New FZ6 rider, my purchases

[DigitalOverride]

Hey all,

I joined a few weeks ago and have trawled the forum for a lot of excellent info. I've been riding a 1996 Suzuki GSF600N Bandit, which is a lot like the FZ6 only slower, less agile, and not to mention older, and I did my certification on an FZ6 so I've wanted one for the past two years. The Suzuki has been a good bike, but I finally decided to make the jump yesterday and bought a 2009 FZ6 S2 ABS (naked, of course), which I will be picking up next weekend.

She's got 6000km (or about 3800 miles for you imperialists ) so far, LeoVince SBK Evo lids, and an aftermarket taillight that includes indicators. Original exhaust is included in the sales price, as is side carrying bags (which I won't be using), and the bike has had the first 1000km service as well as the prep service documented by a licensed dealer.

Price: 82.5K NOK (which is approx 15K USD, or 8.5K GBP)

New, the FZ6 was about 120K NOK (or approx 21.5K USD, or 12K GBP), so the price is good for the Norwegian market.

I will be adding a lower cowl fairing simply because I think it looks good, and I'll check with some people about getting some of the remaining chrome bits either replaced or painted black. I will also be adding a main stand, since I will have to perform most of the work by myself, and roller protectors will be going on too just in case. My driving instructor actually highsided when we were on a track day (I was driving my Bandit), and the roller protectors really did an amazing job of keeping the tank in particular free of scratches.

Anyway, also got a great deal on new riding gear. I've been riding with Halvarssons Outlast synthetics so far as I've mostly been riding to work, but now that I've gotten a few miles under my belt getting out on the road and not to mention the track will be a goal.

After much deliberation and trying on suits I decided to go for the Dainese Avro P one-piece, with Full Metal gloves and Torque Pro Out Air boots. The Halvarssons back brace I've been riding with has served me well so far, but for the leathers I'll be using a Dainese Gilet Wave 2 Neck, which includes chest and neck protectors as well. Since I'm part polar bear and get hot even in the synthetics, I also went for an Air Tech undersuit and I'm really looking forward to see how it works. Getting out of leathers is difficult enough, and a lot of locals noted that with an undersuit it becomes a lot less squirrely. I'll put up some pictures and reviews once I've actually received them, and again when I've had a chance to ride with them.

Glad to be a part of the club, and the days until next weekend really can't go fast enough

Cheers!

Martin

 

[LeaN69]

That seems like a good price compared to MSRP, but damn bikes are EXPENSIVE out there!!!!

Congrats on the purchase and I'm sure youll enjoy it as much as we do, they are great machines!

 

[ChevyFazer]

Holy crap they are expensive over there you can find them all day for about 5k usd over here for that same setup im glad u got one but dang why are they so high that is in the price range of brand new top of the line bmws and ducatis!?!?!? Anyways im sure you will enjoy it very much so also what is the average salery and standard of living over there

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

 

[DownrangeFuture]

Um, yeah, holy crap. I paid $4200 out the door with 4700 miles on it... Wow.

 

[DigitalOverride]

Thanks, people.

Indeed, bikes in Norway are expensive, but not so much when compared to cars. Then again, the average income level in Norway is also high, so it all balances out when all is said and done.

As a reference, a 2011 BMW F650GS is 130K NOK, as is the 2011 Ducati Monster 696, and a 2011 Yamaha R1 is 230K NOK, same as the Ducati Streetfighter. For a 2011 Ducati Streetfighter S you're looking at a cool 280K NOK, so riding in style definitely does not come cheap.

I obviously got away cheap when I bought the Suzuki as it cost me just over 30K NOK (or a little over 5K USD, 3K GBP), but I decided to go for the FZ6 after two seasons on the Bandit as I just love the looks and the way the FZ6 handles. ABS certainly also is a welcome addition, as treacherous conditions, particularly slippery roads, are a common occurrence on the west coast where I live. After having the pleasure of driving an FZ6 ABS on a track day, I realized just how much more manuverable ABS allows you to be, even if it is jarring the first couple of times.

@ChevyFazer: First of all, awesome nick

Standard of living is quite good, although a lot of Americans probably would be surprised by sizes of houses and properties. That being said, the average salary is quite high, around 250K to 300K NOK (or around 50K USD) for most full time employees just starting out (i.e. people 18-25). For ages 25-40, I believe the average salary approaches 500-600K NOK (somewhere in the league of 100K USD), so as I said, it all balances out.

Our capital, Oslo, was recently surpassed when it comes to housing prices by the city in Norway with major oil companies based locally, namely Stavanger. Paying 8M NOK (or approx 1.4M USD) for a high-end condo or a nice single owner house is not uncommon, so property is definitely expensive.

Cheers again, folks.

 

[LeaN69]

$40k R1 wow

 

[xDavidx]

Really nice bike and some awesome gear. Nice job!

 

[DigitalOverride]

Cheers, xDavidx; looking way forward to riding it home next weekend, praying to anyone and anything that'll listen for good weather

LeaN69; yup, no hiding the fact that it costs to buy in Norway. Worst thing is, if you buy a bike abroad even as a non-Norwegian citizen, you have to pay import tax if you are going to be living in Norway and bring the bike with you; nasty surprise for a lot of expatriates...

 

[DigitalOverride]

So the weather could have been better, but it could also have been worse (read: New York worse); still, was a great six hour ride home on the new FZ6, and I do have to say I love how the bike rides.

The ABS really comes in handy on wet mountain roads, particularly when the a flock of sheep decide to lay on the tarmac just around a steeply angled corner...

Throttle response was a little off, as expected, as it was the same during the test drive. Will check the throttle position sensor specs mentioned on this forum, and if that fails have a dealer take a look at it. Needs 1/8 to 1/4 turn on the throttle before there is a response at all, which feels odd compared to other bikes I've ridden.

All in all though, great trip, great ride, great weekend.

Pictures to follow when (if) we get some better weather, and after I get my leathers.

 

[DigitalOverride]

Dammit... my shop dropped my bike from height, having put it on it's centrestand on top of a lift and proceeded to go to lunch. "It must have slipped off, somehow"...

Bad news: Tank needs to be replaced, maybe some other parts. 2-3 weeks for the parts to come in
Good news: The shop will cover charges for everything, and they'll throw in a free dyno and loan of an FZ1 for the duration

Hey, at least I didn't drop it

Also, still no gear. Waiting for a full set of Dainese leathers, gloves, boots, armour, and underwear, as well as a Bandit Alien II helmet. End of production for this year, it seems, or the Italian postal service follows their prime ministers lead; they just screw around...

Going to go for extended rides on the FZ1, though, try to figure out if I like the handlebar enough to swap my FZ6 one out.