Newbie here...Why should I buy an FZ6

[dsmith41]

Hey folks! I grew up riding motorcycles and ATVs (owned a Beartracker 250 as a kid) and I have been cutting my teeth on a Honda 250 for the past five years. Now at 23, I am looking to upgrade to a bigger bike in the next few months and I would like to do some sport touring.

I believe I have it narrowed down to the FZ6 and Kawasaki's Ninja 650R. I know you folks are probably a little bias , but I thought I would ask some of you to try to sell me on the FZ6. I want to hear you all's opinion.

I am very interested in overall reliability because I want to take the bike on long road trips. How long do these little 4-bangers usually run?

I am also very interested in figuring out the difference in the I-4 Yamaha and the parallel twin of the Kawasaki and which one will better suits my needs.

 

[CravenMoorhead]

Cannot make a bad choice with either one. I looked at both and liked the torque of the twin but ended up with the FZ6R with the full front and more low-mid range than the non R FZ6. You have a good problem, enjoy.

 

[frt96]

I had the same problem with my choice.

I am 240-250lbs and thought the "lack" of low end torque would be a problem.

After test riding both bikes I bought the FZ6. Plenty of low end torque. After coming from a honda 250 you will have a hard time wiping the perma-grin off your face. The ninja does have a little more grunt but how much grunt do you need?? North of 6500rpm hang on tight. the FZ walks away hands down.
I commute 90 miles each way and the dealer who sells both brands recommended the FZ-6 as more freeway friendly. I get 45-48 mpg I cruise at 75+mph and I am always happy when I get to work.
I like the looks of the ninja better but I can't hold that against the FZ. I'm kind of utilitarian looking too!

good luck

 

[dankatz]

I also looked at both, but the Ninja was not the upgraded model. The FZ6 is better for the interstate, the Ninja a little better for the city. If you are smaller framed tha Ninja will fit you better - it is a smaller bike made to replace the Ninja 500 (in Europe it did, here not). Both should be reliable, though the FZ6 has been around longer and has a proven reputation. The Yamaha has a standard center stand and a bigger tank by a gallon, so should go further. The Ninja is slightly more economical, being a twin. I have a comparison article from 2007 comparing Ninja to SV to FZ6 and the FZ6 beat them hands down.

 

[Bake]

I have rode Ninja's and own the FZ6. It may sound overly simple, but I believe that the key with the FZ6 is that its got a great sporty look, got lots of rpm's and power to enjoy, but it has more of an upright riding style which will save your body (and your wrists) for those long day tours or multi-day tours. Ever since I got my FZ6 I still think its the perfect bike for me. No doubt about it, Riding the ninja is very fun , but cant see doing it all day. If you are going to start touring, FZ6 might be the right choice

 

[dsmith41]

Well I think I am leaning towards the FZ6. It has a larger gas tank, center stand, and the riding position is more upright.

On thing I am concerned about is the buzzyness that I have heard reports of at highway rpms. Is this a big deal? If the vibration is too great, what can be done to deaden it?

Also, I have read the forum and seen threads about miles on y'all's FZ6s and many have put upwards of 40K on their bikes. Would you say high mileage bikes were high maintenance or pretty low maintenance? I know things like oil changes, valve adjustments, tires, etc. must be done but other than that, how are these bikes?

 

[FZ1inNH]

The key is when you mentioned "touring" which makes the FZ6 the better choice of the two. I don't have any buzziness in mine that would be considered a problem. There is, in almost any bike, a harmonic distortion that will occur at certain RPMs, with some bikes having it at multiple levels. It'll only buzz as much as you want to explore over 10K RPMs in my opinion.

The FZ6 is very low maintenance with many miles put on before stealership visits. It is also easy enough to work on on your own with minor mechanical skills and leave only the more difficult stuff to the trained mechanic.

I think you'll be happier on the Yamaha overall. Good luck!

 

[goker]

I was looking at the very same two bikes last year and decided to go with FZ6. For me, its more upright riding posture was the deciding factor. On long trips, it is better to be able to sit up right (for me anyway). Good luck. They are both good bikes.

 

[diggler07]

I think you'll be happy with the Fz6. I did a 1600 mile trip over 3 days with mine last fall on a stock seat. The seat is pretty comfortable. (i put on 500m a day.) The riding position is nice, and the milage is good, I could get around 230 miles and the most i ever put in the tank was 4.5 gallons, leaving about a gallon still in the tank. Only things that got to me on such a long trek was the noise. It cruises at a pretty high rpm at highway speeds. (75-85mph) And I remember that getting annoying after a while. And a lack of a throttle lock, but i don't think you're going to find one on a non-cruiser.

 

[DonahuePhoto]

Wow, I had the EXACT same problem when purchasing my bike! I'm 21, 6'2" and 205lbs
I LOVE the Fz6, its lower insurance rate, its power, and its versatility.

Now, that said, If i could go back... I probably would have gotten the Ninja 650.:spank::ban:
Simple reasons, both have very similar insurance rates, and the basic mods are cheaper (for example: one small exhaust under the right peg vs. 2 rear tail exits that heat up the seat when really getting into the rpm's, or on a longer ride).
I say this because the guy I ride with regularly owns a 650, and they are essentially equal bikes, with very small differences. I've ridden his bike and like the low end torque, but the Fz6 definitely beats it off the line and in the 1/4 mile.


HOWEVER, the reason I went with the Fz6:
It's a great stepping stone into the 4 cylinder sportbike category, without scaring the crap out of you.




IMHO, if you can afford it, SCREW BOTH OF THESE BIKES....


GO WITH THE TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE AND GET THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS WITH A 3 CYLINDER!!

 

[sfcali86]

i almost baught a 650r literaly signatures away but was way to low for me im 6ft i lookes way to funny i would have had back or posture issues fast get the fz6 its just a comftrible bike very fast

 

[Wolfman]

I have done lots of touring on my FZ6....and it has handled it all with aplomb, especially surprising, when 2 up, with lots of gear...great motor...which has not missed a beat in over 30000km's of varied riding, plenty of it...hard riding.

:thumbup:

 

[lonesoldier84]

FZ6 = 100 hp

650R = 75 hp

'nuff said?

If not.......

650R is here

FZ6 is___________________________here

 

[Red Wazp]

Yamaha is a better quality product than Kawasaki

Yep I do own a Kawasaki KLR