I havent ridden one to compare but i think your logic sounds good. however i think at the speeds im running the canyons, not rocket fast but certainly not slow, its probably not enough to notice a big difference. To bad they dont have any demo rides at the foot of the Angeles Crest highway that would be awesome.
Try to find a local ride club and see if anyone would trade bikes for few miles. Most riders are very nice and friendly toward other riders.
I did a short ride to work this morning on the FZ07. I do agree with the cheaply made part. The fuel tank is lawn mower grade with plastic cover over it. In a way if you scratch it is can be easily fixed but just sort of odd to me. The rest of the bike is nice, very minimalist for the least.
Fueling is spot on to me. Being a P-twin the bike has a bit more engine braking and more torque on the bottom end too compare to the 6R. Combine with the weight difference this is probably why you feel the 6R being smoother... throttle control is the key here. Lovely engine IMO. I never felt the big bang HP kicking in but it's a nice trade off for 15 ft.lb of torque where you need it 80% of the time. Top end is very similar to the 6R. All in all that's what the 6R should have been as a beginner bike (engine-wise)
Suspension is bang on IMO. Better than the 6R and light years ahead of the stock FZ09. Damping seems adequate for normal riding, spring rate seems ok to me for my 180lbs w/o gears and the bike doesn't pitch too much under braking. A good test in the twisties would tell me more about it but the major difference here is the weight. I do feel some vibe through the handle bars but nothing a good pair of ProGrip 714 won't fix. It's a low frequency vibe compare to the 6R with its high pitch vibe on freeway.
All together the FZ07 is a nice/fun machine. Better engine for street riding and more nimble due to weight saving/distribution than the 6R. As far as the throttle if it feel a bit too much for the first bit, a throttle tamer would fix that (cam profile...) I'm a bit 6R bias in a way, after 46K miles of happiness and trouble free riding but I have to admit that if I had to shop today I would go for the FZ07. Most than likely once my wife learn a bit on the 6R I might trade her in for a FZ07. The bike is much better for her 5' 3" and she like it a lot already (I'm in trouble... LOL)
Well, we all like sportbikes on here and the FZ6R is definitely a sportbike, I loved mine while I had it and I was primarily interested in twisties and it worked pretty dang good for that. I moved on to a Gixxer because life only happens once and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I agree with pkoko that the ergos on a SS does help you move your body low and to the inside to improve traction when cornering aggressively, however discomfort definitely starts to creep in after about 3hrs of riding and just gets worse until you wrap up your day.
Latony, I think you should consider getting a SS at some point, not just try one, but buy one - I mean why not? Run it for awhile and find out for yourself, the pleasure and the pain. I kinda feel like owning a SS at some point as a sport-biker is kinda obligatory, I will likely come full circle and return to a more upright bike once the pain starts to outweigh the pleasure. For now I am still in my sadist stage doing 5hr rides on a SS, but the writing is on the wall, I will hold out as long as I can but I will eventually move to something like a Ninja 1000 or Multistrada.
Update #3
Bike is home!!!! Put 96 miles on it today. I try to baby it but I couldn't resist, hit 8k-9k rpm a few time
. So easy to ride compare to my little Honda. There's enough power down low so I don't have to shift gears all the time. Love the bike overall. Have to get use to the extra 100lbs. I have to pay more attention when coming to a stop or sudden stop. The bike is a little top heavy. I am only 5'6 135lbs. This bike have heated seat. I didnt know that . During traffic jam or slow local streets, I can feel the heat between my legs and butt. While waiting for the traffic lights, sometimes I can feel the heat coming up to my chin. Today is 84F in NY so it's kinda toasty. I am sure I wont mind the heat come cooler weather. Here is the mandatory pics.
Bike is home!!!! Put 96 miles on it today. I try to baby it but I couldn't resist, hit 8k-9k rpm a few time
. So easy to ride compare to my little Honda. There's enough power down low so I don't have to shift gears all the time. Love the bike overall. Have to get use to the extra 100lbs. I have to pay more attention when coming to a stop or sudden stop. The bike is a little top heavy. I am only 5'6 135lbs. This bike have heated seat. I didnt know that . During traffic jam or slow local streets, I can feel the heat between my legs and butt. While waiting for the traffic lights, sometimes I can feel the heat coming up to my chin. Today is 84F in NY so it's kinda toasty. I am sure I wont mind the heat come cooler weather. Here is the mandatory pics.
Great review. The FZ07 has gotten such good press, it's refreshing to get a "rider's" perspective. Especially vs. the 6R.
I don't think your wife would appreciate being traded in for a bike, though...
Shhh. It's a secret!Wait a minute, wait a minute. You can trade in your wife for a new bike? where please??