yillbs
New Member
Hello All.
I just recently sold my fz6 and got a ninja 650R... that just about destroyed my soul, it was funny sounding, shook a -LOT- and i just wasn't happy, so i set out to find the perfect bike. Of course, without tons and tons of money, the perfect bike is... hard to find. Until I met the FZ6R.
I wen't into the dealership and saw the one I liked, I wanted a white bike with the red frame ( only on 2013's ), the dealer had tons of 12's so of course, that's what they wanted to sell me. The deal ended up being mediocre at best, I was OTD 7691, with a 4 year extended warranty. not TO bad.. but not the best. Anyways, moving onward!
The dealer sales guy was either thinking I was a moron, or he just didn't know what he was talking about. He continued to go on about how the fz6r had a detuned FZ6 motor, ( which we all know was a de tuned r6 motor ). It's my understanding the fz6r motor has no real relation to the r6 motor, other than having the sexy I4 sound.. but again, moving on.
FZ6 Pros
Power.. The Fz6 had plenty of it, Im not sure of the exact HP number, but I think it's somewhere around 86 ( 91 maybe? ). either way, I remembered when i first got it ( 2006 model ) I had come from two fiddies and it was like I was in heaven, the ride was soft, and it felt like i was driving an infinity versus a station wagon with 18 wheeler shocks.
going into the high RPM band was a bit nuts, and somewhat annoying, until I learned how to shift properly, then it was like OMG a new bike.
The power below 8k RPM's was mediocre at best, the 650R could have taken it until at least 3rd gear ( imo ofc ). But it was good on gas, and it was sexy.
I had the pipes wrapped, and a bottom cowl which matched the color of my bike.. I have a pic somewhere, i'll include that in the post, it was a sexy beast.
Riding two up is where this bike ( FZ6 ) shined the most, Im 220 lbs, and my girlfriend at the time was probably 150 ish? And pulling this bike out of first WOT would pop a wheelie unintentionally, remember Im coming from a 250 which lacks the power to pull puppy on a sled, so this was new to me, I was a bit scared, she was too. After a while i found ways to adjust my driving for two up on the bike, practice makes perfect, in all honestly I probably wasn't ready to start riding two up on a bigger bike anyways, but we had done it on the 250, and i've borrowed my fathers road king ( bigger motor sure.. but it's not the same
). so I have experience with her on the back. So essentially, I felt like I had the same power with, or without her on it, all that really changed was the added weight, which felt when moving, turning, ect.
Another huge thing for me, was the size. It was, and is a rather large bike, sure it doesn't weigh much.. but it's just bigger. That could of course just be due to perception because of how high it is, and how short i am, compared to my other bikes though, it's big. Funny enough, the bike made me feel safe, I was rather certain if I got in a finder binder i'd be ok.
Center stand... Oh how do i miss having a center stand, I didn't even know bikes had center stands until my fz6, none of the last bikes, and the 650 doesn't have one, it made life super easy for me to do things like change the oil, check the levels, change / tighten a tire. It's a huge thing you take for granted, at least. I did.
Exhaust. Why oh why did they put such sexy exhaust on a naked bike! ( I don't like naked bikes, so if you do bonus! ) It was nice sounding, it was dual, and it was under the seat, that's like a sport bike owners wet dream! I miss it, it's something i'd love to have again.
Digitial guages. digital tach, and digital speedo are something i wish i could have again, without spending the extra coin and going for a zx6r, or litre bike. It was a decent priced bike, with a decent cluster.. bout dame time. It was illiminated perfectly, even after the 35k miles that bad boy had. I miss it, and wish it was available on more models.
Even the tranny was a blessing, I ( like I admitted ) needed some training on how to properly shift, I guess the safety class didn't sink in to much. but once i learned the bike didn't need me, it knew when it was time to shift, with a tiny little push with the tip top of my big toe she would purr into the next gear, it was fun, and it made going fast even more fun!
Overall, the bike was everything I wanted, ( and still do ). It's a shame it stopped being made, sure they have a replacement.. but it's just not the same.
FZ6 Cons
Naked bike.... eeeek. I personally am not a fan of naked bikes.. I got this bike actually because i just wanted to ride... and it was in my budget, i had no idea I would fall in love with it, even more so than what's her name. they could have had more options to add fairings.. but not really yamaha's fault, it appealed to who it needed to.
Brakes.. the bike simply had bad breaks. I felt like it was taking way to much for me to stop a bike going 45, let alone 70. I am not sure if it's me, or just the bike I had, but engine braking and down shifting were near impossible. If you downshifted even a little to soon, the bike would hate you for the rest of the day.. and it's not good to have the bike hate you.
Aside from those two things, I can't really think of anything wrong with the bike, i loved it all. I'll get to how it died twards the end. Let me bore you with the fz6r and how it compares now!
FZ6R !!!!
The white beast ( don't hate ) has the styling of a modern bike, with the " soul I guess ? ) of a cruiser. I'll admit, the fz6r does have a smoother ride than the fz6, but it's also 7 years newer, rubber mounts everywhere.. and only has 2 miles.. not a really fair comparison imo.
Full fairings. It's heat generation is noticeably more on the fz6r.. I noticed it the second i sat at a red light.. I didn't like.. and will probably never get over it. but that's the price you pay for a sexy full fairing bike I guess.
digits speedo... analog tach. Personally, I would have liked to see something similar to the fz6 gauges.. but they had to cut costs, and im okay with that. Even though it's not fully digital It comes with a temp guage, the fz6 did not.. not that It's important, but it's nice to see what's going on in there.
Single underbody exhaust. This is up for debate, I personally like it, I think it creates more of a sleek bike myself. But I find my right leg getting hit with the carbon dioxide in turn burning my leg, this is probably something I will get use to.. but I don't like that. Under the seat would have been nice for the ultimate sport look, but I can deal.
Braking thus far on the fz6r is nice... it's a bit bumpy and feels cheaper, and almost play like, but it works, it's not great, but it's not horrible.
ride quality on the FZ6R is absolutely amazing. It's like im on a cloud, i don't feel hardly any bumps, and I really enjoy the little back rest thinggy ma bob for my big butt. The fz6 had a bannana seat.. i HATE the bannana seat, and i told myself i'd never go back.. and I didn't
Power on the fz6 isn't really lacking, but it's no where near the fz6. The fz6 as i mentioned rode two up without any issues, i felt like i was on a real sports bike, even with two riders. I took the fz6r out ( this morning actually ) with my NEW wife ( i remembered her name, after this purchase.... what's that say about the last one? ) and it was a little lacking. I am still doing my own little break in routine, but i figured id open her up a few times with us both on it, im sure it's fine. Well, when i did, I can honestly say I wish there was more. the bike was quick, not fast. It got to 60 with zero issues, but after 60 the bike felt heavy, hard to move, and the brakes were telling me to get her off asap. it's something I don't do often ( ride two up ) but it's something I want to have the option to do. Overall, id say it's doable, but I probably won't be doing much of it.. so i'll survive.
Overall Results
While the FZ6R can't compare in power, or handling abilities, it makes up for it
in style and ride quality. Id pick the fz6r if I had an option to go back to the fz6, simply because I enjoy the way it looks, rides, and it's got enough power for me. Id say after about 50 or so WOT freeway entrances I might get bored though, which may have me changing my tune, until that day though, Im smiling from ear to ear!
hope you enjoyed my personal experience with both bikes!
I just recently sold my fz6 and got a ninja 650R... that just about destroyed my soul, it was funny sounding, shook a -LOT- and i just wasn't happy, so i set out to find the perfect bike. Of course, without tons and tons of money, the perfect bike is... hard to find. Until I met the FZ6R.
I wen't into the dealership and saw the one I liked, I wanted a white bike with the red frame ( only on 2013's ), the dealer had tons of 12's so of course, that's what they wanted to sell me. The deal ended up being mediocre at best, I was OTD 7691, with a 4 year extended warranty. not TO bad.. but not the best. Anyways, moving onward!
The dealer sales guy was either thinking I was a moron, or he just didn't know what he was talking about. He continued to go on about how the fz6r had a detuned FZ6 motor, ( which we all know was a de tuned r6 motor ). It's my understanding the fz6r motor has no real relation to the r6 motor, other than having the sexy I4 sound.. but again, moving on.
FZ6 Pros
Power.. The Fz6 had plenty of it, Im not sure of the exact HP number, but I think it's somewhere around 86 ( 91 maybe? ). either way, I remembered when i first got it ( 2006 model ) I had come from two fiddies and it was like I was in heaven, the ride was soft, and it felt like i was driving an infinity versus a station wagon with 18 wheeler shocks.
going into the high RPM band was a bit nuts, and somewhat annoying, until I learned how to shift properly, then it was like OMG a new bike.
The power below 8k RPM's was mediocre at best, the 650R could have taken it until at least 3rd gear ( imo ofc ). But it was good on gas, and it was sexy.
I had the pipes wrapped, and a bottom cowl which matched the color of my bike.. I have a pic somewhere, i'll include that in the post, it was a sexy beast.
Riding two up is where this bike ( FZ6 ) shined the most, Im 220 lbs, and my girlfriend at the time was probably 150 ish? And pulling this bike out of first WOT would pop a wheelie unintentionally, remember Im coming from a 250 which lacks the power to pull puppy on a sled, so this was new to me, I was a bit scared, she was too. After a while i found ways to adjust my driving for two up on the bike, practice makes perfect, in all honestly I probably wasn't ready to start riding two up on a bigger bike anyways, but we had done it on the 250, and i've borrowed my fathers road king ( bigger motor sure.. but it's not the same
). so I have experience with her on the back. So essentially, I felt like I had the same power with, or without her on it, all that really changed was the added weight, which felt when moving, turning, ect. Another huge thing for me, was the size. It was, and is a rather large bike, sure it doesn't weigh much.. but it's just bigger. That could of course just be due to perception because of how high it is, and how short i am, compared to my other bikes though, it's big. Funny enough, the bike made me feel safe, I was rather certain if I got in a finder binder i'd be ok.
Center stand... Oh how do i miss having a center stand, I didn't even know bikes had center stands until my fz6, none of the last bikes, and the 650 doesn't have one, it made life super easy for me to do things like change the oil, check the levels, change / tighten a tire. It's a huge thing you take for granted, at least. I did.
Exhaust. Why oh why did they put such sexy exhaust on a naked bike! ( I don't like naked bikes, so if you do bonus! ) It was nice sounding, it was dual, and it was under the seat, that's like a sport bike owners wet dream! I miss it, it's something i'd love to have again.
Digitial guages. digital tach, and digital speedo are something i wish i could have again, without spending the extra coin and going for a zx6r, or litre bike. It was a decent priced bike, with a decent cluster.. bout dame time. It was illiminated perfectly, even after the 35k miles that bad boy had. I miss it, and wish it was available on more models.
Even the tranny was a blessing, I ( like I admitted ) needed some training on how to properly shift, I guess the safety class didn't sink in to much. but once i learned the bike didn't need me, it knew when it was time to shift, with a tiny little push with the tip top of my big toe she would purr into the next gear, it was fun, and it made going fast even more fun!
Overall, the bike was everything I wanted, ( and still do ). It's a shame it stopped being made, sure they have a replacement.. but it's just not the same.
FZ6 Cons
Naked bike.... eeeek. I personally am not a fan of naked bikes.. I got this bike actually because i just wanted to ride... and it was in my budget, i had no idea I would fall in love with it, even more so than what's her name. they could have had more options to add fairings.. but not really yamaha's fault, it appealed to who it needed to.
Brakes.. the bike simply had bad breaks. I felt like it was taking way to much for me to stop a bike going 45, let alone 70. I am not sure if it's me, or just the bike I had, but engine braking and down shifting were near impossible. If you downshifted even a little to soon, the bike would hate you for the rest of the day.. and it's not good to have the bike hate you.
Aside from those two things, I can't really think of anything wrong with the bike, i loved it all. I'll get to how it died twards the end. Let me bore you with the fz6r and how it compares now!
FZ6R !!!!
The white beast ( don't hate ) has the styling of a modern bike, with the " soul I guess ? ) of a cruiser. I'll admit, the fz6r does have a smoother ride than the fz6, but it's also 7 years newer, rubber mounts everywhere.. and only has 2 miles.. not a really fair comparison imo.
Full fairings. It's heat generation is noticeably more on the fz6r.. I noticed it the second i sat at a red light.. I didn't like.. and will probably never get over it. but that's the price you pay for a sexy full fairing bike I guess.
digits speedo... analog tach. Personally, I would have liked to see something similar to the fz6 gauges.. but they had to cut costs, and im okay with that. Even though it's not fully digital It comes with a temp guage, the fz6 did not.. not that It's important, but it's nice to see what's going on in there.
Single underbody exhaust. This is up for debate, I personally like it, I think it creates more of a sleek bike myself. But I find my right leg getting hit with the carbon dioxide in turn burning my leg, this is probably something I will get use to.. but I don't like that. Under the seat would have been nice for the ultimate sport look, but I can deal.
Braking thus far on the fz6r is nice... it's a bit bumpy and feels cheaper, and almost play like, but it works, it's not great, but it's not horrible.
ride quality on the FZ6R is absolutely amazing. It's like im on a cloud, i don't feel hardly any bumps, and I really enjoy the little back rest thinggy ma bob for my big butt. The fz6 had a bannana seat.. i HATE the bannana seat, and i told myself i'd never go back.. and I didn't
Power on the fz6 isn't really lacking, but it's no where near the fz6. The fz6 as i mentioned rode two up without any issues, i felt like i was on a real sports bike, even with two riders. I took the fz6r out ( this morning actually ) with my NEW wife ( i remembered her name, after this purchase.... what's that say about the last one? ) and it was a little lacking. I am still doing my own little break in routine, but i figured id open her up a few times with us both on it, im sure it's fine. Well, when i did, I can honestly say I wish there was more. the bike was quick, not fast. It got to 60 with zero issues, but after 60 the bike felt heavy, hard to move, and the brakes were telling me to get her off asap. it's something I don't do often ( ride two up ) but it's something I want to have the option to do. Overall, id say it's doable, but I probably won't be doing much of it.. so i'll survive.
Overall Results
While the FZ6R can't compare in power, or handling abilities, it makes up for it
in style and ride quality. Id pick the fz6r if I had an option to go back to the fz6, simply because I enjoy the way it looks, rides, and it's got enough power for me. Id say after about 50 or so WOT freeway entrances I might get bored though, which may have me changing my tune, until that day though, Im smiling from ear to ear!
hope you enjoyed my personal experience with both bikes!
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