Help make decision fz6 vs 650r

[chau]

hi folks,

I am new to biking in US and just about to buy a motor bike once I get through MSF by end of this month. I am a regular biker during summers and also had ridden motorbikes (150cc) close to 10 years ago back in my home country.

After reading several threads and visiting several forums, looks like both these machines are good but come with their own limitations. Before making the final call I wanted to check with the experts whether the limitations of fz6 are showstoppers or they are something addressed in '08 or '09 model or something that show up in 1 in 1000 machines.

fz6:
con: clutch issues, potential problems at low speeds (I4)
pro: wifly loves looks, great bike!

650r:
pro: good starter bike, can enjoy at lower speeds (parallel twin)
con: vibrations at certain rpm, light, feels bit narrow to me.

Again, I am not an expert in these machines and in no comparison to you experts, if any of the cons come as offensive, please take in the right spirits.

Thank you very much in advance!

 

[OZXJR]

If your wife likes the FZ6 go with it ....................trust me

 

[Philippe1985]

I would never buy a bike with a parallel twin because the sound sucks!!
I don't know if it is the same but I had the chance to ride a ducati monster once. And it also is a 2 cilinder. It just was really good in the midrange, but started to shake on low rpm's and could not hande high rpm's.(sounds good!!)
So I don't understand that you say: potential problems at low speeds...
My fz6 is just perfect for low speeds.. An inline 4 runs great on every rpm. But it is a fact that it hasn't got much power on low rpm's. But it is just fine for riding at low speeds.
If you want to ride relaxed with an inline 4 just keep the rpm's low. If you want to go fast keep them high. There a just so many possabilities with an inline 4.
And my last advice: don't buy a bike where you have the feeling that it is a bit narrow for you...

 

[Fz6Sa]

So I don't understand that you say: potential problems at low speeds...
My fz6 is just perfect for low speeds.. An inline 4 runs great on every rpm. But it is a fact that it hasn't got much power on low rpm's. But it is just fine for riding at low speeds.
If you want to ride relaxed with an inline 4 just keep the rpm's low. If you want to go fast keep them high. There a just so many possabilities with an inline 4.
And my last advice: don't buy a bike where you have the feeling that it is a bit narrow for you...

I can only second the above!!

Also I don't understand the clutch issue point ....
Sure the clutch on the FZ6 can be tricky to some, - until you get to know it. (Not a long learning period). But this goes for 99% of all bikes I have ever driven ......

I say go for the Fizzer, - you won't regret it!

 

[wrightme43]

If you can pull the two bikes side by side and really look at the assembly, and pieces.

If you do that you wont want the Kawisaki.

 

[D-Mac]

Both are good bikes. I think the FZ6 is more flexible in terms of what you can use it for.

I gotta agree with the what others have said about the 'concern at low speeds'....... not sure what you mean here. Less torque than some bikes at low speeds, but it's actually very smooth around town.

You'll probably get a similar type of response on the Kawa forums about their bike. We're probably not the most objective group about our own bikes.

:welcome:

 

[Aleziel]

whats with the clutch issues??? my FZ6 clutch works like a charm! clutches are very power intense gear systems, they are supposed to make some noise. the clutch on my CBR was far worse...

my advice... ignore what your wife likes. which one of the two bikes gets you more exited when you look at it? thats the one you should buy. minute ergonomics are hardly an issue and you will adapt to them.

 

[dankatz]

How tall are you? What do you mean by too narrow? If you are a bigger/taller person the FZ6 would fit you better. The FZ6R and Ninja 650 are more equivalent based on price and size. Also, consider the GSX650F as an alternative. Are you looking to buy new? The FZ6 definitely has a narrow clutch engagement range compared to other bikes. You will get used to it within a week of riding, but you will have to work at it initially. The Kawasaki, especially the reworked version for this year, is also a great choice and in town will be a lot of fun. The FZ6 motor is not as strong in the low end as any of the twins (SV included), but is plenty strong. As for quality, all the Japanese bikes are well made. Yamaha and Honda have a reputation for slightly better workmanship, but I would not expect problems from Suzuki and Kawasaki either. You are tapping onto an FZ6 forum and we have all made our decisions, so you know what we prefer. ;-)
I had a Ninja 500 as my first bike and glad I did. I am 5'8" and 150lbs, so I felt more comfortable on the Ninja initially. Once I put a few miles under my belt I decided to got with the FZ as my second bike. Personally, I would not have been comfortable on the FZ immediately after MSF. It is a very powerful bike.
Enjoy your shopping and let us know what you end up getting!

 

[champion221elite]

If you can pull the two bikes side by side and really look at the assembly, and pieces.

If you do that you wont want the Kawisaki.

I totally agree wrightme... for nearly the same price, the Yamaha build quality is far superior to the Kawasaki quality. I carefully considered both the FZ6 and Ninja 650R, and chose the FZ6.

I absolutely love the sound of the Inline 4 cylinder motor when you wring it's neck. I have not noticed any low rpm/ low speed problems with the FZ6 motor, it's butter smooth and it just begs to be ridden.

The Ninja 650R isn't a bad bike. The 650 parallel twin motor is strong and torquey, but it just can't compete with the 600 cc Inline 4 from the FZ6. The brakes, suspension, fit/finish are ok, but the FZ6 does them better.

