Why did you buy your FZ?

[Doorag]

What was it that made you buy your first FZ?

When I was looking for a first 'big bike', I test rode a Honda VFR 800 , CBF 600, Kawa ER-6, a new Suzuki GS650F and the Fazer S2.

I rode the VFR first and it was too much bike for me. Too heavy and too powerful - especially when the VTEC kicked in.

The CBF600 was OK, but a bit boring. Almost too easy to ride if that makes any sense.

The Kawa was the same. A bit boring and easy to ride.

Then I rode the FZ for the first time. In a 20 minute ride, I stalled it 3-4 times and managed to scare the crap out of myself at a big roundabout by not realising what gear I was in and almost dropping it.

After that, I managed to blag a short test-ride on the Suzuki even though they weren't doing test rides on them since there was a waiting list, but I got one anyway by taking it to get fuel before delivery to a coroprate client. Long story. Anyway, I got a short ride and didn't get a chance to get a good feel for it, but probably would have got it had I not ridden the FZ.

After all this, I was a bit confused but for some reason I was drawn to the Fazer. I went back for another test ride to see if I could 'tame the beast'.

The second test ride was somewhat better - I only stalled it twice but I was hooked. There was just something about it that seemed more spirited than the other bikes. Maybe the Scorpions helped a bit (sounded better and was slightly more responsive) and maybe it was the fact that it had a few mods already, but I just had to have it.

On reflection, I'm SO glad I got it. I'd have been bored with the other bikes by now (except maybe the Suzuki).

Anyway, please share your stories. Maybe it will help some of the lurkers who are still trying to decide which bike to get.

 

[Trouble]

I used to have a Ducati Monster 900. I sold it about when I started dating my wife (used the money toward a house). A couple of years later we got married and I started getting the "urge" again. I was looking for a 750 - 900cc sport bike. She went looking with me one day and convinced me to try the FZ6 after she saw it. She was really keen on the way it looked. I test drove it, and then took her for a spin. She ended up buying it for me for a wedding present! Talk about love! I'm still dreaming of my big sport bike, but the FZ6 has been a great bike. I'm definately keeping her. My FZ and my wife...

 

[Keits]

My G/F and I were both 1st time riders and had never even sat on a m/c before. I had always wanted to buy a bike and learn how to ride but had never followed through with my desires. On May 3rd 2008 we completed the MSF beginner safety course and 3days later found ourselves in the Yamaha dealership. She bought a 250 Virago since it was in her price range and she wanted a smaller bike to continue learning on. I was undecided between a Suzuki SV650 and the Kawi Ninja 650R. My buddies convinced me the 650R was a girls bike and after sitting on the SV650s I found the ergos a little too tight since I'm of...lets say larger stature 6'0 260lbs. My salesman, being ever diligent, suggested the FZ6. After looking at it and sitting on it (no test rides for new sportbikes in Delaware). The fizzer began to grow on me. 24 hrs. later I plopped a good size down payment on an 07 FZ6 and rode it home. I truly wanted a sportbike but needed to be comfortable as well. The FZ offered the best of both worlds. Its fast and the bike's capabilities still far exceed my skill level but aside from a clutch that requires some finesse I find it mild mannered enough to build confidence. But don't get me wrong... twist the throttle some and the beast awakens. 1 month and 2100 miles later, I kinda wish I could have afforded a FZ1 but undeniably, I'm in love w/ my FZ6....
-Keits :Sport:

 

[Pete]

I'd done my test a bout and a year before and went into a dealership (happened to be a yamaha dealership) and basically got talked into it, got a loan, got it restricted and off I went. I had a 33bhp restriction at the time as I'd done my pre-21 licence, but as soon as my two year limit expired I got her unleashed and boy was I happy.

It suits me but will be happier when I'm back on the road.

 

[lonesoldier84]

My G/F and I were both 1st time riders and had never even sat on a m/c before. I had always wanted to buy a bike and learn how to ride but had never followed through with my desires. On May 3rd 2008 we completed the MSF beginner safety course and 3days later found ourselves in the Yamaha dealership. She bought a 250 Virago since it was in her price range and she wanted a smaller bike to continue learning on. I was undecided between a Suzuki SV650 and the Kawi Ninja 650R. My buddies convinced me the 650R was a girls bike and after sitting on the SV650s I found the ergos a little too tight since I'm of...lets say larger stature 6'0 260lbs. My salesman, being ever diligent, suggested the FZ6. After looking at it and sitting on it (no test rides for new sportbikes in Delaware). The fizzer began to grow on me. 24 hrs. later I plopped a good size down payment on an 07 FZ6 and rode it home. I truly wanted a sportbike but needed to be comfortable as well. The FZ offered the best of both worlds. Its fast and the bike's capabilities still far exceed my skill level but aside from a clutch that requires some finesse I find it mild mannered enough to build confidence. But don't get me wrong... twist the throttle some and the beast awakens. 1 month and 2100 miles later, I kinda wish I could have afforded a FZ1 but undeniably, I'm in love w/ my FZ6....
-Keits :Sport:

ditto except for the bit about the fz1. there is enough bike here to keep my skills envelope tied up for years to come.

also, for me it is a tourer, a commuter at times, good companion on random urban trips-sans-destination. it is a sports bike for me which keeps me excited there is ALWAYS more bike when i need it, and it has VERY good manners. except sometimes it needs a little finesse.

i found it a good bike to start on. it is like playing a video game for the first time on a slightly hard difficulty setting. ya you are a bit in over your head at times but its always exciting. treat her with respect as she has more than enough grunt to bite you if ur not always ever diligent and careful. but treat her well and she is everything i wanted her to be....tourer, sport-bike, urban menace.

 

[Doorag]

Thanks everybody! Keep the stories coming.

 

[Hellgate]

Great question Doorag. When I was in Iraq last year I decided I wanted to get a motorcycle again. I hadn't ridden in about 19 years. I'd stopped ridding after a bad racing accident that left me in the hospital for two weeks. I tried to get back on my street bike several times and mentally I wasn't ready I was scared of traffic to the point I was shaking.

When I was leaving Iraq I stopped my the military vehicle sales office to see what they had. The only sport bikes were Buells and they were taking orders for the 1125R. So I put down my $500 in late September 07, they quoted a delivery date of late December, early Jan 08. Bottomline my delivery was pushed back until June of 08. I cancelled the order and started looking again.

I wanted a mid-sized bike after I woke up a realized that a modern 1000cc bike was going to be too much for me. So I looked at SV650SFs (the ABS, full fairing one) clip-ons too low for me, the Kawi ZZR600 - clip ons too low, the VFR 800, very nice bike to too expensive. The FZ6 looked funny to me, the suspension looked too tall and I didn't like the look of the top clamp and handle bar arrangement. The salesman advised me that the FZ6 was the best all around 600 from the four Japanese brands, so....I bought it.

It fills the bill for commuting and short tours, and it has the ability to do a track day.

Overall I really like the FZ and I'm very happy with the purchase. :thumbup::cheer:

 

[boogiecram]

Before my fz6 I've had a honda nighthawk, kawasaki ninja 550, and a suzuki vstrom 650. The nighthawk was a great beginners bike, but was old and only topped out at around 100mph, plus it hurt my back on long rides. The ninja was a non running bike when I got it and I fixed it up, it was ok but my hands and feet went numb after an hour of riding. I sold both of these and got the vstrom. I loved this bike, it allowed me to sit tall in the saddle and was very comfy, but it got stolen out of my work parking lot. So back to the dealership. I was wandering around the dealership looking at bikes and noticed this thing with dual exhaust coming straight out the back underneath the seat, and I said to myself, "Dang that's sexy." So I decided to sit on the fz6 and it felt good. The dealership also had a used fz6 on their lot, so I took a look at that. The salesman started up the used fz6 for me and I loved the sound of it and the way that in the morning if it's cool, you can see the exhaust vapors go shooting out the back of the back, SWEET!! So decided to by the bike and fell in love with it. I've done 140 with more to go and that scared the crap out of me. She is fast but comfortable at the same time.

 

[OneTrack]

When my son and his father-in-law bought new KLR's back in October of 06, I felt a bit "left out". I had ridden motorcycles almost exclusively for about 10 years from the mid 60's to the mid 70's (yeah....that long ago...), which were a couple of BSA Gold Stars and a few Triumph Bonnevilles and BSA Super Rockets and Rocket Gold Stars. Great bikes when they were running. I had a couple of very nasty crashes which put me in hospital, so my enthusiasm for motorcycling withered away.
Fast forward to January 07 when I decided to buy a Yamaha XT225 to chase after the KLR's on. I was never an "off-road" sort, so spent most of my time falling off. However, the ride on the road to and from the off-road area started to get to me...I never thought I'd ride a bike on the road again, but the bug bit, and bit hard. I wanted something that was a "proper" road bike. I looked at the Ninja 500R, the Ninja 650, the Suzuki GS500 and a couple of other "mid range" bikes. They all reminded me of my old 650 twins and I felt quite comfortable on them. However....I had never owned a modern, 4-cylinder, 6 geared "sport bike" and kept glancing over at them. Although all my previous bikes wore clip-ons, I just couldn't seem to cope with them now that I was a bit older...Then a salesman in the Yamaha store showed me the FZ6. I sort of liked it...the plastic shroud around the exhaust looked a bit cheezy and I thought the bike was a bit too tall for me. However, my son held the bike upright while I clambered on, and that was it....I bought a new '06 model at a great price and rode it home the next day. I stalled it twice leaving the dealership .... (all I could think of was all those videos of people crashing their new bikes leaving the dealerships), but once I was on my way, I settled down right away. I pulled over to the side of the road within a mile and adjusted the clutch and throttle free play properly, and I haven't stalled it since.
I am very, very happy with my choice. The FZ6 is a very nice commuter, a rortin' snortin' sports bike when I think I'm Mike Hailwood, and an all-around fun bike that's not too tough to look at either, especially since I've installed carbon-fiber Scorpions and the Puig racing screen.
You can't go wrong with an FZ6. :thumbup:

 

[madmanmaigret]

wanted a new bike for a while.... got transfered to a store 60 miles away and gas prices were on the rise (not that a civic is a gas hog) It seemed as good a time as any, I asked the g/f what she thought (she has had her m/c license for a while) and she was hesitant at first but i talked her into it (gas, faster back and forth to work, car was paid off, help build credit, etc) and she said go for it. I knew I didn't want to spend too much and I needed something comfortable so I looked around. Looks was a part of it and the only two I liked was the sv and the fz so I did some comparison and asked around and everyone said suzuki was the way to fo (because they are all fan boys with gixxers & busa's) so I went to a multi name dealer and sat on both would have burnt my leg on that giant exhaust on the sv650 so I was sold fz it was...

 

[GConn]

Wanted a brand new bike, this was the cheaper I found...:ban:

It was lateron that I discovered WHY I had chosen the best possible option for me. Love the seating position and the motor, it is reliable etc etc etc

Oh, and I didn't have anyone to advice me on my choice. So, I bought it for all the wrong reasons and love it for all the right ones

 

[FZ1inNH]

My first one, the 2005, I bought on a whim. We were at the dealer to buy my wife a scooter and I saw the FZ6 on the floor. I had done ZERO research on this bike and didn't even compare it to any other bikes. I simply "liked" it! I sat on it and really liked the ergos and looks. I asked a few questions and then bought it along with her scooter.

The 2008 was bought BECAUSE of the 2005 and the subtle changes all throughout. Plus the Cobalt Blue is the baddest color they've put out to date. I looked at one from each of the other manufacturers when looking for a replacement to the '05 and after searching, researching and sitting on them all, I came right back to the new FZ6 because in my mind, nothing compares for the price.

 

[madmanmaigret]

Plus the Cobalt Blue is the baddest color they've put out to date.

Nuf said, brother!

 

[CHEMIKER]

Why did I buy a motorcycle:
I wanted a faster commute. My company moved from 5 miles away with no traffic to 20 miles away with very heavy traffic. In California bikes can travel in the commuter lane. My commute is 1 hour and 15 minutes in a car and 30 minutes on the bike. No comparison.

Why did I buy the FZ6:
My last bike was a Seca 750 but that was 11 years ago. Since I owned a mid-sized bike I didn't want to go to a 250 but since it had been so long I wanted to stay in the 500 to 600cc range. I bumped that up to 650 after seeing the SV650

I wanted a new bike and I didn't want to spend a lot of money either. My other bikes were older and needed fixin' regularly. I wanted something reliable since I was going to use for a commuter. All of the used ads for bikes with salvage titles scared me into biting the bullet and getting a spanking new one. So with my price range and size locked in I started reading the reviews. Don't remember why I didn't consider the kawi but it was between the SV650, SV650S, and the FZ6. I really liked the exhaust placement of the FZ6. I also liked the combination of handlebar placement and fairing. The SV650S has a fairing but clipons. The SV650 has handlebars but no fairing. Again, with the intent of commuting I opted for the comfort of riding position and wind protection.

Soooooooo glad I made the choice that I did. I love love love this bike!!!

 

[lewis6681]

I have owned a Rebel 250, a Shadow 750, a Katana 750, and a VStar 1100 over the past 10 years, but the last 3 years I went without a bike due to getting married, buying a house, etc.
I remember having the riding bug for several months earlier this year, but didn't see how I could afford to buy a bike. Then, about 6 weeks ago, I was filling up my truck and when I capped off at 78 bucks, I got mad. I realized that if I was going to pay 80 bucks a week, just to drive to work, I could afford a bike payment plus insurance for half a month's worth of gas money
I had buddies that wanted me to get a Harley, but that would cost as much as much truck, so I wandered in to the yamaha shop because I had such a good experience with my vstar. I looked at the R6 and the FZ1, but they still had two 07 FZ6's (one blue, one red) left in stock they were trying to get rid of to make room for more 08's. the sales manager offered a good price and I went home to think about it. I googled the fz6, came to this forum and was amazed at the followers world-wide this bike has. I knew I'd stumbled upon the winner!
I've been happy ever since. You know, sometimes at night I go out to the garage and just sit down in a chair with a beer and a cigarette and think how freakin' sweet this bike is

 

[Johnnylane]

I spent age 10 to 25 on the backs of an old beater Yamaha 175 enduro, a Honda MT 250, and finally a Honda CB 400F. I used them for fun and to commute to my job on a farm outside the town I grew up in.

I had to sell them all one at a time to pay for the next bike. I went off to college and sold the Honda to buy a car. I loved bikes, spent a lot of time riding off road on the enduros (even though I sucked, I still developed pretty good skills) trying to keep up with a couple of motocross riders I grew up with.

I never got back to it. Friends and relatives had quite a few accidents and it just never occurred to me to get back on a bike. Recently, (though I use gas prices as the excuse, it is probabaly a mid-life crisis) I decided to do it again. I looked at the cruisers and decided that was no way to go through life. I really loved that old CB400 but it was gutless. If I could somehow retain the the size, weight and agility, but with more horsepower.

Behold the FZ6! It is just what I was thinking of. Agile, powerful, a nice looker. Not too much bike but still enough to be entertaining. It's perfect for my return after 20 years or so. I found a screamin' deal on ebay and there you have it... A born again biker.

 

[Mart Man FZ6]

I had just sold my HD Wide Glide because the $300+ a month payment was just wearing on me. Wife felt bad that I didin't have a bike any more so we did some looking around to see what I could find that was comfy, and affordable. I checked out the Kawi Ninja 650R, and was pretty impressed at the power for an inline twin. I however didn't care for the buzzyness of the motor and how the power fell off as the R's went up. I looked at the SV650, but the ergos weren't comfortable to me at all and I didn't care for the looks much either. I looked at the Honda 599, and didn't care much for the looks. I was even more shocked at the price for a bike that's carburated. Kind of stumbled on the FZ by accident. Sat on it, very comfy +1. Fuel injecte +1, center stand stock +1, 6-speed tranny +1. The style and looks of the bike were sweet +1. So with all the pluses, and the fact that Yamaha was running a $70 a month for two years promotion it was a done deal. After riding the first one over 6K miles in 6 months, I was truely in love.

I do miss the raw midrange power I had with my old Kawi ZRX1200R, but things got plenty of power and it keeps me from being an idiot and doing wheelies all the time like I did on the ZRX. I was really shocked that I never got a ticket on that bike. When you've got 122 HP and gobs of torque on hand you just can't ignore it.

In fact, I loved the FZ so much that when the wife wanted a bike, I gave her the slower red one and bought myself a brand new (and faster) blue one.

Oh yeah, and for the price I paid for my Harley, I could still buy one more FZ and still have spent less money.

Here's a shot of the twins in front of the house.

 

[DefyInertia]

It was seksy, I could pay for it outright, it had handlebars, and I found a good deal.

 

[lonesoldier84]

i posted why i like the bike. as for why i BOUGHT it....

was looking for a bike as my first bike, had this progression:

1) in a moment of lustful passion dripping with ignorance...i put a downpayment on a ducati 848

2) after looking at my finances and getting "spoken to" by my relatives that ride....I got it refunded

3) I went out and put a downpayment on a ZX-6R as a "much better for a beginner" bike as explained by the salesman.

4) After looking into it some more, decided he was just trying to make a sale, got that refunded as well. Wanted very badly to get an interceptor but too much bike for me very heavy and powerful. decided to listen to my relatives which were steering me very aggressively to drz and klr.

5) decided on an '08 KLR so I could do some basic trail riding and some urban and highway trips as well. This was the best choice for me as a single-cylinder. But I felt like a child who had been given brocolli when all he wanted was ice cream. Not how I wanted to enter the world of motorcycling. I still would like a KLR, just later in life.

6) I stopped talking to my relatives that ride for a few days as I knew they would talk me out of what I was about to do. I got all my cash together and was gonna go out and buy the first SV650/bandit/650R I saw for a good price. Had done ALOT of research into them.

7) didnt find any for a good price in my city or any cities within 200km. Saw an FZ6 listed for a great price. I had the FZ6 in the top 4 of my list at one point but took it off in my preliminary elimination as it had 4 cylinders compared to the 2 of the others. And because the only time I had ever seen it was brand new in dealerships. I was looking only at used. Also, I had sat on the sv650/650r/bandit many many mannny times in diff dealerships and private sellers so was getting accustomed to their seats and such.

The FZ6 was kind of on the outside looking in and I dont know why I didnt look into it more intently....I just had soooooooo many bikes I had been looking at (I had spent the last 45 days looking at every klr in the city, every drz in the city, every sv650/bandit/katana/650r/etc/etc/etc in the city and quite honestly I was getting bloody pissed off at spending so much time looking thru a bajillion bikes). The FZ6 had caught my eye but in the sheer volume of bikes I had been looking at was kind of on the outside of the bike 3 I was looking at. Top 2 were sv650 and 650r.

8) So I go to see the fz6 i see an ad for. I am extremely tired of looking for a killer price on a killer bike and am extremely excited at the thought of FINALLY having a bike being sold for undervalue and am planning on just telling the guy k ill buy it as long as no big damage etc. I had done no research on the FZ6 AT ALL which was weird because I had done SO MUCH research into the others (650r and sv650 especially).

9) tell the guy, k ill buy it. I tell him ill give him 6k (CAN) for his 06 (in may of this year) down from his asking price of 6500. he says ok. bike has 3500km

10) go home, notify direct family im bringing a bike home tomorrow. They flip out. I had told them before hand but now that the moment had come they decide to flip out. Major drama ensues. Either the bike is bought and they collectively rip me apart piece by piece or I tell the guy no deal.

11) I call the guy back, i am EXTREMELY pissed off, i make up excuse i cant afford it my bank only gave me 4500 dollar loan its all i have sorry i wasted your time. i figure ill run away from home and join a circus or something, maybe start a cult, who knows. or get a dirt-bike even tho i wanted street.

12) guy says **** that sucks. hangs up. calls back 90 minutes later says if you can give me 5200 ill do it for 5200. I tell my family Ill buy it and sell it for more, i wont ride it i promise. In my mind I am thinking sweet I can make this happen just take it one step at a time. all i need to do is get it in the garage ill sort the rest later.

13) before anyone knows whats happening im back home with the bike.

14) I buy some makeshift gear from a canadian tire and sneak out to ride it. making up excuse oh its just to test it out dont worry im still selling it.

15) I didnt sell it..........


MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I love Fizzy. She is so perfect. I cant imagine having any other bike now. the 650r and sv650 would have been too tame and after sitting on them now feel less comfortable, more tight for my larger frame. Fizzy just feels like she is perfect for me in every way. Cant imagine having made a better choice for a bike.

 

[wolfc70]

Until this year I always bought bikes that were cheap and needed some TLC. You know, the faded '80's UJB sitting on a front lawn. The bike will have bald tires and some sort of "carb problem" but the bike starts. Then I get it home and spend most of the summer getting the bike to run on all cylinders and have some sort of semblance of a power band. Then I will get pissed off and tear the bike apart in a fit of rage. Then I will go over everything, ponder every piece under a light, fix the bent shift fork, while pondering how a connecting rod bearing show signs of heat damage, but have no serious wear marks. Or how a cam lobe will show signs of galling, and still be within tollerances. Then I will put everything back together, and get it working like it should. Then I get bored and sell the bike at a huge profit (~$.01 per hour of work minus tire expenses, I usually just break even) and find the next bike to own. Until this January I rode a 1981 Honda CX500C that has ran perfectly since I tore it down to the frame. I put 42,000 miles on it. The bike is getting close to 60k now.

In January I decided since my car has been paid off for a long time, I'm going to get a NEW bike, I figured, I deserved it. My brother in law had a SV1000S that I loved, until I borrowed it for an afternoon. My wrists hurt bad for days, people at work had some fun at my expense about something that will supposedly make you go blind. I checked that bike off of my list. I did not like the SV650. So I checked out the Ninja 650R and the Versys. I liked both, but I just felt like I was getting a compromise. I really wanted a Monster 696, but I did not want to spend that kind of cash. I found this site months earlier(very helpful) when I had the fleeting idea of buying a new bike. I fit perfect on the FZ6. The FZ1 was simply too much. While I have been riding various bikes since I was 10, I wanted to see my 30th birthday, that and I have been riding bikes with like 65 hp, on a good day, and never really wanted more power. So after spending weeks on price negotiation, I purchased a new in crate 2007 Candy Red FZ6. I have not looked back. Now I have three bikes, 2007 FZ6, 1981 Honda CX500C and a 1981 Honda C70 Passport. I am still toying with selling one, but that decision is much harder than purchasing one.
I think I need a :iconbeer::beer: