This bike gets one more chance before I sell it.

[PosterFZ6]

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a 2008 FI motorcycle to have a responsive throttle.

Like other have mentioned. they don't really find that much trouble with it.

But you ride it more aggressively.

The bike was designed for street use and light sport touring on the cheap. In these uses the throttle issue doesn't have a chance to show itself and be a problem for people, including me.

When I take it for a more aggressive ride, indeed, throttle issue is a problem, but i don't drag knees yet so I can live with it. (for now at least)

 

[DownrangeFuture]

I've only owned it for a month. That said, I adjusted from the throttle on my F3 (I-4 600) to my TLR (V-twin 1000) in half that time. This time I went from an F4i (I-4 600) to the FZ6, which should be a pretty straight across transition. But there's a huge difference.



1. Throttle play is adjusted where I like it.

2. At 5k miles? I would expect it to still be in sync.

3. That helped. Higher gears helped as well.



It got worse with higher elevation. Most of the trip was at 5000 feet.



I'm not an A level racer, I'm an A group track rider, albeit back of the pack A group A level racer would be doing 1:50 at my local track (Thunder Hill) while I do 2:05.

I've ridden a CBR600RR as well and the throttle was way smoother...as well as the F3, and both F4is I owned.

I don't chop the throttle as it scares me, I keep rolling on and lean further. But the roll on is horribly jerky. I can hear it as the engine is slowly getting more fuel. Hard to replicate in text, but as I'm rolling back on (from completely off) it will rev...rev..rev.revrevrev. There's also no clutch involvement here. If I'm in 4th gear, I'll set up for a turn, roll off, brake to a suitable entry speed, and roll back on without needing to shift. But I'll trail brake as well, and hitting the throttle mid-corner with that sudden lurch isn't fun.

(You can Youtube look up DarkNinja75 if you wish to judge my :squid:liness. There's a few track videos on there.)

So, it sounds like you're going in, in too high of a gear and falling out of the power band. It's crazy on these bikes. Seriously, below 6-7000 there's almost nothing and then all of a sudden it tries to play supersport. Power curves on most other bikes are far smoother. And the SV650 being a twin has a flat curve. The difference between the top and bottom of the curve is like 10ft/lbs, but on this here FZ6 it's more like 30. So the wide curve that is characteristic of inline 4's is even more noticeable on the FZ6. And you will get that "lug... lug... lug... omfg" feeling when the power band hits.

Combine that with sport touring tires, an improperly set-up suspension (cause, come on, only pre-load Yamaha?), a rear tire that's too fat for the bike, and the back end will get more squirrelly than a supersport. But it won't break free on you if you stay on the throttle.

Your problem is that you learned track on a twin (and your 500 doesn't have the power to break free really), and now you're trying to ride an inline 4 like a twin. Even the pros have a hard time switching. An experienced rider would/should just adjust their riding style to suit. Not that, that's easy.

So, you say you're hitting corners in 4th gear? That's cool in a twin, it'll lug some but there's no "rush" of power. On this bike, a fourth gear corner should be around 90+ mph so you stay in the power band. You're probably hitting a 40-50mph corner and should be in 2nd. Maybe, 3rd.

Try that and see if it helps. People race on their FZ6's and don't have the same problem, so I honestly don't think it's the bike. Kind of like the "A machine doesn't do anything on just one turn, or every 5th lap. Riders do."

But, if you want to sell, I got a GSXR I'll trade ya. :BLAA:

J/K. I love my GSXR.

 

[lonesoldier84]

This thread brought to you by the letter 'C'.

....C for Clutch.

 

[mrphotoman]

I strongly disagree.

The throttle is an issue that only gets worse as your riding improves.

When I first starting riding, I noticed rather quickly the throttle was jerky no matter how slow you you wrist the throttle. However, that wasn't a much of a problem for me at the time. I putted around on my motorcycle and stay lightly on the throttle most of the time an the issue didn't bother me much at all.

However, as I improved at riding the problem only increased to the point where I can not ride this motorcycle at level I wish without endangering myself. The motorcycle is not safe for me anymore.

You see, when you start riding faster, breaking harder into turns, leaning the bike over further and getting on the gas quicker to stabilize the bike the jerky throttle becomes a catastrophic problem. The Fz6 suspension which is not great to begin with coupled with a jerky throttle is a danger.

When you get on the throttle with the bike leaned over deep it causes the front to shoot out wide, giving you the sensation of losing the front and making the bike run way wide in turns.

The stock Fz6 is fine commuter bike and well do alright riding is semi-spirited rides. However, this bike is not one you can ride aggressively unless you find a way to fix/manage the throttle issues and/or get a better suspension system.

Lol, It is a non-issue. There are no straight roads where I live and I never give this "throttle issue" a 2nd thought. I have 4 bikes, soon to be 5 bikes and jumping from one to the other I still do not notice this "horrible" throttle issue lol. Again I think it is 99% rider issue not a bike issue.

 

[JimStl]

Sounds like somebody doesn't like his bike. It's cool, not everybody is going to like it. Time to start shopping.

 

[Daniel_Aus]

Maybe I'm not riding my bike hard enough, but I find my FZ6 smooth and precise. I love it.

As others have mentioned, hitting a corner in 4th gear...?

 

[Timon]

I had the same issue coming from my Ninja 250, which was extremely smooth.

I survived my first riding season last year without making any changes to the FZ6. I personally improved a bit, but still noticed the problem, especially when doing low speed maneuvers - cornering, parking lots, stop and go traffic, etc. I started looking into a resolution about a month or so ago.

I've done 3 things and I can say every step took it a bit further, but it wasn't until all three were done before the problem was pretty much null and void. I still have a noticeable on/off, but it's nothing I wouldn't expect from applying throttle to any gasoline powered machine (car or bike).

1. Sync the throttle bodies. I used a simple home-made manometer that cost a total of about $6 to make.​

2. Power Commander. Some people say this eliminated the problem all together, but for me it didn't. It did help significantly.​

3. G2 Throttle Tamer. Hands down the most significant change made. Though the other two items were already done and I haven't tested it without the PC, it still seemed to make the most change in the throttle response.​

So total to resolve the issue was ~$300, which isn't terrible by any means and is a far cry from the $1,000 that you quoted in your initial post. Though I do agree the issue shouldn't have been there in the first place, but I did learn a lot from it.

I too can also attest to the fact that GSXRs do not seem to have this problem at at all. In fact, I may end with with one as my next bike , but we'll see.

Anyway, best of luck to the OP. Let us know how the Throttle Tamer does by itself and despite only have 5k miles, sync the throttle bodies.

 

[Nelly]

Re: Re: This bike gets one more chance before I sell it.

Maybe it's my bike but I haven't a clue what you are talking about!
(I do, however, keep my throttle cable as tight as it will go without making the engine speed change when I turn the bars).
Mine is an '09.

This plus throttle body sync and setting the engine idle speed to 1300 rpm has helped the issue to a good degree.
I have always maintained that the on off throttle is the most unsatisfying quirk of the bike. I have changed my riding style to adapt. You can't shut the throttle and snap it open on really tight turns.
Can I live with it? Absolutely.
Am I willing to spend >€300 to sort out something that Yamaha should have addressed during the R&D? No.
The FZ6 is still a great bike when viewed as a sum of its parts.
Good thread,
Neil

Sent from my HTC One X

 

[FZ09Bandit]

So, it sounds like you're going in, in too high of a gear and falling out of the power band. It's crazy on these bikes. Seriously, below 6-7000 there's almost nothing and then all of a sudden it tries to play supersport. Power curves on most other bikes are far smoother. And the SV650 being a twin has a flat curve. The difference between the top and bottom of the curve is like 10ft/lbs, but on this here FZ6 it's more like 30. So the wide curve that is characteristic of inline 4's is even more noticeable on the FZ6. And you will get that "lug... lug... lug... omfg" feeling when the power band hits.

Combine that with sport touring tires, an improperly set-up suspension (cause, come on, only pre-load Yamaha?), a rear tire that's too fat for the bike, and the back end will get more squirrelly than a supersport. But it won't break free on you if you stay on the throttle.

Your problem is that you learned track on a twin (and your 500 doesn't have the power to break free really), and now you're trying to ride an inline 4 like a twin. Even the pros have a hard time switching. An experienced rider would/should just adjust their riding style to suit. Not that, that's easy.

So, you say you're hitting corners in 4th gear? That's cool in a twin, it'll lug some but there's no "rush" of power. On this bike, a fourth gear corner should be around 90+ mph so you stay in the power band. You're probably hitting a 40-50mph corner and should be in 2nd. Maybe, 3rd.

Try that and see if it helps. People race on their FZ6's and don't have the same problem, so I honestly don't think it's the bike. Kind of like the "A machine doesn't do anything on just one turn, or every 5th lap. Riders do."

But, if you want to sell, I got a GSXR I'll trade ya. :BLAA:

J/K. I love my GSXR.

Me too.

But before I made the switch, I always said GSXR riders where the Honda guys of the motorcycle world (if your not into cars, you probably won't get it)

But of course if my **** was never stolen it would be different. (1100$ for my GSXR ) ride and resale for more than I paid hehe.

With a 750 now no one will gripe when (and that's a definite when) I go pick up a 2012 R1 in all it's beady eyed glory.

 

[DarkNinja75]

Still waiting on that throttle tamer. It should have shipped today. Someone mentioned earlier how I may have been keeping the revs too low, so I've adjusted accordingly and have been cruising in the 6-8k rpm range. It seems to be a little better.

 

[derek533]

Maybe it's just me, but since acquiring my 2005 Fz6 coming from a 98 Suz. Marauder, I find the throttle response to be baby butt smooth. If you want to feel jerky throttle response, you should have rode my Marauder.

Maybe having a jerkier throttle helps you learn to really be smooth with the throttle. I was kind of worried about going to FI to be honest but I have zero complaints about my throttle. Now, if your're coming off with the revs high, I can see it being an issue but I tend to think any bike would be like that just for the physics of it and not necessarily the throttle, FI, or bike itself. The engine braking alone at such a high RPM would cause jerkiness regardless of bike or fuel delivery type.

 

[Hellgate]

I gotta agree with the OP, the FZ6 throttle is simply terrible. This is caused by fuel cut.

I think the only real solution is a flash.

 

[FIZZER6]

I have owned the FZ6 since it was new in 2006. I have learned to live with the throttle.

Low speed maneuvers: Use the clutch and rear brake to smooth out on/off and transitions.

Cornering: Enter the corner at stable throttle, roll on after the Apex...drag the rear brake if you come in a little hot to prevent having to roll off the throttle mid-corner which will upset the balance.

 

[SweaterDude]

I strongly disagree.

The throttle is an issue that only gets worse as your riding improves.

When I first starting riding, I noticed rather quickly the throttle was jerky no matter how slow you you wrist the throttle. However, that wasn't a much of a problem for me at the time. I putted around on my motorcycle and stay lightly on the throttle most of the time an the issue didn't bother me much at all.

However, as I improved at riding the problem only increased to the point where I can not ride this motorcycle at level I wish without endangering myself. The motorcycle is not safe for me anymore.

You see, when you start riding faster, breaking harder into turns, leaning the bike over further and getting on the gas quicker to stabilize the bike the jerky throttle becomes a catastrophic problem. The Fz6 suspension which is not great to begin with coupled with a jerky throttle is a danger.

When you get on the throttle with the bike leaned over deep it causes the front to shoot out wide, giving you the sensation of losing the front and making the bike run way wide in turns.

The stock Fz6 is fine commuter bike and well do alright riding is semi-spirited rides. However, this bike is not one you can ride aggressively unless you find a way to fix/manage the throttle issues and/or get a better suspension system.

sounds like somebody's confidence has taken away from their throttle control. if you're braking harder, you downshift and match, blip the throttle, and you should have finished braking and be off of the clutch before you enter the turn. the only weak point, once you really start pushing the FZ, is the front suspension. If the throttle is so bad and my bike is so "unsafe" why is it that i can ride just as fast and as safe as tons of guys on Supersports if not faster. maybe im just freaky smooth with my right hand from riding full on Motocross bikes on technical trails and flying RC planes (trust me that will smooth your coordination like crazy). My bike has never been sync'd, has no PCIII/PCV, no throttle tamer, etc. like i said its a little snatchy when i completely get off the gas or when i whack it open but thats it. i have adjusted the slack in the cable though...

