New guy looking at this FZ6 - Also my introduction

[PantherRider]

Figured I'd post my inquiry as well as introduce myself here
Watch out cause this is a long one - happens when I'm up at 2am with nothing better to do!

Well first I'll just go ahead and show the bike from the ad.
The guy says it has nothing wrong and is spotless and mint.

He has it listed at $2999
It has 5900 miles on it.
I'm unsure if he's willing to go any lower. We've exchanged a couple emails and I don't think I need to worry about it selling with it being middle of winter - although the bad thing is it a bit further away than I wanted to go for a bike. I don't mind riding in the cold but it is supposed to be rain/snow here off and on. However he said if I buy it he'd be happy to store it for me until I can pick it up or even till spring.

Just wondering if this sounds like a pretty good deal?

Now a bit about me and other junk:

I'm 22 years old, I live in Iowa and go to University of Northern Iowa.

I'm really hoping I wont be disappointed with an FZ6. I'm not super new to bikes, I did start riding last april I got my motorcycle license on a 50cc honda ruckus (yeah its registered as a motorcycle). Although probably not the smartest idea the day after I got my motorcycle license I bought a 2001 Suzuki Katana GSXF 750cc without even knowing how to ride a motorcycle. I managed to just watch youtube videos and hop on the katana and learn as I rode. I knew I loved riding by that point but I hated the katana - it had the speed I wanted but was far to heavy of a bike and mine had a lot of misc things that bothered me, mainly cosmetics. It was also a salvage title. However I must say it was a good bike to learn on. It fell down in my driveway twice and I was able to shrug it off both times since it was already a bit beat up.

Anyway I sold it to a good friend for what I bought it for and about a month later I bought a 2008 Kawasaki ZZR 600 for $3500 with 3k miles on it. I rode it to 5.7k miles and sold it at the beginning of December. I loved the bike to death, it handled great - I loved the weight and it had the perfect amount of power. However I really wanted a fuel injected bike and sold it with the intention of buying a ZX-6R or R6 since i had my sights on a couple that were listed.

However I graduated my community college and am transferring to the University right now and just finished moving here to Cedar Falls which is 3 hours away from my home. I plan to go home about every other weekend and plan to do the trip on a bike as often as I can to save gas and while I enjoy riding the 'crotch-rocket' style - I figured these 3 hour trips would be much nicer on a upright bike which brings me to looking at FZ6's/FZ1's. I rarely can find FZ1's so I settled for looking at FZ6's. Hopefully I'll soon be the owner of one.

That all said, I love cruising especially at night. I'm not a speed freak I more enjoy scenic rides but I prefer the sport style for some spirited riding. I really enjoy recording rides with my GoPro.
I'm also a bit of a car nut but I resolved to quit messing with cars until I graduate since bikes are much cheaper enjoyment than building race cars

Currently for vehicles:
I have my cage - a 97 mazda 626 2.0 5spd. It's an extremely boring car but super reliable, 140k miles without an issue, gets 34-37mpg on the highway and is comfortable. I love it.
Then I have my 2007 Honda Ruckus, I just can't part with it. I take it everywhere. I have an aftermarket variator, kevlar belt, and 5g rollers to help it get to 45mph. Two friends of mine have ruckuses and we offroad them and take big trips on them. I love the 110-115mpg and how easy it is to work on. Mine has 4100 miles on it.

Anyway here are some pictures of my present and mostly past vehicles:
(btw I'm a pic whore lol)

My 08 ZZR600 - I loved this bike so much! It's really just great since you can get them low miles so cheap. The only negative is being carb'd since it's just a reissue of the 02 zx-6r however it never bothered me.

My first bike, 2001 Suzuki Katana GSXF 750cc - Good first bike but definitely glad to be rid of it, just didn't fit me.

My 2007 Ruckus I currently own that I love to freaking death. I can take this anywhere, I can ramp it off about anything. I've wrecked it around 10-20 times offroading it and playing on ice and in snow with it but it still looks great and never fails me. I can tear the entire thing apart and have it back together in an hour, it's so easy to work on! It's just pure childish fun.

My buddy's after he wrecked it, I fixed it for him since his wreck really messed some stuff up

Anyway enough pic whoring of my ruckus. As for cars here are my previous cars worth mentioning.

99 firebird formula 6spd - bought it stock, did full bolt ons and a custom isky cam. I had to sell it for school financial reasons before I ever got gears in it. Due to the 3.23 gears I only managed a 12.9@114mph. The cam called for 4.10s at minimum.

92 laser rs-t awd 5spd. Bought it with some mods done but needed a lot of TLC. Fixed it up a bit, tuned it - ran 11.7@123mph. Then built it a bit further with a goal of 10's and for some reason pretty much woke up one day deciding I wanted to sell it so I did and bought the firebird.

92 talon tsi awd 5spd - not my fastest car I've had but is the one I regret selling most. I learned everything on it and I loved it. I bought it with a few bolt ons but other then that stock. After some mods and learning how to tune it myself with DSMLink I managed a 12.7@107mph. Was a great car, some day i hope to own it again, it's with a great new owner. I was meticulous with it.

This is in no way the full past of me and my vehicles. I'm 22 and got my first car a couple months before I turned 18 and I've now owned 24 vehicles. A few others I've owned that were slightly interesting: 92 laser non-turbo 5spd - my first car, 91 firebird formula 350 ws6, 99 camaro z28 6spd, 91 talon tsi awd, 92 eclipse gs-t, 84 trans am, (2)92&(2)95 civics, 98 GTP, 05 zuma.


Anyway that's way more of an intro than I intended, but anyway yeah. Hopefully I'll own a FZ6 soon - looking forward to input on the one I'm looking at.

Thanks!

 

[Yasko]

:welcome: I fill like I know you very well.:cheer:

 

[PPieter]

Welcome indeed, you will find a lot of usefull information on here

As for the bike: looks like quite a deal to me (without having all the information and assuming nothing is wrong with it, just the 'pick it up later' part). He wants you to pay it full in advance/just a part/nothing at all?

 

[Guitar Man]

Welcome. Looks like a good bike at a good deal as long as it's mechanically sound. It does look like he took care of it.

 

[Guitar Man]

Welcome. Looks like a good bike at a good deal as long as it's mechanically sound. It does look like he took care of it.

 

[2old2ride]

You need to beware. I just went through the 'buy a motorcycle' off craigslist thingie. E-bay was no better. My plan is end my motorcycle days on the back roads of America. Some interstate where necessary. So I set out looking for a bike that would be comfortable for an older guy that was 6' 1" and 170. I'm getting weaker as I age so weight was a consideration. My budget was 2500$US.
First round was a zx750S. It was a 2001, IIRC, with less then 10Kmiles. I didn't really like that it had a 5 speed. I rationalised that by thinking, 'I'm always lookig for 7th gear, so why does it matter if I'm looking for 6th anyway. I'm a former streetracer. I'm too old now for that sort of thing so why do I need extra gears? It was listed on E-bay @ 1300$US no reserve. So I talked my self into bidding on it. Too late the ad had been pulled.
OK, I really didn't want a 5-speed. Next was a ZZR 600. I have owned them before.It was an '05 with mileage in the low teens. He wanted 2200 on craigslist. He was a local so transportation wasn't an issue. I have been ridinglong enough to notice that what kills people is stupid. Riding a strange motorcycle 200 miles through early winter weather struck me as very stupid for an old geezer like me. So I planned on using U-Haul. They make a small trailer with a ramp that was designed with motorcycles in mind.
So that was a real saving, him being so close and all.
He had no title. I know of 3 legal ways to get a title and a couple of sorta legal ways. He wasn't interested in getting a title, he was interested in me handing him 2200 dollars while he got out of dodge. He still has the listing up. I dropped a dime on him at the local police station. Boy needs a little jail time.
Still wanted a ZZR. Found one on craigslist that the guy said had been parked in his barn for 2 years. $1000. Carbs that have been sitting for more then 6 months are more or less ruined. The gas evaporates, leving a varnish like depost that clogs jets, freezes the floats and various other tiny little parts. New carbs go about 450 each. Matched sets for around $1600 if you can find some. So I knew I was looking at a rebuild. I can do that. No carbs is as tough as the Rochester 'smog-pump' that came from GM in the mid 80's. I got quite good with them. So that didn't scare me. The bike was close enough to Memphis to count as a local, which would save rent on the trailer. So I called him and found out he had sold it about 10 minutes before I called, that it was in the back of a pick-up already.
OK, there was a ZZR on E-bay so I started bidding. Lost by 50$US. it went for 2050 and I stopped to think at 2000, thinking I was being bumped by the seller.
By now I have figured out God didn't want me on a ZZR.
OK, so back to craigslist. Found a 750 can of tuna up in St. Louis. It was an '03 with about 4,000 miles on it. It was listed at 2,000 no reserve. His story was he got the bike on a mechanics lien and had title in hand. So I emailed him that 2 grand was fine by me, the bike looked good(it did, VERY clean). When could I come pick it up? He replied that he was going to put it on E-bay and let the bidding begin. I didn't wait while that process dragged out. Top bid was 2450$. So I sent him an e-maiol congratulating him. HE replied that the buyer showed up with a check on Sunday. He wanted to ride off while the former owner waited for the bank to open. The 750 Knatana has issues but nobody has ever mention slow on the interstae as one of them. The guy could have been 8 states away by the time the check bounced.
While that was happening I had found a zx7r up in Nashville. More crotch rocket then I really wanted but I have owned 3 of them. The last one I worked into a ZZR 750 by changing the bars and pegs. It made a really good Sports Tourer. So I talked me self into it. Made an appointment on Sunday. Told the kid I would bring cash to not worry about the bank being open. Count the loot, sign the title, help me get the bike on the trailer and we were smooth. Didn't work out like that. The original address was for a VERY upscale area outside of Nashville. Half a mill would be the down payment on a starter home. So I'm thinking, daddy has money. BIG money. Only when I got to the local Uhaul and called him, he wanted me to meet him someplace else. A Neighboor hood where they kill each other for welfare checks.
I not good with that at all so I tell him to meet me at the U-haul place. No show, no farther contact. It was a Looooong drive back to Memphis.
I'm not smart and I'm not pretty but I don't quit. So I sat down and tried to figure out what I was doing wrong. I decided I was being too linear. My budget was 2500. so I was running my search on 1,000 to 2500. That was because I was in the car business and learned to negotiate. I never learned to like negotiations. So I had set up a search where I didn't have to.
I changed the search and my plan. I found a bike that I could live with, if not love and focused on getting that bike. With an expanded search I decided to go geographical and look at 2 or more bikes in one trip.
My first call was on the FZ-6. He lited it at 2700, which was a fair price for a '05 with 20,xxx miles on it. I told them that. Then I told him I was embarrassed to only be able to offer him 2500. He said kool, where do we meet? I said the bank up the street from me so he could keep his tag. It worked real well. Great bike and I think once I get the new tires on it and hook up the leads for the battery tender Jr. I'll be in like Flint. Oh yea, frame sliders. Shogun is having a sale.
So meet your guy in the parking lot of a bank.
Take a friend.
If it doesn't work out, the motorcycle was bait. There are lots of motorcycles out there and as long as you don't have a hook in your mouth, you will find one.

 

[Motogiro]

:welcome:to our great forum. Good luck on your bike hunt!

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

:welcome: to the forum!

You sound like your pretty familiar with mechanicals. From the pictures, the bikes looks in very, very good condition and at a fair price.

With the mileage and age, peek inside the gas tank and check for any rust. If the bike was left with an partially empty tank, their known to rust over time.

Like a car, look closely for any damage, especially from being dropped. Any scruffs on the sides, depending on how bad, will bend the fairing "Main stay", that's the part that holds the fairing. If seated on the bike, on the centerstand, just look forward and check for ANY THING CROOKED, offset, etc. One decent drop will bend that mainstay (it won'r recover like your Honda off roader ....

I'd take it for at least a short test ride as well. You know how the bike should handle, etc..

The FZ can be very mild mannered if held with the RPM's low and can flat scream when wound up... With stock gearing, aftermarket pipes, my 07 will power wheelie in first gear when it hits about 8,000 RPM (no pulling up, just getting on the throttle). Second gear can do 90+ MPH...

Maintainance wise, the engine is very durable and user/mechanic friendly. With approx 100 HP up high in the RPM range, its a bit easier on tires than a liter bike... Lube the chain often, change the oil/filter once in awhile and some other basic maintainance, I suspect you'll be very happy with it...

Good luck and please post the outcome!

 

[7UPyours]

welcome and nice post. I love your zzr600 and as much as I wanted to get one, carbs kept me away from it, I was in a little disbelieve that they would use carbs on a 2008 sportbike but what do i know. And your deals looks like an awesome deal as long as there are no mechanical issues with the bike. GL

 

[Ssky0078]

The bike is a beauty

I would start it up and listen to her first. I would ask if he used Stabil or any other gas storage stabilizers. Look in the tank for any signs of rust.

I would ask when the last time he had the radiator fluid changed, brake fluid changed, oil changed. I was told by the guys at the shop if a bike sits long enough that the brake fluid will seperate/break down and then get gooey. You need a complete brake rebuild if that happens.

You probably already know this, but low mileage bikes that may have sat for too long make me worry.

 

[Nelly]

Welcome to the site,
the bike looks mint, still got its gas tank sticker and reflectors on it. It is a great bike but some people say its bloody uncomfortable, some say that the clutch band is to narrow, some say the stig is from Mars.
You won't be disappointed but it will not pull like the ZX6R it will however equal the ZZR 600 , and has better handling.
Could you ask the guy to either hold it on deposit till spring or deduct the cost of a U-Haul from the price.
Good luck
Neil

 

[Nelly]

Who you kidding? "I'm not smart"

Neil

 

[Cloggy]

:welcome: to the forum.

Nice bike and the fastest color as well .

I hired a ZZR a couple of times in the (dim distant) past and really liked it, but it was the older model.

good luck with your bike search :thumbup:

 

[PantherRider]

Basically the idea would be to buy it from him, he'll give me the title and all and just hold it till whenever I can pick it up. He said storing it isn't an issue. Obviously I'd much prefer to buy it and ride it back the same day but the weather simply isn't cooperating in the next few days and I'd like to at least certify that it'd be mine.

 

[Nelly]

Holding the title would seem a fair compromise. I'd take a ton of pictures so I knew it was tampered with and a battery tender. Might as well have the neck to ask him to plug it in.
Neil

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

[SweaterDude]

how far is it? if you have the gear for the cold, id say sack-up and ride it home. i just dont have that kind of faith in people. cold is fine and as long as there isnt fresh snow/ice on the roads (ie cleared off roads) you should be fine, especially if you plan on doing a couple 3-hour rides every other week anyway. and trips are always easier on a new ride:rockon:

 

[PantherRider]

how far is it? if you have the gear for the cold, id say sack-up and ride it home. i just dont have that kind of faith in people. cold is fine and as long as there isnt fresh snow/ice on the roads (ie cleared off roads) you should be fine, especially if you plan on doing a couple 3-hour rides every other week anyway. and trips are always easier on a new ride:rockon:

It's about 2 hours 20 mins.

The cold itself really isn't the issue - but this weekend I was hoping to pick it up but rain/ice is in the forecast. I've been riding in the single digits on the ruckus. However I definitely don't feel comfortable riding in rain/ice on the highway.

 

[2old2ride]

Oh, the valor of youth. When I was a puppy, I had orders from the ship I was on to Philadelphia. The ship was home ported in San Diego. I'm from a small town nearby and had a Honda 305 parked at my Uncle's place. I had 30 days leave so I jumped on the Honda, which had been sitting for 9 months and rode it from San Diego to Philidelphia.
It took me about two adventure filled weeks but I didn't have a bit of trouble. Just thinking about it today gives me the hives when I consider everything that could have gone wrong.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

If it hasn't already been mentioned, if it's the stock tires, it should be replaced. It's way past it's shelf life in terms of providing grip. Normal set of tires will run you around $250-$400 depending on brand.

 

[SweaterDude]

It's about 2 hours 20 mins.

The cold itself really isn't the issue - but this weekend I was hoping to pick it up but rain/ice is in the forecast. I've been riding in the single digits on the ruckus. However I definitely don't feel comfortable riding in rain/ice on the highway.

the highway is the safest place to ride, especially in the rain, and 2.5 hours isn't that bad.