BKKFZ6
Regular Joe
I write this for anyone considering purchasing a bike and thinking about an FZ6 as an option. I recently went through the decision making process myself, and thought I’d share my thoughts.
This morning I was pouring over my bike mags while waiting for my new FZ6 to be delivered from the dealer. As I did so, I came across an interesting article in Motor Cyclist, entitled "Too Much" by Tim Carrithers. In this article Tim points out that many motorcycles are over-the-top for everyday use. Then a little light came on in my head... YES! I had made the right decision when I ordered my FZ6 a few weeks ago.
After selling my '92 Honda BROS 650 (aka Honda Hawk GT in USA or Revere in Europe). I started researching new bikes. I bought every motorcycle magazine I could find. My initial impression was WOW! Look at all this new, cool stuff. Look at all those horsepower ratings. I NEED this, I NEED torque. I don't want a "sissy" bike. I NEED something that commands R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
I was being seduced by all the media and marketing hype. Happily, somewhere deep down in my gut, some semblance of common sense prevailed. I once saw a used FZ6 for sale on a web site and liked the look of the bike. That stuck in my mind as I read all about top speeds of 180mph. The fact is I am never, ever, going to go much over 80 mph because I drive on roads, not tracks. I live in Bangkok, and traffic is dense. Hyabusas are popular here, but totally out of their element in traffic. I just could not imagine firing up 1300 cc of muscle to pop down to the local shop and sit behind busses belching toxic gasses, slipping the clutch all the way. I needed an agile maneuverable, relatively light bike to make it through traffic. Here Honda 125's are the norm. That makes perfect sense, they weave through traffic with ease, they are plenty fast enough in town etc. But I could just not imagine myself enjoying the experience of that bike. I wanted something that fit my 6'4" frame. I searched for reviews of 600's an 650's but the Media seems to totally disregard anything that is less than a liter. FZ1 reviews are available, but nary one on a fz6.
I hunted for months for a used 600 here there are virtually none available here. A few reasons, one, because the general population can only afford 125's . And two, those who can afford "big bikes" (250 and above) tend to also be seduced by the media and the tax man. Due to taxes 1000's are only about 1000 USD more expensive than 500's. By the way, I had to pay about 13,000 USD for my FZ6 (OTR includiing 1 year insurance). Compare that to 14,000 for a FZ1 and you can see why liter bikes tend to be more popular. Secondly very few brands import big bikes. Only Yamaha, Triumph, Kawasaki, Ducati and BMW and then only a few models.
So what to do? Here there are lots of grey market 400’s imported as used parts from Japan and reassembled on arrival. But frankly most of these bikes are throwbacks from the 70’s. To me, they are fugly, maybe just not my style. So the hunt continued. I visited a Yamaha dealer while in Chiang Mai, just for fun. They had a FZ1 and a FZ6. At the same time I had an appointment to view a used BMW 650 GS. I tested the FZ6 and bought it on the spot.
The bike was perfect for me, for real life riding. I was small enough and it was big enough. Small enough to maneuver in traffic, not to spend my life stuck in behind busses. Small enough to be economical for petrol. Big enough to hold its own on any highway travel. Big enough to tour into the mountain parks riding 2 up and the fairing comes in handy here. It carried a 2 year warrantee, something a used bike would not. The cost of repairs are half of that of the “exotics” BMW and Ducati. The bike has a modern look and sexy under seat exhausts.
After reading Tim’s article it all made sense. I had made the right decision. If you are contemplating a bike, try not to be brainwashed by media and performance numbers. Sure you want a good bike, with good performance. But if you are like me, and want a bike that you can enjoy every day, not just on the odd occasion on the highway or track the give the FZ6 serious consideration. Ask yourself these questions when evaluating any bike:
So… think about it Hyabusa (or similar) vs FZ6… which one will give you give you more enjoyment more of the time?
For me the answer was obvious. I want to enjoy my bike every day. I’ll never go to a track. I would love to do some touring when I can get away. And I live in traffic congested city. FZ6 does it all, economically and in style and plenty of R-E-S-P-E-C-T to boot.
