Over the past few months, I have been finding my arsenal of motorcycles is a bit lacking. There was a time I was so thoroughly satisfied with what the FZ6 offered me I couldn't dream of asking for more. 26,000km later I feel the urge to expand my garage in several different directions. Once that happens, I will have a motorcycle for everything, and the FZ6 will retire to a life of honour being glass in the middle of my living room. Until then, I am restricted by lack of funds to this jack-of-all-trades and thoroughly satisfactory bike. She is a trooper and does everything I ask of her. She works her heart out to meet my demands and I love her for it. But, there are quite a few moments where I would love nothing more than to settle her into the corner of the garage and have an alternate bike. As time goes on these moments are happening more and more.
The problem, I think, is that what I want to do with my riding would be better suited by a couple different motorcycles. The problem is that until next year I can only afford one machine. So, I accept what I have, and it is definitely NOT a tough pill to swallow. The FZ6 is an amazing machine I am lucky to have owned.
So, to reference to my subject line, "Do you own the right motorcycle?" I would like to ask everyone, in which areas you feel your desires are not being met by the FZ6? For the riding you do or would like to do, is the FZ6 the ideal machine, or are you accepting an inferior riding experience to what COULD be.
I am not asking if you would be happier with a fleet of brand new motorcycles because, that would just be a waste of time. What I am asking is this:
Are you hungry enough for a better riding experience in some specific category that in the next year or two you would purchase an addition motorcycle? Consider money to be an object, but not enough of one to make this a reckless or impossible decision.
Personally, the FZ6 can't fulfill the following roles:
1) putting along country roads. My first riding experience was on a single cylinder 350cc royal enfield bullet. No helmet, just open air and 40kph. It was magical. I want to relive that. I want to buy an open0face helmet and import a royal enfield from india (you can import a pretty close to new one for like 3 or 4 grand with shipping). I want one of these so badly.
The FZ6 cant beat this for ride-enjoyment because no matter how hard I try, I cant keep the bike under 50kph. She just wants to move, MOVE, MOOOOOVE. I ride along slowly a bunch of the time, but her exhaust note just sounds so unhappy with me for doing it so I rarely stay that slow for more than 10 or 15 minutes.
2) turning off the common roads with a tent and food and everything I need to survive for a while. KTM 990 adventure for me please. This may very well be my next bike when I graduate next summer. The more I think about it and read about it and research what kinds of riding this would open up for me, I get more and more sure that I will in fact be buying this machine.
The FZ6 is a road bike. So it is not the right bike to fulfill the adventure-seeking long-range missile nature of the 990 adventure.
3) Yamaha R1 in a few years. I dont think I need to explain why.
So I plan on getting numbers 1 and 2 ASAP. Hopefully middle of summer next year. Until I can afford the R1 I will still have a place for the FZ6 in my garage as my canyon-carver, track bike and general-sports-machine. Once I get all three of those machines......she will have to go behind glass.....or if im married by then my wife can ride her!! (in addition to me )
I would love to read similar assessments from you guys about your own selves. You dont need to write as much as I did, but I would love to read everyone's take on their bikes and how fulfulling they are, or are not.
Please be honest with yourselves and all of us.
The problem, I think, is that what I want to do with my riding would be better suited by a couple different motorcycles. The problem is that until next year I can only afford one machine. So, I accept what I have, and it is definitely NOT a tough pill to swallow. The FZ6 is an amazing machine I am lucky to have owned.
So, to reference to my subject line, "Do you own the right motorcycle?" I would like to ask everyone, in which areas you feel your desires are not being met by the FZ6? For the riding you do or would like to do, is the FZ6 the ideal machine, or are you accepting an inferior riding experience to what COULD be.
I am not asking if you would be happier with a fleet of brand new motorcycles because, that would just be a waste of time. What I am asking is this:
Are you hungry enough for a better riding experience in some specific category that in the next year or two you would purchase an addition motorcycle? Consider money to be an object, but not enough of one to make this a reckless or impossible decision.
Personally, the FZ6 can't fulfill the following roles:
1) putting along country roads. My first riding experience was on a single cylinder 350cc royal enfield bullet. No helmet, just open air and 40kph. It was magical. I want to relive that. I want to buy an open0face helmet and import a royal enfield from india (you can import a pretty close to new one for like 3 or 4 grand with shipping). I want one of these so badly.
The FZ6 cant beat this for ride-enjoyment because no matter how hard I try, I cant keep the bike under 50kph. She just wants to move, MOVE, MOOOOOVE. I ride along slowly a bunch of the time, but her exhaust note just sounds so unhappy with me for doing it so I rarely stay that slow for more than 10 or 15 minutes.
2) turning off the common roads with a tent and food and everything I need to survive for a while. KTM 990 adventure for me please. This may very well be my next bike when I graduate next summer. The more I think about it and read about it and research what kinds of riding this would open up for me, I get more and more sure that I will in fact be buying this machine.
The FZ6 is a road bike. So it is not the right bike to fulfill the adventure-seeking long-range missile nature of the 990 adventure.
3) Yamaha R1 in a few years. I dont think I need to explain why.
So I plan on getting numbers 1 and 2 ASAP. Hopefully middle of summer next year. Until I can afford the R1 I will still have a place for the FZ6 in my garage as my canyon-carver, track bike and general-sports-machine. Once I get all three of those machines......she will have to go behind glass.....or if im married by then my wife can ride her!! (in addition to me )
I would love to read similar assessments from you guys about your own selves. You dont need to write as much as I did, but I would love to read everyone's take on their bikes and how fulfulling they are, or are not.
Please be honest with yourselves and all of us.
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