A second-gear right-hander appears in the distance and demands attention. I squeeze the front brake lever, and speed starts to scrub off-but not quickly enough. I go for the rear brake. I feel both ends hunker down as my silver mount slows, then my turn-in point approaches and it's time to downshift.

With my left index finger I tap the backside of a plastic trigger on the left handlebar-where a clutch lever should be-outward, and the machine responds with a perfect downshift. I repeat the action two more times, the last computer-controlled downshift coming smoothly with just the right amount of clutch slip on the re-engagement, as I gingerly finish off my braking while trailing into the corner.

With solid pressure on the right clip-on, I pull the bike down into the corner and find the apex, with my right foot and foot peg dragging. An instant later, I roll the throttle back on and feel the generous low-end torque and horsepower propel me out of the turn and down the next short chute.

As redline approaches, I put my left index finger back into action, this time to subtly pull back that same plastic trigger, without even rolling out of the throttle the bike's computer disengages the clutch, upshifts into the next gear, re-engages the clutch, and speed continues to build at a rapid rate.

It might sound as if I'm riding some sort of MotoGP prototype with adjustable aero- dynamics, a linked braking system and a computer-controlled shifting system. But the truth is I'm riding Yamaha's new FJR1300 AE, which has an adjustable-on-the-fly wind- screen, a linked, anti-lock braking system and a clutchless, shift-by-wire system with a computer and actuators controlling clutch engagement, disengagement and slip better than some expert-level riders could.

And while my introduction to the newest, top-of-the-line FJR1300 AE implies racing and/or higher performance, Yamaha's marketing people stress that the clutchless Yamaha Chip Controlled-Shifting (YCC-S) system on the bike is not about performance as much as it is about market share.

When Yamaha introduced the FJR1300 in the summer of 2002 as an early-release 2003 model, it hoped to attract younger- than-average riders to the sport touring segment by touting the bike's sport abilities more than its touring qualities. Yamaha even went as far as to dub the bike a "Supersport Tourer." Whatever the name, the Sport Touring market has grown 35% since 2002, according to Motorcycle Industry Council figures, and Yamaha's FJR1300, as of 2005, owns 28% of that market.

Yamaha's intent with the new versions of the FJR is to grab more market share, with the 1300 A retaining its athletic capability while offering better comfort to more touring oriented riders and with the 1300AE, and its clutchless shifter, offering better convenience to commuters and newer riders.

Change is good, but Yamaha Engineers knew better than to mess with the FJR’s heart and soul, its engine. The Yamaha's hollow, cast aluminum main frame also remains unchanged, but the rest of the chassis has received several evolutionary enhancements. The bolt-on sub-frame has been redesigned to be narrower, which allows the same 8.0-gallon-capacity hard saddlebags to be moved inward, reducing the FJRs width at the bags by two inches and adding to maneuverability. The new sub-frame also incorporates a sturdy and effective handle with which to lift the bike onto its standard centerstand and an alternate position for the seat, providing a high and low option, a difference of 20mm.

The latest model's handlebars are also adjustable front-to-back by 11 mm, thanks to three different mounting points on the top triple clamp, while the passenger footpegs have been repositioned further down, forward and outward for better long-range passenger comfort. The windscreen, adjustable on-the-fly via a toggle switch on the left handlebar, now extends nearly 50mm higher and 25mm closer to the rider to reduce buffeting in the cockpit area.

Many subtle changes have been made to control wind flow and improve rider comfort, including additional air ducts in the bodywork and dashboard to control air reaching the rider as well as adjustable side fairings to direct cold air away from the rider. Changes made to send more cooling air to the engine include passages cast into the steering head, more space above the radiator and between the front of the fuel tank and the frame rails, more space between the bottom of the fuel tank and the top of the engine, and a larger, more efficient, curved radiator with twin fans.

Both of the FJR1300 models come with a new Unified Braking System (UBS), which Yamaha claims is carefully designed to avoid the most common criticism of other linked front and rear brake systems - taking individual front and rear brake operation away from experienced and sport-oriented riders.

The most significant change to the 2006 FJR1300, however, is the availability of the amazing YCC-S system on the AE version.

First things first, this is not an automatic transmission. Under no circumstances will the YCC-S ever shift without being commanded to, up or down. If you come to a stop in fourth gear, the bike will stay in fourth gear until you shift it back to first. If you run first gear out until its hits the rev limiter it will not shift into second gear until the rider tells it to.

