nimzotech, I'll see if I can help answer your question.
I installed the FZ1 bars last year after trying them on a friend's FZ6. ecudoc pointed out one of the biggest advantages...the pullback isn't as severe as the stock bars, which tend to put your wrists at an awkward angle. They also move your body position just a bit more forward (read: aggressive), but nothing like changing to clip-ons or something like that. They just have a better feel to them, a more natural position, if you will. You can still sit straight up as you can with the stock bars, but you're able to get more forward when more aggressive riding calls for it.
And as far as hitting the tank goes, you just have to put all your controls on and then play with the angle of the bars. You can put the bars pretty much flat across and still have about 1/2" of room before the bottom of the kill switch housing and turn signal housing hit the tank. And you shouldn't have any problem still using the fork lock function when you remove the key.
Someone did a great write up a while back that shows the stock bars next to the FZ1 bars and the differences between the two. It should be fairly easy to find and it shows the small hole you need to drill on the underside of the right side of the bars so the little nub on the kill switch housing has a place to sit (or you can just cut the nub off).
BTW, I picked mine up through my local dealer for $38.
:thumbup:
