AE Slow Rides

[johndaub]

You mean it has a foot shifter??????????? Dang!! I bet it even has a foot brake.

I love my AE. :yahoo:

Just Jim

You mean it has a finger shifter????? Actually, I never could get used to any of the different ways described for using the finger shifter. Besides, I could not even remember to turn it on. It is all foot shifting for me.

 

[johndaub]

Another method I use for low speed turns is to leave it in 2nd gear everything happens slower & smoother. I have over 100K on AE's and have never had an issue with the clutch.

I have never heard this 2nd gear trick before. I will have to try it. I just finished all the low speed stuff they have us do at the MSF ERC and was afraid I was burning up the engine/clutch/rear brake while trying to do U-turn after U-turn in 1st gear. I am always afraid the clutch will drop out if I do not keep the revs high.

 

[RiderX]

I certainly wouldn't worry about that. Motorcycles are meant to be operated in the friction zone and when you are at 1800-xxxx RPM on an AE you are working the clutch in said zone. As you found, rear brake helps you keep the revs up as you don't have a clutch to squeeze. Especially if you have a bunch of free play and for me before a let out the return spring.

Happy Handling

 

[Auron]

I have a quesiton about the AE I don't believe has been asked yet.

If you are sitting at an intersection and suddenly realize you could be rear ended by an approaching car, would it make any difference if your FJR had the electric clutch or not? Will the bike respond quickly enough?

What about any other emergency situations?

 

[mcatrophy]

I have a quesiton about the AE I don't believe has been asked yet.

If you are sitting at an intersection and suddenly realize you could be rear ended by an approaching car, would it make any difference if your FJR had the electric clutch or not? Will the bike respond quickly enough?

What about any other emergency situations?

Simple answer to the rear-end: Provided you're in gear (you're not going to get a tired hand however long the lights stay on red), just whack the throttle open. You will take off like a jack-rabbit. Zero skill required (other than stopping the rear wheel spinning or keeping the front wheel down). You'll be out of there before you've had time to think.

I once did a writeup of my impressions of my first FJR. In it I wrote:

"Launch Control" - Fast moves from stationary are very easy. I was very surprised at the rate at which the bike accelerated when I simply snapped open the throttle. I have the impression the clutch engagement software was tuned for performance. I'm quite sure I could not obtain the same rate from rest with the manual clutch of the Trophy, certainly not from the initial idle. This would be a real bonus if you were about to be hit in the rear. The only skill required is to ensure the rear wheel won't slip if the surface isn't perfect"

I always, always, always stay in gear at lights.

You can't stall. Even if you're not in first, you will move without stalling, but in second you'll only take off like an ordinary rabbit, in third it's a bit more leisurely, fourth and fifth, you'll wish you'd changed down before you'd stopped. If you're in neutral, you'd have to have the presence of mind not to rev the engine as you select first. If the revs are too high, it won't change into gear.

Other emergencies? Not sure what might be different. However, if you're in the wrong gear and want to change quickly, even in a panic situation you CAN'T muff a gear change, nor can you find a false neutral (though I've never heard of that in a levered FJR unless there are other gearbox issues).

There are only a couple of situations when I would have really liked a lever. One is occasionally I've wanted to coast the bike, usually over a very slippery surface or past a nervous horse. There is no way to do this. The other situation I once found, I was in stop-start heavy traffic, going down a steep hill. As the flow cleared, I found myself in first gear, engine at idle (clutch not engaged). To get the clutch to engage I had to rev the engine until its speed matched about 40 in first before the clutch would engage (the alternative would have been to brake to a lower speed for a more reasonable engine speed). Engaging the clutch at 40 in first can be exciting, there's a lot of torque available

. And, no, it wouldn't change into second before engaging in first.

 

[FJRPittsburgh]

I come from 10 years of experience in the maxi scooter world. I have a 2002 Honda Silver Wing with 75,000 miles of no clutch experience. The AE engages the clutch at walking speed while being in gear just like the maxi scooters and all scooters with a CVT transmission. Switching over to an AE from years of riding a 600cc scooter was childs play for me. During low speed maneuvers, you simply get used to making turns in parking lots, etc. while coasting at low speeds. If you are running out of speed, you simply give the bike a little throttle to disengage the clutch. In some instances, you find yourself trailing the rear brake and using some throttle, but it all becomes second nature quite naturally in a short period of time. My driveway is on the left side of my house and the garage is in the rear. I have to make 180 degree tight right turn to park the bike in the garage. As I'm moving down the driveway in 1st gear, I slow up the bike enough to engage the clutch and literally make the sharp right turn while coasting (free wheeling) at about walking speed. As I approach the garage, I give her a little throttle to bump me forward enough to enter the garage with my feet up on the pegs and then stop. Pre Honda Silver Wing, I've ridden plenty of clutched bikes. I will never own one again. The technology is here in the way of CVT and in Yamaha's case, the YCC-S electric hydraulic shifting. More and more motorcycle manufacturers are embracing clutchless riding and shifting. As we know, there aren't as many riders embracing the clutchless bikes as they are accustomed to manual clutches. As more riders experience clutchless bikes, many will go that route in the future. It all comes down to what you enjoy riding. If you do choose to go the clutchless route, you definitely won't be sorry you did.

 

[Auron]

Well, that's all I need to know. Thanks for confirming that I'm doing the right thing for me by getting the AE

 

[Smooth14u2]

:yahoo: :yahoo:

 

[Granger]

I come from 10 years of experience in the maxi scooter world. I have a 2002 Honda Silver Wing with 75,000 miles of no clutch experience. The AE engages the clutch at walking speed while being in gear just like the maxi scooters and all scooters with a CVT transmission. Switching over to an AE from years of riding a 600cc scooter was childs play for me.

Wow, FJRPittsburgh, you and I are blood-brothers! :yahoo: I came from an '08 Suzy Burgman 650 (with a CVT) to the '09 FJR-AE and I have the exact same reaction: little/no adjustment necessary! I understand the earlier AE versions had more drive-train jerk than the '09, but my Burgie had more abrupt low-accel-snatch than this bike, so this is easy to adapt to! Just like you described I trained my rear-brake (right) foot to drag a bit while keeping the power smoothly burbling on at low speeds as I manuever. It literally becomes second nature and when I first rode the '09AE I had zero problem or fear, even smoother than the Burgie (and literally the same weight, although the FJR carries it higher). The wear on the braking is next to nothing, the bike is very well-mannered, so you will get used to it quickly. No, it is not as glass-smooth as light-clutching but it is less effort and works just as well. Also, I trained my left foot to do all the shifting, not my left hand (horn, lights), but that's up to the rider.

See you on the highway,

Granger

 

[FJRPittsburgh]

I come from 10 years of experience in the maxi scooter world. I have a 2002 Honda Silver Wing with 75,000 miles of no clutch experience. The AE engages the clutch at walking speed while being in gear just like the maxi scooters and all scooters with a CVT transmission. Switching over to an AE from years of riding a 600cc scooter was childs play for me.

Wow, FJRPittsburgh, you and I are blood-brothers! :yahoo: I came from an '08 Suzy Burgman 650 (with a CVT) to the '09 FJR-AE and I have the exact same reaction: little/no adjustment necessary! I understand the earlier AE versions had more drive-train jerk than the '09, but my Burgie had more abrupt low-accel-snatch than this bike, so this is easy to adapt to! Just like you described I trained my rear-brake (right) foot to drag a bit while keeping the power smoothly burbling on at low speeds as I manuever. It literally becomes second nature and when I first rode the '09AE I had zero problem or fear, even smoother than the Burgie (and literally the same weight, although the FJR carries it higher). The wear on the braking is next to nothing, the bike is very well-mannered, so you will get used to it quickly. No, it is not as glass-smooth as light-clutching but it is less effort and works just as well. Also, I trained my left foot to do all the shifting, not my left hand (horn, lights), but that's up to the rider.

See you on the highway,

Granger

Hey Granger! Good to hear that your experiences with the AE are just as positive as mine. I have found it much easier to do the shifting with my left hand versus the foot shifter. It just seems more technologically advanced to use the finger shifter. I'll never drag the toe of my left boot in a hard left turn either.