The ninja 650 looks wise is much better looking than the 6r, BUT sounds like a lawn mower, or a coffee can being shook with nails in it. 6r has a much more usable power band than say a r6..Plus, idk if there's a ninja 650 forum out there, but this forum is hands down SO HELPFUL. Everyone on here is always here to help, providing videos, tips, etc etc.
Yamaha FZ6R, Suzuki SFV 650, & Kawasaki 650,which is better and why ?
:needpics:
Just got back from a ride... still a little shaken... and this ride, more than anything else, presented to me in the *clearest* of terms why I love this bike...
I had just right-turned a corner from a twisty side-street (they're *all* twisty around here) onto a relatively straight 4-lane road with surprisingly little traffic for this time of day, given that all the local mid- and high schools had recently let out and the sport teams usually flood out about now...
I typically pass two drives that let out onto this stretch -- one, a school with an up-sloping egress leaving the school, then another on the left leaving a neighborhood, perhaps 100 yards up. Due to the exiting incline, on the first, it's necessary to pull up to the street, from the school, to see if there's any traffic on the road *I* was on. I was doing *maybe* 5 miles over the 50mph limit (the school flashers had long since turned off).
I was perhaps 75 feet from the first egress, when an SUV comes shooting out, sees me, and panic stops 3/4 into my lane. No time to think... no time to effort alternatives, even though everything went into nauseating slow motion, to the point that I could see the driver's eyes widen into dinner plates while I headed directly for her door. The Fizzer, with a mind of its own, effortlessly leaned left... it rolled on the throttle as smooth as a pat of butter sliding across a hot skillet... I could absolutely swear I didn't do it... my left knee came within millimeters of the ground, and the 6R whipped around the SUV grill like it was attached to an enormous rubber band, and then just as smoothly stood back up, and rolled off the throttle... not a single hiccup... not a groan or a complaint... not a glimmer of a wisp of a specter of any jerkiness in her behavior... as if she dealt with this daily... commonplace...
While this was going on, a pickup loaded with kids was doing exactly the same thing coming out of the egress from the driveway up ahead on the left... They stopped just before hitting my lane, once he saw what was going on... but just as quickly, as if choreographed, the 6R leaned right, and gave a wide berth to the pickup before standing up again...
I have *NO* doubt... if this wasn't the bike it is, with the inline-4, the handling, the silky smooth response, and the power on demand, then I'd be posting about my wreck instead of this...
I haven't checked the video yet... however, this will make my other "close call compilation" video look like a walk in the park...
Now 'scuse me... gotta go change my pants...
I had just right-turned a corner from a twisty side-street (they're *all* twisty around here) onto a relatively straight 4-lane road with surprisingly little traffic for this time of day, given that all the local mid- and high schools had recently let out and the sport teams usually flood out about now...
I typically pass two drives that let out onto this stretch -- one, a school with an up-sloping egress leaving the school, then another on the left leaving a neighborhood, perhaps 100 yards up. Due to the exiting incline, on the first, it's necessary to pull up to the street, from the school, to see if there's any traffic on the road *I* was on. I was doing *maybe* 5 miles over the 50mph limit (the school flashers had long since turned off).
I was perhaps 75 feet from the first egress, when an SUV comes shooting out, sees me, and panic stops 3/4 into my lane. No time to think... no time to effort alternatives, even though everything went into nauseating slow motion, to the point that I could see the driver's eyes widen into dinner plates while I headed directly for her door. The Fizzer, with a mind of its own, effortlessly leaned left... it rolled on the throttle as smooth as a pat of butter sliding across a hot skillet... I could absolutely swear I didn't do it... my left knee came within millimeters of the ground, and the 6R whipped around the SUV grill like it was attached to an enormous rubber band, and then just as smoothly stood back up, and rolled off the throttle... not a single hiccup... not a groan or a complaint... not a glimmer of a wisp of a specter of any jerkiness in her behavior... as if she dealt with this daily... commonplace...
