2012 FZ6R-is it the right bike?

[Tidal]

So this is my first post on this forum

I curently own a 2008 yamaha vstar 1100 and want to trade it in for a sport Bike. I'm 6'1, 220 lbs. The last few days I've been looking at a number of bikes and I have a few questions about the bike. I'm looking at the 2012 fz6r right now love the look and feel of it when I sit on it, they don't have any demos. I want a bike that will have eNough power on the highway to get myself out of trouble. I don't want to buy any bike and 2 Months down the road realize I need something bigger. I commute to work which is about 15 km from home and plan to kick around town on it.

Please any thoughts would be great

Thanks

 

[efforex]

So this is my first post on this forum

I curently own a 2008 yamaha vstar 1100 and want to trade it in for a sport Bike. I'm 6'1, 220 lbs. The last few days I've been looking at a number of bikes and I have a few questions about the bike. I'm looking at the 2012 fz6r right now love the look and feel of it when I sit on it, they don't have any demos. I want a bike that will have eNough power on the highway to get myself out of trouble. I don't want to buy any bike and 2 Months down the road realize I need something bigger. I commute to work which is about 15 km from home and plan to kick around town on it.

Please any thoughts would be great

Thanka

Well i can tell you from almost a year of riding im 6'0 280 pounds and even being a bigger guy i have no issues with his bike i have made a couple of mods to suit me but its mostly looks i did exhaust as a safety precaution

I love my bike im a bigger guy but still plenty of leg room i can hang off the bike when aggressively riding and feel completely comfortable. I commute about 10 miles a day and the power is more then adequate if your looking for something to blow your helmet off when you pull the throttle off this isnt that type of bike. I can tell you from multiple experiences this bike has plenty of power for you to get out of the way.

Only con i can think of is the seat it take a bit to get use to but after a month you wont notice it (only noticed on 2hrs or longer rides) also the suspension is a little soft but that is from a aggressive riding stand point but still handles really well i mean the price you would pay for perfect suspension on a bike you would have to jump to a super sport and double the price tag.

 

[Fizzer6R]

guesstimate is the HP is about the same, but do not expect to have the same feeling TQ wise

no way would i buy a bike w/o test riding one first. have you tried to search for a used one locally?

 

[Tidal]

@efforex thanks for the quick reply. I'm not expecting an absolute rocket but I do want to feel a decent kick. Like I said I want it mainly for short commutes and the odd long one.

@Fizzer 6r there aren't any in the area right now to try which is shitty. As for used ones, they are damn far away 7 hrs actually

The other thing I wanted to ask.. Where are you taking most of the wind. With my cruiser I take it all to the chest as there is no visor

 

[Chucker]

Where are you in Canada?

I'm 6'2" and 200LB. I've had no issues with feeling like I'm short on power on the street. I take mine to the track fairly often and run in the intermediate group. All of the other bikes in that group are supersports, and there are quite a few litre bikes. I have no issues keeping up in the turns, but they do pull away in the longer straights. On a 3 km track, my lap times are only few seconds less than the big guys. Mind you, it's a whole different story in the expert group.

 

[Grumpy]

I'm 6.1/200 as well and found that the bike was a great commuter/town bike. I road it rain or shine to work and to anywhere that I didn't need to haul stuff to.

I would do something about the seat if you plan on long hauls. I road a lot of highway found that after 3hours the seat was getting to me. This is with the added padding of a Bohn's suit under my riding jeans.

The only thing you would have to get used to is how the bike makes power. Short shifting this bike like a v-twin is not recommended, you have to let the rpms climb.

Cheers!

 

[Marthy]

The 6R is a great bike and should be plenty enough for normal riding.

The seat is like rock on long ride
+1 tooth on front sprocket (speedo accurate and rev a bit more normal on freeway)
Puig Touring screen a +++

Other than that is personal preference.

 

[JT]

Its an all around great bike

 

[Superzoom]

The only negative I can come up with with the FZ6R, aside from the seat, is the lack of engine character. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the engine, and in fact it's really nicely tuned for a small inline four, but since you're coming from a biggish v-twin, you might find it somewhat utilitarian. The FZ6R engine is smooth and linear and some might find that boring. Overall, the bike is really good with no major flaws, but if you're looking for a more visceral ride, you might be better served with another bike.

I hope my post didn't offend anyone, but I know that some people buy a bike for the way it excites them.

 

[dcBear78]

The other thing I wanted to ask.. Where are you taking most of the wind. With my cruiser I take it all to the chest as there is no visor

The stock screen does an excellent job of creating turbulence and directing straight at your face. Horribly example of form over function.... It is terrible!

Do you guys get the Suzuki Bandit? Over here they are super cheap (cheaper than 6R). 1250cc of engine and excellent ergonomics. We only get a naked version here which isn't a bad thing, but we have had the full faired version so I assume some markets may still get it.

 

[nucmedman63]

I can personal tell you what to expect I to had the 2008 vstar 1100 and moved UP to the fz6r (notice I said UP) the fz6r will eat up spit out the vstar. the 6r's fuel injection and water cooled engine are another plus.
if your are looking for something shoot around town and short trips this does it great 0-100mph not a prob. the hardest thing I had to over come was getting use to the high rpm's remember the vstar reds at 4-5k the 6r at those rpm hasn't even woke up. In all I love this bike could never go back to a cruiser and this bike will most likely put a smile on your face when twist that grip.

 

[Tidal]

@nucmedman63 that sounds great. The vstar on the highway always feels like it needs another gear. From looking at just about all the YouTube videos and posts, this bike will do me fine. I've never driven a sport type bike, so I'm pumped to try it out. Right now it's damn hard to get a test drive, so I'm at the point where I should just wait till the 2013 is out. The dealership closeby has a nice white one, but I've always felt that the white colouring is easy over looked by people changing lanes, I could be wrong. The white did look decent though.

 

[nucmedman63]

tidal just have a few ? you may just want to keep this in mind it is not a ss but from the the vstar it will feel like one. do you ride with other bikes I have been riding with with a few that have liter bikes notice it lacks when Im with them I ride about 75 miles aday for work all highway and havent had a problem yet. if you are gonna use it mostly for around town any thing bigger would be awaste of a bike. and getting almost 50mpg is nice. the only thing I can say if you are looking for big HP look at the FZ8maybe but if you just want something fun and peppy the FZ6R will be more than enough. feel free to ask ?? happy to answer.

 

[BKP]

The only negative I can come up with with the FZ6R, aside from the seat, is the lack of engine character. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the engine, and in fact it's really nicely tuned for a small inline four, but since you're coming from a biggish v-twin, you might find it somewhat utilitarian. The FZ6R engine is smooth and linear and some might find that boring. Overall, the bike is really good with no major flaws, but if you're looking for a more visceral ride, you might be better served with another bike.

I hope my post didn't offend anyone, but I know that some people buy a bike for the way it excites them.

This is the best explanation I've seen for someone asking about the FZ6R, and coming from a bigger, louder, less nimble, cruiser...