FZ6 Correct Bike For Me?

[YZ125]

I've been looking more and more into the FZ6 and the more I like it.

My main question is the following: Can the motor be ridden easy with no negative effect to it?

I know there will be some rides where I just want to buzz around and keep the RPMs well below 8k (where I read the FZ turns into a different animal at this point and beyond). Will riding the bike like this and not really open up the motor be okay?

I love the sound and smoothness of the inline 4 motor, but if I know I wont be riding balls to the wall all the time, will a v twin or parallel twin better suit me?

 

[FZ09Bandit]

It's fine for whatever, just try not to pull out infront of someone in second gear overall solid choice.

 

[motojoe122]

Others have said it too, fz6's power band is similar to a 2 stroke dirtbike. I had a yz250 and made the change easily. Remember to wear all your gear:thumbup: and:welcome: to the forum:thumbup:

 

[YZ125]

Others have said it too, fz6's power band is similar to a 2 stroke dirtbike. I had a yz250 and mass the change easily. Remember to wear all your gear:thumbup: and:welcome: to the forum:thumbup:

I rode a YZ125 for 3 years, so I'm used to the "on/off" powerband.

Once the powerband hits on the FZ, will it lift the front wheel off the ground if not careful?

 

[Carlos840]

I rode a YZ125 for 3 years, so I'm used to the "on/off" powerband.

Once the powerband hits on the FZ, will it lift the front wheel off the ground if not careful?

No it won't, even with -1/+2 sprockets you actually have to really try to lift the front wheel to achieve that.

With a smooth roll on it isn't a problem. Now if you are rough with the throttle, or do a quick close/open it will lift the front wheel.

 

[Erci]

You can putter around all day long at 4k RPM.. you just need to remember that it has very little *go* down there. If you enjoy keeping RPMs low, but want power on tap, V-twin, or inline-3 will most definitely be better. Consider SV650 or V-Strom 650. Parallel twin is no better, from my experience.

 

[FZSexy]

speaking for my '07 FZ6 i think you'll be fine and like it. its not as weak down low as some would lead to believe, and while somewhat docile at and below 4000rpm things start to pick up considerably once a hair past 5000 rpm or so. whatever the dyno charts tell us, this is the seat of my pants impression

if you need more speed or power for any given situation its good to look at the tach on the bike instead of the speedo. you will become familiar with where the power lies and how close you are to it

imo when reading of the "above 8K its a beast" thing, well, its true. the engine is smoothest, fastest, and completely wild up there. but the bike is also very usable and even "putt putt-able" around town. you can cruise at 45mph in 5th or 6th gear on city streets and still have plenty of roll on for passing and acceleration in traffic. riding through said traffic? 2nd gear is good for around 90mph and will pull strong all the way there from around 30mph. 3rd gear is most likely good for almost 120mph. in those two gears around town? power is always just a snap of the wrist away. 4th works pretty well, too

the bike imo is smooth, strong, powerful, comfortable, rock solid. you can ride it however you want up to around 6K but after that it will bite right back at you as the engine just keeps spinning, no end in sight

someone (or more) have described this bike as a "drop a gear" bike. IOW if you want the POWAH sometimes you gotta drop it a gear, or even two if on the highway. oh, but when the REAL power does come on at 7- 8K the bike just feels like it is floating forward. smooth, fast, and a "where the hell did THAT come from" feeling takes over and its off to the races

its here you will want to take your eyes off the tach and put 'em back on the speedo as the damn thing starts rising several digits at a time :rockon:

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

As posted above, it'll puter about at 4K all day long. About 48MPH in 6th gear(true speed). 45-48 MPG taking it easy on the throttle.

Re not lifting the front end, I have ths stock gearing and I can lift the front wheel EVERYTIME just hitting the powerband in first, everytime... No clutching, no pulling, just not leaning forward as far..

I grew up on YZ125's, YZ250's, AT1's (most of the 70's dirt bikes) all air cooled bikes with the on'/off powerband.

The FZ isn't nearly as abrupt (on/off powerband) as the YZ as the RPM range is MUCH wider. But yes, at about 8k RPM, hang on, 3rd gear is well into triple digits with the RPM's up.

Add some open, after market pipes, and you have some serious fun...

 

[ChanceCoats123]

I couldn't have said it better than you two above me. I ride pretty conservatively for rides like going to and from work so that I get better mileage. But when I want to get on it, the bike is always ready. Just make sure YOU are ready to hang on!

 

[overtheede]

Its a great do it all bike. Lug it on long rides or roar through the twisties.
You'll wonder why you didn't get one sooner. You'll love it.

 

[Kazza]

Only one person can answer this - YOU. You have to take it for a ride and see if it ticks all the boxes.

 

[Mac fz6n]

Only one person can answer this - YOU. You have to take it for a ride and see if it ticks all the boxes.

Trust a woman to use logic...

She is correct though, ride one and you will be in love :thumbup:
I've had my '04 since 2009 and have put over 80,000 klm (50k miles) on it, still love it.

Cheers,
Mac.

 

[Water Bear]

I love the sound and smoothness of the inline 4 motor, but if I know I wont be riding balls to the wall all the time, will a v twin or parallel twin better suit me?

I love my fz6, but as I said in another similar thread, if you want to stay around low revs an engine with more torque, as is often offered by twin cylinder engines, is probably what you're after.

If you want a bike similar to the fz6, look unto the sv-650 or ninja 650.

 

[Erci]

If you want a bike similar to the fz6, look unto the sv-650 or ninja 650.

In a perfect world, you would want to test ride all of the above (including FZ6), but in reality this may be difficult. Most dealers and private sellers don't like the idea of test rides

If I was going for a low RPM torque, SV would be my choice (provided it fit me.. at the very least you should be able to sit on each bike).

Ninja 650 is an inline twin.. nothing like a V-twin. I rode Versys (same motor).. absolutely hated it. But of course to each his own.. loads of people love that bike.

 

[Monica A]

It's fine for whatever, just try not to pull out infront of someone in second gear overall solid choice.

1st gear starts for sure. On my Triumph, I can pull out in 2nd or 3rd gear. I guess the expensive gear indicator that hubby put on the bike isn't always helpful. lol OK, sometimes I forget to downshift when I stop. Usually because said Hubby decided to stop at the last minutes. Good thing the binders on the FZ6 and Triumph work great! Then when we take off, I haven't down shifted :spank:

I usually rode my FZ in the lower rev range and it worked well. No problems with the engine ever! But when you decide to open it up, :thumbup:

 

[MattR302]

Is this your first street bike?

 

[The_Paragon]

You can certainly tell there is absolutely no bias here....Blah

Other than that yeah, its a great bike, rideable in all rpm's and doesnt complain about it.

Comfortable and easy to ride. Over the last year and a half i put shy of 20,000 miles on mine, besides for oil and tire changes, she hasnt needed any major service.

 

[2old2ride]

I rode a YZ125 for 3 years, so I'm used to the "on/off" powerband.

Once the powerband hits on the FZ, will it lift the front wheel off the ground if not careful?

That depends on you and what you mean by "Lift". I can 'wheelie' a 5hp mini-bike.
What is Horsepower?
As you can see, 1 HP can move 33,000 pounds 1 foot in 1 minute.
Or something like that.
BID (back in the day, I'm an old guy) there were 3 types of 'wheelie'. A power wheelie where you pop the throttle open and the front tire lifts off the ground. A clutch wheelie where you drop the clutch in while holding the throttle open and a pull wheelie where you pull the bars up to your chest. Not sure what the kids call it today. I'm not a social rider (poser).
I am not a big fan of wheelies. They are rough on the bike. The FZ6 suspension isn't designed to be slammed down like it does when coming back to earth. The engine is designed to be ran in a certain position. That is why the OIL pump pickup is where it is, The Swingarm, chain, sprocket, etc is not designed to support the weight of the entire motorcucle. The FZ6 was designed to go through traffic like a fart through cheesecloth. It's a commuter bike. Commuting is best done on two wheels.
That said, the FZ6s can and will wheelie. YouTube has several fine examples. You will not casually flick your wrist and see the front tire paw the sky. If you just gotta;
Run it up in second. You need to be at 12,000 rpm at least. Red line is good too. Preload your shifter. That means put a little up pressure on it. Not enough to force it into 3rd. Now relax your grip on the throttle. Relax it enough so that the throttle return spring will start to pull the throttle closed. When the spin of the Engine and transmission match, the gear box will suck 3rd gear. We called it 'floating gear' BID. Not sure what the kids call it now a days. 'Floating gear' came from OTR drivers who use this technique a lot. When 3rd is sucked up, grab your bars, open the throttle all the way and pull. You should find yourself on your back tire at about 60 to 80 mph, depending on too many things to list.
Don't panic. The faster you are going the safer you are, up to a point. If you have weak arms, you might want to lock them and lift with your legs. As long as you don't panic and remember to land the front wheel with it pointing the way you are going, you will be fine.
I don't know if the r model will do this. It is down on HP and doesn't have the stiff frame of the S so it might not lift so easy.
Some people CANNOT wheelie. They are scared to and stop themselves. That's fine. It is bad for most motorcycles. Some were designed with wheelies in mind. Bandit 1200 is a wheelie monster.

 

[52pickup]

the FZ6 is a good go to bike in my opinion. Like you, I was looking for a bike that I could grow into as my skills improved. I don't have any experience riding motorcycle as many do on this forum do, so I am a complete beginner. When I started asking around about the FZ6 someone said the FZ6 is two kinds of bike. Keep control of the RPM's and you have yourself a competent 250cc under you. When your ready for more just do the twist and she is very responsive. I'm still not ready for the twist just yet, but I am flirting with it. I actually have more trouble with some of the vibrations the bike produces which I plan on tracking down and fixing. To me this is a big consideration for which bike to buy...ride-ability. Good luck and welcome to the best forum out there!

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

That depends on you and what you mean by "Lift". A clutch wheelie where you drop the clutch in while holding the throttle open and a pull wheelie where you pull the bars up to your chest. Not sure what the kids call it today.
I am not a big fan of wheelies. They are rough on the bike. The FZ6 suspension isn't designed to be slammed down like it does when coming back to earth. The engine is designed to be ran in a certain position. That is why the OIL pump pickup is where it is, The Swingarm, chain, sprocket, etc is not designed to support the weight of the entire motorcucle. The FZ6 was designed to go through traffic like a fart through cheesecloth. It's a commuter bike. Commuting is best done on two wheels.
That said, the FZ6s can and will wheelie.

Just to clarify, the wheelie I referred to earlier is a power wheelie, with NO pulling up on the bars. Strictly getting into the upper end of the rev range, in first gear. And no, not a 2' high, 100' long wheelie, maybe 6".

I'm too old for the straight up, HS stuff the "stunters" do..

Although the slow speed, show "stunters" maybe 40 MPH, in a closed area, major geared down, dual caliper rear disc brakes (one hand operated), etc, is a blast to watch..