While this was going on, a pickup loaded with kids was doing exactly the same thing coming out of the egress from the driveway up ahead on the left... They stopped just before hitting my lane, once he saw what was going on... but just as quickly, as if choreographed, the 6R leaned right, and gave a wide berth to the pickup before standing up again...
I have *NO* doubt... if this wasn't the bike it is, with the inline-4, the handling, the silky smooth response, and the power on demand, then I'd be posting about my wreck instead of this...
I haven't checked the video yet... however, this will make my other "close call compilation" video look like a walk in the park...
Now 'scuse me... gotta go change my pants...
Wow, sounds like a heluva day. Congrats on escaping without injury. Like you said if not for all the things that make the 6R great the story could have been different. A bigger bike may have broke the tire loose when you rolled on the throttle. Smaller bike wouldn't have gotten out of the way fast enough.
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S
Schybrid
id drive the limit if not slower on any road with intersecting roads for awhile man
:wreck:
:wreck:
I think the original question begs the question of "best for WHAT?"
Without defining use, it's hard to say which one is better. I can think of pluses and minuses for all of these.
Just a few notes:
Insurance: Likely to be cheaper on the SFV650. It's the only one that my insurance company classifies as a "standard" rather than "sport" bike. This is pure stupidity, but for better or worse, if has a lower fairing on it all insurance seems to go up, until it's big enough to be considered a "touring" bike. I got a cheaper quote on an 2009 FZ6, compared to an FZ6R, even though the FZ6 is a higher performance bike in just about every way. Why? The FZ6R is a "sport" bike. The old half-faired FZ6 is a "standard" because it's not fully-faired. The Ninja will be most expensive to insure in most places. You seem to pay a penalty for the word "Ninja." I've always thought Kawi really needs to drop that name from anything that isn't a Supersport.
Fuel economy: SFV650 is going to be best, Ninja 650 close second. YMMV depending on riding style, but you'll always pay a penalty for the I-4.
Slow speed, around-town handling: SFV650, then Ninja 650, then FZ6R. Weight and center of gravity...
Smoothness: FZ6R will clearly be best. But the 90 degree V-twin (what Ducati call an L-twin) on the Suzuki is actually quite smooth, rivaling the BMW opposed-twin design. The Kawi is roughest and manages to seem smoother than it is because they've mounted so much of the engine and the rider interface in rubber. Still gets far buzzier than the Suzuki engine (which is also used on the V-Strom 650).
Responsiveness: FZ6R or SFV650. Which one will be best sort of depends on where in the powerband you want responsiveness. The Suzuki will respond more forcefully off the bottom and needs to be ridden appropriately to get the most out of it. The FZ6R will be better for higher-speed response.
Maintenance: All these engines are pretty well proven. The Yamaha has the longest maintenance intervals, but the Suzuki 650 has a reputation for being completely bulletproof. You are supposed to check the valves more often, but I have yet to tal, to anybody who actually needed to do anything to them in the first 30K or more.
Performance on the track or at high speeds: FZ6R, then the Ninja. The naked SV family is a ton of fun to ride, but it's not a track bike.
Long-distance/higher speed rides or touring: FZ6R, then the Ninja, for must eh same reasons as above. Sure you could add some kind of a deflector screen to the Suzuki, as many have done to almost a decade of SV650/SFV650 production, but it looks kind of dumb.
Fit: The narrower bikes will tend to be better for shorter riders. I find the Ninja 650 to be too narrow for my inseam. The SV650 from which the current Suzuki is derived fit me well, but the current one seems just a bit too narrow/short. I rode a 2009 recently and my impression was that if I owned it, I'd have to spring for the accessory high seat.
Accessories: FZ6R. If you're thinking you may ever want any kind of luggage, it's the only choice. Kawi really screwed the pooch on the Ninja 650 current design, at least as sold in the US. The choice to use only a seat strap on the pillon seat rather than the grab handles used everyplace else in the world means you can't attach any luggage to the US version without an expensive retrofit. Kawi's answer is that people who want to do any kind of touring should buy a Versys or a Ninja 1000. FZ6R is pretty limitless in this regard.
