To AE or not to AE

[sqidget]

Most points have been touched upon here other than a adjustment period. I got a test ride, loved it, bought it. Took time and care breaking it in,still loveed it. Then I was not happy from 600 miles to around 1500 miles while I adjusted my shift points and riding style to a point of smoothness I required. Ask my wife, I am slightly anal about some things. I now have 4000 miles. All I can say now is I LOVE it!! If this one disappeared or got wrecked I would go directly to a dealer and get another AE. Some people will tell you of problems during slow speed maneuvers, I have never had any issues. FWIW buy a bike YOU want and are drawn to, not your friends. I did that in 02 with my CBR954RR. Awesome bike, but in 20,000 miles still was not THE bike for me. It was the only bike I felt no loss or emotion when trading. The AE is THE bike for me. Enjoy whichever you choose.

 

[Ray]

Most points have been touched upon here other than a adjustment period. I got a test ride, loved it, bought it. Took time and care breaking it in,still loveed it. Then I was not happy from 600 miles to around 1500 miles while I adjusted my shift points and riding style to a point of smoothness I required. Ask my wife, I am slightly anal about some things. I now have 4000 miles. All I can say now is I LOVE it!! If this one disappeared or got wrecked I would go directly to a dealer and get another AE. Some people will tell you of problems during slow speed maneuvers, I have never had any issues. FWIW buy a bike YOU want and are drawn to, not your friends. I did that in 02 with my CBR954RR. Awesome bike, but in 20,000 miles still was not THE bike for me. It was the only bike I felt no loss or emotion when trading. The AE is THE bike for me. Enjoy whichever you choose.

I have had my AE for 1 week and have put 400 miles on it. Researched the FJRs for about a year. Got the AE becuase the dealer had it as lesft over new 2006 and I got it for about $5500 off. Having driven the same bike since 1983 it took a little getting used to but not much. Biggest issues were using hand shift where honking horn instead of downshifting happened a couple of times. Even funnier thing was not realizing it starts in 1st and will sit idelling. I goosed it a llittle and it jumped forward cracking everyone up around me.

Absolutly love it. You cann't go wrong and all my friends are facinated by the electric clutch. But then it does not take much to entertain us 50 year old geezers. I tell them it is an old mans crotch rocket.

 

[rfulcher]

Don't know if it adds to the useful data, but recently at 2 dealerships an owner and a manager told they wished they had ordered a standard FJR instead of the AE that was on the sales floor. I was not fishing for their opinion they just made the comment as part of conversation. Each felt he could have sold a standard but not the AE. The $5500 discount on an 06 AE and the recent comments at dealerships may say something about demand for the bike and resale value. This may say nothing about bike quality or owner satisfaction.

My guess is if you like it, its great, you should ride what you like. But don't pay retail and don't expect to get much for resale or trade in. I guess it could become a cult bike and be in high demand :lol:

 

[2006FJR]

I have been trying to decide if I even want an FJR and my friend that owns one won't quit badgering me until I get one. So the other day I go to a dealer and start looking at an A model. Then the dealer says they've got an AE for a little more. Both are appealing and the AE is intriguing. I am a traditionalist when it comes to clutching so I wasn't too warm to the idea of a no clutch lever setup but ya never know. The question I have is, what is the general consensus on the AE here on the forum?

I would say get it.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I have ridden 8,000 miles on my 06 AE without a single glitch. The dealer sold it to me for $2,000 off the list price. It appears that they are harder to sell than the manual clutch models. That being said, it is a great addition to a great bike. Mine shifts like a knife through hot butter. Starting on a slope and slow maneuvering takes a little practice, but in a short time it becomes second nature. The benefits as I see them are: no fumbling for neutral, no sore hands in stop and go traffic, and easier to maintain balance in a turn when there is a need to downshift. The only downside I experienced was the inability to rev the engine and feather the clutch to facilitate sharp low speed turns.

 

[Harald]

snipI goosed it a llittle and it jumped forward cracking everyone up around me.

snip

I don't have an AE, but I imagine that would be my biggest problem. I've been riding for over 150,000 miles over at least 25 years and I religiously blip the throttle. I suspect a few false lauches of the AE would cure me of that habit.

 

[uctofeej]

snipI goosed it a llittle and it jumped forward cracking everyone up around me.

snip

I don't have an AE, but I imagine that would be my biggest problem. I've been riding for over 150,000 miles over at least 25 years and I religiously blip the throttle. I suspect a few false lauches of the AE would cure me of that habit.

It only took me two times to learn not to do it... I'm a slow learner :fool:

 

[Cejay]

I have been trying to decide if I even want an FJR and my friend that owns one won't quit badgering me until I get one. So the other day I go to a dealer and start looking at an A model. Then the dealer says they've got an AE for a little more. Both are appealing and the AE is intriguing. I am a traditionalist when it comes to clutching so I wasn't too warm to the idea of a no clutch lever setup but ya never know. The question I have is, what is the general consensus on the AE here on the forum?

Just regarding the AE versus A choice (its actually an AS in Oz), I love tech and toys and thought the idea of a lecky clutch was great. I bought my 2007 AS untried after having test ridden an 05 A model.

When I collected the bike the next day and instinctively reached for the clutch I was in shock, I had initially thought that you still had the choice to operate the clutch manually. Taking off from the dealers I was certain I had made a mistake and for the next 15 minutes was unimpressed. After I started to get used to switching between the paddle and foot shifting the setup started to grow on me. By the time I had put the first 1000klms on the clock I was more than happy.

This was emphasized when I received a 2004 FJR as a loan bike and had to start clutching again, once again it became a novelty to operate the clutch manually. On the ride back to the dealers I gained a real appreciation for the Electronic Shift System as I found my hand left hand starting to ache from continually clutching in stop start traffic. I do not have the slow speed & U turn manouvering problems others have expressed but have had to adjust my starting procedure for sloping starts, I simply set my left leg on the ground and hold my self with the foot brake. Although I have never had a problem accelerating hard from the lights on bikes like my old Hayabusa or Blackbird, on the AS FJR it is so much easier to take off consistently quick and keep the front wheel on the ground, especially with a pillion and flicking through the cogs with the paddle is a real delight. I am a very happy chappy. :yahoo: :yahoo: