Upgrading to a litre bike

[FZ1inNH]

Hey wolfc70... wanted to throw out a couple things. I am 5' 10" but I have a 32" inseam. I found very little difference in the seat height (but weighing 223 lbs might make a difference! :rof: ) I can flatfoot both the 6 and the 1 with slightly bent knees. :thumbup: BUT, here's something to think about... the FZ6 doesn't have a lot of options to lower the bike. The FZ1 has doglegs and can easily be lowered up to 3" in the rear and you can drop the triples on the forks to help out in the front.

The weight difference is negligible. 26 lbs before mods isn't much when you consider the engine sizes. That is a HUGE gain in power to weight ratio.

The XB12XT is 31.8" seat height... still a tad tall... I do not know what they have for lowering capabilities. Now the SV1000 you looked at? The dealers themselves have lowering kits you can have installed before delivery. Up to 3" off those bikes as well.

I'm not saying you should drop the 6 and run! I'm just saying that if you are considering a new bike, there's a lot of options for you even with the 30" inseam. Yamaha isn't very friendly to the shorter leg people with the FZ1 being the only exception to their line-up.

Hope that helps anyone out there who was wishing and thought they couldn't.

 

[dean owens]

3 inches? you shouldn't have told me that. not that i can even think about buying one right now... but the seat hight was my biggie for not even considering the fz1. the gas tank and mpg were the other two but they're livable. hope the fz1 is around for a few years.

 

[FZ1inNH]

3 inches? you shouldn't have told me that. not that i can even think about buying one right now... but the seat hight was my biggie for not even considering the fz1. the gas tank and mpg were the other two but they're livable. hope the fz1 is around for a few years.

Yeah, the tank size is a bit disturbing. They wasted about a gallon of space that would have equaled the travel distance of the 6. Best I've got is 159.8 miles out of a tank. That was very close to 40 MPG but that was a Miss Daisy tank. I've also had a tank top out at 29 MPG too... I'm not telling what happened but you can easily guess.... :rockon:

 

[CrazyBiker]

Sprint ST and FZ1 were my options too. Went with the FZ1 due to Yamaha blood running in my veins and more cost effective if you add luggage. More power than the Triumph plus Triumphs here are expensive, rare and dealer network is scarce. Still would love to get a Sprint ST some day but don't think I would give up the FZ1. FZ1 is on the sportier side of Sport Touring.

 

[wolfc70]

Hey wolfc70... wanted to throw out a couple things. I am 5' 10" but I have a 32" inseam. I found very little difference in the seat height (but weighing 223 lbs might make a difference! :rof: ) I can flatfoot both the 6 and the 1 with slightly bent knees. :thumbup: BUT, here's something to think about... the FZ6 doesn't have a lot of options to lower the bike. The FZ1 has doglegs and can easily be lowered up to 3" in the rear and you can drop the triples on the forks to help out in the front.

The weight difference is negligible. 26 lbs before mods isn't much when you consider the engine sizes. That is a HUGE gain in power to weight ratio.

The XB12XT is 31.8" seat height... still a tad tall... I do not know what they have for lowering capabilities. Now the SV1000 you looked at? The dealers themselves have lowering kits you can have installed before delivery. Up to 3" off those bikes as well.

I'm not saying you should drop the 6 and run! I'm just saying that if you are considering a new bike, there's a lot of options for you even with the 30" inseam. Yamaha isn't very friendly to the shorter leg people with the FZ1 being the only exception to their line-up.

Hope that helps anyone out there who was wishing and thought they couldn't.

That is good to know! I liked the FZ1, but the shape of the seat prevented me from flat footing the bike. The SV1000s I could reach the ground ok, but I had a hard time reaching the clipons. My chest had to rest on the gas tank to reach the grips, not a very comfortable ride. I am 230 lbs also, and the SV650 was nice but a little underpowered.

Fuel economy is also another concern. Generally as a rule I will not get a bike that gets worse fuel economy than my car. And the problem with an easily accessible power band, is that I will use it, so with the FZ1, I could see me getting a 30mpg average.

Once the 6 is paid for, I may have to really look hard at the 1, again. Glad you like the purchase!!!!:thumbup::rockon: That 20 valve FZ1 motor sure does pull!!!

 

[SANGER_A2]

What do people think of the VFR 800 then?

 

[bigdog9191999]

You mentioned the Sprint ST. My dad has an 07 Tiger 1050. Its upgraded big time from the 06. Masses of torque. Great 2 up. Super smooth engine. The Tiger, The Sprint, and the Speed triple all have that awesome 1050 motor.

i have an 08 tiger and i love it..

as for power if you respect it you will love it.. the wife on our fz can keep up with me and i with her if one of us gets the jump we stay there. so if i was lighter (i weigh about twice what she does) then i would be faster all day long.

as for mileage. me and dean (fz6 rider on here) did the iron butt not that long ago and my low fuel light would come on sooner but we could go about the same distance on a tank, and he has a LARGER sprocket on the FRONT that helps cruizing and milage. (in other words a stock fz would get fewer miles per tank) i think i pulled about 43 ish mpg on the trip. just remember when it comes to milage the bigger bike should do just as good cuz it dont have to work as hard to do the same thing, but when you use it. there is more motor to suck more fuel

for me the extra room i have on the tiger is worth it all, i am about 6'3'' and about 32'' inseam and i can ride the fz but not nearly as long.

i also think the tiger feels more sporty than touring but it does both well

my .02

 

[AlanB]

I'm thinking either a VFR 800 or the FZ1 would be my next purchase! (

Same bikes I've got it narrowed down to! In SoCal, there's no VFRs to even sit on. Dealers say they are slow movers and they can get 'em but don't stock 'em. Still, at 6'5", it fits me perfectly (better than FZ1) and is the perfect sport (touring) bike for me if I go faired. There's been persistent rumors of an all new VFR for a few years. Soon we'll find out if it's true in '10.

 

[AlanB]

Get the FZ1 over the Sprint. My friend was really considering a Sprint the other day, but man that thing was HUGE and definitely a lot heavier. More Touring than Sport.

+1. I rode the ST on a demo day. Fizzer puts the emphasis on sport, ST puts the emphasis on touring. Just seemed too "grown up" for me (even though I'm a pentagenarian). Bear in mind, though, that impression comes from a very limited, supervised demo ride.

 

[FZ1inNH]

There's a guy in the building here that bought a new Tiger. What a GREAT machine that bike is in appearance and design! If I didn't bleed blue, I'd have had that bike high on my list! Pics bigdog9191999?

 

[wolfc70]

What do people think of the VFR 800 then?

The old ones are great. The newer VTEC motors, while powerful, are a pain to do valve adjustments on. My friend had a '06 VFR, and it took us 12 hours just to check the clearances. To check the clearance, you have to remove all four cams, at least twice. And for the VTEC cams, you replace the lifter, not the shims, as the lifters come in different lengths. If you have to replace the shims/lifters, plan on spending the vast majority of a weekend doing this.

Most dealers want $400 just to check the clearances, and usually $500 more to actually replace shims. This needs to be done every 16,000 miles. And unlike most bikes, usually some adjustment is needed every 16,000 miles. It is still simpler to do than adjust the valves on a Ducati ST4!

Other than that the VFR is a very nice bike.

 

[champion221elite]

What do people think of the VFR 800 then?

The VFR 800 (Interceptor) is on my short list for sure. Dealers in my area are the same. Nobody stocks them, and they really don't move many at all. Very cool bike though!

 

[Hellgate]

I looked at the VFR too, looks like a great bike. I've heard good and bad regarding the motor. Several reviewers didn't like the VTEC camming. They said it was like a switch. I've not ridden one however a friend has one and flies around the track on it. He sold it for a RSV1000. Now he goes even faster!

But like any Honda I'm sure the VFR is an excellent bike.

 

[Denver_FZ6]

What do people think of the VFR 800 then?

I love the looks and the single swing arm of the VFR but don't understand what Honda has done to it over the years... 540 lb curb weight on a 782 cc engine? C'mon, shed some weight. And all this for an $11,900 USD? No wonder dealers aren't stocking them.

 

[SANGER_A2]

I love the looks and the single swing arm of the VFR but don't understand what Honda has done to it over the years... 540 lb curb weight on a 782 cc engine? C'mon, shed some weight. And all this for an $11,900 USD? No wonder dealers aren't stocking them.

Yeah, it's damn sexy, but after looking at the stats, I'll probably stick with the FZ6 and spend the extra money on a PCIII or a Corbin! I can see this as a bike I'll keep for years - I just wish I could change the sprocket to give me more lowend power and change the 6th gear to make it actually useful as a cruising gear!