 

[derek533]

sounds like somebody's confidence has taken away from their throttle control. if you're braking harder, you downshift and match, blip the throttle, and you should have finished braking and be off of the clutch before you enter the turn. the only weak point, once you really start pushing the FZ, is the front suspension. If the throttle is so bad and my bike is so "unsafe" why is it that i can ride just as fast and as safe as tons of guys on Supersports if not faster. maybe im just freaky smooth with my right hand from riding full on Motocross bikes on technical trails and flying RC planes (trust me that will smooth your coordination like crazy). My bike has never been sync'd, has no PCIII/PCV, no throttle tamer, etc. like i said its a little snatchy when i completely get off the gas or when i whack it open but thats it. i have adjusted the slack in the cable though...

Agreed about the flying RC planes. I've been flying RC Helis (big nitro hobby grade type) and planes for 7 years. You learn to be real precise when you're on the sticks. You'll get coordination you never knew was possible.

 

[motojoe122]

+1 on the last 2 posts. I too rode and raced MX, flew r/c planes for sport and raced Quickie 500's(google it), the FZ6's throttle just came 2nd nature to me. I guess I was used to it from my 97 yz250. I dont always use fuel control, but when I do, I use Bazzaz:BLAA:

 

[SweaterDude]

+1 on the last 2 posts. I too rode and raced MX, flew r/c planes for sport and raced Quickie 500's(google it), the FZ6's throttle just came 2nd nature to me. I guess I was used to it from my 97 yz250. I dont always use fuel control, but when I do, I use Bazzaz:BLAA:

yep we had a Sonic 500 with a 4 channel setup, webra speed50, and a perry carb. that one had a faulty throttle and locked wid open and embedded itself a foot deep into a rock (it was F***in Haulin *ss)

^^ i still cant fly heli's thats a whole other level, i can 3D a little (well i used to be able to, but heli's are insane control.

Oh and im sorry for the thread jack, blah blah, wont happen again.... ish.:BLAA:

 

[Hellgate]

+1 on the last 2 posts. I too rode and raced MX, flew r/c planes for sport and raced Quickie 500's(google it), the FZ6's throttle just came 2nd nature to me. I guess I was used to it from my 97 yz250. I dont always use fuel control, but when I do, I use Bazzaz:BLAA:

I disagree. My FZ6 throttle was terrible, better tuned with a PC3, but still bad. In long sweepers, as the throttle is rolled on, nothing happens, then BANG! It hits.

The '06 FZ1 is know within the FZ1 community as a terrible throttle. The FZ1 throttle is a million times better than the FZ6.

With the FZ1 I wasn't happy, went to a Euro '10 FZ1 ECU, then tuned that ECU with the PCV, then flashed my original '06 ECU. Finally I got the throttle I was looking for.

If you ever ridden a properly tuned CV carbed bike you'll know what I mean.

My Tuono V4R APRC with the Aprilia RACE flash is about perfect.

Really guys, there is a HUGE difference out there.

 

[motojoe122]

I disagree. My FZ6 throttle was terrible, better tuned with a PC3, but still bad. In long sweepers, as the throttle is rolled on, nothing happens, then BANG! It hits.

The '06 FZ1 is know within the FZ1 community as a terrible throttle. The FZ1 throttle is a million times better than the FZ6.

With the FZ1 I wasn't happy, went to a Euro '10 FZ1 ECU, then tuned that ECU with the PCV, then flashed my original '06 ECU. Finally I got the throttle I was looking for.

If you ever ridden a properly tuned CV carbed bike you'll know what I mean.

My Tuono V4R APRC with the Aprilia RACE flash is about perfect.

Really guys, there is a HUGE difference out there.

I recently downloaded an enhanced map from bazzaz, it helped some but a custom tune should help more. Do you agree?

 

[FinalImpact]

I recently downloaded an enhanced map from bazzaz, it helped some but a custom tune should help more. Do you agree?

While getting 26mpg's on that map, fuel cut shouldn't have been an issue! lol

Also we have another RC truck, plane and helli person here. I'm smooth on the throttle and tend to push it with 12000 rpm cornering. At these R's the chop simply happens faster. The engine is a big air pump, the faster it spins the more air consumes. The trick is NEVER allow the throttle to close completely. Its difficult and I mess up at times upsetting the bike and it has to re-wet the intake. PS the air box mod will hurt more than it helps until other mods are made...