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Talk to me about the FZ6

Joined
Jul 7, 2018
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Leander
So, with my Tracer in the shop for the next month or so thanks to that deer, I’m giving a harder than normal look at buying a second bike. I want something sporty enough where I can take it to the track 2-3 times a year, but still comfortable enough to take on day trips hunting twisty roads. Thanks to the Army, I’ve got a bad neck, elbows and wrists, so I don’t think a full sport bike is going to be a good fit for me. So in my bike shopping, I stumbled across the FZ6. It seems like it would tick a lot of boxes. Sporty online 4, fairly comfortable upright seating, half fairing for wind protection. They seem to be pretty affordable. And it’s a Yamaha, and I’m kind of a Yamaha fanboy. Anyone have any experience with the FZ6? Pros and cons? Anything else I should be considering?
 
It was my first motorcycle, a 2009 model. It's tame before 11,000 RPM then gets a second wind above that to 14,000. I think GPS top speed was 131 MPH for me.

Suspension is basic, very basic. Get it tuned for you, which means replace the springs front and back, revalve or upgrade the rear shock, gold valves or similar up front.

Very reliable bikes, easy to own. It's a "de-tuned" R6 engine, has a bit more mid range and a bit less top end so a little more streetable.

I'm 6'4", it seemed a little small for me but then it's a naked sport bike, pretty much. I wanted to upgrade to an FZ1 within a few months of ownership but didn't.
 
I can't comment on the FZ6, but I'm curious why you'd want a service bike so similar to your primary? Why not look at something for a different kind of riding? Or just get a second tracer to have as a backup if you want the same sort of thing?
 
Why not an upright naked sportbike? My GSX-S1000 ticks all the boxes you list. There's others like it that also tick all those boxes.
 
I can't comment on the FZ6, but I'm curious why you'd want a service bike so similar to your primary? Why not look at something for a different kind of riding? Or just get a second tracer to have as a backup if you want the same sort of thing?
I’d love to have a second Tracer, or an older model, but I can find the FZ6 for about half of the cheapest, oldest FZ09. Cheap is a big plus on a second bike, especially if it is going to be something I only ride occasionally, take to the track and potentially drop.

As far as different bikes go, I’m not opposed to different. I’d consider other bikes that would fit the things I want. I don’t want an ADV bike. I can ride my wife’s if I want to scratch that itch. I’m done with cruisers. So those are off the list.
 
I’m done with cruisers. So those are off the list.

LoL. Really love my cbr1000rr but, scraping my vtx’ frame on the asphalt in a turn always has me laughing in my helmet and its soooo easy to do.
 
I can’t speak to the fz6, but I had an fz1 and absolutely loved it. Very fun bike, I thought it was comfy, and it was plenty fast. I’d buy another one in a heartbeat.

And not to highjack the thread, but I’d love to hear more about the Tracer. I’m getting back into street bikes after many years, and haven’t been paying much attention to what’s out there. I’ve only recently discovered the Tracer/FJ-09, and have fallen in love with it. Finger crossed it’ll be my next bike.
 
I can’t speak to the fz6, but I had an fz1 and absolutely loved it. Very fun bike, I thought it was comfy, and it was plenty fast. I’d buy another one in a heartbeat.

And not to highjack the thread, but I’d love to hear more about the Tracer. I’m getting back into street bikes after many years, and haven’t been paying much attention to what’s out there. I’ve only recently discovered the Tracer/FJ-09, and have fallen in love with it. Finger crossed it’ll be my next bike.
The Tracer is amazing. A few years ago, when I had a Super Tenere, I was looking for something a little sportier, and I rode an FJ-09. I liked the bike, and I really liked the motor, but I ended up not getting it. Then at MotoGP this year I demo’d a Tracer 9 GT. And I fell in love. The triple is such an amazing motor. The bike handles well, the electronics/rider aids are great. The throttle response is perfect. I wasn’t even looking for a new bike, but 3 weeks later I said goodbye to the Tenere and bought my new Tracer. Everything about the bike is awesome except for two things: the seat and the windshield. The seat slant pushes you forward on the tank, and it’s not very comfortable. The windshield is flimsy and leads to a lot of buffeting. I bought a spacer to level the seat, and then had the seat itself rebuilt by by Steve Gowing in Colorado. I replaced the windshield with a Madstad. I’ve done some other things to the bike, but these are the only two that I really considered essential for rideability.

The only other downside is that there is not a big aftermarket for the new Tracer yet. Yamaha does have a good selection of factory accessories, but most of them are only available in Europe. They just take a little more time to get shipped to you here.

The bike is so much fun to ride. It’s nimble and handles really well. It has all the power I need. With its lighter weight, I have no issue keeping up with my buddies on their FJRs, even though it doesn’t produce the raw power of the FJR. My Tenere may have been a little more comfortable on long, multi day tours, but the Tracer has me grinning the whole way. It is fun and exciting to ride in a way that the Super Tenere never was.
 
I have owned one for a year and a half that I absolutely adore. I made a pretty honest review of it which probably does a better job than me typing out a long response here:


I also happen to be selling the bike shown in that video on TWT.
 
I was actually prepping my trailer to pick up an FZ6, when the seller called and said somebody else just offered him more for the bike. I was a bit bummed out, but about a year later, I found an '07 FZ1 for about the same money. In hindsight, I am so glad somebody else wanted that FZ6 more than I did. I'm sure it's a lovely bike, but the FZ1 did everything the FZ6 could do and did it better.
 
I was actually prepping my trailer to pick up an FZ6, when the seller called and said somebody else just offered him more for the bike. I was a bit bummed out, but about a year later, I found an '07 FZ1 for about the same money. In hindsight, I am so glad somebody else wanted that FZ6 more than I did. I'm sure it's a lovely bike, but the FZ1 did everything the FZ6 could do and did it better.
I have a sweet spot for the fz6 having owned both. The 600 is FAR more comfortable, wind protection is better, seat doesn’t get hot as heck from the engine, vibrations are less, passenger seat is better, and it feels much lighter than the big burly fz1.

Better is a relative term. The fz1 is a better bike for going fast. It pitches your body into a more leaned over state and has the suspension to handle serious corner carving. The fz1 is slightly higher quality. It costed a lot more in dealerships so it could have that. But the fz1 is a completely different bike. It’s an animal.

The fz6 is plenty fast and more fun to rev out. Put r6 forks on it and it gets even better.
 
I have a sweet spot for the fz6 having owned both. The 600 is FAR more comfortable, wind protection is better, seat doesn’t get hot as heck from the engine, vibrations are less, passenger seat is better, and it feels much lighter than the big burly fz1.

Better is a relative term. The fz1 is a better bike for going fast. It pitches your body into a more leaned over state and has the suspension to handle serious corner carving. The fz1 is slightly higher quality. It costed a lot more in dealerships so it could have that. But the fz1 is a completely different bike. It’s an animal.

The fz6 is plenty fast and more fun to rev out. Put r6 forks on it and it gets even better.
You're right it's all relative. At the time, I was looking for an all-around bike (when I still believed there was such a thing) - something I can ride to and from work on weekdays, carve twisties on weekends, and do a few sport tours a few times a year. I had just discovered sport tourers, having finally admitted to myself that my days of road-riding supersports and literbikes were over. Compared to the 600-700 lbs big sport tourers, the 485lbs FZ1 was a lightweight, but far comfier compared to the race replicas, yet still had a sportbike engine in its core. The FZ6 would been too soft and too upright.

That said, for a different rider, with different intentions, it could be a great fit. All depends on what you're looking for.
 
I had a fz6 with hard cases, extra headlights. I liked it. My second bike to a Speed Triple. Was my commuter bike. Once you get it above 8k, it gets more fun.
 
I had a FZ6 (09 I think, it had shaper styling than the older rounder bikes but still had underseat exhaust). I turned it into a lightweight sport tourer and absolutely loved it. I was stupid and traded it in on a F800ST, which turned out to be the worst bike I've ever owned. Plenty of power even loaded up for touring, light enough and sporty enough to really carve up a road, and long enough legs to get on down the road without having to stop for gas every few miles. Comfy as well for me espeically after I added some risers.

It's one of those bikes where if I ever stumbled across a killer deal on one I'd have it back in the garage.

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Any questions ask away. I'll try my best to remeber.

Oh, DO NOT GET THE FZ6R. I used to joke the "R" stood for "Reduced". It was a detuned version of this engine, steel frame, crappier brakes, crappier suspension, skinnier tires ect. But it cost more. Kids would buy it up because it had full fairings and looked cool but under it was a turd compared to the FZ6.
 
I have owned one for a year and a half that I absolutely adore. I made a pretty honest review of it which probably does a better job than me typing out a long response here:


I also happen to be selling the bike shown in that video on TWT.
I actually watched your video a couple weeks ago. Great review!
 
I've had 2 1st Gen FZ1's, great daily driver, pack mule, and trackday companion. Relaxed ergos are knee friendly for this injured 6 footer's. I did the suspension for my weight and luggage. Pegs don't scrape until you reach don't-do-it speeds on the street and trackday techniques keep them off the deck until you are going faster than a 250 racer.

Freaking reliable. I parted with both of mine around 75k-ish.
 
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