BikeTest: Yamaha FJR 1300 AS
Across the Atlantic automatic transmission is so much the rule of the four-wheel world that the vast majority of drivers cannot cope with so-called stick shift.
In Europe, with different, more twisty roads, manual transmission is preferred by many though with ever increasing congestion the merits of automatic transmission are being recognised.
Ireland must be one of the last bastions of manual transmission. Seemingly importers, although they could have automatic options, do not import them. When asked why not, I'm often told that this is because there is no demand.
In the motorcycle context there is an almost total separation between scooters, almost all of which are automatic, and motorcycles which are not.
There have been attempts to popularise automatic transmission on conventional motorcycles. In the past both Honda and Moto Guzzi have produced automatic motorcycles but they were soon discontinued.
Aside from some very small niche manufacturers, most of the main players are looking at bringing some form of automatic to the market.
The first in recent time to announce an automatic machine was Yamaha, who unveiled an automatic version of their popular FJR1300 over a year ago. We got our first sight of it at the NEC show last November but it was not until July that it was available in limited numbers in the UK. The Irish Times was among the first to sample it.
The FJR 1300 is within the top three of the seriously good sports touring machines, its only true rivals being BMW's R1200RT and Honda's ST1300 Pan European.
In the conventional, non-automatic form, it is the sort of machine that can delight in traversing several European countries within the day.
In the urban environment, its inherent stability, flexibility and overall good manners mean that it is still a pleasure to ride in congested traffic.
The automatic version is not as automatic as you might think. Clutchless would be more to the point.
It has gears, all five of them, and they have to be changed either by the traditional footpedal which, confusingly, does not have a neutral position, or by a toggle switch on the left handgrip.
The rider still has the same degree of control through the gears as with a conventional machine.
Not having a clutch to hand is, at first, a trifle disconcerting, especially with a machine that can churn out 105.5kW and do 0-100km/h in 4.03 seconds. Grab too large a fistful of throttle and there's no way of slipping the clutch.
This does not initially make the business of very slow speed riding all that easy.
It does take a good while to get your head around the different control techniques that you have to master.
To begin with you will find that things are far from as smooth as they would have been with the conventional model.
The system comes into its own with upward changes which are full power and virtually instantaneous.
It is not as good when it comes to downward changes.
Perhaps if we had been able to have a longer test ride, at least a week, we would have felt more comfortable. Anyone opting for this version must expect to serve an apprenticeship.
The key question is, "is it worth it?" This is hugely subjective. I know of very experienced, highly competent riders who would not, even for one moment, contemplate anything even vaguely automatic.
Others would welcome anything that make life in traffic somewhat easier.
In our view, interesting as this development is, one of several we can expect to see later this year, it is neither radical, earth-shattering nor, it has to be said, much if any of an improvement.
While it does what it set out to do passably well, it is not sufficiently automatic to gain many converts.
There is a far superior automatic transmission system on the Suzuki Bergman 650 scooter which has both truly manual and truly automatic modes and is the sort of fully automatic system one would expect to find on an up-market car.
We think it will be a very long time before the sort of motorcyclists who would be in the market for the likes of a Yamaha FJR1300 become convinced automatic adherents.
Indeed we think that automatic systems are more likely to have an appeal lower down the scale of things.
In any event a more truly automatic machine, rather than what is after all only a superior clutchless system, would have greater appeal.
As ever the market will decide its fate.
Tech spec
ENGINE
1,298cc, 4 cylinder in-line, DOHC, 16 valve, fuel injected. 105.5kW @ 8,000rpm, 134.4Nm @ 7,000rpm. 5 speed, shaft drive, 'automatic'.
CHASSIS
48mm telescopic front forks 135mm travel, rear link-typeswinging arm 125rmm travel. Brakes: dueal 320mm front, single 282mm rear. ABS.
Wheels 17", 120/70 front, 180/55 rear.
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase, 1,550mm, seat height 805mm. Dry weight 268kg, Fuel 25 litres.
PERFORMANCE
Maximum Speed: 240km/h. 0-100km/h in 4.03 secs.
PRICE
€19,995 includes side cases as original equipment