2005 FZ6 for $4500, good price?!

[feijoo69]

Hello everyone,

i'm new at the comunity and would like to introduce my self. I'm from Brazil currently residing in MA, USA. I have been riding dirt bike for a while and finally decided to take it to the streets. I know its a lot different and i have taken a motorcyclist course to help with the transition. I recently bought my 2005 FZ6 with 11,000 miles for $4,500 UDS at a Yamaha dealer. I would like to know if that was a fair price.

Prior the purchase i did my research and found out that the average retail price of a similar bike in USA would be around $5,100 USD. what do you guys think? Good deal? Bad deal? Any comments are welcomed.

Feijoo69:Sport:

 

[2-stroke]

If u are talking out the door price yes it is reasonable. The cheapest I could get was a 2005 with 9000 for 4500 out the door. I paid the extra got the color I wanted and got a bike with 3000 miles for 5200. It was also closer so I didn't have to go as far to get the bike. I called on four different 2005 all of them where priced 4500-5400. Mileage ranged from 1200-9000. Bikes are hard to find used in Michigan and seem to hold the value more then they do in the south. At least that is what my observations have been.

 

[feijoo69]

2-stroke,

the bike was $4,500 before taxes + registration. In addition, the bike comes with 2 hard bags which i like and was looking to buy. This bike is also close to my house which is a plus for maintence. By the way do you think its important to create a relationship with an Authorized Yahama dealership?

 

[DefyInertia]

not a great price IMHO but a lot less than you would have paid in Brasil!!!

 

[VEGASRIDER]

not a great price IMHO but a lot less than you would have paid in Brasil!!!

I agree with Defy, not a good price. New members are currently getting brand new '07 between $6100 and $6500 OTD, that means "out the door" the amount of money it takes to take the bike home, which includes all fees and taxes. In addition, there has been a major model change between the '07's and the earlier models, meaning that the new members who are paying just over $6,000 for the '07's are getting a great deal, since there is really no difference between the '08's and '07's. I would say anything more that $4,000 OTD is too much. I would say $3500 would be a realistic good figure.

Here's a link to give you an idea, the later posts will problably give you the most updated prices what members have paid.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/main-lobby/303-how-much-did-you-spend-your-fz6-7200-a.html

 

[HavBlue]

I agree with Defy, not a good price. New members are currently getting brand new '07 between $6100 and $6500 OTD, that means "out the door" the amount of money it takes to take the bike home, which includes all fees and taxes. In addition, there has been a major model change between the '07's and the earlier models, meaning that the new members who are paying just over $6,000 for the '07's are getting a great deal, since there is really no difference between the '08's and '07's. I would say anything more that $4,000 OTD is too much. I would say $3500 would be a realistic good figure.

Here's a link to give you an idea, the later posts will problably give you the most updated prices what members have paid.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/main-lobby/303-how-much-did-you-spend-your-fz6-7200-a.html

I would say 4,500 is very reasonable and well within the current market. Add the bags in to that and it makes it even better. Personally I wouldn't give 6,000 for the 07 or 08 as to me they simply don't hold a candle to the 2004-2006. If someone offered 3,500 for my 2004 I would first laugh and they show them the door.

 

[youngGun]

What i want to know is where you can get an 05 for $3500.....thats a steal....I paid 4700 for my 05 with 900 miles on it.

 

[HavBlue]

What i want to know is where you can get an 05 for $3500.....thats a steal....I paid 4700 for my 05 with 900 miles on it.

Fun how deals like that do show up from time to time and often it's because somebody needs the money, like now....

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I would say 4,500 is very reasonable and well within the current market. Add the bags in to that and it makes it even better. Personally I wouldn't give 6,000 for the 07 or 08 as to me they simply don't hold a candle to the 2004-2006. If someone offered 3,500 for my 2004 I would first laugh and they show them the door.

Say Hav.....why do you prefer the '06's vs the 0'7's and '08s so much? Personally, I think the '06 looks better than the '07's with the fairings and the windscreen. I don't like the way how they have redone the fairings and windscreen. Just seeems that the older bikes looks a bit sportier. But I like the added instrument gauges and the ABS features that they have added to the newer models.

