Mechanically speaking, are there any good reasons for me to hold out for an '08 AE model over a 2006 or 2007 AE model?
I've pretty well decided on the AE to replace my Burgman 650. In addition to being a pleasure bike, I haul the Burgman on the rear of my work truck (a medium sized Freightliner straight truck) when I travel out of town. The Burgman's CVT allows me to stand next to the bike and let it drive itself up the ramp onto the back of my truck. This feature was the deciding factor when I bought the Suzuki. But now that I've discovered the AE model..... well, it's time for an upgrade!
We all hope we're wrong about this, but....
what everyone's trying to tell you is that takes only a very slight motion to the side for the top-heavy FJR to very rapidly shift its COG and become uncontrollably heavy and fall over; and this effect will be worse if you're not hovering directly over it, which you won't be if you're standing beside it and then somewhat below as it rises up the ramp while you're walking beside it and you then lose leverage. And you REALLY don't want it falling off the ramp from two feet off the ground, and if it falls toward you and you're under it when it falls, you're really going to wish you'd listened to us. The damage will be expensive enough if it falls onto concrete from that height without you cushioning the fall and getting a handlebar through your sternum. (As Howie asked, please do have someone filming.)
Seriously, unless you're monstrously big and strong, this is a stupendously bad idea. Nearly all of us are long-term, experienced riders, and nearly all of us have dropped the FJR--some more than once--while walking it around. I'm just recovering after a year from a torn elbow tendon suffered while saving my 2006AE from a fall with my wife on the back when I pulled out of a driveway and the driveway fell away to my right just slightly--just an inch or so--more than I expected and my foot had to go just an inch or so farther then I expected and so the bike leaned just a bit farther to the right then I was prepared for and I came within an RCH of losing the whole shebang. I strained so hard to keep it up that I tore a tendon in my right elbow.
As someone else has said, the bike becomes very heavy very fast, so I'm not even sure that having a helper is a good answer because that will disguise the effect when you try this by yourself. (Which we all know you're going to do.)
At the very least, get a second ramp positioned so you can walk up alongside the bike when you try this so you can maintain your leverage over it from the side. Oh, and when you try this by yourself (which we all know you're going to do), on my 06, sometimes the auto-clutch doesn't disengage when you expect it to, particularly when it's cold, so be sure you're positioned where you can get at the brake lever.
Even if it all goes well everytime but once--we're all subject to momentary distractions, and that once is all it will take for this to turn into a very unpleasant and expensive memory. There's just very little forgiveness: A little off-balance becomes a lot off-balance with surprising speed.
Remember to have your cell phone with you and positioned where you can get at it easily, so you can call for help when you're stuck under the bike.
