Zealot
The Village Idiot
I went out today to Mosport, and partook in a number of bike related activities up to and including test rides. I rode a CTX700 (cruiser) at the Honda tent which was fun to try and go fast on, all the while scraping pegs hard through corners. Following this, I got onto a bike which had been catching my eye for some time - the GSXR600. And guys... I lost the love for my FZ6 today, to the point of disgust.
We all know the FZ6 as our quirky friend who can do it all, but what I witnessed today filled me with disappointment. The heavy clutch pull, the short bite point, the clunky/loud/notchy transmission, and the rather abrupt off/on nature of the throttle - none of this exists on the GSXR. I realize that one is a supersport designed to win races and as such, perfect functionality is to be expected, but when you're making a sport touring bike by modifying a similar supersport setup, how exactly do you lose the finesse to such an extent?! I don't expect perfect handling out of a bike that costs less money and is aimed at a different market, but I'd at least expect some sort of competency and ability to create a nice bike despite a smaller budget and lower production values. The main difference I noticed today was that I didn't have to fight the GSXR in order to ride it like I would have on my FZ6. While on my FZ6 I'd need to be mindful of a number of things in order to shift properly, the Gixxer left my mind clear and focused and I was truly relaxed whilst riding. There were none of these stupid idiosyncrasies to worry about, and the bike worked with me, not against me. The clutch had a well placed and nicely adjusted bite point, a feather light pull, and the throttle was not only a breeze to twist - but it was much more responsive and completely smooth when it came to minor inputs. Shifting barely required me to tap my toe on the shifter, and it almost silently popped up into every gear with nary a jolt. Power delivery across the board was strong but smooth, and came on in spades. Handling was great and the weight distribution was fantastic, which made handling feel like I was a part of the bike and not just a passenger. When I got off and went to grab my bike to go home, as soon as I touched my hands to the controls and tried to launch - it felt like somebody had gummed up my whole bike. All my rides out with friends on their various bikes, while I had fun, now I can only imagine how much fun they were actually having when they didn't have to worry about their bike behaving properly and just focus on the riding aspect.
How on earth did Yamaha ever let the FZ6 get off the production line with such shoddy operation? Why does out bike not have those same positive qualities?! I realize there's a big price difference between the two bikes at MSRP values, and as such the quality will vary (not to mention brand new vs used), but the differences that I saw today were astounding. What I feel like I've gotten 'out of the box' is disgusting and it makes me feel in all honesty, cheated. The amount of money I've been investing into tools and consumables in order to smooth out my experience on this bike when I could have simply put the money towards something that works properly out of the box left me feeling disappointed. For how much work I've put into this bike to try and fix it up, I'm disappointed and feeling very hurt that under no circumstance will I ever be able to get that smooth operation that I realistically should have. I've put in a lot of work in every way I can think of, and while it's helped, there's still a huge difference. I feel like I picked one of the best disguised short straws, and now that I've had a proper taste of what quality is... I don't know how I'm going to enjoy this bike anymore. While the value of the skills I've learned and riding ability I developed along the way through mastering this bike hasn't been lost on me, I've been living in some fools paradise. I tried to believe in the "I love this bike!" hype, but it's not working for me anymore guys. I can't lie to myself like that after today.
While I'm not jumping ship just yet, it's a big consideration for when I've got the money to do so. I've been thoroughly enjoying this community so far, but my experience today has left me feeling upset for a number of reasons. Feels like I just lost something I loved.
No, I'm not looking for straight crotch rocket speed - it was the ease of use and overall feel of the bike that I enjoyed!
We all know the FZ6 as our quirky friend who can do it all, but what I witnessed today filled me with disappointment. The heavy clutch pull, the short bite point, the clunky/loud/notchy transmission, and the rather abrupt off/on nature of the throttle - none of this exists on the GSXR. I realize that one is a supersport designed to win races and as such, perfect functionality is to be expected, but when you're making a sport touring bike by modifying a similar supersport setup, how exactly do you lose the finesse to such an extent?! I don't expect perfect handling out of a bike that costs less money and is aimed at a different market, but I'd at least expect some sort of competency and ability to create a nice bike despite a smaller budget and lower production values. The main difference I noticed today was that I didn't have to fight the GSXR in order to ride it like I would have on my FZ6. While on my FZ6 I'd need to be mindful of a number of things in order to shift properly, the Gixxer left my mind clear and focused and I was truly relaxed whilst riding. There were none of these stupid idiosyncrasies to worry about, and the bike worked with me, not against me. The clutch had a well placed and nicely adjusted bite point, a feather light pull, and the throttle was not only a breeze to twist - but it was much more responsive and completely smooth when it came to minor inputs. Shifting barely required me to tap my toe on the shifter, and it almost silently popped up into every gear with nary a jolt. Power delivery across the board was strong but smooth, and came on in spades. Handling was great and the weight distribution was fantastic, which made handling feel like I was a part of the bike and not just a passenger. When I got off and went to grab my bike to go home, as soon as I touched my hands to the controls and tried to launch - it felt like somebody had gummed up my whole bike. All my rides out with friends on their various bikes, while I had fun, now I can only imagine how much fun they were actually having when they didn't have to worry about their bike behaving properly and just focus on the riding aspect.
How on earth did Yamaha ever let the FZ6 get off the production line with such shoddy operation? Why does out bike not have those same positive qualities?! I realize there's a big price difference between the two bikes at MSRP values, and as such the quality will vary (not to mention brand new vs used), but the differences that I saw today were astounding. What I feel like I've gotten 'out of the box' is disgusting and it makes me feel in all honesty, cheated. The amount of money I've been investing into tools and consumables in order to smooth out my experience on this bike when I could have simply put the money towards something that works properly out of the box left me feeling disappointed. For how much work I've put into this bike to try and fix it up, I'm disappointed and feeling very hurt that under no circumstance will I ever be able to get that smooth operation that I realistically should have. I've put in a lot of work in every way I can think of, and while it's helped, there's still a huge difference. I feel like I picked one of the best disguised short straws, and now that I've had a proper taste of what quality is... I don't know how I'm going to enjoy this bike anymore. While the value of the skills I've learned and riding ability I developed along the way through mastering this bike hasn't been lost on me, I've been living in some fools paradise. I tried to believe in the "I love this bike!" hype, but it's not working for me anymore guys. I can't lie to myself like that after today.
While I'm not jumping ship just yet, it's a big consideration for when I've got the money to do so. I've been thoroughly enjoying this community so far, but my experience today has left me feeling upset for a number of reasons. Feels like I just lost something I loved.
No, I'm not looking for straight crotch rocket speed - it was the ease of use and overall feel of the bike that I enjoyed!
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