 

[HavBlue]

Say Hav.....why do you prefer the '06's vs the 0'7's and '08s so much? Personally, I think the '06 looks better than the '07's with the fairings and the windscreen. I don't like the way how they have redone the fairings and windscreen. Just seeems that the older bikes looks a bit sportier. But I like the added instrument gauges and the ABS features that they have added to the newer models.

With respect to the 07-08 models I will tell you the first pictures I saw seemed odd to me as it appeared Yamaha had simply removed much of what made the bike unique in the realm of naked sportbikes. About 2 months ago I had the opportunity to actually see the bike in a dealer showroom and spent around 30 minutes going over it.

The first thing that caught my eye was the reduction in size of the fairing. It was lower, thinner (both vertical and horizontal) and in making this change Yamaha had removed the gills both right and left. This to me was the opposite of what the bike needed as the one problem I have found is a lack of stability at speeds in excess of 90mph in dirty air as the angle of attack on the entry ramps needed to be increased giving more frontal down force. In terms relative to the windscreen, reducing its size only allows more air by volume to encounter the riders very uneven shape which once again causes things like helmet buffet and an overall instability at higher speeds because it disrupts airflow. The 04-06 was bad enough without changing the windscreen to the likes of a double bubble race screen. The aftermarket screen does eliminate the buffeting and associated instability.

The introduction of improved brakes seemed a useless point as the 04-06 brakes could easily flip the bike in an emergency stop. The 04-06 Nissan calipers provided for reliability and to be frank, I only needed to change the pad material (now using carbon Kevlar) to increase the feedback from the brakes. I therefore didn't see the new calipers as being any real improvement, only a difference in methodology.

Many owners of the 04-06 had complained about the box look of the swingarm. In general terms they had felt it looked like some kind of crossover unit (dirt bike dual sport). Being used to dirt bikes I had no problems with this at all nor did I find any mechanical advantage to the new arm. To me this was simply a change in looks with no real advantage being present.

The 04-06 instrument cluster is awesome but I could see why Yamaha went to the analog tach. It made things much more user friendly to the in experienced rider who may be looking for that needle position when jumping all over that throttle. The experienced rider will often shift based on sound and feedback from the engine hence no real need to look at that tach. Rather, their eyes are on the road where they belong.

When Yamaha came out with the 2004 FZ6 it was a masterpiece of beauty and style placed in a 600cc naked package that to me was tops in the industry. At that time it was tested against the likes of the Honda 599 and Suzuki SV650. In those tests the FZ6 literally blew the others off. I did however find it interesting that the moto-journalists complained of the seat, buzzyness and a lack of torque on the low end. To me much of this could be attributed to there rider being overweight, a lack of understanding in that this bike eats up rrm and without it it falls on its face and a poor choice of ride shoes as tennis shoes don't cut it. I actually saw a detailed test of the Z750S and on paper the FZ6 took that one out too in terms of performance.

Now move on to the advent of the blacked out chassis. OK if you like mat black but what did it do to the overall aesthetics of the package? To me it took away from the true beauty of the machine and again to be frank, the engineers who went with this ever decorating or detailing out one of my rides. Add to this the blacked out mat finish wheel and Yamaha pretty much destroyed what was once the best looking naked on the market. At present, if I were looking for a bike like the FZ6 today I wouldn't buy it. The bike looks like a an afterthought of changes made to satisfy their desires to reduce production costs at all costs.

Since 2004, I have had zero problems with my FZ6. It has never been hard on brakes, had the problems associated with the TPS or counter sprocket and the throttle is dead smooth. The clutch friction zone is perfect for my style and I couldn't have asked for a more comfortable seat as I can blow off 100 miles+ effortlessly. So for me, any improvements Yamaha claimed to have made weren't improvements at all. Rather, in my humble opinion they simply reduced a beautiful bike to the like of more industry confusion.

 

[reiobard]

I would say that you got a very fair deal.


Also check out New England Streetriders - Motorcycle Forums as a good local forum. they are a bit more gruff folks but they are good to get some rides together in the riding season.


