I was previously an owner of a 2007 FJR"A" which was great in my opinion. But in my late mid-life crisis stupid brain I got bored last year and bought a 2009 FJR AE with the auto-clutch.
The FJR AE was awful!! Through a combination of the AE version not shifting up or down unless rpms were at least around 2000 rpms (which made riding in town stop and go traffic just darned near impossible) and a simply unacceptable lack of response by Yamaha customer service + the dealer owner being more than a bit patronizing, I quickly turned from a very loyal Yamaha customer to one who was disgusted last summer. On a whim I happened upon a separate dealer who was willing to do a trade of a 2009 AE FJR for the 2012 Concours + cach, so count me happy again.
The one thing in the discussion the last few months is the now standard cruise control on the 2013 FJR. Separately, I know I am in a minority but I think the FJR 5 speed with the fifth being a true overdrive having a drive ration of 0.929 (reference the FJRForum bin-of-facts for Gen II) , to the Concours 6th gear overdrive with a drive ratio of 1.074
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcycles/2012models/2012-Kawasaki-Concours14ABS.htm are so very close in real life riding to make the riding experience nearly the same. Some of the comments are misleading to the reader, portraying that the final drive ration of the FJR 5-speed is "more" than the Concours sixth gear. The lack of a sixth gear transmission without understanding the final gear ratio is enough for some in the commentary to dismiss the FJR platform. Both the C-14 and 2nd/3rd gen FJR have a final gear ratio nearly the same to make negligible difference in real life riding.
So I rode 80 miles yesterday to Moses Lake, WA with my 2012 Concours with only 5000 miles on it expecting to trade in the Kawi for a bright new shiny FJR. I had the checkbook and title ready and was going to move back to Yamaha. But just after a few miles of riding after a long winter break, I found the more miles I rode the more I was really connecting with the Kawi again. After a short look and discussion the dealer wanted $5900 + plus the trade to get into a 2013 FJR! Then I really fell back more in love with my 2012 C-14!!
If I really need cruise I can get the McCruise for around a $1000 that even a limited mechanic like me can handle. I am not sure either motorcycle is superior to the other in handling, and with a set of riser blocks I can be more upright in the saddle (I am 5' 11") on the Concours. And factually the FJR "overdrive in 5th gear" is so very similar to the gear ratio of the Concours in 6th gear that I can live with either powerplant. The FJR is easier to work on than the Kawi that is for sure, but for $5900 I can pay for
a lot of service appointments that lets someone else do the hard stuff like (i.e. valve checks/adjustments).
Count me
again as one happy Concours owner!!