to buy, or not to buy???

[duwa]

hi all, heres a lil about this post. in a couple of days ima start my motorcycle classes here in san diego. meanwhile im checking out all the deals from nearby dealers and such, so i spotted this gorgeous black 2008 yamaha FZ6 on sale (for 5,3**.**dlls) and me been a YET to become a new rider i was wondering if its a good idea to jump on this bike before i start the classes.Now theres one thing i wanna point out to u guys, this is a bike that i always been interested in because it has an 600 cc engine that is not a SUPER bike but good for daily driving, crusing, travel and the power for those up and go days lol & ect.(info comes from all the magazines and forums i research over the years).
another question. in your opinion. been a 2008 model, u guys think this a good deal for what it is,or for that $$$ should i start looking for something newer???
any help will be greatly appreciated. i really dont know ppl with bikes around here. most of what i know comes from forums, magazines. ect but this bike sounds like a good deal to me since naked bikes with a affordable price is hard to find around here.
sorry for the long post but the more info the better lol

 

[MoeDog]

if its your first bike get something cheap, because chances of you dropping it are very high, my very first bike was a 89 ninja 500 it was not in the best looking condition but it worked. I dropped that bike about 3-5 times at stop signs and driveway. I am a short guy so i had balance issues. after that bike i upgraded little by little, went from the Ninja, 90 FZR600, 07 R6, and Now my most recent purchase is a 2007 FZ6. I went with an 07 because of the price i got mine for 3600 with 7k miles with new tires. And mainly because of insurance difference. price was 50 % more if i went with an 09. good luck

Just my 2 cents others are welcome

 

[getsome]

i gotta agree with moe dog. I have only been riding bikes for 3 years. My first two wheels experience was a 150cc chinese scooter!!!:rockon: Yeah i know, but i moved on. Then to a 1977 suzuki GS550 to start learning to ride. Dropped it a bunch, but didnt care, cost me $500. So now i got license and know how to ride and bought my 2005 FZ6. And loving it!!! So i would start out on something cheaper and older as well. :thumbup:

 

[Motogiro]

:welcome:duwa!

I'm also in SD.:rockon:

You won't be disappointed with most any FZ6 you find unless it's a wreck. Don't be fooled by all the hype talk about a 600 versus a 1000cc. Yes there is more power etc. but the FZ6 has got more than enough power when in it's power band which isn't far from a dead stop. In fact you'll find a lot of people have the opinion that you shouldn't start on this powerful a bike but I believe it's an awesome bike to start with and keep for years. It performs great in pretty much most situations. I wouldn't jump it in the dirt but as a street bike it's great at touring, sport biking, or as a commuter. Unless you're really vertically challenged it shouldn't be a problem. Your height does not effect your balance. I'm 5'7" and have ridden some tall bikes. I bet most bike drops are from hitting the front brake with the front wheel turned or stalling the bike when taking off with the front wheel turned. If for whatever reason you could avoid hitting the front brake or stalling with the front wheel turned then there much less a chance of dropping it.
If you've found one and it suits your wallet, get it!

 

[Crax]

5300 seems a bit high to me. I got a used 2009 from a dealer with 1379 miles for base price of 4300. After dealer fee, tax, title, license, it was 4870 out the door. See how low the dealer will go on that price

 

[duwa]

thanks all for the fast response. yes im looking at this bike specifically because its a good for daily rides and those cruise rides im looking foward to. by reading all of ur inputs i came up with an answer. my goal is to get the fz6 as a starter cuz i dont think ima be happy with a 250cc or a parallel 650(which the ninja 650 sounds like a potential cummuter bike but lacks the cruise ability according to owners). a Super bike is not in my to buy list for now, so the FZ6 falls right in the center.

also thanks for the price input. i guess 5300 dlls does sound a lil high for an 08model so ima start searching for a used FZ6 if the deal doesnt come out in my favor.
in your opinion. what yr-yr, mileage and price is a reasonable deal for a fz6 that im planning to keep for a while???

again, thanks for all your help:thumbup:

 

[jtarkany]

:welcome: $5,300 seems a little high. Luckily there are bargains to be had and a lot of good bikes to choose from. Best wishes on whatever you choose. Here are my thoughts on whether or not to buy an FZ6 with a little or a lot of experience: http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/16980-buy-fz6.html

 

[duwa]

thanks for the link jtakany, great info. those Q&A do help alot . doh i was researching ur link and wiki and something came to my mind. since 04-06 are identical and some upgrades and mods where added to the 07-09 models. did the 07-09 receive the same(2003 YZF-R6) engine as the 04-06 models?

 

[jtarkany]

thanks for the link jtakany, great info. those Q&A do help alot . doh i was researching ur link and wiki and something came to my mind. since 04-06 are identical and some upgrades and mods where added to the 07-09 models. did the 07-09 receive the same(2003 YZF-R6) engine as the 04-06 models?

Same engine better fuel mapping capabilities :thumbup:

 

[Shiny_side_up]

if that 5300 is "out the door" it's not terrible. If it's "before all the markup" then you should be able to find a 0 mile 2009 for that amount.

as for whether or not it should be your first bike, I think that has a lot to do with your maturity and personality. I'll admit that the FZ6 was my first bike, but I'm 39 and have long since realized that I'm not invulnerable. So I think I tend to be a lot more focused and controlled than I'd have been in my 20s.

The bike will scare the pants off you in 1st and 2nd gear if you get on it too much. I'm finding that throttle positions that used to scare me are now just fun - all that comes with experience. Know your limits and stay under them and you'll likely do fine. If you are the type that will want to race now and then or believe you can "push it in the turns" a bit, I'd start off with something a bit smaller - just don't go so small that it becomes a danger as a result of not being able to get out of a bad situation. I know that being able to quickly get out of someone's blind spot makes me feel a lot better on the freeway. I know I've had a few situations where accelerating too much in a turn - mostly due to not knowing what to expect from that extra bit of throttle twist - nearly resulted in trouble.

Take the MSF course. Then get a bike, find a nice big parking lot and go back through everything the class taught you. Repeat those skills regularly. It's one thing to learn them in class on a loaner bike. It's another to learn them on your own bike. Highway miles are only a very small subset of experience. Practice those avoidance moves. Practice tight turns. Practice avoiding some imaginary point in that parking lot - and always always always wear your gear.

That gear does 2 very important things:

#1 - helps protect you from harm when something eventually goes wrong.
#2 - attracts members of the opposite sex.

Both are very useful things.

To be honest, if I had known more about the FZ6 going into my purchase, i'd have likely gotten an older one. They are super reliable and pretty forgiving. This site is a great place to find used ones that have been well maintained. From all that I've read on this board, FZ6 owners seem to take really good care of their bikes.

Good luck on your MSF classes and keep the shiny side up.

 

[duwa]

if that 5300 is "out the door" it's not terrible. If it's "before all the markup" then you should be able to find a 0 mile 2009 for that amount.

as for whether or not it should be your first bike, I think that has a lot to do with your maturity and personality. I'll admit that the FZ6 was my first bike, but I'm 39 and have long since realized that I'm not invulnerable. So I think I tend to be a lot more focused and controlled than I'd have been in my 20s.

The bike will scare the pants off you in 1st and 2nd gear if you get on it too much. I'm finding that throttle positions that used to scare me are now just fun - all that comes with experience. Know your limits and stay under them and you'll likely do fine. If you are the type that will want to race now and then or believe you can "push it in the turns" a bit, I'd start off with something a bit smaller - just don't go so small that it becomes a danger as a result of not being able to get out of a bad situation. I know that being able to quickly get out of someone's blind spot makes me feel a lot better on the freeway. I know I've had a few situations where accelerating too much in a turn - mostly due to not knowing what to expect from that extra bit of throttle twist - nearly resulted in trouble.

Take the MSF course. Then get a bike, find a nice big parking lot and go back through everything the class taught you. Repeat those skills regularly. It's one thing to learn them in class on a loaner bike. It's another to learn them on your own bike. Highway miles are only a very small subset of experience. Practice those avoidance moves. Practice tight turns. Practice avoiding some imaginary point in that parking lot - and always always always wear your gear.

That gear does 2 very important things:

#1 - helps protect you from harm when something eventually goes wrong.
#2 - attracts members of the opposite sex.

Both are very useful things.

To be honest, if I had known more about the FZ6 going into my purchase, i'd have likely gotten an older one. They are super reliable and pretty forgiving. This site is a great place to find used ones that have been well maintained. From all that I've read on this board, FZ6 owners seem to take really good care of their bikes.

Good luck on your MSF classes and keep the shiny side up.

hey thanks, well im 23 yrs old, been driving since 15 and my record is shiny clean with no accidents or traffic tickets(thank god). im a pretty fast learner and i been driving a manual tranny car ever since. i do have experience in track, drag racing (automotive only. rwd.fwd.4wd) and i know my way around the clutch and throtte. now im not saying that ima be a perfect bike rider but im just pointing out how ive been improving my ability to take on something new when ever needed.oh and also if it helps im a certified automotive mechanic:thumbup:

and when it comes to gear.its the first thing in my list, and never go cheap on it!. once i get my classes(at MSF)and license, im getting my gear so i can drive that bike home!

 

[duwa]

:rockon: for reason #2 for gears

 

[lsherrer]

I am going to add in my two cents here. Your height DOES matter (or more precisely, your inseam). Even if you don't consider the power that the bike has, I found the bike to be top/front heavy. I am 5'6", light and have an ~29 inch inseam. I could not flat foot the bike and tipped it over at multiple stop signs. That plastic on the front end is expensive to replace, not to mention the damage the bike can do to your foot and ankle. This may never happen to you, but keep in mind that tipping over at slow speeds is something that many of us have encountered, though some may not want to admit it...

Read those articles that tell you why you shouldn't buy a 600 cc for your first bike; there are a multitude of reasons. Learn how to ride and control a bike first.

 

[discgolfdude]

san diego all for sale / wanted classifieds "fz6" - craigslist

Here are a few fz6's that are in your area from cragslist.org.

 

[malicious439]

BUY IT!

My FZ6 is my first bike and I've loved every minute of it! I was practicing on a friends gs500f and another ninja 250, they were OK. But I'm glad I went with the FZ6 and not a 250. You just always have to be vigilant about it and remember its fun and easy to go fast but even easier to get hurt.

:welcome:

 

[tcmalker]

My first bike was an 2009 Ninja 500R. Had it for 2 months and trade it in for 2009 FZ6. Don't make the same mistake I did. Buy the FZ6. The power is just perfect. Don't get 500cc and don't need no 1000cc. Price is great too.

As for dropping the bike, yeah I dropped both. The 500R I dropped it when I put the kickstand down but it went right back up w/o me knowing. See here:

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/33436-i-think-i-found-perfect-frame-sliders.html#post351331

Thank god for EXTENDED frame sliders. Almost no damage

The FZ6, I just got into an accident. An SUV hit me, again EXTENDED frame slider saved my ass.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/gara...71-bike-tipped-over-need-help.html#post353248