Secondly, the YCC-S system is not meant for enhanced performance; in other words, it was not designed for faster lap times or quicker elapsed times at the drag strip.

Instead, the system was meant as a convenience, to offer unobtrusive, clutchless shifting to enhance comfort and reduce fatigue while commuting and on long trips—and maybe to suck in a new rider or two.

In essence, the YCC-S system is a computer-controlled clutch and shift actuation system bolted onto a standard FJR1300 five-speed transmission and fully integrated with a Engine Control Module (ECM) unique to the AE model. The rider tells the system he or she wants to shift up a gear with a lift of the left foot pedal or a pull of the index finger on a mountain-bike-style trigger shifter on the left handlebar. To go down a gear, the rider uses his or her left foot to depress the foot pedal or left thumb to press the shifter under the left handlebar. A downshift can also be accomplished by flicking the trigger shifter outward with the left index finger, a method that proved easiest due to the hard- to-reach location, under the horn button, of the thumb portion of the hand shifter assembly.

Upshift or downshift, the rider doesn't have to do anything else, not even lift off the throttle, although feathering the throttle, as done during normal clutchless power-shifting at the racetrack, results in a much quicker shift time. To help the rider keep track of gears, a gear position indicator has been added to the new and very effective gauge cluster.

After starting and warming up the FJR-AE, the hand shifter must be activated by pressing a button on the left handlebar. Then with the lightest of brushes from the index finger against the trigger shifter, first gear is selected and confirmed with an audible thunk from the transmission and a "1" in the gear indicator on the dashboard.

Pulling away from a dead stop the first time can be tricky, but after two or three times, the transition from stop to go was learned and never forgotten.

Once underway, shifting becomes an easy flick of the finger. After years of shifting gears with my left foot I quickly abandoned the practice without hesitation and regret. And I soon discovered I could shift up and down with only my index finger rather than risk an embarrassing toot of the horn if I missed the thumb shifter, something that happened all day long during the bike’s press introduction.

Riding a 180-mile loop north and east from San Diego on freeways through two-lane sub- urban roads, east over two-lane country highways, around serpentine sportbike curves and back southwest again, we were able to try the YCC-S in many different situations.

First, YCC-S wasn't intended for drag-race starts, but opening the throttle from a stop does result in a very rapid acceleration. Downshifts can also be made while the throttle is held open, but the system will not allow a downshift that will make the engine over-rev.

One thing the YCC-S can do better than most humans, however, is pull away from a dead stop in third gear. The system knows what gear it is in, but without demanding a down- shift, it will take any throttle opening given and try to get the bike going as smoothly and quickly as it can by, again, slipping the clutch just right. 0f course, downshifting at high rpm, upshifting with a wide open throttle, and pulling away from a stop in third gear all will have a negative effect on clutch life expectancy.

Aside from the YCC-S sp tem, the FJR1300 really lives up to its "Supersport Touring" billing. For a 600-pound, 60-inch-long motorcycle, it goes, stops and turns better than anybody would expect it to. The engine produces enough torque at low rpm to propel the bike, rider and passenger out a corner with authority and enough horsepower to significantly shorten the distance between points A and B.

In terms of rider comfort, the FJR1300 had to be one of the most-if not the most comfortable-motorcycles I've ever ridden. In addition to the suspension, the seating position (with the seat at its lower of two settings and the handlebars at the middle setting) was nearly perfect for long distance riding with a few corners thrown in, and the thick foam of the seat was soft and supportive at the same time. When raised into its full upright position, the windscreen provided a sizeable pocket of still air, but this position resulted in I excessive turbulence and wind noise for this 74-inch-tall rider. I preferred the wind- screen all the way down in order to get the cleanest possible blast of wind at my helmet. And finally the adjustable and speed-sensitive heated grips, which are available on the FJR-AE only, proved effective on a 55-degree morning freeway ride when set at the lowest setting.

While hard-core canyon riders and track day addicts may wonder why Roadracing World reviewed the $15,299 FJR1300 AE (the FJR1300 A is $13,499), there is the technology aspect of the bike. Plus, motorcyclists who ride every day, including weekends and vacations, will most likely appreciate, if not love, all of the new comfort and convenience features and sporting capabilities the newest version of Yamaha's Supersport Tourer has to offer.