lookin' for some owners thoughts

Six-foot-plus in his Alpinestars, McComas felt “instantly comfortable” on the Yamaha FZ6, one of two inline-Fours (the other being the Honda 599, reintroduced to the U.S. market this year with an inverted fork and a restyled instrument cluster) and far and away the quickest, fastest, most powerful bike here. The FZ also has a comfortable seat (with the second-tallest height), a broad, protective half-fairing and feels most like a full-size motorcycle.

“If I were going to buy one of these bikes, my choice would probably be the Yamaha,” said Mike Monticello, Feature Editor at our sister publication Road & Track and owner of a Honda CBR900RR and a street-legal KTM 300 E/XC. “My fiancé loves to ride on the back of any motorcycle, and the FZ6's strong engine and excellent suspension make it the most suitable for two-up travel.”
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Conner agreed. “The FZ6 is without a doubt the most versatile bike here. It's a great commuter, a weekend canyon carver and even a decent sport-tourer. The upright riding position and wind protection make this bike the choice for highway stints and longer durations in the saddle. Seat height, however, could be a bit much for shorter, less-experienced riders.”

On the downside, the fuel-injected engine is buzzy to the point of being annoying, and the powerband, with its 13,000-rpm-plus redline, is a bit peaky for the likely intended buyer. The biggest letdown, though, is glitchy off/on throttle response. “Just when you want the engine to respond smoothest—settling the chassis on corner entry after releasing the brakes—the power comes in abruptly,” Hoyer noted. Clutch action and feel, however, are as good as the silky-shifting transmission.

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ant_mb said:

Hey martin, Where are you in NJ?

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Botch said:

I'm 6'5" and haven't found a bike I'm more comfortable on yet (although I've just been sitting on them, not driving). The exception were those 250cc's they put you on for the MSF course, I was not able to drive them very well and couldn't make sharp, slow turns as my knees kept hitting the handlebars.

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DefyInertia said:

I've done 500 miles days with my girlfriend on the back and she was fine, tired, but fine and had fun. She's 5'3" and 125lbs....she's also kinda a tough chick, so....

I'm 6'3" ~175lbs and have ridden the bike fully loaded...overloaded actually....with great success. People do long cross country trips on their FZ6 all the time.

This forum has a SEARCH function which I'm sure you'll find helpful.

EDIT - what other bikes are you used to? Have you owned any/many in the past?

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wrightme43 said:

Martin welcome and I am glad you are here. I would reccomend that you start by reading some of the posts that are already here. All of your questions have been asked and answered many times. I hope you understand.
Then it is usually a good idea to get to know some of us, and then ask questions. I know I am not here to sell you on the idea of getting a FZ. I love mine, and most of the others here love thiers. I am sure I would love a SV650 and I am sure I would love the speed triple.
I will say this. Most magazines say the exact same thing the other magazines say true or not.

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martin_nj said:

try a bmw or a ktm....

the bmw's are esp kind to taller folks

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