hi! new member with a question :)

[spectacle13]

hi, my name is mike, i live in tampa, fl. I've been lurking for a week or so and figured i'd say hello and ask a question

I'm looking into buying an 04' fz6 and seem to have found a really good deal on one, the only problem is the mileage, now i've seen this covered in some aspect in other posts, but have not been able to find the specific answer i need.
i just sold my 96' vulcan 500 LTD, which was my second bike, my first was a 1974 cb360. so this will be my third bike.
i'm about 6 months out of the msf course. the cb was the only bike i owned before the course.

the bike i'm looking at, the guy's willing to let go for $1,800 because of a cracked front fairing, (says he has a brand new one he hasn't put on yet) and the high mileage, (around 45,000) now, he says he has meticulously maintained the bike, and from the pictures i've seen it appears to be in good condition.

and i also understand that i still need to test ride it, and go look at it in person.
what i was wondering, is if anyone thinks this is the kind of mileage i should shy away from, regardless of a below book value price, or how well it was maintained.... i understand i'll problably need to have the valve adjustments inspected on a bike this well used, but for the sake of argument, it is owned by an older rider, and is completely stock, including exhaust, carbs, etc.
so.....any thoughts? things i should beware of if i run into them?

thanks in advance! - mike

also, here's a link to the CL ad

'04 Yamaha FZ6

 

[lytehouse]

Hi Mike and :welcome:

I'm not real keen on the technial stuff but there's a great bunch of guys here who will be able to help ya!
Good Luck and post pics when (if) you get it!

 

[Erci]

Yeah.. you should be aware that this bike does not have carbs :BLAA: (fi FTW!)

Quite a few members have high mileage machines here. Don't remember anyone mentioning any mileage related issues, provided bike is well taken care off.
2004 did have TPS recall, but that was almost certainly addressed on the bike in question by now.
If you're looking to not spend a lot of money, well maintained high mileage FZ6 is a good way to go.

 

[spectacle13]

wow, for some reason i assumed the 04' was carb'd.....guess i'm relating it to the fz1, where first gen are carb'd, 2nd gen are fi. cause i wanted an fz1 but they just aren't in my price range right now. good info! makes this bike much more appealing.

 

[spectacle13]

well i'm going to look at it after work tomorrow, so unless i find any telling signs of neglect, i'll probably own a silver (quicksilver right? faster than blue?) ahahahaha fz6 tomorrow.

 

[ChevyFazer]

i only have about 1/2 as many miles as that 22,000 but ive put 12,000 on since june:rockon:with no problems at all. but from other members here who have more and way more miles they havent reported any mileage issues other then ones cause by themselves...lack of maintence. but as with any machine a little bit of maintence will go a long way and as long as the bike runs good, no odd ticks(other than the classic yamaha tick), smoke, any visable leaks id say go for it, especially for 1,800.

 

[Motogiro]

:welcome:to the forum! :BLAA:

If you can take someone who's experienced with bike mechanical experience with you.

If the bike is decent I think that price is fair. Especially if it was a commuter bike. At least look at the oil on the dip stick and make sure the crank case wasn't loaded with Motor Honey or STP to mask a rod bearing knock. :spank:

 

[mikw73]

wow, for some reason i assumed the 04' was carb'd.....guess i'm relating it to the fz1, where first gen are carb'd, 2nd gen are fi. cause i wanted an fz1 but they just aren't in my price range right now. good info! makes this bike much more appealing.

The FI is a mixed blessing. I insisted on the bike I bought when I was shopping for what turned out to be the FZ being fuel injected. (I know, terrible sentence structure...). But the fuel cut is pretty noticeable at high rpm. Still, it is more reliable, more powerful and can be fixed with ECU reflash.

Also, take a look at this:

http://sportbike.natkd.com/used_motorcycle.htm

Not everything in it applies, or is always practical, but you should be able to get a feel for the bike if you read that before going.

 

[callmegandhi]

I have a silver 04 FZ6. You are an experienced rider, trust your eyes, ears and feel of the bike. Don't let your need for a new bike cloud your judgement, if something doesn't look right don't buy it, another one will come along.

