ROAD TOUR on FZ6?

codeblue

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Has anyone taken a road tour on their FZ6? How far did you go and what gear(s) did you have? My buddy wants to go to Montreal, Canada but he has a KTM 950 and I'm wondering if my 600cc can keep up, gears and all.
 
S

sportrider

there's no reason it can't. is is a tour or a cannonball run? which KTM does he have? I've heard of guys doing IRON BUTT on a Ninja 250. either way I'd take the FZ6 anywhere, but I'm just cool like that!!!:cool:
 

codeblue

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Edison, NJ to Montreal or Quebec. Buddy got a KTM950 which he took to Canada three times already. I don't know if that's a cannonball run or a tour, I'm still new to two wheeling. I've heard of iron butt rides but I'm not into that, LOL.
 

Bren

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Last summer I made a five day tour around Finland (map is on my photoalbum). I had planned to be on the road for a week but the weather was so awful that I shortened it a bit. FZ6 is very suitable for touring. Especially if you're going 1up -> more space for bags/luggage. I'd say go for it!
 

mikebike

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absolutley.... no problem... get some saddlebags , a tankbag and maybe a tail bag and hit the road.

the FZ6 is nice to ride long distances. for 250+ miles try wearing a pair of padded bike shorts under your riding pants Very comfy
 

shaggystyle

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I'll go ahead and confirm what everyone else has said....this bike is great at 1up touring. I did 1500 miles on mine back in September (Louisville, KY - Charlevoix, MI). It was a four day round-trip and it killed my butt. I'd say 500 miles a day is about all you want to do in the stock saddle. As far as gear, I had a backpack strapped to the back seat and a tent and sleeping bag tied to each of the grab rails. Throw in a small tank bag for electronics and you've got everything you need to go cross-country. As far as keeping up with the KTM....as long as you stick to pavement he won't be able to shake you.
 

opds9091

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I did a Fort Myers Florida to New York run and the bike loved it, as I was going to NY we were haveing a tropical storm the whole way up to NY and was agreat ride.
 

tolgatt

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i was waiting to ask the same question in spring :D
everybody is supportive about 1up rides its good to hear , how about 2 up? did anybody try that? would it kill the bike and the rider-passenger if you go for a 500 mile 2up ride?
Also , if you are into long rides,usually changing the counter sprocket with a bigger one always helps the engine in the long run,,,as far as i know 120km/h(75mph) on the speedo is at around 6000rpm on fz6...i didnt use my gps with the bike yet so im not sure but it should be an honest 110km/h(69mph)....changing the sprocket would drop the rpm from 6000rpm to 5600-5700 rpm...i dunno if anybody tried it on a fz6
 

Rich

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The distance shouldn't be any problem for the bike, it's your bottom side you need to worry about. The seat on my FZ6 is comparable to a 2x6.

Get yourself a sheepskin to put on the seat. You can check them out here: <Alaska Leather> Home of the Sheepskin Buttpad - Motorcycle Seat Cover I'm sure you can find sheepskin other places too, if you look around.

More importantly, get rid of the standard Hanes underwear or whatever you wear under those jeans. Those seams kill ya. I wear the stretchable UnderArmour that is available at most sporting goods places.

The combination of the two will keep you in the saddle much longer than without. Give it a try. :thumbup:
 

bcityroller

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Agree with what others have said - the FZ6 is just fine for any touring you want to do - just add the luggage you need. The limiting factor on your days will be the seat and your own butts tolerance of said "cushion". Lots of good roads on the way through NH and VT on the road to Montreal. Montreal traffic seems to be a pain in the --- at most times of day. It's like there's too few roads/bridges/tunnels that get where you (and everybody else) need to go.

Incidentally, in response to tolgatt's speedo comment - my GPS says that my speedo is optimistic by a couple of mph up to 55 mph and then is basically 10% off above that.
 

jamesfz6

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i was waiting to ask the same question in spring :D
everybody is supportive about 1up rides its good to hear , how about 2 up? did anybody try that? would it kill the bike and the rider-passenger if you go for a 500 mile 2up ride?
Also , if you are into long rides,usually changing the counter sprocket with a bigger one always helps the engine in the long run,,,as far as i know 120km/h(75mph) on the speedo is at around 6000rpm on fz6...i didnt use my gps with the bike yet so im not sure but it should be an honest 110km/h(69mph)....changing the sprocket would drop the rpm from 6000rpm to 5600-5700 rpm...i dunno if anybody tried it on a fz6

I have gone 2-up on the FZ from my house to dallas and back in one day.(about 575 miles) I met up with a cousin of mine who bought a bike off of e-bay and didnt have a trailer. So, he rode it back, but didnt want to be by himself.

My girlfriend and i hit the rode at around 6 in the morning and stopped 1 hour to get the bike and paper work taken care of then headed back. We were home by 4:30 and ran about 85 to 100 the whole way with no problems.

If you are new to riding you havent quite got the tollerence built up yet for long rides. I run from houston to san antonio in one day all the time (twice a month) so i have some tollerence.

Find a spot 100 to 150 miles from your house you can go eat lunch at. That will help a lot. I just dont want you hating yourself the first 400 miles into the ride.
 
H

HavBlue

i was waiting to ask the same question in spring :D
everybody is supportive about 1up rides its good to hear , how about 2 up? did anybody try that? would it kill the bike and the rider-passenger if you go for a 500 mile 2up ride?
Also , if you are into long rides,usually changing the counter sprocket with a bigger one always helps the engine in the long run,,,as far as i know 120km/h(75mph) on the speedo is at around 6000rpm on fz6...i didnt use my gps with the bike yet so im not sure but it should be an honest 110km/h(69mph)....changing the sprocket would drop the rpm from 6000rpm to 5600-5700 rpm...i dunno if anybody tried it on a fz6


Dropping the front sprocket will lower the engine RPM but what effect will it have on operational efficiency? You come to a point where there isn't enough RPM and the engine actually works harder to maintain a given speed. The FZ6 doesn't do well once you get below 6,000 RPM. Mine does best in terms of fuel mileage at around 6,500 in 6th on a good run and I have actually gone close to 260 miles more than a few times but this is being very conservative and holding to around 75mph. The -1 15T has cost me some fuel mileage (range) but the end result in terms of performance has been very well worth it. I do not however ride 2-up with the bike.
 

Kcwell27

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I went from Atlanta Ga to Key West Fl. The FZ 6 was great! Next road trip is from Atlanta Canada Nova Scotia! The FZ Can out do the KTM ANY DAY!!!:rtfm:
 

DefyInertia

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i was waiting to ask the same question in spring :D
everybody is supportive about 1up rides its good to hear , how about 2 up? did anybody try that? would it kill the bike and the rider-passenger if you go for a 500 mile 2up ride?

It all depends on your setup and your passenger's relative toughness. I've done some 450 2up days that went just fine. The key is to have a topcase or sissy bar and to have your passenger use the grab rails and where proper gear for comfort.
________
VAPOR AIR ONE
 
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opds9091

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KC when do u plan to make that RC from GA to CANADA, and how laong r u planning to do it. That would be a great ride to do
 
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