I personally don't agree with Hav about the previous models, I think performance wise they are almost identical which is great. I also like all the changed they made but i won't bash the older design :Flip:

 

[HavBlue]

I personally don't agree with Hav about the previous models, I think performance wise they are almost identical which is great. I also like all the changes they made but I won't bash the older design

There's a difference between bashing and constructive criticism. In terms of performance, the edge would seem to go to the earlier FZ6 but I have yet to see an objective heads up comparison.

To me, the current FZ6 is just another 600cc naked whereas before, the bike was an eye catcher with a real flare about it that no other 600cc naked had.

 

[reiobard]

There's a difference between bashing and constructive criticism. In terms of performance, the edge would seem to go to the earlier FZ6 but I have yet to see an objective heads up comparison.

To me, the current FZ6 is just another 600cc naked whereas before, the bike was an eye catcher with a real flare about it that no other 600cc naked had.

Well that is a difference of opinion as far as the design, I personally didn't like the looks of the earlier ones, which is why i didn't buy one as my first 600cc bike., i still don't see where you give the performance edge to the earlier ones. But like i said, all that has been sighted is cosmetic opinion and no performance comparisons.

 

[feijoo69]

Thank you everyone for their opinions and thought, especially for havblue sharing his detailed comparisson between 04-06, 07-08.

In regards to the price of my bike, i think i have paied a resonable price for it here in MA, USA. After much research i have come across my two best options: 2004 fz6 w/ 14,000 miles for $4,000; or 2005 fz6 w/ 11,000 miles for $4,500 with hard bags (both are dealer prices before tax). And of course i went with the 2005.

Once again thanks for everyone's opinions/suggestions. When its time to look for a new fz6 i'll come here to see if there are any good prices out there! lol

Pz out,

Feijoo69:Sport:

 

[HavBlue]

Well that is a difference of opinion as far as the design, I personally didn't like the looks of the earlier ones, which is why i didn't buy one as my first 600cc bike., i still don't see where you give the performance edge to the earlier ones. But like i said, all that has been sighted is cosmetic opinion and no performance comparisons.

Careful, those cosmetics can make a world of difference in the fast lane. A quarter inch of simple plastic material in the right place or at the right angle can be a marked improvement. Take it away and the difference can be devastating in terms of speed, handling and comfort. As far as performance, the run profile of the 07-08 is different.

 

[reiobard]

Careful, those cosmetics can make a world of difference in the fast lane. A quarter inch of simple plastic material in the right place or at the right angle can be a marked improvement. Take it away and the difference can be devastating in terms of speed, handling and comfort. As far as performance, the run profile of the 07-08 is different.

I guess i'll have to take your word for the fairings being worse since i don't personally have a wind tunnel to test your hypothesis out in, the engine is the same with the same HP rating, the geometry of the bike is identical, the only thing i can find that would have any impact on the performance is the fact that the 07+ weighs approximately 15 pounds less.

 

[HavBlue]

I guess i'll have to take your word for the fairings being worse since i don't personally have a wind tunnel to test your hypothesis out in, the engine is the same with the same HP rating, the geometry of the bike is identical, the only thing i can find that would have any impact on the performance is the fact that the 07+ weighs approximately 15 pounds less.

Thirteen pounds net but what happened to the loss of 2 horsepower in the 2007/2008 models? Either way it's less than 1/10th pound per horsepower difference.

 

[reiobard]

Thirteen pounds net but what happened to the loss of 2 horsepower in the 2007/2008 models? Either way it's less than 1/10th pound per horsepower difference.

i see nothing in any listings that list the 04-06's as 98BHP and I also have not seen anything for the 07+ having anything other than 98BHP as well, I don;t know anything of this 2HP disparity that you speak of.

I also apologize for rounding the weight. Either way i still don't see how the old ones have better performance. Arguing the aerodynamics of the fairings is useless unless someone has done a study that shows the differences and other than that you have only sighted that your brakes are good enough and could flip your bike if used improperly, so the improvement was useless, You also sighted that you had no problem with the smoothness of the powerband, so the FI re-mapping was not necessary, and you had no problems with the original swingarm, so the swingarm re-design was another useless re-vamp.