When did you get your 06 AE bike?

[Silverbullet]

Dave, I used two side mounted Powerlets, mounted on the rear exhaust hangers. Powerlets instructions show the power plug mounting on the rear bolt of the hanger, which locates the plug in the rear wheel area. I mounted both mine off the front hanger bolt, as it looks cleaner to me, and exposed the plug to less of the elements. The left side is controlled by a Heatroller with the switch mounted in the black fairing panel over the battery. The right side is constant hot for my battery tender.

 

[turbodave_98]

Dave, I used two side mounted Powerlets, mounted on the rear exhaust hangers. Powerlets instructions show the power plug mounting on the rear bolt of the hanger, which locates the plug in the rear wheel area. I mounted both mine off the front hanger bolt, as it looks cleaner to me, and exposed the plug to less of the elements. The left side is controlled by a Heatroller with the switch mounted in the black fairing panel over the battery. The right side is constant hot for my battery tender.

Thanks much. FYI, on my 05 FJR, I mounted the dual powelet outlet at the exact same location. I use it for my heated vest which has its own controller and the other for my battery tender. I will install the same way on my 06 AE. I agree, also, with you comments on the AE shifter. It is really sweet in the twisties and heavy congest traffic. I think the bike is more stable than my 05 because of the longer swingarm and stiffer suspension. I really like the new instrument panel. I could hardly see data without straining on the 05 glass display.

 

[Silverbullet]

Yup, on my '04, I used the dual setup on the left side. Jenny has the hand held controller for her vest, so I just would plug her into the tender socket, while I used the Heat troller controlled plug. Stooopid me, when I ordered the AE, I also ordered another dual plug set up. Then, as the '06's started coming in it was found that the dual plug set up was not going to work. Just for fun, I held it up to the bike the other night, but the new design of the exhaust bracket won't allow for the rearward plug door to open, so you really have no choice but to put one single plug on each side. +1 on the new gauges and suspension. As much as I loved my '04, there isn't anything about the '06 that isn't better in my mind.

 

[bikerkash]

I did a 400 mile day and the seat worked just fine however I did use a sheep skin pad and believe that also helped. I also softened the preload on the rear shock and that also helped smooth out the ride on rougher roads. I found that if I use the rear brake a low speeds you can do a better job of keeping the clutch engaged during low speed parking lot turns. I feel that I can out perform the auto clutch on up shifts and leaving from a standing start but cannot match it's smoothness on down shifts. I disabled the auto down on the windshield which just a matter unpluging a connection, I like this much better. I ask my dealer if they could take tension off the the throttle return and he said it could not be done. I believe this tension is what is what is keeping me from improving my upshifts. I've got some low speed front end shakes and the dealer cannot find the problem so they have a call into Yamaha so we'll see how that shakes out. So far the 06's are a great improvment but I can't imagen what they were thinking when they didn't make cruise control and self canceling turn signals standard on a bike this nice. RIDE SAFE

 

[qmotion]

Well I got surprised today!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm now the proud owner of a 2006 FJR-AE. I left it at the dealer so they could install the Stebel horns and the sliders. I did take it for a 35 mile spin. I'll just say that electronic clutches are the next evolution to motorcycling. In time Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and BMW all will have to step up to the plate. I imagine soon a touring bike won't be a touring bike without it. Make no mistake, IT WORKS.

I'm accustom to clutchless up shifts. Backing off the throttle a little produces the smoothest up shifts. How much you back off depends on the RPM level and torque under demand. The upshifts can only get better with time as I feel the bike out with more miles. Unless Yamaha was a little slow on delivering the second wave of AE deliberately to make some fine tuning adjustments on my bike that wasn't on the first batch, I don't know, but I really didn't percieve any issues with jerkiness. From the stand still the clutch transitions very smoothly from stop to start. It only requires a gentle hand and slow twist of the wrist to get under way smoothly. No more or less than what what be required of an experienced rider driving with a clutch. I'm 5'10" and it looks like I will be needing a slightly taller windshield.

 

[bikerkash]

I now have 1200 miles on my AE and did my first two up day today. We rode 200 miles and she said she love it and thought in many ways it rode better/smoother and there was less air directed on her than on my K1200LT BMW. I find you really need to keep the brain engaged at low speeds with the auto clutch but I continue to adjust to it. I personally believe the thottle return springs are strong. The thing that I've found that has helped this is the $10 cramp buster that you clamp on the throttle and I believe that also helps you improve the smoothness of the upshifts. I have actually found this seat to be more comfortable than the one on my KLT BMW. My passenger also said her seat and sitting position felt very good. At this point I do not see any reason to invest in a new seat. I've got front end shake mostly at speeds under 50MPH. The dealer has ordered another tire, I'm replacing the metzler with an avon and see if this resolves the situation. Over all the more I ride this bike the more I like it. RIDE SAFE

 

[git-r-dan]

I have actually found this seat to be more comfortable than the one on my KLT BMW. My passenger also said her seat and sitting position felt very good. At this point I do not see any reason to invest in a new seat.

bikerkash,

That's the 1st positive on the seat I've heard. Are you a light weight or what? Anyway, that gives me hope that I could save a little $$ on that particular farkle. Of course, my wife is a light weight (right statement).

Went to the dealer today to check AGAIN and the words were: probably should be released next week being a June delivery pushed to July. more patience!

gitterdan

 

[06FJRAEPILOT]

I picked up my new 06 FJR "AE" yesterday from Tony in Texarkana. One word about Tony's dealership: "outstanding". They know FJR's!

I wasn't going to use the paddle shifter right away. My plan was to put a few miles on the bike just to see how she responded before exploring the full shifting capabilities. Tony said try the paddle shifter when you leave. Figured, what the heck and did just that. I didn't use the foot shift lever while logging the entire 289 miles to get her back to Houston. When I got home I put my hand on the lower left side and rear of the gas tank and it was "cool" to the touch.

In a word the bike is: "Awesome!"

No problem at low speeds. No jerking during slowspeed maneuvers like I had read in magazine and forum reports. The bike actually handles as well and in some situations better than the bike with a manual clutch. I have 38,500 miles on my 05 FJR so I have pulled a clutch lever a few times in my life, and I have an idea of how an FJR should perform. The paddle shifter is the way to go! Feet firmly planted on the foot pegs and all the controls for power and shifting at your fingertips!

A word on the taller gearing. Noticeable, however performance doesn't suffer if you operate at five grand or better, and at hiway speeds the bike isn't working to hard. I know nobody rides these bikes at 80 mph, but at that speed she turns 4200 rpm in fifth gear.

It wouldn't surprise me if in the next couple years or so we begin to see the Yamah's YCC shift system on more of their bikes, and my guess is the BMW and Honda folks will come up with a similar shifting system for their sport touring bikes pretty darn quick.

The "AE" bike is simply fantastic on the road. What a joy to ride and SHIFT!

Yamaha would do well to give dealers an "AE" model for folks to test drive. Many potental "A" model buyers may have a different opinion after a good test drive. I personally know its difficult to drop that kind of money on a new bike when your not sure just how well the technology is going to work. I have to admit I was having second thoughts about my purchase order after I read a couple motorcycle magazine reports that indicated jerky handeling during slow speed maneuvers. I did some slow speed maneuvers in dirt and on sand as I had some concern about operation on those sorts of surfaces. I remember the other day while on sandy terrain with the 05 I used the clutch one heck of a lot to maintain control while in tight turns and varying speeds. The "AE" reacted well in both dirt and sand at slow speeds.

Enough said. For those "AE" "nay-sayer's". Don't nock it until you've put one between your legs.

 

[Silverbullet]

That's been pretty much my experience as well. It wasn't hard to shrug off the "scooter," "gay," "ass cheese," etc comments last fall and winter considering the comments came without any more actual knowledge about how the system worked than I had. However, even with some rather positive reviews from some of the early testers, there were a lot lukewarm reactions to it as well. Although I take the magazine reviews with a grain of salt they are "real" experiences, and so I wondered. Actually riding the bike myself was the solution. After 2 weeks and almost 2 thousand miles, I love this thing. Any new skills I needed to learn to work the low speed end of the bike were no more challenging than I have experienced on any new motorcycle I have had. Within an hour of getting on the bike I was as comfortable on it as I was on my '04. I too was wondering if I was going to give up any performance, but I put that to rest by running the AE against my '04, and it ran even up with it. As for the foot shifter, they might as well left it off as far as I am concerned. I'll never wear out the shift lever rubber. I'm sure the AE isn't for everyone, just as the FJR isn't for everyone, but I have found absolutely no downside to the AE over the standard shift and especially in the twisties, I think it's a gas to ride. I'm leaving in a couple of weeks for a week and a half in the southwest, and I'm really looking forward to rolling up some big miles on this bike.

 

[turbodave_98]

That's been pretty much my experience as well. It wasn't hard to shrug off the "scooter," "gay," "ass cheese," etc comments last fall and winter considering the comments came without any more actual knowledge about how the system worked than I had. However, even with some rather positive reviews from some of the early testers, there were a lot lukewarm reactions to it as well. Although I take the magazine reviews with a grain of salt they are "real" experiences, and so I wondered. Actually riding the bike myself was the solution. After 2 weeks and almost 2 thousand miles, I love this thing. Any new skills I needed to learn to work the low speed end of the bike were no more challenging than I have experienced on any new motorcycle I have had. Within an hour of getting on the bike I was as comfortable on it as I was on my '04. I too was wondering if I was going to give up any performance, but I put that to rest by running the AE against my '04, and it ran even up with it. As for the foot shifter, they might as well left it off as far as I am concerned. I'll never wear out the shift lever rubber. I'm sure the AE isn't for everyone, just as the FJR isn't for everyone, but I have found absolutely no downside to the AE over the standard shift and especially in the twisties, I think it's a gas to ride. I'm leaving in a couple of weeks for a week and a half in the southwest, and I'm really looking forward to rolling up some big miles on this bike.

My turn!! the above posts reflect my happiness over having bought the AE. It is more of a all round improved FJR than I imagined. I do not find the OEM saddle objectionable but it is not in the same league as my 05 Russell custom. I ride in the mountains down here in so. CA often and the paddle shifter makes it through the twisties magnificently. Got to be honest, I am a "Vintage" rider and the bike really fits my needs. Will probably sell my trusty ole "BlueJay" my 05 with 40K problem free miles and loaded with Farkles.

 

[ARFJR]

Picked mine up yesterday after work.

I'd never rider an FJR before.

Within the first 10 feet I was impressed with the ballance.

The clutch seemed to "feather" pretty well in first gear.

Engine was very smooth and responsive.

The "Push Button" shifter is great! Too easy, but I did honk the horn a few times.

Shifting was a little jerky if I backed off on the throttle. If I kept the throttle in the same spot, shifting was incredibly smooth, fast, and effortless, at all points in the RPM range. Both upshifting and down shifting.

This bike is wonderful!

Too fast. 3rd gear and 100MPH! And it feels like it's only doing 50!

I can't wait for the tires to break-in a bit more.

I am going to have re-train my slow speed skills as I still want the clutch lever. But I don't think it will be a big issue.

Try it! You'll get hooked from the start.

 

[qmotion]

Dave, I used two side mounted Powerlets, mounted on the rear exhaust hangers. Powerlets instructions show the power plug mounting on the rear bolt of the hanger, which locates the plug in the rear wheel area. I mounted both mine off the front hanger bolt, as it looks cleaner to me, and exposed the plug to less of the elements. The left side is controlled by a Heatroller with the switch mounted in the black fairing panel over the battery. The right side is constant hot for my battery tender.

Thanks much. FYI, on my 05 FJR, I mounted the dual powelet outlet at the exact same location. I use it for my heated vest which has its own controller and the other for my battery tender. I will install the same way on my 06 AE. I agree, also, with you comments on the AE shifter. It is really sweet in the twisties and heavy congest traffic. I think the bike is more stable than my 05 because of the longer swingarm and stiffer suspension. I really like the new instrument panel. I could hardly see data without straining on the 05 glass display.

Can yall show us some pictures? I'm looking for ideas for the FJR-AE.

 

[06FJRAEPILOT]

A suggestion for AE riders. Put some time in on a cvt bike. You can put the AE into neutral when you stop which I recommend whole heartedly with this particular FJR. However if you leave the bike in first when you stop and forget it is in gear -- well, one twist of the throttle and the bike is off like a rocket very unexpectedly if you are not used to riding an autoclutch bike. You can train yourself with a cvt bike to expect that.

Takes about five minutes to become accustom to the AE if you read about the system and understand it before you pick up your bike. The bike is pretty idiot proof. Leaving the bike in first gear is a nice option if your at an intersection that is busy and your concerned about traffic approaching from the rear that may not stop. Good for a quick exit. However all that time in gear is clutch wear. Probably not much, but it all adds up.

 

[FJRocket]

Got mine today. Only rode it two miles. Then dark and bugs set in. TOMORROW, BABY!!

 

[Rickster]

Finally -- I get to pick mine up tomorrow.

All I got to see today (arrived about 3pm) at the dealership is what it looks like in the crate.

It's been a long wait, and at least I should get to ride over the holiday.

Hopefully, I'll have delivery pics tomorrow!

 

[turbodave_98]

Let out your breath and breath calmly. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine. thanks also for compling the 06 fact bin.

 

[git-r-dan]

Let that beast out of his cage! ^5 Rhulcher!

 

[Silverbullet]

Awwww, the birth of a brand new FJR. Kinda brings a tear to ones eye. If you are passing out cigars, I'll take a Monte Cristo.

 

[Shane Stump]

Question for all you AE owners (I have one). The only ways I have found the upshifting to NOT be jerky are:

1) Leave the throttle open (which the manual recommends AGAINST).

2) Upshift quickly 1-3 at very low speeds. Gears 4 & 5 aren't so jerky.

How are you shifting that it isn't jerky in lower gears?

The AE is definitely a KEEPER !

Best Regards,

Shane

 

[qmotion]

I only experience some jerkiness when shifting below 3000 RPM. Under heavy acceleration shifting is better if you roll back the throttle just a little as you shift. THAT DOESN'T MEAN CLOSE THE THROTTLE. A qick 1/4 sec flick will do. If you keep the throttle wide open the clutch slips a little but still smoothly changes gears. It just feels like a brief pause as if the bike is taking a breath of fresh air.