 

[Mississippi]

+1 What they all said

I really like that the FZ is not as narrow as the 650r. To me it feels more stable, and I do not feel like I am riding a scooter or something. The 650r was on my short list, but when I sat on the different bikes, the FZ just seemed to fit me better, and feel more solid.

 

[chunkygoat]

I too was stuck between the 08 ninja 650 and the 08 fz6.

I ended up buying the black 08 fz6 and my boy bought the 08 ninja 650. Neither bike has problems at low rpms - unless there is something terribly wrong. The ninja's have a funky sound, but they look sleek. They're also rather slow in my opinion, especially in the mid range. My fz blows his ninja out of the water every time - but that could just be the rider.

All in all, its up to you. I'd pick the fz6 though - as most of the answers you'll get here will be because this is a fz6 forum site, we're slightly biased because we all have one.

 

[DefyInertia]

The cons you listed for the FZ6 are not REALLY valid...but....650R is my vote. You can't go wrong with either and I love my FZ6

 

[bigdog9191999]

of the two you listed i say the fz. (and it is not that i am that bias, i would rather have my honda 919 back, and my 05 tiger even more..) in imo the fz is a great bike for all around a buddy of mine has an 08 650 ninja and aside from sound there are a lot of things that just look better on the fz. i personaly would not spend my paycheck on an fz ( got the bike for nearly free) as it is to simmiler to the 919 just not the same power. not that either are bad bikes they are both great if that is the type of bike your looking for (the tiger would throw down as hard as the 919 and was much better for the longer halls)

again both decent bikes just depends on if you want a "sporter riding postition" or more "versitility"

 

[necrotimus]

I think the problems at low speed comment goes back to the review that was done for the FZ6 that said the reviewer was often changing between gears at a lower speed. However I think we will all agree that once you get used to the engine and pwerband none of us have this issue.

 

[grommit]

You should be comparing the FZ6R to the 650R.

The plain FZ6 is up another level.:thumbup:

 

[blchandl2]

I have owned both. I had a '05 FZ6 and for some stupid reason I sold it. Then I bought a 650R. The 650R is a much lower quality motorcycle. The brakes are worthless. I found it to be a very uncomfortable bike and sold it after 5 months and bought another FZ6.

Expensive lesson learned.:spank:

 

[dankatz]

I have a comparison of the 2007 FZ6 vs Ninja 650 vs. SV650S from Motorcycle Consumer news where the FZ6 beat them all by a wide margin. PM me if interested. It is the previous version of the Ninja which is quite similar.

 

[troyw]

Having gone from a gigantasaurus Godzilla machine called the Honda VTX 1800, I can say with total confidence that it has more power, is much lighter,
and has no clutch or low end problems. This is a bike you will not outgrow soon, and I think Yamaha's build quality is above the rest right now. Yes, even Honda. This switch for me to the FZ6 is my bon voyage to Honda until they get their stuff back together. Buy the Yamaha FZ6. You will definitely not regret it.

- Troy

 

[Norm]

I was deciding between the same bikes as well as the VStrom 650 and the Versys. I did a lot of reading and this forum was invaluable. When I decided on the FZ6 I was pretty confident but my tough choice was between a never used/new '06 and a new '08. The members told me to get the '08 because the price difference wasn't huge and there was another update in the fuel injection system mapping in '07. I believe that one of the troubles in the earliest models (?'04) was indeed that it was not very smooth at low speeds for some riders and their style of riding and the reviewer you are referring to pointed that out. I imagine that was the whole fuel injection mapping thing. '07 was the second revision of that and I can tell you that my '08 is beautifully behaved at any speed. You will have no issues with this.

There are only two negatives for me with the FZ6. The first is the "clunk" you hear when you put it in first. Anyone close to you will hear it. I have actually grown to like it. It has a "locked and loaded" feel to it. I have never read or heard of anyone who held a grudge against the bike for this. The second is simply that here, in the U.S., we can't get it with ABS. I love this bike and have zero regrets on my choice. Given the same choice of bikes today, I'd still pick the Fizzer hands down. It is a prince of a bike, IMHO. Good luck with your choice and I hope we'll have you as a member soon.:thumbup:

 

[LERecords]

There are only two negatives for me with the FZ6. The first is the "clunk" you hear when you put it in first. Anyone close to you will hear it. I have actually grown to like it. It has a "locked and loaded" feel to it. I have never read or heard of anyone who held a grudge against the bike for this.

very true.. thats really my only thing with the bike.. that clunk.. and the very very rare mis-gear thing.. but in my 4 years of ownership.. A. i have no idea what this clutch thing is about.. i use mine.. works fine.. i dont have any issues, but maybe cuz i have never riden anything else.. but it works fine by me..B.the whole low speed thing.. if thats takeing turns in parking lots.. well.. i would say its a slight top heavy, but im also sitting on the bike wrong when it does get a little hairy.. al realative i guess.. C. I have seen a 650r ride around in person.. the sound seemed ok.. the guy who was ridding it said it was fun.. its cool.. but somehow i dont think i would ever buy one. it does seam a bit less quality than my current fz6 (05).. but hey, you can take care of somehting and it will stay nice..

i would say the fz6 cuz it really can do alot of things.. i have toured, done tons of miles in a day in the twisties.. and for zipping around town, its great too.. just all around great bike :thumbup: good luck in your purchase