 

[Doorag]

Sprint ST and FZ1 were my options too. Went with the FZ1 due to Yamaha blood running in my veins and more cost effective if you add luggage. More power than the Triumph plus Triumphs here are expensive, rare and dealer network is scarce. Still would love to get a Sprint ST some day but don't think I would give up the FZ1. FZ1 is on the sportier side of Sport Touring.

Yeah, I really like Yamaha too but being in England I don't have problems getting Triumphs serviced. I don't know if I'm looking for sporty necessarily - a more comfortable bike for me and the Mrs may do the trick.

 

[Doorag]

I looked at the VFR too, looks like a great bike. I've heard good and bad regarding the motor. Several reviewers didn't like the VTEC camming. They said it was like a switch. I've not ridden one however a friend has one and flies around the track on it. He sold it for a RSV1000. Now he goes even faster!

But like any Honda I'm sure the VFR is an excellent bike.

I test rode a 2007 VFR800 before buying the FZ6 and I found it, well, boring. Don't get me wrong - over 8K when the VTEC kicks in, it's a beast and very quick. However, as with all Hondas I seem to ride I found it too predictable, too comfortable, too quiet, too everything.

I get why some people love them, I really do. But I need something with a bit more spirit.

This is the honest truth - the reason I bought the Fazer was because I stalled it twice on the test ride.

 

[Doorag]

+1. I rode the ST on a demo day. Fizzer puts the emphasis on sport, ST puts the emphasis on touring. Just seemed too "grown up" for me (even though I'm a pentagenarian). Bear in mind, though, that impression comes from a very limited, supervised demo ride.

Luckily for me, there's a dealer here in London that carries both Yamaha and Triumph so I can test ride both at the same time to get a good feel for the difference between them.

 

[mstewar1]

My first real bike was a '99 vfr. I loved the bike. I had the bike for about three years, putting about 36k on it. Like my current bike, I used it mostly for commuting. I think that an 800 is a nice size -- not as rev-needy as a 600, but not as much potential (self-induced) trouble as a full 1000 or bigger.

I'm 6' and it fit very well. Though the stock seat was as bad as the fz so I got a corbin for it, too. Though it had clip-ons, the riding position was not as bad as a full-blown sport bike. Though I knew a few guys who'd swapped out the stock bars for a set of risers.

Oil changes were a little bit more work because of the fairing removal, but not a deal breaker.

The single sided swing arm is dead sexy, IMHO. It also made chain adjustments really quick and easy, same thing for removal and installation of the rear wheel -- no having to fiddle with alignment as it just bolted on.

I had one valve adjust done on it. There was a local guy who was popular with other vfr owners who did the job for me for $400. It didn't need any shims, but if it had needed them, shims wouldn't have cost but a few bucks. It was due for another check when I sold it.

There was one common issue with the vfr: the regulator/rectifier would burn out. Mine never did but I knew to be on the lookout for the symptoms. I don't know if this has been addressed or not. I'm sure a quick check of a vfr forum would net you an answer.

I think they did the make-over in '01. It got the underseat exhaust and the vtec as the big changes. The vtec also meant that it lost the gear-driven cams. The whine from the cams on the older ones is kinda cool, especially when it had a nice aftermarket exhaust on it. The thing sounds like a mini v-8...hmmmm

I've only just read this comparison of the vfr and the bmw f800st.

Funny closing note: the day I bought by FZ6 I had actually walked into the dealership because they had a used red '00 vfr that I was interested in. I ended up riding the FZ home. At least I got the red part right.

Don't get me wrong, I like the fz just fine. I use it as a commuter and it meets my needs very well. A little more grunt might be nice, but I'm not in that much of a rush to change bikes -- at least I wasn't until all of you knuckleheads starting leaving the fold! Liter bike owners, away with you, shoo, just go away, la la la la la I can't hear you la la la...

 

[Hellgate]

Here you go David, an 08 FZ1, brand new with the Retro kit! For only $8999.

2008 YAMAHA FZ1 for sale in New Braunfels, TX: Sportbike - CycleTrader.com

Its in New Braunfels. I'll be more than happy to go pick it up for you and keep in my garage. That way when you come for a visit you'll have a bike to ride. Just wire me the funds and I'll jump right on it for you. :thumbup: