Evitzee
Junior Member
Two weeks ago my local Yamaha dealer was hosting the Yamaha 18 wheeler/trailer filled with bikes that the public could ride. Nothing’s better than being able to ride somebody else’s new machines. So I rode the 25 miles on the FZ6 down to the dealer and signed up for the FZ1 and FZ8, that way I could do a back to back to back comparison of the three bikes. I always wondered if I was missing something by not getting an FZ1 to begin with, or if the FZ8 was a big improvement over the FZ6.
First up, the FZ1: The first thing I noticed was the seat was a bit higher than the FZ6 but manageable with my 30” inseam. Letting out the clutch let the bike roll off from a stop with little effort, far different than the FZ6 which has little torque down low and having to roll on a fair amount of throttle and feather the clutch to get things going. Pulling out on to the highway the extra power was apparent as the bike ran up to the speed limit effortlessly and just seemed to loaf along, with a feeling that it was ready to take off with a twist of the throttle. Downshifting was just an option. They took us on an 18 mile loop over a twisting road that I’ve ridden several times. (One thing I’ve learned is to be right behind the chaperone rider on these test rides as they tend to ride at a brisk clip and it gives you more opportunity to ride quickly, if you are further back in the pack you may be behind the guy putting along on a Star cruiser which limits your options.) Besides the ready power on tap advantage it was apparent that the chassis was much better sorted out than the FZ6, don’t know if it was due to better components or the adjustability of the front and rear suspension, but it just felt more planted. The perch felt like I was riding higher on the machine than the FZ6, but other than that the control aspects felt about the same. Got back with a big smile on my face, the extra power available was something I had missed since I sold my FJR four years ago.
Next, the FZ8: I Immediately switched over to the Raven FZ8 and by chance the Yamaha chick that was the trailing rider on the first test ride jumped on the FZ1 and led the second ride which gave me a good opportunity to match pace with the bike I had just finished riding. She took off and I had no problem keeping up with her, the FZ8 had lots of mid-range power like the FZ1, just not as much of it. The riding dynamics were very similar although I missed having the half fairing. I’m not a real fan of naked bikes, nor black bikes, but it was a nice piece of equipment nonetheless. I’m sure Yamaha will eventually bring in the European faired bike in the next year or so.
Once we got back I left on my FZ6 and rode the same course by myself to get an immediate comparison. To confirm my impressions the FZ6 needed a lot of goosing and wrist management to keep the same pace of the FZ1 and FZ8. Those two bikes were just easier to ride fast. I rode home and did some thinking. Did I want to trade the 2009 FZ6 which was only 11 months old for one of the other bikes? I did some penciling and figured that the net delta wouldn’t be all that great if I wanted to do it. The next day I got in the cage and visited the four closest dealers to see what they had in stock, just to get a feel. Three had an FZ8 on the floor and I found FZ1’s in blue, silver, granite and red, the colors from 2009-2011. The last dealer also had a 2009 FZ1 which I learned had a Retro kit fitted to it…..a new tank and all new bodywork in a pearl white and red scheme which was reminiscent of Yamahas from the 1970’s.. It was very cool looking and had lots of possibilities to customze for a street racer look.
The aftermath: So last Friday I rode the 82 miles down to the dealer and in about 15 minutes we agreed on a net difference in price which was better than what I was anticipating. I’ve learned the FZ6 is a pretty easy bike to sell because it is a good basic bike and since it was in like new condition the dealer was not going to have any problem reselling it. In less than two hours the new bike was prepped and I rode home on the FZ1 which is just plain funner to ride and bags of torque and hp are always available. Here are a few pics of it with less than 100 miles on it, it’s a good looking ride and one that I won’t be seeing going in the opposite direction. Let the mods begin although I’m not going to do a lot to it.
Although the FZ8 is a great bike I need the half fairing and right now the street price difference between a 2011 FZ8 and a brand new 2009 FZ1 is not all that great. For me the FZ1 is a far better value. So far I’m very happy with my new ride. The FZ6 is a very good machine with good looks, but to me the engine lets the package down, the power delivery is not what a modern street bike should be. Last year when I was comparing the FZ1 to the FZ6 I relied on the stats as a test ride wasn’t in the cards. In hindsight I would have been happier with the FZ1 from the get go, but better late than never. Good luck and happy, safe riding to all the FZ6 riders.
First up, the FZ1: The first thing I noticed was the seat was a bit higher than the FZ6 but manageable with my 30” inseam. Letting out the clutch let the bike roll off from a stop with little effort, far different than the FZ6 which has little torque down low and having to roll on a fair amount of throttle and feather the clutch to get things going. Pulling out on to the highway the extra power was apparent as the bike ran up to the speed limit effortlessly and just seemed to loaf along, with a feeling that it was ready to take off with a twist of the throttle. Downshifting was just an option. They took us on an 18 mile loop over a twisting road that I’ve ridden several times. (One thing I’ve learned is to be right behind the chaperone rider on these test rides as they tend to ride at a brisk clip and it gives you more opportunity to ride quickly, if you are further back in the pack you may be behind the guy putting along on a Star cruiser which limits your options.) Besides the ready power on tap advantage it was apparent that the chassis was much better sorted out than the FZ6, don’t know if it was due to better components or the adjustability of the front and rear suspension, but it just felt more planted. The perch felt like I was riding higher on the machine than the FZ6, but other than that the control aspects felt about the same. Got back with a big smile on my face, the extra power available was something I had missed since I sold my FJR four years ago.
Next, the FZ8: I Immediately switched over to the Raven FZ8 and by chance the Yamaha chick that was the trailing rider on the first test ride jumped on the FZ1 and led the second ride which gave me a good opportunity to match pace with the bike I had just finished riding. She took off and I had no problem keeping up with her, the FZ8 had lots of mid-range power like the FZ1, just not as much of it. The riding dynamics were very similar although I missed having the half fairing. I’m not a real fan of naked bikes, nor black bikes, but it was a nice piece of equipment nonetheless. I’m sure Yamaha will eventually bring in the European faired bike in the next year or so.
Once we got back I left on my FZ6 and rode the same course by myself to get an immediate comparison. To confirm my impressions the FZ6 needed a lot of goosing and wrist management to keep the same pace of the FZ1 and FZ8. Those two bikes were just easier to ride fast. I rode home and did some thinking. Did I want to trade the 2009 FZ6 which was only 11 months old for one of the other bikes? I did some penciling and figured that the net delta wouldn’t be all that great if I wanted to do it. The next day I got in the cage and visited the four closest dealers to see what they had in stock, just to get a feel. Three had an FZ8 on the floor and I found FZ1’s in blue, silver, granite and red, the colors from 2009-2011. The last dealer also had a 2009 FZ1 which I learned had a Retro kit fitted to it…..a new tank and all new bodywork in a pearl white and red scheme which was reminiscent of Yamahas from the 1970’s.. It was very cool looking and had lots of possibilities to customze for a street racer look.
The aftermath: So last Friday I rode the 82 miles down to the dealer and in about 15 minutes we agreed on a net difference in price which was better than what I was anticipating. I’ve learned the FZ6 is a pretty easy bike to sell because it is a good basic bike and since it was in like new condition the dealer was not going to have any problem reselling it. In less than two hours the new bike was prepped and I rode home on the FZ1 which is just plain funner to ride and bags of torque and hp are always available. Here are a few pics of it with less than 100 miles on it, it’s a good looking ride and one that I won’t be seeing going in the opposite direction. Let the mods begin although I’m not going to do a lot to it.
Although the FZ8 is a great bike I need the half fairing and right now the street price difference between a 2011 FZ8 and a brand new 2009 FZ1 is not all that great. For me the FZ1 is a far better value. So far I’m very happy with my new ride. The FZ6 is a very good machine with good looks, but to me the engine lets the package down, the power delivery is not what a modern street bike should be. Last year when I was comparing the FZ1 to the FZ6 I relied on the stats as a test ride wasn’t in the cards. In hindsight I would have been happier with the FZ1 from the get go, but better late than never. Good luck and happy, safe riding to all the FZ6 riders.
