WTB FZ6 or FZ6R-new rider

[thomaso1371]

I'm new to riding and currently looking for my first bike. After spending lots of time on youtube and different forums I have switched from wanting a Ninja 650 to the FZ6 or FZ6r. I live in Knoxville, TN and I have a budget of 3000-4000. I bought all ym gear for the MSF course, now I just need a bike for once I complete it. Any help or info would be appreciated.

 

[dpaul007]

Craigslist is a great place to look out for bikes in your area or nearby. I was on there daily for a few months watching/waiting for a good deal to come around. But I'm not sure if anyone on here is selling in your area, if they are, they'll chime in I'm sure.

 

[FIZZER6]

I agree that craigslist is the way to go and now is the time to buy when people are selling to buy something new for this season but not trying to charge summer prices. A $4000 budget should easily get you a nice 2007-2009 with low miles from a private seller.

Keep in mind that the FZ6 has like 30 more hp than the FZ6-R! FZ6 is the best all around 600cc motorcycle made! :thumbup:

 

[DavesFZ]

I had no idea what bike I wanted until I went to a dealership and actually sat on a bunch. I also had never heard of the fz6 before I sat on it and loved the riding position. I wouldnt base your decision solely on YouTube videos and forums without sitting on one first.

Eta: I bought mine on Craigslist. It also came with some mods already done, saving me at least 500 bucks.

 

[outasight20]

Like others have said, you should really sit on all of these bikes before you decide. The FZ6 is heavier and quite a bit more powerful than the FZ6R and Ninja 650R. If you've never ridden a motorcycle before, you'll find that even the 250cc bikes in the MSF course don't feel that slow. The FZ6 is a lot of power for a new rider. You would probably do better with the slightly less powerful options.

I know others will say that they started on the FZ6 and it's a perfect beginner bike. But look at it this way: In most of the world, a 250cc scooter is considered fast and 600cc sportbikes are rare to see. I started on a Ninja 250 and it was fast enough for me for the first few months I owned it. Now that I have the FZ6, even my dad's Ninja 500R feels pretty tame. What is your height and weight? These numbers will also affect people's recommendations for a first bike.

 

[dangtienanh]

Just to confirm outasight20's input, I was born and grew up on motorcycles (Vietnam), rode all kind of things from 50cc mopeds when I was 12 to 1000cc Harleys, and my first thought when I test rode an FZ6 from a Craiglist private seller was: "Holy **** this thing is fast." Of course the only sportbike I had ridden before the 6 was 400cc max.

When I went back to my country last summer and the only thing I had around was a 150cc scooter and I rode it like a toy. Even my friend's 250 Ninja felt funny (still, very fast, considering speed limits in Vietnam are at best 50mph on highways--I did a 100 miles trip on it in less than an hour). That just to give you an idea how powerful a 600cc is.

Get a FZ6, be very careful and responsible with it and have a ton of fun. It's a bike worth buying and treasuring for years to come

 

[darius]

I'm new to riding and currently looking for my first bike. After spending lots of time on youtube and different forums I have switched from wanting a Ninja 650 to the FZ6 or FZ6r. I live in Knoxville, TN and I have a budget of 3000-4000. I bought all ym gear for the MSF course, now I just need a bike for once I complete it. Any help or info would be appreciated.

Well done for getting the gear first. :thumbup:

I'd suggest MSF next before going shopping for a bike. No endorsement makes test riding a bit of a problem.

 

[Marthy]

FZ6R might be a little less intimidating if you never ride bike before. I put 40K miles on mine and still enjoy it. Got a nice mid range and you can find one in your budget... cheap on maintenance too!

 

[thomaso1371]

More info about me. I'm 23 5'6-5'7 and about 150lbs. I completely understand the risk of riding, and completely aware of knowing what my riding ability is and not to push that limit. I have sat on Ninja 250, a FZ6 and FZ6R, a Ninja 650, GSXR 600, and CBR600RR. I have plenty of friends that ride and will be available test ride and give me advice on what to look for.

Thanks for all the input so far.

 

[FIZZER6]

I learned to ride on a Ninja 250 but my first bike was the FZ6 and I'm about your size. It's not too much bike for a new rider but it is too much bike for an immature rider who is prone to pushing his machine before he has enough experience. You can get into trouble real fast on the FZ6 if you redline a few gears! Just go easy on the throttle and you'll be just fine. :thumbup:

 

[KingY]

I learned to ride on a Ninja 250 but my first bike was the FZ6 and I'm about your size. It's not too much bike for a new rider but it is too much bike for an immature rider who is prone to pushing his machine before he has enough experience. You can get into trouble real fast on the FZ6 if you redline a few gears! Just go easy on the throttle and you'll be just fine. :thumbup:

This is one of the best ways i have ever seen it explained in the new rider threads lol.

 

[outasight20]

I'm 23 5'6-5'7 and about 150lbs. .

Yeah... You'd do much better on a Ninja 250 or 500. At your weight the FZ6 is right on par with a 911 Turbo in terms of acceleration. Would you buy that as a first car? Probably not.

 

[FIZZER6]

Yeah... You'd do much better on a Ninja 250 or 500. At your weight the FZ6 is right on par with a 911 Turbo in terms of acceleration. Would you buy that as a first car? Probably not.

I weigh 140 lbs. Yes, the FZ6 is lightning fast when the rider is smaller but it's only too much bike if you can't control your right wrist! At 4-7K rpms where I usually ride it's just as docile as a 250 or 500. :thumbup:

 

[lytehouse]

:welcome:

You appear to be a level headed young man....get what you want and feel comfortable on. It's not the bike but the rider that's in control (IMO).
Good Luck in your search and keep us posted.

 

[rumblestrip]

More info about me. I'm 23 5'6-5'7 and about 150lbs. I completely understand the risk of riding, and completely aware of knowing what my riding ability is and not to push that limit. I have sat on Ninja 250, a FZ6 and FZ6R, a Ninja 650, GSXR 600, and CBR600RR. I have plenty of friends that ride and will be available test ride and give me advice on what to look for.

Thanks for all the input so far.

I'm about the same height & weight, and I can just barely flat foot the FZ6. As a new rider, it definitely helps. Just an idea to consider the next time you sit on one.

Like some of the others said, Craigslist is not a bad place to look for your bike. That's where I got mine last year...you just may need to be ready to go check out a bike at short notice.

Anyway, best of luck, be safe, and search the heck out of this forum. There's a boat load of information here. Good deal on getting the riding gear first.

 

[DavesFZ]

OP: Did you check out this great deal for 3800?

http://www.600riders.com/forum/showthread.php?p=531758

 

[thomaso1371]

It was sold when I saw it

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[gcraney]

New rider here, too! Well, sort of. I raced dirt bikes for 5 years as an adolescent (MX and enduro, with two SX style night tracks on my regular MX circuit). I always said I'd get a street bike when I turned 25. I turned 25 last month! I sorta forgot about the street bike desire for several years, but quickly remembered when I was adjusting my auto insurance for the sweet, sweet 25+ rate reduction. Anyway, I started shopping a couple weeks ago and just found a deal on an FZ6 I couldn't pass up.

More on point, I picked up a 2006 w/ less than 10k miles for $3000. The fairing has been removed and a couple holes were drilled into the seat for a seat back type thing. Mechanically, the bike is remarkably sound, clean, and seemingly well maintained. I'm extremely pleased w/ my purchase and look forward to joining the community!

Seems OP and I are freshmen in the same starting class! Cheers, mate! Good luck finding a bike.

Edit: Another note, I used ifttt.com to watch craigslist posts for a variety of searches and send me IMs whenever new bikes showed up. This way, good deals on craigslist won't slip past.

 

[PosterFZ6]

There are 2 schools of thought on first bikes.

1. Start small and upgrade as you get more experience and skills

2. Buy big so you can "grow" into it.

I started on a smaller bike. I like the first school of thought.

Ultimately I was smart enough to listen to people who have ridden bikes for decades and knew what they were talking about and I started small to learn the skills of safe riding.

I am sure you have already made up your mind whether to get this bike or not. Now you are looking for reinforcement of your belief. Any pro comments will only reinforce your belief and any con comments will only be brushed aside.

Ultimately it's your money, your life and your skin and bones.
Just use your god given brain and rationally think about it. No peer pressure from your super duper cool buddies riding CBR600s, Gixxers and Ninjas. Ask yourself if you can handle a bike that you want to buy. If you are convinced that you can, then get it.

We all will sooner or later crash. Crashing is a learning experience. the important part is to get out of that first crash alive to live another day. If you are stupid, by riding beyond your skill level on a bike that you can't comfortably control then your chances are smaller.

Either way, amigo stay safe out there.

 

[Ssky0078]

I would go with the Fz6r if its your first bike. I did a demo ride today on one and thought they fixed all the issues I had with my fz6 (vibration, twitchy throttle, weight distribution, traction). The only thing it lacks is the extra balls the fz6 had.

On the other hand I demo ride a ninja 1000 today and accidentally pulled a wheelie. I brought it back down smooth but I also have put in 10000 miles since November when I started riding

Whatever bike you get make sure you get excited and want to write it everyday