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should I choose the FZ6?

cv_rider

cv_rider

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I'm a potential new owner of an FZ6. I've been riding for six months, 3k miles, on the first bike, a Buell Blast thumper. I like the comfort of an upright seating position, it handles very well, good torque range, but don't like how it feels a bit buffeted by the wind around at 70+ mph (even on calm days), and this one is getting well into middle age, time to retire it before it retires itself. From quite a bit of research, the FZ6 seems to have a good comfortable riding position and good wind protection, and seems upgraded in many ways from the least expensive base models for still a reasonable price. I'm looking for something a bit up in quality from a pure intro bike that I can use for multiple years. But I would like some input from the community:

* Why did you choose this bike over other similar, such as Suzuki SV650, Ninja 650R, Kawasaki Z750S?
* I don't anticipate being an overly aggressive sport rider. I'll probably never go faster than 85 mph. I'll never take it on a track. Most of the miles will be commuting a highway, with some fun weekend trips through the mountains. Coming from a 34 hp Buell Blast (which was adequate even at 80 mph if not thrilling), the ~80 hp on the FZ6 seems overkill. Is that level of power ever really touched in "normal life" riding? Makes me wonder if I'd be perfectly happy with 50hp 500cc bike, perhaps saving money/gas/insurance. If I could find one that wasn't entry level in suspension, instrument cluster, other aspects.
* The main criticism I've read on the FZ6 is the peaky torque, and perhaps not the smoothest engine control at slower speeds. That seems to me to be good for very high revving sport riding, perhaps not as good for standard commuting. Comments?
* What's your experience with being buffetted by wind at highway speeds? Maybe just normal for all motorcycles. I've only ever ridden the Blast.

Thanks
Toby
 
Coming from a Buell Blast, you will be bowled over by how smooth and comfortable the FZ6 is. I don't know about earlier years, but my '07 is like buttah. Very smooth down low. I feel no overwhelming rush to mod this bike. Everything is good out of the box.

I've had a first and second-gen SV650, and just felt the FZ6 offered more as a package. I never liked the way the SVs dove under hard braking. They're not bad bikes at all, though, and if you find a good one at a good price, you could do a lot worse. Also, if you're cross-shopping, you might look into an SV1000S. They are a completely different animal from the SV650; they have the suspension off of an earlier GSX-R, and a slipper clutch, and some other goodness the SV650's lack.

Additionally - and this is just me - I wanted a bike that everybody else didn't have. ;) It helps with insurance and theft, just a skosh, and it's nice to be somewhat unique.
 
cv_rider said:
I'm a potential new owner of an FZ6. I've been riding for six months, 3k miles, on the first bike, a Buell Blast thumper. I like the comfort of an upright seating position, it handles very well, good torque range, but don't like how it feels a bit buffeted by the wind around at 70+ mph (even on calm days), and this one is getting well into middle age, time to retire it before it retires itself. From quite a bit of research, the FZ6 seems to have a good comfortable riding position and good wind protection, and seems upgraded in many ways from the least expensive base models for still a reasonable price. I'm looking for something a bit up in quality from a pure intro bike that I can use for multiple years. But I would like some input from the community:

* Why did you choose this bike over other similar, such as Suzuki SV650, Ninja 650R, Kawasaki Z750S?
* I don't anticipate being an overly aggressive sport rider. I'll probably never go faster than 85 mph. I'll never take it on a track. Most of the miles will be commuting a highway, with some fun weekend trips through the mountains. Coming from a 34 hp Buell Blast (which was adequate even at 80 mph if not thrilling), the ~80 hp on the FZ6 seems overkill. Is that level of power ever really touched in "normal life" riding? Makes me wonder if I'd be perfectly happy with 50hp 500cc bike, perhaps saving money/gas/insurance. If I could find one that wasn't entry level in suspension, instrument cluster, other aspects.
* The main criticism I've read on the FZ6 is the peaky torque, and perhaps not the smoothest engine control at slower speeds. That seems to me to be good for very high revving sport riding, perhaps not as good for standard commuting. Comments?
* What's your experience with being buffetted by wind at highway speeds? Maybe just normal for all motorcycles. I've only ever ridden the Blast.

Thanks
Toby
Click to expand...

I recently bought an 07 FZ6 after coming from a cruiser (Suzuki Marauder).

When I was shopping for it, I was torn between it and the SV650. One of the reasons I went with the FZ6 is because of all the front-end complaints the SV650 gets. It's always enlightening to find forums dedicated to the specific bike you're interested in, and start reading about all the mods people want to/do make to the model. I was shocked with the SV650...almost everyone complained about the stock front end, and almost everyone had put a great deal of money into swapping out the entire front end, or doing a good amount of work improving the stock front ent.

The FZ6 (at least the 07-08) doesn't have hordes of owners wanting to replace the front end with R6 forks (I'm guessing because the 07-08 FZ6 already have two 4-piston calipers). At most, people seem to like redoing the springs, which is cheap and easy when compared to a full front-end replacement.

A lot of the SV650 owners seem to have them specifically for track use. Which is great, and I've heard it's an excellent track bike. But what I didn't hear a lot of is how enjoyable they are on the street. At least, not when compared to the FZ6.



As to horsepower, my last bike was, if I'm being generous, 50HP. Almost doubling the HP with the FZ6 seems like a huge jump, but I was also moving from a V-Twin to an inline 4. I find I don't miss the low-end torque, and I don't mind the tiny vibration or the "clunky" clutch at all (my cruiser had a very clunky clutch as well, so I feel right at home with it).

The FZ6 is great under 85, and a joy to ride around town or commute on. You'll also find that you'll get better gas mileage with the FZ6 than you might with a 500cc or smaller bike (ok, perhaps not a Ninja 250).

Smooth engine control? I don't see a problem with it. Sure, I had to get used to more oomph per mm of throttle turn, but smoothness is a function of the rider, not the engine.


Wind buffeting is normal. There's frontal buffeting (wind in the face/on the helmet) and side buffeting. Frontal can be dealt with by changing riding position, or adding an aftermarket windscreen. Side buffeting is just something you have to learn to live with, unless you buy a car instead. :)
 
I stumbled onto a good deal on an 04 FZ6 while looking for a first bike. I was/ am a new rider and I wanted something with an upright seating position and not too much power (like a R6 or higher), but I didn't want a cruiser. I went and sat on new FZ6's prior to buying the used one and the bike just fit me well. After the MSF and license, I made the purchase. I commute on the bike to work everyday using secondary streets and highways and I have no complaints. Theres plenty of power or you can just cruise if you want. It's sporty enough to be a sports bike and runs like a charm. I think it was a good starting point for me. The bike was somewhat modded when I got it (scorpion exhaust, no rear hugger, FE kit, alarm) so it was a really good deal and I feel more and more at home on it as I spend time in the saddle.
 
cv_rider said:
* Why did you choose this bike over other similar, such as Suzuki SV650, Ninja 650R, Kawasaki Z750S?
* I don't anticipate being an overly aggressive sport rider. I'll probably never go faster than 85 mph. I'll never take it on a track. Most of the miles will be commuting a highway, with some fun weekend trips through the mountains. Coming from a 34 hp Buell Blast (which was adequate even at 80 mph if not thrilling), the ~80 hp on the FZ6 seems overkill. Is that level of power ever really touched in "normal life" riding? Makes me wonder if I'd be perfectly happy with 50hp 500cc bike, perhaps saving money/gas/insurance. If I could find one that wasn't entry level in suspension, instrument cluster, other aspects.
* The main criticism I've read on the FZ6 is the peaky torque, and perhaps not the smoothest engine control at slower speeds. That seems to me to be good for very high revving sport riding, perhaps not as good for standard commuting. Comments?
* What's your experience with being buffetted by wind at highway speeds? Maybe just normal for all motorcycles. I've only ever ridden the Blast.

Thanks
Toby
Click to expand...

1. I chose the fz over the competition for two main reasons. Engine and looks the looks part being my opinion the engine being from the R.
2. not sure what normal "life riding" is, but say a semi without brakes is coming up on your tail @ 70 mph and you are going 45ish. if you are in a good gear already you wont even have to shift just roll on and roll out. It seems to me that people who have never ridden/driven anything that revs high thinks its unuseable, which is not the case you just have to acustom yourself to a new way of riding/driving. You may be just as happy with a 500cc bike but you will never know the pure bliss that is FZ6 :rockon:
3.Peaky torque is the same as #2 here the rider just isn't used to it yet. The FZ6 is a capable and competent cruiser, streetfighter, track whore, or anything you want it to be. If you keep it in the right gear it will always have available power to get you out of (or in to) any situation that presents itself.
4. wind buffeting is expected on any motorcycle. if you learn to relax and loosen up a bit it isn't bad at all, the FZ is very stable even up well over 120 m.p.h.
 
sifr said:
You'll also find that you'll get better gas mileage with the FZ6 than you might with a 500cc or smaller bike (ok, perhaps not a Ninja 250).
Click to expand...

Hi, Sifr!

Much as I love the FZ6, the gas mileage is sucktastic. I get 35ish. That contrasts with 55ish on my SV650, and 65-70 on my GS500.

I do wring its neck, because it loves being wrung. When I went on a very mellow ride with a friend, I got a shocking 47ish mpg. That has not happened before or since. ;)
 
Roadstergal said:
Hi, Sifr!

Much as I love the FZ6, the gas mileage is sucktastic. I get 35ish. That contrasts with 55ish on my SV650, and 65-70 on my GS500.

I do wring its neck, because it loves being wrung. When I went on a very mellow ride with a friend, I got a shocking 47ish mpg. That has not happened before or since. ;)
Click to expand...

Heh. I find I'm getting around 45mpg. Then again, I'm still breaking mine in and keeping it under 7k RPM (though usually I'm right at 7k RPM). I also haven't really taken it up into the hills to abuse it yet. :)

Also, I'm still on my 4th tank (I haven't had much of a chance to ride, as I've been fighting with a failing gallbladder since I bought it).
 
OK, let me put my input. Coming from a Buell Blast no matter what new bike you are going to upgrade to it will be an upgrade. In the US, there are no modern 500cc bikes, so you are left with the 600-650 crowd and there are plenty of options. The Buell has a very short seat height and is a physically small bike, so when you seat on any of the other bikes they will feel bigger. If you are the kind that likes to upgrade every year then go for a Ninja 500 for one year. You'll enjoy it a lot and will be ready to upgrade again. If you want to keep your bike for 2-3+ years go for a 600-650. The twin cylinders are more economical by about 10%. 35mpg is unusally low - most people get more like 45-55mpg depending on your riding style. With my Ninja 500 I used to get 47-63mpg and usually well in to the 50's. If you are not looking to ride much on the highway and am looking for a fun commuter - check out the new Ninja 250. It got excellent reviews, will get 70+ mpg and is a blast.

OK, now, I was deciding between the Suzuki GSX650F and the FZ6. The SV was a little on the sporty side for me in terms of riding position, though I do like the SV650SF body frame. It is a great bike. The Ninja 650 is a relatively small bike, but had gotten rave reviews in England. My biggest issue with it were its instruments and small tank at 4.1g. Plus, I like to have a centerstand for the winter months since I park outside and you can't get that with the Ninja 650. Otherwise, another find choice.
Finally, the FZ6. This is a sophisticated bike with an aluminum frame, excellent brakes, detuned R6 engine, nice comprehensive instrument panel, smooth shifting transmission, comfortable uprgiht seating position and most importantly, a proven record here and in Europe. For the price, it is a bargain. Does it have faults? yes. Sure, I'd like slightly better fuel economy. But, guess what? The stronger the engine usally the more it drinks. Still, it is not very bad. Plus, it has a generous 5.1 gallon tank. Other faults, windscreen could be a little higher. There is a nice $80 solution - PUIG racing screen. It makes a huge difference. Other faults? engine is much more powerful in upper end as compared to lower end, so preception is that it is "peaky". Probably the Suzuki's GSX650F has more torque down low and midrange, so is better for city riding. There is a huge selection of bikes in this range. Sport rider just compared the Versys to Vstromm to BMW F800S. The former two are also in the same price range and appeal to the adventure type. I hope my rambling has helped some. Make sure you fit on a bike and remember that a change is always a change. I was more comfortable on my Ninja 500 initially until I got used to the FZ6. If you are at all able, see if you can get a test ride. I wish I could test ride a bunch of bikes (only used usually) before making my decision. Do I regret it? no. I recently had the opportunity to get a different bike (after an accident), but decided to get the same.
lastly, no matter how you look at it, looks are important. So, go with what you think loooks best.
Dani
 
Since you narrowed down to about 3 bikes, get out of the house and visit your local motorcycle dealership. Then simply sit down on the Suzuki SV650 the Yamaha FZ6 and any other bike you are in the market for. Let the comfort an ergonomics of the bike dictate your decision. I did the same and the FZ6 "spoke to me" it was the most comfortable. I'dont regret getting the FZ6. What ever you get, post back with photos. Cheers. I agree with the puig screen upgrade to eliminate most of the wind blast. I'd get the "race" screen. Just to give you an idea; I took my Puig screen off today and rode with the factory screen on the freeway. I literally had to be tucked under as close to the tank as possible at freeway speeds (80+ MPH).

P.S.
The Puig offers way more wind protection and style no matter what bike you choose!
 
Last edited:
I bought my FZ6 july of 07. Actually someone said the FZ6 chooses and I have to agree with that statement. I have to admit that under slow riding, say stuck in rush hour traffic, its a pain in the neck to keep between1/2nd gear. One is too high, one is too low. That is my only real gripe. Riding in the wind is simple, I just tuck under the windscreen, I am 5 foot 6 inches, so its no prob for me to lay down on the tank. Sitting up and riding with my back straight is real comfort, the reason I liked cruisers but needed the joy of a sport bike. Side buffeting is easy if you relax and trust the stability of the bike. As far as too much HP, there is no such animal as too much HP. When you need it, you need it now.
 
At the end of the day, its your call. I would suggest going to the dealer and sitting on one and getting a good feel for it. I am only 21 and bought an 08 Black FZ6 about two weeks ago and absolutely love it. I come from a Harley family, so needless to say, I was the odd ball. I did some riding on a fatboy, and was never a fan of the sport bike riding position, but always loved the looks of them. With the FZ6, you get the best of both worlds, great comfort with the power to take off. Plus with the gas prices, its a great way to go. From one newbie to another, its a great bike!
 
The FZ6 has 98hp... Had mine for a few months now.. Love it.
I still feel like I should have bought a R6 or R1 but this bike is alot cheaper and insurance is much much lower than eather of them. I was told by the dealer that if you wanted to take a R6 and a FZ6 on the freeway the R6 would get up to top speed faster but the FZ6 would catch up and pass him if you were to really test that theory out. lol
ButYeah, it does seem a bit windy but Id have to say its normal. Im laying on the tank and you can feel the major wind. Think of the guys who gotta sit up all the time on there rides.

~~~~~ Well i cant remember the site I saw the 98 hp but this one here says 96.55. lol
2007 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2 specifications and pictures


cv_rider said:
I'm a potential new owner of an FZ6. I've been riding for six months, 3k miles, on the first bike, a Buell Blast thumper. I like the comfort of an upright seating position, it handles very well, good torque range, but don't like how it feels a bit buffeted by the wind around at 70+ mph (even on calm days), and this one is getting well into middle age, time to retire it before it retires itself. From quite a bit of research, the FZ6 seems to have a good comfortable riding position and good wind protection, and seems upgraded in many ways from the least expensive base models for still a reasonable price. I'm looking for something a bit up in quality from a pure intro bike that I can use for multiple years. But I would like some input from the community:

* Why did you choose this bike over other similar, such as Suzuki SV650, Ninja 650R, Kawasaki Z750S?
* I don't anticipate being an overly aggressive sport rider. I'll probably never go faster than 85 mph. I'll never take it on a track. Most of the miles will be commuting a highway, with some fun weekend trips through the mountains. Coming from a 34 hp Buell Blast (which was adequate even at 80 mph if not thrilling), the ~80 hp on the FZ6 seems overkill. Is that level of power ever really touched in "normal life" riding? Makes me wonder if I'd be perfectly happy with 50hp 500cc bike, perhaps saving money/gas/insurance. If I could find one that wasn't entry level in suspension, instrument cluster, other aspects.
* The main criticism I've read on the FZ6 is the peaky torque, and perhaps not the smoothest engine control at slower speeds. That seems to me to be good for very high revving sport riding, perhaps not as good for standard commuting. Comments?
* What's your experience with being buffetted by wind at highway speeds? Maybe just normal for all motorcycles. I've only ever ridden the Blast.

Thanks
Toby
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Honestly for me the determining factor was I could only find the FZ6 locally at the price I wanted to pay. I was debating between the FZ6 and the SV650. I liked both bikes and had sat on both at the dealership, but I could only afford an used one. However, there were no used SV650's in my area. When I found an FZ6 close to my house and took it for a ride, I didn't want anything else. I bought it right then and took it home. I have never regretted my decision.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I did in fact get the FZ6 last week. I've only put 120 miles on it so far, but it's been lots of fun. Hard to believe I managed 3000 miles on the Buell Blast. Hardly seems like the same activity. I also queried the SV650 forum on the same question. FWIW, this forum was much more happy with the bike than the SV650 forum was. Those guys liked it, but there was a bit more kvetching about various things. So I'm happy with my decision!
 
im 6'6 226 and the only problem i have is you slide too close to the tank when driving a little aggressive, but other than that i love it. i had a couple other bikes and i realized that this bike is the most comfortable i have been on. so make the right the decision and get the bike. hahahaha
 
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