Is the FZ6 fast enough???

[Mattberkshire]

Now I know 98bhp on a 200kg machine may seem more than enough and that most people on this site, me included, think that we have more than enough power for most everything but (and I'm not sure how many people can claim to have had this problem)........

After having done 28 miles of 30/40/50mph speed limited roads round the isle of man circuit you come across a very sharp hairpin (the 2nd slowest section of the track) after which is 200 yards of roadcones and then there is 10 miles of unlimited, one-way road over the mountain. It is then that you begin to think, on an FZ6, that power is lacking. No cops, no speed limits, open sweeping bends (with death just the other side of the crash barrier) and I pinned that mother until 14000rpm in 1st,2nd,3rd,4th and 5th. I didn't hit 6th because 132mph was the maximum I could reach on the mountain roads. I was overtaken by GSX-R 1000's and Hayabusa's by R1's and Fireblade's. It was then, with the throttle pinned open and my chin on the tank that I thought "I NEED MORE POWER".

On the way home I hit 152mph on the motorway at 3am but this was back to real world conditions with no mountains, no corners and no hayabusa's up my arse.

So, is the FZ6 fast enough? I say yes for 99% of the time but I want 100% of the time so am seriously pining for a 1 litre

 

[abacall]

Yes, it is. 152 is proof.
I do know what you mean though. There are those (very) rare occasions that I wish for more. The PC, decat, and exhaust helped, but not that big of a difference.
You can always look at the FZ1......

 

[jtarkany]

r6 cam, head, big bore kit and tuning :thumbup:, then you have all the balls fo the r6+ with all the comfort and good looks of the FZ6.

Keep up with Wolfmans progress at: http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/16795-wiseco-big-bore-kit-new-cams-their-way.html

 

[Robmac]

99% of the time I agree as well, but that 1% of the time I'd like to have another 50 hp or so... Now I'm thinking of trading my 3 month old fz6 in for a fz1.

My wife just doesn't understand.

 

[dantow]

99% of the time I agree as well, but that 1% of the time I'd like to have another 50 hp or so... Now I'm thinking of trading my 3 month old fz6 in for a fz1.

My wife just doesn't understand.

Mine either. She asks why I need to spend money and do thinks to a perfectly good new motorbike.
I can't explain it either. I just do!

 

[Zealadin]

If your worried about being the fastest thing on the road grab a FZ1, or you could try to find some better twisties.

You could be on the best motorbike in the world, but if someones a better rider they are going to be faster (or less dead) at the end of the day.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Thank GOD my wife understood!

Did I need the extra HP and speed? No... but it sure is nice to *have* if you want to use it. What I did need was the added handling and braking that the FZ1 offered.

So, I guess I'd have to say that yes, the FZ6 was plenty fast enough. With some coin, you can make it perform even better. But, I think with the SAME coin, you can enjoy the FZ1's 998cc engine, better suspension, better braking, 136 hp and with less than $1,000 (US), you can get the bike up to 152 hp. There are not many bikes out there that will get THIS amount of hp increase for such little money. The FZ6 cannot be jumped the same ratio with the same amount of cash. I'm not sure the FZ6 can even achieve the same ratio at all.

I'd say the same as Matt... 99% of the time, the FZ6 will suffice. But, just imagine if you lived with that AND had that other 1% available to you the other 99% of the time? :thumbup:

If you can do it, go get the FZ1. (The sister site needs more members! :cheer: )

 

[Hellgate]

Freakin' AWESOME Matt! What a story, wow...

One of these years I'm going to make it to the Isle for the race, to watch that is. I've wanted to do that since I was 17, 44 now.

Liter power is addictive. As others have said an FZ1 is an amazing bike, but if you want to do speeds like that the R1 is the way to go. The riding position actually is comfortable at those speed whereas the FZ1 is much too up right. The chassis is first rate too, not too many other bikes can compare.

When I was at Willow Springs for my track day a racer in Roadracing World dot com leathers on a ZX10 smoked my ass and I was in the power band and had her pinned. He was by me with 30 mph+ in hand. That said a 'Busa "passed" me entering a corner on my outside and ran off into the dirt.

 

[FZ1inNH]

If your worried about being the fastest thing on the road grab a FZ1, or you could try to find some better twisties.

You could be on the best motorbike in the world, but if someones a better rider they are going to be faster (or less dead) at the end of the day.

True, there are much better riders out there that, in the serious twistes, will kick a$$ on any FZ6 or FZ1 on their 125 and 250 bikes. Mad skills. Seen it with my own eyes.

Please don't take the following personally... this is meant for everyone who makes the comment, ok?

What I have a differing opinion on is the "less dead" comment. Just because it's a larger and faster bike does not mean it will kill anyone faster than the 125 or 250. If I'm slower in the switchback than that expert on the 250 who just smoked me, and we both low-side, who's going to hit faster and harder? Yeah, the rider on the 250, right? It irks me when people liken a bigger and faster bike to a faster death. It matters not what the size of the bike is, it matters what the skill of the rider is, his attention, perception and simple common sense.

It's not the size of the bike, it's the rider's skills (or lack thereof) that get's you killed.

 

[Zealadin]

You could be on the best motorbike in the world, but if someones a better rider they are going to be faster (or less dead) at the end of the day.

Thats what I just said, better rider = more skill.
More skill = less dead.
Doesn't matter what bike your on, doesn't matter if your on a bicycle, same rule applies.
Anyone can go fast on a straight.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Thats what I just said, better rider = more skill.
More skill = less dead.
Doesn't matter what bike your on, doesn't matter if your on a bicycle, same rule applies.
Anyone can go fast on a straight.

Yes, but the perception of your first comment didn't clearly state this. Thanks for the clarification.

I still stand by my example though. I wasn't talking straight, but hard and fast curves. IF both go down, the skilled rider is going to have a worse crash because he was going faster. The cause could be something completely out of the rider's control, like the last cage rolled through the Dragon and kicked a mess of gravel and dirt into the exit of the corner.

In a straight line, that 250 isn't going to go as fast as the liter bike. Something happens there (again, not tied to skills), both will likely die, just the liter biker dying faster now.

 

[Zealadin]

I definately agree with you, any motorcycle, even the 125's are more then capable of killing anyone riding them.
Infact even a 50cc scooter could probably be equally dangerous

I don't think bigger bikes are more dangerous, idiots on big bikes are more dangerous. When I say -more- its because they where always dangerous, its just they can do it even faster on the larger bike, but as you said dead is dead.
Its all about the rider in the end.

I do have an absolute hate of drivers though, who when it comes to a corner, a turn, a sweeper, anything, need to slow to 1/4 the speed limit, but in the straights are happy to floor it, often dangerously.

Also in some ways a smaller bike can be more dangerous, when your pushing the limits your adding a new risk factor, on a larger bike its alot harder to find or push those limits. (the bikes limits that is)

 

[Nick J]

99% of the time I agree as well, but that 1% of the time I'd like to have another 50 hp or so... Now I'm thinking of trading my 3 month old fz6 in for a fz1.

My wife just doesn't understand.

I have a great wife. She loves our FZ6, but one day she popped up and said "We need an R1." What a wonderful woman.:thumbup:

 

[Zealadin]

Just wait till you buy it and she tells you its HER bike and your stuck on the FZ6

 

[fz6nick]

There will never be a Motorcycle that is fast enough.....

But anyway...... At my first track day I did get passed by liter bikes, and even 600's, only to out brake them big time going into the first corner. This was my favorite thing to do. A young guy on a naked non supersport bike passing a hotshots on "badass" bikes. Almost every time i would pass a "faster" bike going into the first corner, I would lead the whole track til the straight.

 

[Andz]

I've had my FZ6 for over 5 years now and I can honestly say I have never thought "I need more power". The 6 does exactly what I want, and even though all my friends have at least 1000s and if we ride anywhere and they get crazy and leave me behind I just let them go and get there in my own time.

On the twisties the 6 is king, I remember on one trip reaching the first bend in a tight series first and already having my helmet off when the next bike arrived at the end. I do most of my riding two-up and it is great at that too.

Having said all that... I want an FZ1 and my wife supports me 100% in that (cos she will get the 6 )

 

[Humperdinkel]

I used to think so.......Till i rode the 09 R1 , big mistake really coz now the FZ6 feels like a Vespa :spank: well not that bad but it still doesnt have the same kick it used to so an FZ1 is on the shopping list in the next few weeks

 

[Aleziel]

youre comparing the fz6 with Hayabusas, r1's and fireblades??? your question is not if the fz6 is fast enough, but if it is the fastest bike on the planet! and obviously, its not!

even if you get a FZ1, busas and fireblades will still overtake you.even if you take a busa, there is still a chance someone will have modded it and still he will pass you

 

[Speedygonzales]

The FZ1 in the US has "only" 136hp. Here they are standard 150hp, strange.
It's a very nice looking bike, but if you want a 1000cc in that category there a better bike's out there for that price. The ground clearance is just to small for such a capable bike. I really like Yamaha ... but in my oppinion they didn't do the best they could on the FZ1. Speed triple mmmmhhhh

I agree, the FZ6 isn't the most powerfull, agile, braking etz ...
But it's a GREAT all rounder. A trip, small roads, track ... it can do it all.
If you really want more power, you should indeed look for a liter bike. Tuning for example will never give you that ompphhh from an R1

 

[DefyInertia]

Cool story. So they let you run the course flat out while the streets are closed off to regular traffic? I definitely want to check it out one of these years.

What I did need was the added handling and braking that the FZ1 offered.

better braking,

If you can do it, go get the FZ1. (The sister site needs more members! :cheer: )

What better braking do you speak of? Does the 1 have radial mounted 4-pot calipers? If so, do you really see the benefit of that over the 6's regular 4-pot calipers on the street?

It sounds like you think the only reason anyone would buy a 6 over a 1 is the cost...? You realize the 6 does things the 1 can't, right?

If I ever considered a 1, it'd be for the torque. Although, 1 down in the front and not weighing a ton goes a long way on the 6.

As others have said an FZ1 is an amazing bike, but if you want to do speeds like that the R1 is the way to go.

+1

youre comparing the fz6 with Hayabusas, r1's and fireblades??? your question is not if the fz6 is fast enough, but if it is the fastest bike on the planet! and obviously, its not!

even if you get a FZ1, busas and fireblades will still overtake you.even if you take a busa, there is still a chance someone will have modded it and still he will pass you

+1 It's a never ending cycle...there is always someone or something that is goinig to be faster somewhere.

The idea is the get the best balance of what you personally are looking for. I for one, have an ever increasing interest in smaller bikes....some others keep looking bigger and that's fine too.