UK model 2018 AS

[ThwartedEfforts]

Collected my 2018 FJR1300AS yesterday and duly posted a quick "hello" in the appropriate forum.

Thought I'd post an update here for any would-be purchaser interested in YCC-S because the semi auto is frustratingly hard to read about. For one reason or another the press seem to have largely ignored it, and the fact it's no longer sold in the U.S. means you even see reviews that treat it as discontinued

The most useful source of advice has been forums like this and in particular @mcatrophy who keeps a journal on his experiences. Technically he's the person most responsible for it being in my garage.

My previous bike was a Norge GT8V which, sad to say, already seems like a distant memory. The FJR makes it look agricultural by comparison. Literally every aspect of the Guzzi is done better on the Yamaha, from ride and handling to side cases. The FJR is a touch heavier (264kg vs 257kg dry) yet feels a heap lighter on the move. First ride impressions were that it was an immeasurably smoother experience: I'd regularly get aching wrists and numb fingers riding the Norge, my RSI being aggravated by the vibrations and aches caused by subconsciously squeezing the grips because they buzzed so much. Despite being designed for touring I'd get off after just 30 minutes and swing my arms round like a windmill to get the feeling back in my hands. 30 minutes on the FJR leaves me feeling like I've only just got on. The difference is stark.

The YCC-S system has also been something of an epiphany. I'd tested a Honda Crosstourer DCT prior to looking at the FJR and loved the way the DCT felt like it was freeing up 20% of my brain for other things. It's not like I struggle with the idea of changing gears manually, just that systems such as DCT and YCC-S make life easier. I think previous experience also has a lot to do with how much I value the setup, in that the Guzzi box was clunky and prone to false neutrals, with a clutch that was (characteristically, so I'm told) either 'on' and 'off' and hard to modulate. Years ago I took a test ride of a BMW LT and, along with weighing as much as a baby grand, it was one of those bikes that was defined by its hideous gear change.

Although gaining in popularity thanks to what seems to be a positive reaction to Honda's DCT, particularly so on the Crosstourer and new Gold Wing, my Yamaha dealer still had to decorate my bike with all manner of farkles in order to make it seem attractive: R&G sliders, exhaust protector, radiator guard, plus Yamaha foot guards and knuckle visors whose effectiveness I don't know because I don't have the originals to compare.

I also bought a replacement Yamaha touring screen from eBay ahead of collecting the bike after reading comments here. I'm 6'2" and I can tell you that is better

 

[russperry]

Welcome to the Forum! If you've managed to read all the doom and gloom about the state of the site then you know it might be a short-lived membership for you

But for as long as we're all here and sharing, nice looking machine!

 

[Canadian FJR]

Welcome, sure do like the silver.

Canadian FJR

 

[rogdeb]

Welcome aboard Sir

Good write-up.

That Silver

- like it more than the Flat Blue offered over here.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Great write-up and nice looking FJR! Looks like your dealer has good taste with the add-ones, you did well.

Enjoy the bike, sounds like youre off to a good beginning!

G

 

[A.pex]

Collected my 2018 FJR1300AS yesterday and duly posted a quick "hello" in the appropriate forum.

Thought I'd post an update here for any would-be purchaser interested in YCC-S because the semi auto is frustratingly hard to read about. For one reason or another the press seem to have largely ignored it, and the fact it's no longer sold in the U.S. means you even see reviews that treat it as discontinued

The most useful source of advice has been forums like this and in particular @mcatrophy who keeps a journal on his experiences. Technically he's the person most responsible for it being in my garage.

My previous bike was a Norge GT8V which, sad to say, already seems like a distant memory. The FJR makes it look agricultural by comparison. Literally every aspect of the Guzzi is done better on the Yamaha, from ride and handling to side cases. The FJR is a touch heavier (264kg vs 257kg dry) yet feels a heap lighter on the move. First ride impressions were that it was an immeasurably smoother experience: I'd regularly get aching wrists and numb fingers riding the Norge, my RSI being aggravated by the vibrations and aches caused by subconsciously squeezing the grips because they buzzed so much. Despite being designed for touring I'd get off after just 30 minutes and swing my arms round like a windmill to get the feeling back in my hands. 30 minutes on the FJR leaves me feeling like I've only just got on. The difference is stark.