 

[dxh24]

The FI is a mixed blessing. I insisted on the bike I bought when I was shopping for what turned out to be the FZ being fuel injected. (I know, terrible sentence structure...). But the fuel cut is pretty noticeable at high rpm. Still, it is more reliable, more powerful and can be fixed with ECU reflash.

Also, take a look at this:

Used Motorcycle

Not everything in it applies, or is always practical, but you should be able to get a feel for the bike if you read that before going.

I have same mixed feeling about the FI....Good part- no more of that choke malarky on cold mornings
Bad- in some ways Carb'd seems smoother in respect to throttle response due to the fuel cut, either way it is nice to go out to the bike on a 40 degree morning and it starts right up lol

OP :welcome: to the forum and we demand (jk) pics !

 

[Timebomb7585]

i only have about 1/2 as many miles as that 22,000 but ive put 12,000 on since june:rockon:with no problems at all. but from other members here who have more and way more miles they havent reported any mileage issues other then ones cause by themselves...lack of maintence. but as with any machine a little bit of maintence will go a long way and as long as the bike runs good, no odd ticks(other than the classic yamaha tick), smoke, any visable leaks id say go for it, especially for 1,800.

What is the classic Yamaha tick you are referring too?

 

[ChevyFazer]

What is the classic Yamaha tick you are referring too?

Almost every 4 cyl Yamaha I've come across has a very feint valve train tick, I've herd others talk about it as well, nothing to be worried or concerns about because it's completely normal.

 

[AngelFZ]

Welcome to the forum.

Test ride it, that will help.

You can find these bikes running great with over 100K miles, of course maintenance helps a lot.

I don't know if you have seen this before:
http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/39055-how-many-km-miles-do-you-have.html

 

[spectacle13]

SO!!! after going to meet the seller, (who is apparently on these forums and recommended them to me, lol) i test rode the bike, it shows spots here and there of the miles it has on it, coatings flaking off in small spots in random places, exhaust isn't quite as shiny as it used to be.....etc.
But she purrs like a kitten and runs strong.
shifting is a little clunkier than i'm used to, but from what i've read on here, that's just how the bike is.
all in all, the bike is in good condition and is worlds better than my vulcan was. so i am now the proud owner of an 04' fizzer ("quick"silver one)

pics to come, as my cam is shi%^y at night.

now, a question. what the F&*% is up with the dead spot at neutral throttle after shifting?? is this common on these bikes?

also, a kind of whirring noise that sounds as though its coming from the tranny when i downshift to first and slow coming to a light, has anyone else experinced this, its not a sound that raises concern, doesn't sound as though anything is broken, just asking questions.....

also, at idle after warming up its got a slight whistling sound coming from the motor.....maybe a small vaccuum leak?

any thoughts or similar experiences would be much appreciated.

 

[motojoe122]

From the way you describe the issues, I believe these are all normal quirks of the FZ. I have an 09 and it does the same things. I would suggest purchasing a shop manual...I just got a Haynes, I've heard its better then the OEM.

And CONGRATS on the new (to you) bike:rockon::cheer:

 

[spectacle13]

pic as promised

 

[ChevyFazer]

Hahahahaha I've never screen a seat cover like that on a bike like this that's awesome. But as far as the issues you've described
The dead spot- the fz's sh!ty on off throttle control- normal

Whine coming from tranny- maybe oil related(needs changing) or mileage related either way I would worry about it

Whistling- :don'tknow: maybe previous owner did the air box mod?

 

[Black_Cirrus]

Sorry but I have to say it, Who made the seat cover from dalmatians?

 

[spectacle13]

Lol. Actually its real cowhide.....the PO had it made.

 

[PhotoAl]

Have an 04 FZ6 with 27,000 on it. Issues/stuff to look for are head bearings, recall (TSP and sprocket nut), general lubrication of stuff like swing arm pivot bearings, has the brake fluid and or hoses been changed, sprockets and chain in good shape, coolant changed, etc. If it was an older rider that was careful and kept up with the maintenance and service items then it would be a good deal. I would expect you could easily double the mileage on the bike before encountering major issues do to high mileage - assuming it has been well maintained and you continue to take good care of it.