El Moto

Limited pix so far, but here are the juicy details:

• 2009 Yamaha FZ6, brand new
• dark blue
• $5,199

I was wavering about getting a bike, then after hanging out with my parents after the Mt. Kato race I decided I definitely needed a bike. At that point, I was still stuck on a SV1000n or Ducati GT1000. Well, the GT1000's are rare and too much money new. So that left that SV1000n. Every SV1000n I've looked at turned out to be a SV1000s that was converted, and none of those bikes I saw were very clean. Two weeks ago I stopped by Simply Sport Bikes in Eden Prairie to look at a converted SV1000s. That bike turned out to be a total hack job, not a bargain at any price. However, they did have a number of nice looking 2006 Yamaha FZ6's and a late model FZ1. I sat on the FZ6, and the bike just felt right. After doing some research, that model became my top contenter. I found many '06-'07 FZ6's on craigslist for great prices, then I stumbled upon Moon Motor's add for new '08's for $4999. Interesting... Then, after working out at LA Fitness in Hopkins I stopped by the Hitching Post. They just happened to have a '09 FZ6, blue, brand new, on their show floor for $5,999. I talked with the salesman, explained price was my number one concern, and told him about the Moon Motors deal. He called me back later in the day and said they could do $5,199 for their '09. That was it for me, I picked it up the next day.

 

I've put about 360 miles on it since last Tuesday. So far I am very happy with the bike. The brakes, handling, seating position, wind protection, and motor all seem great. I feel much more comfortable on this bike than my old VFR. The VFR was a great bike- but great for longer distance sport touring. Around town it was a bit of a handful and just felt clumsy. It felt like it wanted to flop into lower speed turns, particularly with a passenger. The FZ6 has effortless low speed handling and seems very flickable. The seating position is also very upright and comfortable.

 

The only low spot so far is the transmission. It's very smooth shifting for gears 2-6, but the 2 - 1 shift is very notchy, and finding neutral can be challening at times. However, the shifting has smoothed out a bit. I'm expecting it to further improve after the break-in service and fresh motor oil. I'm also very pleased with the motor. It's very, very smooth- no weird mid-RPM changes (ala VFR VTEC). Low end torque is nothing like a 1000cc V-twin, but it revs easily and power builds quickly. When accomidating for RPM it doesn't seem any slower than the VFR. The wind protection and suspension also aren't quite up to the VFR standards, but these are all minor quibbles.

All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase. I think I'll also end up riding this bike a lot more than my VFR, just because I feel more at home on the bike, and it's so much more fun zipping around town.

 

My next steps are to find some good soft saddlebags for it, and install heated grips and a 12v auxilary power jack. I have some T-rex frame sliders that I'll probably install tonight.

 

let's ride!