The YCC-S system has also been something of an epiphany. I'd tested a Honda Crosstourer DCT prior to looking at the FJR and loved the way the DCT felt like it was freeing up 20% of my brain for other things. It's not like I struggle with the idea of changing gears manually, just that systems such as DCT and YCC-S make life easier. I think previous experience also has a lot to do with how much I value the setup, in that the Guzzi box was clunky and prone to false neutrals, with a clutch that was (characteristically, so I'm told) either 'on' and 'off' and hard to modulate. Years ago I took a test ride of a BMW LT and, along with weighing as much as a baby grand, it was one of those bikes that was defined by its hideous gear change.

Although gaining in popularity thanks to what seems to be a positive reaction to Honda's DCT, particularly so on the Crosstourer and new Gold Wing, my Yamaha dealer still had to decorate my bike with all manner of farkles in order to make it seem attractive: R&G sliders, exhaust protector, radiator guard, plus Yamaha foot guards and knuckle visors whose effectiveness I don't know because I don't have the originals to compare.

I also bought a replacement Yamaha touring screen from eBay ahead of collecting the bike after reading comments here. I'm 6'2" and I can tell you that is better

Collected my 2018 FJR1300AS yesterday and duly posted a quick "hello" in the appropriate forum.

Thought I'd post an update here for any would-be purchaser interested in YCC-S because the semi auto is frustratingly hard to read about. For one reason or another the press seem to have largely ignored it, and the fact it's no longer sold in the U.S. means you even see reviews that treat it as discontinued

The most useful source of advice has been forums like this and in particular @mcatrophy who keeps a journal on his experiences. Technically he's the person most responsible for it being in my garage.

My previous bike was a Norge GT8V which, sad to say, already seems like a distant memory. The FJR makes it look agricultural by comparison. Literally every aspect of the Guzzi is done better on the Yamaha, from ride and handling to side cases. The FJR is a touch heavier (264kg vs 257kg dry) yet feels a heap lighter on the move. First ride impressions were that it was an immeasurably smoother experience: I'd regularly get aching wrists and numb fingers riding the Norge, my RSI being aggravated by the vibrations and aches caused by subconsciously squeezing the grips because they buzzed so much. Despite being designed for touring I'd get off after just 30 minutes and swing my arms round like a windmill to get the feeling back in my hands. 30 minutes on the FJR leaves me feeling like I've only just got on. The difference is stark.

The YCC-S system has also been something of an epiphany. I'd tested a Honda Crosstourer DCT prior to looking at the FJR and loved the way the DCT felt like it was freeing up 20% of my brain for other things. It's not like I struggle with the idea of changing gears manually, just that systems such as DCT and YCC-S make life easier. I think previous experience also has a lot to do with how much I value the setup, in that the Guzzi box was clunky and prone to false neutrals, with a clutch that was (characteristically, so I'm told) either 'on' and 'off' and hard to modulate. Years ago I took a test ride of a BMW LT and, along with weighing as much as a baby grand, it was one of those bikes that was defined by its hideous gear change.

Although gaining in popularity thanks to what seems to be a positive reaction to Honda's DCT, particularly so on the Crosstourer and new Gold Wing, my Yamaha dealer still had to decorate my bike with all manner of farkles in order to make it seem attractive: R&G sliders, exhaust protector, radiator guard, plus Yamaha foot guards and knuckle visors whose effectiveness I don't know because I don't have the originals to compare.

I also bought a replacement Yamaha touring screen from eBay ahead of collecting the bike after reading comments here. I'm 6'2" and I can tell you that is better

Hi, looking for the rest of your view on the fjr as gearbox. May I contact you re AS system, as the rest of your post is missing.

 

[sapest]

You might note this thread is from 2018.

Perhaps a better idea would be to start a new thread asking other AS owners their opinions? There a few around that are active on this forum these days.
-Steve

 

[mcatrophy]

Hi, looking for the rest of your view on the fjr as gearbox. May I contact you re AS system, as the rest of your post is missing.

I'm also a UK owner of a 2018 AS, purchased new in January 2018, currently with just on 30,000 miles.

Our USA cousins never had the blessings of the Gen3 YCC-S gearbox, and its operation was significantly improved from the Gen2 AE as it was designated in that market.

if you are considering buying one, there are pros and cons over the manual gearbox, but in ordinary day-to-day riding it's a dream. If you want to change gear, hold the throttle steady and flick the switch with your forefinger to change up or down (there is a thumb-push to change down, I ignore it), or you can use the foot lever, which is still effectively a switch - I never use it.

The cons, at least for me, are to do with carpark manoeuvres, better than the Gen2 AS but still requires more care than the manual.

If you've any specific questions, I'll try to answer them.

 

[A.pex]

I'm also a UK owner of a 2018 AS, purchased new in January 2018, currently with just on 30,000 miles.

Our USA cousins never had the blessings of the Gen3 YCC-S gearbox, and its operation was significantly improved from the Gen2 ES as it was designated in that market.

if you are considering buying one, there are pros and cons over the manual gearbox, but in ordinary day-to-day riding it's a dream. If you want to change gear, hold the throttle steady and flick the switch with your forefinger to change up or down (there is a thumb-push to change down, I ignore it), or you can use the foot lever, which is still effectively a switch - I never use it.

The cons, at least for me, are to do with carpark manoeuvres, better than the Gen2 AS but still requires more care than the manual.

If you've any specific questions, I'll try to answer them.

Brilliant thank you very much, can’t find a lot regarding the AS. Main concern is handling at very low speeds, and situations as the one you mentioned.
The fine adjustments that can be done by using the clutch, will the AS behave significantly different? In what way does it require more care?

 

[mcatrophy]

Brilliant thank you very much, can’t find a lot regarding the AS. Main concern is handling at very low speeds, and situations as the one you mentioned.
The fine adjustments that can be done by using the clutch, will the AS behave significantly different? In what way does it require more care?

Very low speed cornering, as it reaches clutch disengagement speed, the forward drive can reduce. Nothing as bad as the Gen2, these simply disconnected the clutch, a real danger of dropping it. The Gen3 will leave some torque through the clutch but it will disconnect as you come to rest.

The only other thing I find annoying when moving from rest, the Gen3 has a "feature" that as the clutch engages, it puts on a little extra throttle, my guess the reason for this is an anti-stall mechanism, which may be useful with a conventional clutch/gearbox, where the clutch is still sliipping so the extra power just slips the clutch a little more. Unfortunately, on the AS, the clutch control computer says to itself "Oh, look, more throttle, we'd better engage the clutch a bit more" which means you move off more quickly that you intended. With a warm engine, this is barely noticeable, but if you have a cold engine with its higher tick-over, it can be annoying if you're trying to move off with a hard lock in a confined space. If I'm trying to do that and i have time, I let the engine warm to its normal tick-over, which does reduce the effect.

If I've made that sound like it's unrideable, it is perfectly all right if you understand its peculiarities.

i am forced into the AS because of some sort of arthritis in my left hand. Given a free choice, i would choose the conventional clutch, but there are times when the AS is a godsend, particularly in heavy traffic, or a sudden overtaking opportunity, you can drop two gears in the time it takes to flick you finger twice (though it's rare to need to change down two!).

And there's something quite addictive about opening the throttle wide and just flicking up through the gears as the bike accelerates. But make sure there are no speed cameras around, you're into triple digits in no time.

 

[A.pex]

Very low speed cornering, as it reaches clutch disengagement speed, the forward drive can reduce. Nothing as bad as the Gen2, these simply disconnected the clutch, a real danger of dropping it. The Gen3 will leave some torque through the clutch but it will disconnect as you come to rest.

The only other thing I find annoying when moving from rest, the Gen3 has a "feature" that as the clutch engages, it puts on a little extra throttle, my guess the reason for this is an anti-stall mechanism, which may be useful with a conventional clutch/gearbox, where the clutch is still sliipping so the extra power just slips the clutch a little more. Unfortunately, on the AS, the clutch control computer says to itself "Oh, look, more throttle, we'd better engage the clutch a bit more" which means you move off more quickly that you intended. With a warm engine, this is barely noticeable, but if you have a cold engine with its higher tick-over, it can b e annoying if you're trying to move off with a hard lock in a confined space. If I'm trying to do that and i have time, I let the engine warm to its normal tick-over, which does reduce the effect.

If I've made that sound like it's unrideable, it is perfectly all right if you understand its peculiarities.

i am forced into the AS because of some sort of arthritis in my left hand. Given a free choice, i would choose the conventional clutch, but there are times when the AS is a godsend, particularly in heavy traffic, or a sudden overtaking opportunity, you can drop two gears in the time it takes to flick you finger twice (though it's rare to need to change down two!).

And there's something quite addictive about opening the throttle wide and just flicking up through the hears as the bike accelerates. But make sure there are no speed cameras around, you're into triple digits in no time.

Thanks, that’s very much appreciated. Very much the type of scenarios that I needed to understand. Used to have an FJ1100 in the late eighties, have since been on Beemers. Now considering an FJR over my current K1300GT. Thanks again for taking the time

 

[fastpappy]

On my AE (equivalent to the AS on this side of the pond) I also find it helpful during low speed maneuvers to drag the rear brake. Just my tupence.