[Dale Franks]

I've had an '07 AE model for about three weeks now.

Like you, I was unsure about the AE, but I got offered an OTD price for one that I didn't want to walk away from.

In my massive experience on the AE (i.e., about 700 miles in mixed traffic/road conditions), I've come to like the automatic clutch even better than I thought I would. It only has one--easily fixable--drawback, about which, more in due course.

At low speed, you have no clutch to moderate your engine inputs to the rear wheel, so the AE method is 1) trail braking, 2) becoming used to more precise throttle use, and 3) learning where the YCC-S system begins to add clutch friction at low RPMs. It's different, and takes a bit of getting used to, but it isn't any more difficult than learning to use the clutch and trail brake properly was. It takes a few days to get this down, but, it becomes second nature, just like clutching was on a standard bike. It's really not that big of a deal.

At speed, it's pretty unobtrusive. You kick the shifter lever--or flick the handlebar lever, according to preference--and the shift just happens. It's very quick, and for the most part, pretty smooth. I suppose I could, if I concentrated, operate a manual clutch more smoothly, but, frankly, I rarely did.

In city traffic...it's fantastic! I do about 1/3 to 1/2 of my driving in urban traffic, and I really like the ease of use the YCC-S system has. No more aching clutch hand.

The drawback I mentioned earlier is the surginess of the '07 throttle. For whatever reason, Yamaha apparently used a throttle cam in the '06 and '07 models that really front-loads the power delivery. In practice, that meant that you need a surgeaon's hand on the throttle at low speeds, or you just jumped forward in an...inconvenient fashion. I had a few scary surges pulling out of parking lots and whatnot at first.

The fix for this is a $60 G2 throttle cam/tube that replaces the stock throttle tube on the handlebar. It reverses the wierd throttle cam Yamaha put under the tank, and gives you very smooth, linear power delivery, and eliminates the "surge".

Overall, while I preferred the A model before getting the AE, I'm very happy with the AE, and I'd buy it again.

 

[Dale Franks]

I found a new '08 Kawasaki for $12,300 [including all the usual dealer fee's but not tax and license] around $11,600, I don't know if that's a good deal or not. But sitting next to it was an 08 black FJR, :dribble: man is that a good looking bike, but it ended up costing about $900 more.

I really, really like the Connie 14. Wouldn't buy one.

Yet.

It's the very first model year for the new Connie, and so I'd kind of worry what we don't know is wrong with it yet. I'd wait for a year or two, when they they've got some of the initial release problems ironed out.

Also, the weather protection on the Connie...not so good. The fuel capacity could be a lot larger, too.

Finally, and I'm sure this is just me being shallow..that four-into-one exhaust with the single huge can on the right side is ugly as sh!t. Spoils the whole rear of the bike.

Love that ZX-14 engine, though.

 

[JRO]

The Concours requires a lot more to maintain one. The valve checks are more frequent, and expensive. Somebody did a cost/maintenance comparison a while back, and that alone would steer me away from the Kawasaki.

I test rode the AE's, and I liked them. I almost bought one. Conventional thinking made me opt for the A, however.

I don't buy bikes I can't ride, but I live in Okla.. Seems like most dealers will put you on something. Those that won't - well, there's always another dealer. Find a used one and try it, if you can't find a dealer willing to offer a test ride.

Those prices sound decent.

For price, performance, reliability, and maintenance, I think the FJR is the best selection out there. Good luck on your bike shopping.

 

[Knifemaker]

Well, I have to ask, how much riding experiance do you have?

If this is your first bike, or your first bike after 12 years of not riding...a FJR is not for you.

You seem to have not done alot of research yet. The AE is not an "automatic transmission" and most dealers do not give test rides.

As for the Connie...I'll go with the statements above....for the money I'd still pick the FJR.

KM

 

[dekkerd]

I have only been looking at Sport Touring bikes for about a week. I have found two '07 FJR1300AE's, a new one for $11,700 and the other with 2000 miles for $10,500 both plus tax and license. I'm not sure about the automatic transmission, they're also both silver and I would prefer the Dark Cherry or Black.
What is the consensus about the automatic transmission?

I have not found any [New] 07's on eBay Motors, or anywhere else online, where do you find good deals?

Are there things about this bike that I should be aware of, things I should know to ask the dealer/seller before I purchase?

Neither of the two dealers I visited in California would let me test ride the bike, is this normal?

yep.

After a year and a half of drooling, I finally test rode an AE when the demo truck was in town. bought the bike 3 days later, no regrets.

 

[SEA-FJR]

Neither of the two dealers I visited in California would let me test ride the bike, is this normal?

I went to three dealer here in Seattle before buying an A, and every one of them offered a test ride. I would never buy from a dealer who doesn't allow me to take it for a ride first. As far as AE vs. A goes, that's a personal choice nobody can help you with. You really should ride them both and make up your own mind.

 

[Av8rider]

Well, I have to ask, how much riding experiance do you have?
If this is your first bike, or your first bike after 12 years of not riding...a FJR is not for you.

You seem to have not done alot of research yet. The AE is not an "automatic transmission" and most dealers do not give test rides.

As for the Connie...I'll go with the statements above....for the money I'd still pick the FJR.

KM

I have previously had four bikes, currently I have a Honda Shadow 1100 with about 8000 miles. This would be my first Sport Touring bike. Regarding the transmission, I guess I used a bad example, but the ST90 wasn't an automatic either, you just didn't need a manual clutch to shift with.

My concern about the A vs AE is reliability, extra maintenance, and resale. Like I mentioned earlier I have found two new 07 AE's but have not been able to find any new 07 A's. I have also found it a bit more difficult finding new 08 A's in stock. When I have asked the dealers about this they said that the A's sold much quicker than the AE's.

Dale thanks for the insight. I would prefer the FJR1300A, however if I can't get the price of an 08A to within $1000 of the 07 AE I don't mind getting the AE. Does the A have the same throttle problem as the AE?

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[Dale Franks]

Does the A have the same throttle problem as the AE?

It certainly does. All '06 and '07 FJRs have it.

I don't know if it's a problem, exactly. I think it was an attempt to get sport-bike performance from the first twist of the throttle. It just turned out that most people wanted a more linear throttle response.

Me too. If I want to make a rabbit start, I know how to do it. I don't need Yamaha to help me.

 

[uctofeej]

My concern about the A vs AE is reliability, extra maintenance, and resale. Like I mentioned earlier I have found two new 07 AE's but have not been able to find any new 07 A's. I have also found it a bit more difficult finding new 08 A's in stock. When I have asked the dealers about this they said that the A's sold much quicker than the AE's.

I'm an AE owner and have a few responses to your questions. Bought mine last June.

Reliability - same as the A. I posted a question about mileage and issues with the AE a while back. So far, no one has reported any clutch-related failures. Mileage was typically in the 8K-30K range on those who responded.

Maintenance - Don't know of anyone who has had to perform maintenance on the YCC-S system. BTW, Yamaha has a YCC system on a lot of their sportbikes and have for a while now. It's not something new to them, so unless you get a rare one with problems, you should be fine.

Resale - dunno about that one. Time will tell.

There is a lot of hand-wringing over purchasing an AE, but I have not met very many dissatisfied owners. In fact, I've only heard of one on the forum. Likewise, Cycleworld magazine editors did a long-term write-up on the AE and said they weren't impressed, but they also noted that every owner they heard from liked it.

The bottom line is that it is a fine bike with no clutch-related problems. Sure, it takes some riding adjustments to learn the clutch system, but then again, so does switching from a cruiser to a sport-tourer.

 

[Tim]

Just saw a new '07 dark Cherry at Virginia Honda Yamaha, in Richmond, VA call 804-353-3242

 

[zedman]

I was on the same dilema on the connie versus the FJR and I honestly thought it would be the Connie as I'm coming off two Kawasaki's. The FJR is more comfortable to me and has a bit more features and like mentioned isn't the first year. Alot of people are having problems with the keyless system on the Connie but I'm sure the motor on the bike is incredible from riding a buddies zx14.

As for the AE versus the A, I do know most dealers are alot more willing to deal on the AE's as they are having a hard time selling them. Although the MSRP is higher on them I could have gotten one for 500 less than the A. With that in mind I think you would have a much harder time selling it on the used market too.

 

[SEA-FJR]

As for the AE versus the A, I do know most dealers are alot more willing to deal on the AE's as they are having a hard time selling them. Although the MSRP is higher on them I could have gotten one for 500 less than the A. With that in mind I think you would have a much harder time selling it on the used market too.

Same experience here. I was offered an 07 AE for a thousand dollars LESS than an 07 A. That has to have an impact on resale value. Of course, if you get a great deal on it to begin with then it's probably a wash in the end.

 

[uctofeej]

Same experience here. I was offered an 07 AE for a thousand dollars LESS than an 07 A. That has to have an impact on resale value. Of course, if you get a great deal on it to begin with then it's probably a wash in the end.

Have you guys seen many used AEs for sale? I doubt you have. What does that do for resale value?

 

[SR-71]

Edited from my original posting. SR-71

I also pondered the A vs AE decision and was also offered an AE buying incentive. Obviously we all have our different wants and needs, so it's nice we have a choice.

In any case, I heard there's a 5-to-1 buying ratio; A vs AE. I've also read most AE owners would buy the same model again, so that's definitely good press for the AE.

For what it's worth, below is the analysis I used to make my decision (And note there is no "I" in "you", so please don't take my analysis personally):

* Would I be spending a lot of time riding in stop & go traffic? no

* Would I feel like I was somewhat lazy not using a clutch lever? Yeah, a bit.

* Do I like gadgets? Yeah, quite a bit - and that was the main reason I was making the comparison. (Plus I liked the '07 AE color too.)

* Would the possibility of added complexity and things breaking bother me? Yeah, it's a new feature on the FJR (since '06 anyway) so that was a consideration.

* Do I want to deal with a slight learning curve? And occasionally having to drag the rear brake? No

* Do I want to exchange a tad of fine low speed control for the ability to have a computer control the clutch? No

* Would a buying incentive sway me in my decision? No

I think the AE shift is a nice innovation. If I was in a situation where I commuted on my FJR I'd probably seriously consider buying the AE. The main reason I went with the A model is, I just really like shifting with a clutch lever! I used to sell motorcycles for a living and I've lost track of the number of bikes I've driven in the past 40+ years. And the bottom line is, I like the solid state of control a manual clutch provides.

In any case, good luck with your decision.

SR-71

Another thought... Has anyone considered how easy it would be for Yamaha to turn the AE into a FULLY Automatic bike? It wouldn't take much! Just a matter of having a computer monitor the rpm, load, and speed, and at the proper thresholds, have the computer make the appropriate up/down electrical shift connections. Maybe next year?

 

[uctofeej]

It should be noted for the record that SR-71 always chimes in with his reasons for opting to get the A instead of the AE. Clearly, he has deep regrets for not making the purchase, so he tries to justify stepping down to the antiquated clutch model.

:****:

 

[SR-71]

Post deleted.

SR-71