Kawi has a couple more exhaust options, but not enough for me to care much, especially since I don't think that engine can ever really sound good. SFV650, IMO needs a new exhaust because the factory design looks really dumb. But you won't get much out of it because the cat and part of the muffling system is actually in an under-bike "box" not all that different from the FZ6R's, and the thing along the side has much less of an impact. You need to get a replacement midpipe and an exhaust to get the SFV650 to sound good, but when you do, it can be almost Ducati-like, as it's the same L-twin layout and firing order.
Suzuki has a more limited aftermarket for everything.
Lights: Kawi's factory headlight is the best, Suzuki's the worst, which really sucks because the old SV650 had one of the best single headlights ever put on a bike and the current bike is a regression in so many ways. There are good HID projector options that fit the FZ6R and can be ordered from one of our members here.
I really love the old SV650s and want to love the current Suzuki, but at current pricing and with the current styling, I think it's going to continue being a poor seller. Local dealer tells me they will probably get one or two this year, most likely in April/May. They started getting the sportbikes first, now the V-stroms are trickling in, and expect to get the SFVs last. Honestly, if I were looking for that kind of a lighter naked bike for around town and local twisties, I'd be waiting to see the new Honda 500. Not as much power, but for that type of use I've got to believe it would be perfectly adequate, significantly cheaper and with an ABS option.
Without defining use, it's hard to say which one is better. I can think of pluses and minuses for all of these.
Just a few notes:
Insurance: Likely to be cheaper on the SFV650. It's the only one that my insurance company classifies as a "standard" rather than "sport" bike. This is pure stupidity, but for better or worse, if has a lower fairing on it all insurance seems to go up, until it's big enough to be considered a "touring" bike. I got a cheaper quote on an 2009 FZ6, compared to an FZ6R, even though the FZ6 is a higher performance bike in just about every way. Why? The FZ6R is a "sport" bike. The old half-faired FZ6 is a "standard" because it's not fully-faired. The Ninja will be most expensive to insure in most places. You seem to pay a penalty for the word "Ninja." I've always thought Kawi really needs to drop that name from anything that isn't a Supersport.
Fuel economy: SFV650 is going to be best, Ninja 650 close second. YMMV depending on riding style, but you'll always pay a penalty for the I-4.
Slow speed, around-town handling: SFV650, then Ninja 650, then FZ6R. Weight and center of gravity...
Smoothness: FZ6R will clearly be best. But the 90 degree V-twin (what Ducati call an L-twin) on the Suzuki is actually quite smooth, rivaling the BMW opposed-twin design. The Kawi is roughest and manages to seem smoother than it is because they've mounted so much of the engine and the rider interface in rubber. Still gets far buzzier than the Suzuki engine (which is also used on the V-Strom 650).
Responsiveness: FZ6R or SFV650. Which one will be best sort of depends on where in the powerband you want responsiveness. The Suzuki will respond more forcefully off the bottom and needs to be ridden appropriately to get the most out of it. The FZ6R will be better for higher-speed response.
Maintenance: All these engines are pretty well proven. The Yamaha has the longest maintenance intervals, but the Suzuki 650 has a reputation for being completely bulletproof. You are supposed to check the valves more often, but I have yet to tal, to anybody who actually needed to do anything to them in the first 30K or more.
Performance on the track or at high speeds: FZ6R, then the Ninja. The naked SV family is a ton of fun to ride, but it's not a track bike.
Long-distance/higher speed rides or touring: FZ6R, then the Ninja, for must eh same reasons as above. Sure you could add some kind of a deflector screen to the Suzuki, as many have done to almost a decade of SV650/SFV650 production, but it looks kind of dumb.
Fit: The narrower bikes will tend to be better for shorter riders. I find the Ninja 650 to be too narrow for my inseam. The SV650 from which the current Suzuki is derived fit me well, but the current one seems just a bit too narrow/short. I rode a 2009 recently and my impression was that if I owned it, I'd have to spring for the accessory high seat.
