JustPablo
New Member
I am seriously considering buying an FZ6 as my first bike and just wanted to know some good reasons as to why i should follow through with that...
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First Bike?
- Thread starter JustPablo
- Start date
Sosu2211
Super Furry Animal
Hi there,
Welcome to the boards! I guess it all depends on what you have your heart set on... If you want a sports bike, a roaster will never fit, however if you are looking for a good solid first bike, a 600 like the FZ6 is ideal. Easy to ride, great handling and flexible engine... nothing too scary or edgy.
You have, imho, an ideal riding position too, that is sporty without being wrist breakingly sporty like pure sport bikes... it represents a great balance.
For practicality, they are very reasonably priced, economic to run, reliable and cheap to insure!
I'm sure others will chime in with more specific reasons, but thought I'd start things off generally!
Sosu
Welcome to the boards! I guess it all depends on what you have your heart set on... If you want a sports bike, a roaster will never fit, however if you are looking for a good solid first bike, a 600 like the FZ6 is ideal. Easy to ride, great handling and flexible engine... nothing too scary or edgy.
You have, imho, an ideal riding position too, that is sporty without being wrist breakingly sporty like pure sport bikes... it represents a great balance.
For practicality, they are very reasonably priced, economic to run, reliable and cheap to insure!
I'm sure others will chime in with more specific reasons, but thought I'd start things off generally!
Sosu
Well, the FZ6 is fast, great handling, fun to ride, gets good gas mileage, and
is affordable. Insurance costs are less than a full sport bike too.
What I would worry about is a new rider getting an almost 100 horsepower
bike for his first one. Have you ridden other bikes much or taken the MSF
course? If you do decide on the FZ6, be careful and keep the rpm below
8,000 preferably below 6,000 until you are more capable. Motorcyles are
the most fun thing, unless you crash. Always try to error on the safe side,
especially at first. Have fun and learn as much as you can to protect yourself.
Hope this helps you out. Any questions just ask.
is affordable. Insurance costs are less than a full sport bike too.
What I would worry about is a new rider getting an almost 100 horsepower
bike for his first one. Have you ridden other bikes much or taken the MSF
course? If you do decide on the FZ6, be careful and keep the rpm below
8,000 preferably below 6,000 until you are more capable. Motorcyles are
the most fun thing, unless you crash. Always try to error on the safe side,
especially at first. Have fun and learn as much as you can to protect yourself.
Hope this helps you out. Any questions just ask.
mglowe
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The FZ6 is in my opinion is a mid level bike, a excellent choice for those with some riding experience.
Possibly look at the following thread for others thoughts.
http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-...d-some-help-deciding-what-kind-bike-get.htmll
Possibly look at the following thread for others thoughts.
http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-...d-some-help-deciding-what-kind-bike-get.htmll
J
jsteinb95
If you have no riding experience and have not taken the MSF course, I suggest the ninja 250, 500 or the GS500.....just my opinion. :thumbup:
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I am a brand new rider myself. This is my first bike and first ever to ride. I have to say of my personal experience I love this bike. Man it is awesome all around for me. I am 6'-3'' 250 pounds and it handles well with me. The throttle isn't to touchy for me. But if I do want to have a little fun it will take off no problem. It is also well balanced I have done had one person pull out in front of me and another try to run me down in my own lane and I was able to keep it up while sliding and trying to get out of the way. It gets 40 MPH to the gal. There is lots of things you can do to make the bike look unique and your own. Also I love the riding position. I am new to riding like I said and I don't think I would handle the laying down stuff all the time. I like sitting up while I ride. And the most important reason to get the FZ6 is you have the best owners manual you can get with any bike called the FZ6-Forum.com. I have learned alot of stuff from the guys about this bike other bikes and riding alone. So good luck with your decision.:thumbup: O and this is my experience. I don't know nothing about you and what you do like or not. So I hope which ever choice you make it the one you end up liking
What about an FZ6R. :Flash:
Shafe716
Junior Member
Speaking from experience as this is my first bike, it's OK for a first timer. If I were to do it again I would have gotten something smaller for learning on and then bought one of these once I had gotten some experience. I'm a pretty "responsible" person and don't like to take very many risks on the bike. That said if your a pretty big risk taker, probably not a good bike for you. But if you can respect it until your skill level gets up you'll have a lot of fun!:rockon:
Zack
Junior Member
I have question for JustPablo: why not FZ6? I can't think of any reason why somebody wouldn't love to have it?
Zack
Zack
My 2008 FZ6 was my first bike. I looked at alot of different bikes but with no riding experience I picked the FZ because of the upright riding positon. Laying over a gas tank with my feet behind my is not my idea of fun.
I've had my bike for about 3 months and every time I get on it I'm glad I bought it. It also helps to have this website. The people here are very helpful with any questions you have. Goodluck with your choice:thumbup:
I've had my bike for about 3 months and every time I get on it I'm glad I bought it. It also helps to have this website. The people here are very helpful with any questions you have. Goodluck with your choice:thumbup:
As someone put it, the FZ6 is considered a midlevel bike. But there are many members who have gotten it as their first bike. But unfortunatley, some of these members no longer have their bikes because they have crashed. However, there are plenty of members who haven't.
Just be prepared as a new rider that the bike has a very good chance of getting damaged from going down, even just by tipping over at slow speeds or even parked. So the question you have to ask yourself, do you want a brand new bike that will most likely get damaged due to inexperience....Or a used bike and get some expereince in which a scratch or minor damage won't be so significant as it would on a new bike. A used FZ6 is also an option. Whatever you decide, make sure you get a bike that has somewhat with an upright riding position, as it is much easier to ride and most importanty you will have better visiblity when you ride.
I will say one sure thing, give yourself a pat on the back for finding this forum and asking questions.
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cv_rider
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I'm with VR on this one. FZ6 was my second bike, after a 3000 mile stint on a Buell Blast. I think the FZ6 would be a pretty reasonable first bike for the point of view of not being too difficult to handle, but in my book, you shouldn't spend more than $1500 on your first bike. FZ6s will be 3x that or more. You will probably drop it in some non-dramatic silly incident. There's a good amount of plastic that can get chewed up. I'd start with something nice and cheap and move up after a year. If you damage the cheap one, it's no issue. One fun thing about planning to upgrade in a year is that you get to spend that entire year thinking about what your next bike will be. One piece of advice I found when thinking of the first bike was "don't think of your first bike as your last bike." After logging some miles, you'll get a sense of what characteristics of the bike matter to you. You may find that a different style than the FZ6 appeals to you. No reason to try to guess what your "long term" bike will be (as that is what the FZ6 is for many of us) before you've ever ridden.
Twista Grip
Junior Member
I think when most of us would respond to this question, our first concern is the amount of engine power that this bike puts out. Aside from that however, the bike is absolutely easy to drive. I started out on a Harley sportster and the FZ6 makes that small cruiser seem like an absolute tank. So, if you can handle staying off the throttle until you are ready for that lesson, the FZ6 is an excellent choice to learn on. :thumbup:
JustPablo
New Member
I really appreciate all the feedback, its still under consideration but i will most definitely let you all know what ive decided and how it pans out! :Flash: oh and please keep it coming i need all the advice i can get and still have time until i purchase. Thanks again!
necrotimus
Stop looking at my title!
I bought a used 06 as my first bike after taking the MSF course. There were a couple reasons why I went with the FZ6 and others have mentioned them.
One of the additional reasons was in the Washingtond DC area it will be difficult to find a "starter bike". Obviously gas prices have contributed to higher sales but also the fact that bikes can ride in HOV has also driven up sales and prices. You will be hard pressed to find a 250cc bike because of the commuters. The good news is you are buying near the end of riding season so you might make a deal.
I think the FZ6 CAN be a good first bike but a lot of that depends on how responsible you are. It can get away from you in a hurry. If you see yourself riding down the highway weaving out of cars and waving to all the chicks then don't get this bike. If you see yourself riding in an empty parking lot the next few weeks then maybe consider it.
If you can find a starter bike the resale will be good in our area so don't feel like you are throwing your money away since you will want something bigger.
Reasons not to buy the bike:
-If you accidentally roll on the throttle you will become a landmissle before you can react
-The bike is too easy too handle and can easily give you a false sense of security and have you riding above your limits
-The clutch is not forgiving and you will stall, in our area you cannot afford to stall so it will be parking lots until you can start on an incline without rolling backwards.
All that being said it has been a month and a half since I got the bike and I now commute on 95 almost everyday. I have upgraded from an elementary school parking lot to a middle school parking lot and I still practice. I need work on the twisties and people get on my ass because I slow to the posted limit on exit ramps.
One of the additional reasons was in the Washingtond DC area it will be difficult to find a "starter bike". Obviously gas prices have contributed to higher sales but also the fact that bikes can ride in HOV has also driven up sales and prices. You will be hard pressed to find a 250cc bike because of the commuters. The good news is you are buying near the end of riding season so you might make a deal.
I think the FZ6 CAN be a good first bike but a lot of that depends on how responsible you are. It can get away from you in a hurry. If you see yourself riding down the highway weaving out of cars and waving to all the chicks then don't get this bike. If you see yourself riding in an empty parking lot the next few weeks then maybe consider it.
If you can find a starter bike the resale will be good in our area so don't feel like you are throwing your money away since you will want something bigger.
Reasons not to buy the bike:
-If you accidentally roll on the throttle you will become a landmissle before you can react
-The bike is too easy too handle and can easily give you a false sense of security and have you riding above your limits
-The clutch is not forgiving and you will stall, in our area you cannot afford to stall so it will be parking lots until you can start on an incline without rolling backwards.
All that being said it has been a month and a half since I got the bike and I now commute on 95 almost everyday. I have upgraded from an elementary school parking lot to a middle school parking lot and I still practice. I need work on the twisties and people get on my ass because I slow to the posted limit on exit ramps.
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chemicalsmile
Junior Member
I'd get something used cheap for your first bike - its pretty much guaranteed that you'll drop or lay down your first bike and I think everyone would agree that if you had to drop a bike you'd rather it be a cheap beater than a brand new sparkling FZ6. I'm personally glad I didn't buy mine as a first bike - I would have got into a lot of trouble with the type of screaming power this thing has above 6 or 7k and I think having a brand new shiny bike would have prohibited my learning as I would have been too scared to learn proper carving/evasive/braking techniques for fear of dropping it.
W
wrightme43
I highly reccomend a ninja 250 for your introduction to the biking world. DRZ 400 would be great too.
This bike is very fast. It is sorta friendly but still does not suffer mistakes. You can of course buy anything you like. Its a better choice than a GSXR 1000 or a R1 or the like, its better than a R6 or a CBR600RR but it is a worse choice than a parallel twin of less CC.
I believe starting on a bike with this sort of performance stunts the riders growth.
I believe if you start on a ninja 250 in a year you will thank the ones that said it was wise.
You will of made mistakes that looking back you will see had you been on a faster bike could of been very bad.
The ninja is a great deal of fun, it looks good, its plenty fast, its alot cheaper, and sells within a week of listing to a new rider looking to learn. You wont lose money on it, you will gain a great deal of experince, and skill with alot less attendant risk.
www.ninja250.com tell em we sent you.
Then please please come back and get you a FZ you will love it. Its just not the best bike to learn the skills on.
Think of motorcycling as the rest of your life, you are going to own lots of bikes. One year on a small, good performing, comfortable, cheap bike will set you up to ride all your other bikes better.
This bike is very fast. It is sorta friendly but still does not suffer mistakes. You can of course buy anything you like. Its a better choice than a GSXR 1000 or a R1 or the like, its better than a R6 or a CBR600RR but it is a worse choice than a parallel twin of less CC.
I believe starting on a bike with this sort of performance stunts the riders growth.
I believe if you start on a ninja 250 in a year you will thank the ones that said it was wise.
You will of made mistakes that looking back you will see had you been on a faster bike could of been very bad.
The ninja is a great deal of fun, it looks good, its plenty fast, its alot cheaper, and sells within a week of listing to a new rider looking to learn. You wont lose money on it, you will gain a great deal of experince, and skill with alot less attendant risk.
www.ninja250.com tell em we sent you.
Then please please come back and get you a FZ you will love it. Its just not the best bike to learn the skills on.
Think of motorcycling as the rest of your life, you are going to own lots of bikes. One year on a small, good performing, comfortable, cheap bike will set you up to ride all your other bikes better.
yamaholicFJR
New Member
Hello, I'm new here, but have lots of MC experience.
Have been helping a friend by his first bike. Never swung a leg over an MC before, but has high speed bicycle experience and is mature enough to not get silly on it.
I highly suggested he look at the Ninja250. Same reasons as above, buy cheap, learn the basics, gain confidence without being scared of a big engine, then sell at minimal loss after a few months or year. Expect to drop it at least once (especially a short rider). Or even the Ninja500 would be doable. Other people told him to go bigger and get a 600.
Also suggested he first ride the training class bike to baseline what 250 or 500cc's feels like, then decide from there.
But, he really, really wanted the FZ6 and thought he could pick up riding quickly. So we looked at a used one in great shape last night. I test road it in the rain. My thoughts were not enough power to get in trouble IF and ONLY IF the rider can swallow their ego and not be silly on it. In other words, take it slow and easy. He's mature, and I think hte engine power will be not overwhelming if kept in the low rpms. However, I may intentionally slow the bike down (exhaust and intake restrictions) for him while he learns.
But the clutch really is touchy! The engagement zone is fairly small, easy to stall. I intentionally tried to be lame on the throttle a few times during starts and it stalled every time.
So I advised only buy the bike if he thinks he can master a sensitive clutch. He thought he could, but I'm little nervous as he's never used a clutch before.
Well, he bought it last night and rode it home for him!!!
So I'm going to offer that he drive my 5 speed sports car to learn the clutch (never used one, ever) before his class. The clutch on this car is fairly easy to use, but it's also quick/high revving/powerful like the FZ6 (MR2 Turbo, modified). Then he'll take a riding class and will start out in parking lots once he gets his license.
With training, maturity, and concentration on the clutch/throttle, it should not be a problem to learn on this bike. Key word here is maturity, if he was my neighbors' 17 year old this may be a bad first bike. I think he'll be fine on it, but he has the maturity to start slow and be safe.
Have been helping a friend by his first bike. Never swung a leg over an MC before, but has high speed bicycle experience and is mature enough to not get silly on it.
I highly suggested he look at the Ninja250. Same reasons as above, buy cheap, learn the basics, gain confidence without being scared of a big engine, then sell at minimal loss after a few months or year. Expect to drop it at least once (especially a short rider). Or even the Ninja500 would be doable. Other people told him to go bigger and get a 600.
Also suggested he first ride the training class bike to baseline what 250 or 500cc's feels like, then decide from there.
But, he really, really wanted the FZ6 and thought he could pick up riding quickly. So we looked at a used one in great shape last night. I test road it in the rain. My thoughts were not enough power to get in trouble IF and ONLY IF the rider can swallow their ego and not be silly on it. In other words, take it slow and easy. He's mature, and I think hte engine power will be not overwhelming if kept in the low rpms. However, I may intentionally slow the bike down (exhaust and intake restrictions) for him while he learns.
But the clutch really is touchy! The engagement zone is fairly small, easy to stall. I intentionally tried to be lame on the throttle a few times during starts and it stalled every time.
So I advised only buy the bike if he thinks he can master a sensitive clutch. He thought he could, but I'm little nervous as he's never used a clutch before.
Well, he bought it last night and rode it home for him!!!
So I'm going to offer that he drive my 5 speed sports car to learn the clutch (never used one, ever) before his class. The clutch on this car is fairly easy to use, but it's also quick/high revving/powerful like the FZ6 (MR2 Turbo, modified). Then he'll take a riding class and will start out in parking lots once he gets his license.
With training, maturity, and concentration on the clutch/throttle, it should not be a problem to learn on this bike. Key word here is maturity, if he was my neighbors' 17 year old this may be a bad first bike. I think he'll be fine on it, but he has the maturity to start slow and be safe.
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Chris
GO!!!!!!!
How tall are you? If you're into naked bikes and especially if you're taller than 6 feet I recommend the fz6. Another great naked bike is the Honda 600 Hornet, but if you're tall then your knees will probably come too high up on the tank. There's this edge on the side that gets really annoying. I couldn't find the bike on the US website, but it's this one: http://www.bikeloue.fr/contenu/images/Honda_cbHornet2007_noire.jpg Might have another name over there. Anyway, I recommend you to try out a few different bikes and see which one you like the best.
-Chris
-Chris
