What other bikes have you ridden?

[Erci]

and how do they compare to FZ6?

Reading the "Why is some people Getting rid of their FZ6" post made me think of all the other bikes I've been on and what I liked/disliked about them.

List the bikes you've ridden and what you remember about them (just a line or two.. good and bad).

Here's my list:

Ninja 250: very light, high-reving fun, awesome fuel economy. Terrible OEM tires. Not slow, but not really fast.

Honda Nighthawk 250: better low end torque than Ninja 250, but otherwise pretty slow all around. Nothing really great about it, besides fuel economy.

Suzuki Bandid 1250: awesome torque at any RPM. Very comfortable and smooth. Heavy.

98 Ninja ZX6R: Kind of like a car with a tiny engine and a huge turbo.. nothing happens until about 7k rpm and then hold on for your life! Very uncomfortable for street riding.

Victory Hammer S: great sound and low end torque. Slow compared to FZ6. Not really comfortable. It's a "look at me" bike.

Triumph Speed Triple: light, nimble, great sound, fantastic power/torque and similar riding position to FZ6. Lots of bar vibration and clunky transmission.

Ducati 848: The best sounding bike I've ever ridden. The most uncomfortable bike I've ever ridden.

2000 Honda VFR: somewhat heavy, great sound, no vibration whatsoever compared to FZ6. Sportier riding position, but easily comfortable enough for touring. Lots of wind buffeting with double bubble.

 

[champion221elite]

2009 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
Awesome brakes, engine was very eager to rev. Gearbox was butter smooth. Seating position wasn't very comfortable, but lets face it... we're talking about a full-on sportbike compared to a sport-touring style FZ6.

The suspension was responsive, but felt overly stiff. I must concede the suspension was not set up for a rider of my weight. The owner of the bike weighs around 240 lbs and I'm about 180. I'd imagine the ZX-6 would ride even better if the suspension were set for my weight. Overall, it felt like a quality bike.


2003 Honda Shadow 750 Typical cruiser style bike. All show, no go. Braking felt mushy, suspension felt numb, acceleration was sluggish even when revved at full throttle. The RPM's peaked fairly low and wind blast was pretty severe over 70 mph.

2002 Yamaha XT 225

Light and nimble handling was a hallmark for this bike. Simple maintenance, cheap to insure, awesome fuel economy (70 mpg was easily attained). Knobby off road- on road tires were a compromise on both surfaces and only lasted around 3,000 miles per set. I traded the XT 225 for the 2008 FZ6. I still miss it when I see a cool looking fire road. Wish I saved the extra money and kept the XT along with getting the FZ6.


1974 Honda CL 200

My first bike. Difficult to maintain, points style ignition system. Dual carbs never seemed synchronized properly. Reasonably quick for being an air cooled 200 cc parallel twin. OEM tires sucked, drum brakes front and rear sucked. Way too much Chrome to try and keep clean.

 

[wolfe1down]

1984 Honda Nighthawk 750S - awesome bike... just... awesome!

2005 Kawasaki Z750S - nimble, powerful, fun to ride.

1988 Ninja 600R - hated it. Like lying down on a kitchen table with your feet behind your head trying to ride... ok, that might have been a BIT exaggerated...

Suzuki GN125, Suzuki DR250, Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250, Honda Titan - Tried all of these while taking the Gearing Up! course offered by the Ottawa Safety Council. Small bikes, perfect for learning. And for the experienced riders, not too bad to bomb around on!

 

[moopie]

Due to my low height issue, there aren't many bikes that I've had the chance to ride. I don't want to risk dropping someone else's bike!

I have owned the following bikes:
Honda Rebel 250 - great beginner bike for a small woman
Honda Shadow Spirit 750 - not exciting to ride at all
Kawasaki Ninja 250 - a very confidence inspiring experience

I have demo ridden the following bikes:
Kawasaki Vulcan 900 - loved it and almost bought the special edition custom
Yamaha V-Star 1100 - the only bike I've ever hated & couldn't wait to get off
Kawasaki Ninja 650 & Er6n - not powerful enough
Yamaha FZ6R - not enough power and poor handling

Right now, the only other bike I'd love to have a go on is a Suzuki SV650. I love how my FZ6 rides and I love how it looks so I don't see myself seeking out anything different unless something were to happen to it!

 

[Ravenfz09]

vulcan 750: watch for a bad stator on these bikes, mine had one. runs good for a 750 cruiser, handles ok, suspension ok, brakes ok. the bike was just ok. i get better fuel mileage with my fz. i never saw higher then 48 with it, where the fz ive gotten 53.

V-star 1100: slow, cramped riding position and has its share of gremlins. SUPER tall gearing. stay away from it...

hayabusa: as you'd expect VERY powerful and fast. handles good for its size and has that iconic look that doesnt get old. dont care for the all analog guages or riding position

CBR900RR: typical sport bike, handles and runs great but isnt comfortable.

2004 lowrider 1550: ran real well for a harley, my dad put 72,000 on this bike before he sold it... touches down WAY to early in the corners and like a lot of harleys has tall gearing

sportster 1100: if i got a harley, itd probably e a sportster. handles good and runs good with the best engine harley made.. the EVO.

1983 wideglide "willy G" very rare bike my father has. not a bad ride

1984 softailL: the guy berfore my dad had a funky set up on this thing.. a terrible seat, a heal toe shift that prevents your foot from being comfortable etc.

suzuki katana: a decent beginners sportbike, kind of heavy from what i remember and not near as quick as the fz.

honda shadow 600: this bike was NOT designed with the mechanic in mind..but ran decent and handled ok. good beginner bike.

well im running out of room im sure, so heres the FZ review:

best of all the bikes ive ridden and im glad i bought it. it has enough power and cornering clearence for anything i do. gets great gas mileage also

 

[sxty8goats]

First bike

1980 Honda CB750F
First bike. Loved it. Very smooth but had a typical Honda tranny which made first a bit hard. Other than that it was an awesome bike. Breaks could have been better. Compaired to today's bikes it was heavy but I'd trade one of my FZ6's for her in a second. She was kept in a garage un-ridden for 19 years before I bought her. Looked and rode as if she was 2 years old.


Susuki sv650s (Sporty model of Suzi's sv650)
Fun and capable bike. It was shear joy for the first 30 minutes or so. After 45 minutes the 'sport' seating position was uncomfortable. It was a trouble bike in a good way. I rode it too hard and fast compaired to the CB750. V-Twin motor so it was unfogiving on a mis-shift. Awesome breaks compaire to the other bikes I've owned.

1993 Honda Shadow 1100VT
Eh. My first cruiser. pretty much everything said above about the smaller Shadows so I quote:

2003 Honda Shadow 750 Typical cruiser style bike. All show, no go. Braking felt mushy, suspension felt numb, acceleration was sluggish even when revved at full throttle. The RPM's peaked fairly low and wind blast was pretty severe over 70 mph.

Also had a 4 speed tranny. It beat the hell out of me on the highway. Under 40 MPH I could ride her all day. Not a fun bike but nice on a long trip up the coast on A1A

Duccti GT1000.

My boss (in IL) showed up at work with one. Told me to take her for a spin. Only time I rode with no gear appart from sun glasses. Complete squid as I hadn't ridden to work that day and all my gear was home. Loved the bike. I don't remember a detail about the ride which means it was perfect. I dont' recall bad shifts, I dont' recall odd turn in. It behaived well, was supurbly balanced and had tons of power. The one bit I do recall was rolling along at @ 30 MPH in second, then rolling the throttle to see what she had. The first and only time I've brought a front wheel up and kept it up. Rode on one wheel for maybe 20 feet as I slowly rolled of and gently let the wheel back down. Awesome bike.

 

[oldfast007]

Owned.

1. Suzuki PE175 Taught me how mix gas&oil correctly after I seized it.

2. Honda XR200, My first "real" dirt bike, bought it new, beat the crap out of it, wicked fun, no maintenance...

3. 1986 GSXR750. Awesome bike period! Though not a good "first" street bike:ban:

4. Kawasaki KZ1000 Concours. Great early sport tourer. Big/Heavy.


5. FZ6. Don't need to say anything...

Operated / Not Owned

1. Honda 650 Night hawk. Got my license on it, great bike, easy to ride, just plain fun!

2. FJR1300. A beast with manners

3. Royalstar 1100. Floor boards, cruise, big windshield, not bad, but I'm not ready for the "giving birth" riding position yet.

4. KTM Superduke R. Hooligan bike pure!! Crapy seat though.

 

[D-Mac]

I love these threads....

A couple I've owned:

Honda Shadow 750 ACE (my first bike) - good entry-level cruiser. Slow, reliable, sounds good with aftermarket pipes, but absolutely terrible performance over 50mph (I thought it was fine until I rode other bikes and then I was horrified with the difference). Brakes absolutely sucked (rear drum locked a lot, front was mush). Tough to service too (valve check was a major pain, changing the coolant was a full day job). I did like the fact that I could always go full throttle in any gear and not worry about getting into trouble.

Honda CL-350 (my 1970 350 twin) - Fun as hell, but unreliable (it's 40 years old, so that's not surprising, although I suspect it was finicky even when new). It's loud, smelly, has an anemic electrical system (stator can't keep up with the low-beam on!), but a real head-turner and long on character. Easy to service if you can locate the parts, but it needs a lot of TLC to keep it on the road. The day mine is perfect I'll probably sell it.


A few I've ridden (I've picked a mix of types here):

V-Strom 650 - great compromise bike. Not the most exciting to ride (not as fun on the highway as the FZ6), but capable. Better wind protection, but top-heavy.

Triumph Street Triple - In some ways it's comparable to the FZ6. I thought the motor was more fun (more low-end), but the suspension wasn't as good. No wind protection either. Everyone I know with one loves it.

Honda VTX1800 - what a pig. Heavy, handles like crap. Yuck. Ok if you plan to ride in a straight line, but otherwise skip it.

BMW 800ST - snatchy throttle (more so than the FZ6), mirrors were useless, great looking bike. A lot of power for a twin.

BMW R1200GS - tall, brakes are tough to get used to (they're excellent, but with 0 fork dive due to the Telelever suspension its an adjustment). Lots of low-end torque (motor is not very "refined" compared with an I-4, but has tons of character). Finish quality is superb. I'd be too worried about the $$$ from dropping it off road (of course I just bought the RT!)

Triumph Scrambler - fun. Lively motor, awesome styling, great sound. I'd own one except that it just doesn't suit my riding style (it's more than I need to putting around town, but lacks touring features).

Buell Ulysses - an awesome bike.....on paper. Fun to ride (crazy to hear the HD motor on a sporty bike), but unreliable by most accounts. The one I rode had the perennial fuel mapping issues - it stalled, sputtered and surged like mad. The blower melted my leg off and the fan that runs when you shut it off is LOUD. Still, it's super high in the "cool" department.

 

[matteblack]

1998 Yamaha FZR600 - It's been a while, but the engine was comparable. The seat is tiny and the riding position is super hunched over. Not fun to ride for any distance.

2003 Yamaha YZF600R - Very similar to the FZ6, just more plastics and adjustable front suspension. Also was carbureted.

2008 Harley Nightster - Much more laid back riding position. The engine vibrates like crazy and overall is super sloppy. Horrible suspension. Makes the FZ6 feel like a Swiss watch.

2008 Ninja 250 - The ninja is much lighter and more nimble. Like a toy. You have to shift it every 2 seconds though to stay in the powerband, the gearing is crazy. Riding position is ok, but the seat pushes you towards the tank more than the FZ6.

I could go on, I've owned like 10 bikes.

 

[Humperdinkel]

Owned.

1. Suzuki PE175 Taught me how mix gas&oil correctly after I seized it.

My 1st bike aswell :thumbup: Taught me all the basics i needed to know & was mega fun at the time , I rode the wheels off that thing & still miss it today

2. Honda CBR1000F

Not a great choice for a 1st road bike but i survived... Horrible gearbox (you all think the FZ6 is bad) but it did have insane grunt , awesome ergo's & legs that went on forever...... It was the right price at the right time when i bought it , it was also my only bike for many years.... I sold it & i got away from them when a close mate was killed in an accident....

3. FZ6....My return to the motorcycle arena and we all know whats good about that

4. XJR1300 :drool: :drool: :drool: The pinnicle of Yamaha heaven , tell me what it doesnt do well....

And so many inbetweeners ive had the pleasure of extended testing/borrowing like a 2008 Ninja 250R , 2010 Ninja 250R , 2001 R1 , 2007 R1 , 2009 R1 , Honda Shadow 750 (the worst bike ever) , Honda CB250 , Yamaha 250 Zeal , Honda @ 125 Scooter , Triumph Tiger and list just goes on & on & on ... I cant help it , im a bike whore :BLAA:

 

[Botch]

The only other bike I've ever ridden was the Kawi dual-sport I picked when I started my MSF beginner's course. I selected it as it was tall, but several folks in the class said to me I needed a bigger bike.
The biggest thing I noticed was that it taught me the FZ-6 really does have a sensitive clutch. I was constantly stalling my FZ out (took me a year to get past it, guess I'm a slow learner) but I didn't stall the Kawi, once, during the entire weekend!
Still wanna test drive a BMW GS1200, but I need to have the money on hand before I do...

 

[Hollywood416]

I've had the pleasure of riding so many different bikes over the years it's unreal but here's a few that stick out.

90 something CBR250 was first Streetbike I ever rode. Crazy thinking back to how Fast I thought it was.

1991 Softail Custom HD.Very comfortable to ride but full of vibrations on long trips would numb you up.

1998 HD Fatboy pretty much same as the Softy.

Yamaha Virago 535...dang what a fun little cruiser. Not something I'd want to take on a trip but was dang fun around town.

Honda RC51 What a great mountain carver..torq for days and amazing handling but by far the most uncomfortable of all the bikes I've ridden.

96 Suzuki GSXR 750 Good power and great handling a little heavy though from what I remember.

2001 Suzuki TL1000R Another torque monster this one was stretched though so handling was not even judgeable...lol Great in straight line though.

2008 Honda CBR600RR Really glad I already had the FZ by the time I rode it cause I might have bought one instead. Great 600cc power and one of the most comfortable RR series bikes I've ridden.

1987 Ninja 600RX Was my first owned sport bike. Nothing special think it had all of about 65hp but was a lot of fun to me and a wheelie monster in the low gears.

2007 Hayabusa ABSOLUTELY REDICULOUS power but really a pretty nice bike. Very comfortable and roomy would make an awesome tourer and actually handled surprisingly well for bike of that size.

2008 ZX14...What a POS was totally unimpressed handled like squat..unbalanced, touchy throttle but gobs of power like others in class. Would much rather have a Busa or FJR.

2003 Honda VTX1300 If I was in the larket for that type bike it would be a very high consideration. Great handling, comfortable, smooth and good power.

2003 V-star 1100 Not bad bike overall but was kinda bothered by the Air cooled engine. Very hot and uncomfortable to ride in traffic. Not the best handling cruiser I have ridden.

 

[Hellgate]

In order, I think..

1) 1976ish Honda XR80
2) 1976ish Honda XL250
3) 1973 Yamaha TX500
4) 1982 Yamaha XZ550
5) 1975 Honda CL350
6) 1981 Suzuki GS1100EX
7) 1984 Kawasaki GPz550
8) 1984 Kawasaki GPz750 Turbo - WOW!
9) 1976 Yamaha RD400E
10) 1984 Yamaha RZ350
11) 1986 Yamaha FZ600
12) 1999 Honda Cruiser, ugly, POS, that my co-worker insisted I ride
13) 2007 Yamaha FZ6
14) 2008 Buell 1125R
15) 2006 Yamaha FZ1

 

[OneTrack]

Chronologically by fading memory:-
Last century:-

1959 Triumph Tiger Cub
1959 BSA B33 500cc single
1959 BSA DBD34 Gold Star Clubman 500cc single
1959 Triumph Tiger 110 650cc twin
1961 Triumph Bonneville 650cc twin
1962 BSA Rocket Gold Star 650cc twin
1965 BSA Shooting Star 500cc twin
1967 Triumph Tiger 100SS 500cc twin

Fast forward to the next century:-

2006 Yamaha FZ6 (the most funnest)

 

[paulinus]

1991 Bandit 400 (my first bike) my ass hated the bike, but I loved it for what it was. Lots of fun, just what I needed for a beginner bike.

We all know about the FZ6, LOVE it.

Others I have ridden:
2006 R6s - too much fun for me
2007 919 - very nice bike...smooth and predictable power. It felt a little quicker to turn in than my FZ.
Triumph Bonny T100 (forget the year) Fun bike. I wouldn't want to do any distance on her, but lots of character.
VTX 1300 more comfortable than I expected, much different ride than my FZ. I think I could get used to her tho.
1980 CB750 - helped me to appreciate modern bikes all the more
2008 Speed Triple - Oh, my...I want one

 

[Wolfman]

First road bike: Suzuki FR70 step through scooter...man i used to use and abuse that "thing", even played cricket on it....after much beer & youthful stupidity won the day!

Graduated to a Yamaha SR185.....Mini Yamaharley, and wahat a great little bike...learnt so much on this bike...

Honda VF400......Loved this bike!!!

Suzuki GS450.....short love affair, but surprisingly quick for it's understated look, etc.

Yamaha XV750.......toured Europe on this thing....amazingly comfortable, reliable, shaft drive, lots of torque....did 32000km's around Europer, 2 up on this thing.

Honda VF500....just that little better than the VF400, and is the first bike i ever got addicted to the modding bug...gave it a re-spray in Ferrari Red, Laser Sports Exhaust, etc....promptly blew it up, riding the wheels of it!

Ducati 500 Pantah.....surprisingly quick, especially in the twisties....still own this bike after 21 years.

Yamaha V-Max.....spent 4 months riding this in London Traffic back in the late 80's....ripped your arms off at a moments notice....went around corners how it wanted to, not whow you tryed to make it do so....more charisma than 10 other bikes...still the fastest bike i have ever owned...in a straight line!

Suzuki ER185......cheapest bike i ever bought, and the biggest piece of crap....lasted 2 months before i killed it, or it gave up, whichever way you look at it.

Kawasaki GPX750.....nice bike, but boring as hell....sold it after 4 months.

Ducati 900 Darmah......caught fire!

And of course, 2 Yamaha FZ6's.....

Other bikes that i have ridden...Kawasaki RX1000, Honda VF750, Yamaha TRX850, Honda 750/4, Harley Davidson Sportster...worst bike i have ever ridden...no contest!!!!!, Honda CBR600, Suzuki SV1000, Honda CBR1000, and a few others i have probably forgotten...

Most fun....the Ducati 500 Pantah...cause i used to ride this thing for years, when i was young, and kidless....

Best bike owned...the FZ6's.....Just love em...perfect fit for me.

Worst bike ever owned.....none of them, enjoyed all of them in some way...

:thumbup:

 

[FZ6 Tas]

First Bike:
Kawasaki ZZR 250 - loved it, caught on fire, dropped it, gave it hell and it never let me down. Sold it to a mate who is possibly the worst rider I have ever seen and it survived a year with him before he moved on.

Suzuki GSX750F - Great tourer but too heavy at the front, you get to a point when leaning when you realise it's about to go down and you really aren't trying that hard either, this was my main reason for selling.

Yamaha FZ6 - Yep

I have also ridden Yamaha R6, CBR600 both mid 2000's, Yamaha XVS1100 all owned by the same friend, all gave me no grief and seemed like fairly good bikes, probably enjoyed the 6 the best cause it was the only one that made me nervous. Also have ridden many trails, best being my old mans Suzuki DRZ400.

 

[Disco]

Ill give this a go & as best as can keep in order.

Suzuki quad when I was 13-14, 80cc or something like that. Managed to jump it & almost broke my foot, scared me away for a while.

Yamaha twin shock trials bike, just a quick blast in the mud!

Yamaha YB100, only time ive ridden a 2 stroke! First time I went on the road too.

Honda CB250, thankfully only spent 1 day on it getting my licence (it was a piece of ****)

Suzuki GS500, thankfully only spent 2 days on it to get my open licence (once more a POS)

Yamaha FZ6, I went '****ing Wow' when I took it for the test ride & then proceeded to buy one that very day (1st bike) :cheer::cheer::cheer:

Yamaha TTR250, good basic fun trailie

Yamaha R6, oh yeah (the bike that started my interest in the Tuning Forks) :rockon:

Triumph Bonneville T100, still the most fun motorbike ive ridden

Triumph Speed Triple, everyone should just try it, what a bike :rockon:

Triumph Tiger, stupid bike :spank:

Suzuki VStrom 650 ABS, what a great adventure tourer for so little money

Yamaha XT660X, first ride on a motard, loved it

Honda CBR125, tooooooooo small & no guts

Kawasaki 250 Ninja, still small & no guts

Yamaha XJ6, good fun but lacks the punch of the FZ6

Suzuki VStrom 650, ended up buying this version for the Mrs. Quite a fan of the Strom :thumbup:

Yamaha XTZ660 Tenere, very manouverable considering just how tall & high you sit on this bike. Very comfortable

Kawasaki Er6n, possibly the worst bike ive ridden (yes, even worse than that falling apart YB100)

Kawasaki 1400GTR, this bike is wasted in Australia with our stupidly low speed limits. Love this bike, want one

KTM 990 Adventure, id rather take the money for one of these and buy 2 VStrom 650's. (In Australia the KTM is about $20,000. 650 Stroms are around $11,000) Was full of anticipation to ride the big KTM but was massively let down

 

[Jman]

2006 Honda VTX1300, 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan, 2008 Triumph Street Triple, 2008 Honda Rebel, 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 650, 2009 Triumph Bonneville, 2005 Honda Interceptor, 2004 Kawasaki ZZR600, 2004 Honda Aero Shadow, 2002 Yamaha FJR and a 2002 Yamaha 600R (Thundercat).

Enjoy most all bikes.:Flash:

 

[Azz]

I'll start from the start..

Yamaha PW80
First bike I ever rode, can't remember anything about it, except that it started me on the path of two wheels!

Yamaha TTR125
First bike with a clutch, I thought it had enough power to last me forever!

Honda NSR50
First road bike ridden, surprised they let me on it, stalled it about a thousand times on the track because I had no idea what I was doing (I was 12!). Speedy as! (compared to PW80 and TTR125)

Honda CRF230F
Crazy fun, light, bulletproof engine, sounds good with an exhaust. Worst. Seat. Ever.

Suzuki DR-Z400
Dad's trail bike, bought it from Suzuki with all the bits. Insanely powerful and fun in the mud.

Kawasaki Balius 250
First road bike owned, still have it, recently crashed it..
Light, very revvy (4cyl), light.

Suzuki DR650
Dad's motard, was the fastest thing I'd ever ridden, great fun in the corners, light.

Yamaha Virago 250
Test rode it for a mate, not that powerful, or light, or anything really, but it's really easy to ride. My mate ended up getting it as a first bike.

Yamaha FZ6N
'Nuff said

Hyosung GT650
Rode it for my QRide open license course.
Some dodgy stuff, rusty bits and rattles and loose stuff everywhere.
I didn't really like the engine, the v-twin was horrible for slow maneuvers