This morning I was pouring over my bike mags while waiting for my new FZ6 to be delivered from the dealer. As I did so, I came across an interesting article in Motor Cyclist, entitled "Too Much" by Tim Carrithers. In this article Tim points out that many motorcycles are over-the-top for everyday use. Then a little light came on in my head... YES! I had made the right decision when I ordered my FZ6 a few weeks ago.
After selling my '92 Honda BROS 650 (aka Honda Hawk GT in USA or Revere in Europe). I started researching new bikes. I bought every motorcycle magazine I could find. My initial impression was WOW! Look at all this new, cool stuff. Look at all those horsepower ratings. I NEED this, I NEED torque. I don't want a "sissy" bike. I NEED something that commands R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
I was being seduced by all the media and marketing hype. Happily, somewhere deep down in my gut, some semblance of common sense prevailed. I once saw a used FZ6 for sale on a web site and liked the look of the bike. That stuck in my mind as I read all about top speeds of 180mph. The fact is I am never, ever, going to go much over 80 mph because I drive on roads, not tracks. I live in Bangkok, and traffic is dense. Hyabusas are popular here, but totally out of their element in traffic. I just could not imagine firing up 1300 cc of muscle to pop down to the local shop and sit behind busses belching toxic gasses, slipping the clutch all the way. I needed an agile maneuverable, relatively light bike to make it through traffic. Here Honda 125's are the norm. That makes perfect sense, they weave through traffic with ease, they are plenty fast enough in town etc. But I could just not imagine myself enjoying the experience of that bike. I wanted something that fit my 6'4" frame. I searched for reviews of 600's an 650's but the Media seems to totally disregard anything that is less than a liter. FZ1 reviews are available, but nary one on a fz6.
I hunted for months for a used 600 here there are virtually none available here. A few reasons, one, because the general population can only afford 125's . And two, those who can afford "big bikes" (250 and above) tend to also be seduced by the media and the tax man. Due to taxes 1000's are only about 1000 USD more expensive than 500's. By the way, I had to pay about 13,000 USD for my FZ6 (OTR includiing 1 year insurance). Compare that to 14,000 for a FZ1 and you can see why liter bikes tend to be more popular. Secondly very few brands import big bikes. Only Yamaha, Triumph, Kawasaki, Ducati and BMW and then only a few models.
So what to do? Here there are lots of grey market 400’s imported as used parts from Japan and reassembled on arrival. But frankly most of these bikes are throwbacks from the 70’s. To me, they are fugly, maybe just not my style. So the hunt continued. I visited a Yamaha dealer while in Chiang Mai, just for fun. They had a FZ1 and a FZ6. At the same time I had an appointment to view a used BMW 650 GS. I tested the FZ6 and bought it on the spot.
The bike was perfect for me, for real life riding. I was small enough and it was big enough. Small enough to maneuver in traffic, not to spend my life stuck in behind busses. Small enough to be economical for petrol. Big enough to hold its own on any highway travel. Big enough to tour into the mountain parks riding 2 up and the fairing comes in handy here. It carried a 2 year warrantee, something a used bike would not. The cost of repairs are half of that of the “exotics” BMW and Ducati. The bike has a modern look and sexy under seat exhausts.
After reading Tim’s article it all made sense. I had made the right decision. If you are contemplating a bike, try not to be brainwashed by media and performance numbers. Sure you want a good bike, with good performance. But if you are like me, and want a bike that you can enjoy every day, not just on the odd occasion on the highway or track the give the FZ6 serious consideration. Ask yourself these questions when evaluating any bike:
- How fast am I really going to drive day to day? (Anyone here ever hear of speed limits?)
- Where am I going to use the bike (city/hwy)?
- How much to I want to pay for gas?
- Will I be able to enjoy my bike every day or only on track day?
- How much to I want to compromise in everyday use so I can go to the track/touring?
- How much do I want to pay for repairs/maintenance?
So… think about it Hyabusa (or similar) vs FZ6… which one will give you give you more enjoyment more of the time?
For me the answer was obvious. I want to enjoy my bike every day. I’ll never go to a track. I would love to do some touring when I can get away. And I live in traffic congested city. FZ6 does it all, economically and in style and plenty of R-E-S-P-E-C-T to boot.
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