I love the looks and the specs I've read. I've sat on a new one at the dealer and liked the upright position, don't want to feel like Superman flying down the road.
What things should I look for when I'm evaluating a used FZ6?
Welcome to the FZ6 watering hole! Overall, the FZ6 is a very reliable bike. I have a few personal rules when buying a bike such as the FZ6.
Resist the temptation to buy the first bike you see. Look at a few of them to get a better idea of the used bike market/options before you buy one. I bought mine through
Craigslist brand new for around 5,000.
Bring a friend to help you stick to your guns, or to help you load your new bikes onto a truck, or as ballast in case the bike has a centerstand and you wish to inspect the front wheel. Bike-savvy friends may also notice things that you forgot to check. Make sure they also read this guide ahead of time. Bring a
flashlight to aid inspection. Even in daylight. Being able to look at the front sprocket, general wear and hidden leaks is good!
Request that the owner not have the bike warmed up when you get there, but tell him/her to make sure that the bike will start. If the owner asks why, tell them that you want to test the bike's ability to start when cold. (It's a lot easier for engines to start when pre-warmed.)
You needn't follow these instructions in any particular order, or even follow them at all, but if you are going to read them, you should probably do so before you get to the seller's house. If you're new to motorcycling, you'll probably find a lot of the terminology complicated. And as noted previously, try to bring a friend, particularly one who knows bikes.
Bring riding gear in case the seller will let you test ride the bike. (If you're new to motorcycling and don't have any gear yet, perhaps the bike-savvy friend accompanying you will be kind enough to bring his/her gear, and do a test ride for you.) I bring cash in the amount of the selling price and let the seller hold it for collateral. I assume you have taken the MSF safety class
You'll have to go through and carefully inspect used bikes being sold by dealerships, too, since many dealerships take used bikes as trade-ins, make minimal (if any) repairs, and mark the bikes up way over "blue book" value. It's up to you to find defects (and to know what the used bike's real value is!!) to get these vultures back down to a reasonable price. Think of it as a treasure hunt -- you're looking for the hidden secrets that will save you money.
As a general rule of thumb, when work needs to be done to repair a problem with the bike, most dealerships charge around $70/hour for labor, possibly more for European types and that is one of the reaons I won't own the Euro bikes...you just paying the name status. The Japanese bike offer everything the Euro set does but with less down time.
If you aren't really experienced with bikes, do some practice inspections! Find a couple of friends with bikes, and, pretending that you're at a seller's house inspecting a used bike, go over a couple of bikes in minute detail. You'll learn a lot about how bikes are put together, and you might even find some things that your friends missed. Take notes while you're doing the inspections, and go over your findings with your friends after each inspection.
When you end up buying a bike, make sure you get everything related to the bike: the key and any spares that the seller has, any free/included spare parts, the owner's manual and service manual, etc. Having to go back to the seller to get stuff you should have remembered the first time is a pain. And you may find the seller far less accommodating after you've paid for the thing.
Finally, my personal preference is to purchase bikes that have NOT been raced or have too many aftermarket accessories. The essential add-ons for the FZ6 to make the average riding experience more pleasant is only two things...
better seat and windshield. The extra performance gadgets don't add value to the bike, so don't let the seller increase price much beyond blue book value. Once you get comfortable with the new bike, you can always add non-essential enhancements at your own pace.