Accessories: FZ6R. If you're thinking you may ever want any kind of luggage, it's the only choice. Kawi really screwed the pooch on the Ninja 650 current design, at least as sold in the US. The choice to use only a seat strap on the pillon seat rather than the grab handles used everyplace else in the world means you can't attach any luggage to the US version without an expensive retrofit. Kawi's answer is that people who want to do any kind of touring should buy a Versys or a Ninja 1000. FZ6R is pretty limitless in this regard.
Kawi has a couple more exhaust options, but not enough for me to care much, especially since I don't think that engine can ever really sound good. SFV650, IMO needs a new exhaust because the factory design looks really dumb. But you won't get much out of it because the cat and part of the muffling system is actually in an under-bike "box" not all that different from the FZ6R's, and the thing along the side has much less of an impact. You need to get a replacement midpipe and an exhaust to get the SFV650 to sound good, but when you do, it can be almost Ducati-like, as it's the same L-twin layout and firing order.
Suzuki has a more limited aftermarket for everything.
Lights: Kawi's factory headlight is the best, Suzuki's the worst, which really sucks because the old SV650 had one of the best single headlights ever put on a bike and the current bike is a regression in so many ways. There are good HID projector options that fit the FZ6R and can be ordered from one of our members here.
I really love the old SV650s and want to love the current Suzuki, but at current pricing and with the current styling, I think it's going to continue being a poor seller. Local dealer tells me they will probably get one or two this year, most likely in April/May. They started getting the sportbikes first, now the V-stroms are trickling in, and expect to get the SFVs last. Honestly, if I were looking for that kind of a lighter naked bike for around town and local twisties, I'd be waiting to see the new Honda 500. Not as much power, but for that type of use I've got to believe it would be perfectly adequate, significantly cheaper and with an ABS option.
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S
Schybrid
good write up. (short and brief compliment for such a lengthy write up).:thumbup:
i vote "sticky"
S
Schybrid
done deal, kawi it is........
not.
CB1000r, boom:mikebike::mikebike::mikebike::mikebike:
S
Schybrid
thats sucks for someone who just financed a kawi, lol.
lol, probably...thats sucks for someone who just financed a kawi, lol.
When I got mine I got 0% for 5 years... can't beat that too easily...
S
Schybrid
sorry, fixed, i see kawi in sig.
what did you fix?
IDK, I like her and it was pointless for me to pay cash for the bike when my cash can earn more in my accounts and slowly pay for the bike.
I love it people put out 0% deals on something I'm going to buy anyway. I can get my deals that I want and still earn on my own money when I invest the money and slowly pull money out to cover the financing or in this case use the funds earned from my money in investments and pay for the bike, lol. So really no money lost in the end.
If you play with your money right it will pay your own pocket.
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fvrider
New Member
Good post for this thread. As you said, lots of great bikes out there for the choosing...preference and fit are important. I'm currently in the process of finding a buyer for my '95 kawasaki zr1100 - a pretty rare mc - so buyers of this type of bike are rare also. Seriously wanting to go smaller displacement and the fz6r seems the right choice for me at this time. Demo rode one in '09 and was impressed. So just a transaction away from a change. Located in Abbotsford as well.
The SV650 is a really nice bike. I just don't like Naked. My brother has an 09 Ninja 650 and I don't think its nearly as nice as the fz6r. Its not as smooth all around and I don't like the suspension as much. It was a little more powerfull in the low end but not much. maybe a new one is better, but I thought the fit of the fz6r was better for me even though maybe the ninja looked better un-modded. now with flush mounts, FE kit, Levers etc. I think this is the best looking bike out there.
I feel like pictures don't do bikes justice. I didn't like the way the FZ6R looked over the non-new gen ninja 650s. And I had seen a ton of pictures of it.
But when I went to go buy it and I saw it in person for the first time, I immediately fell in love. Love all the sharp angles on it as opposed to the Ninja being more "round". Get complimented on it all the time.
Sneakynuts
New Member
I did exactly the same.
I am a learner and I am surprised how often the FZ6R pulls me out of trouble when I have it in the wrong gear.
It will set off in second ( LOL) not fast but that didnt matter to me...
Great bike cannot comment on the others but for what I need the torque is great.
Post brought back from the dead, LOL! :zombie: