Fixing the fizz in an FZ6

I was wall set to buy an FZ6 when they first came out. Then I rode one--NO THANKS!



I wound up getting a Buell XB9S Lightning instead. Better ergos, much better handling, way more low end, just a better motorcycle.



I would also choose a 2001-newer Bandit 600 over the FZ6. You can get them used in good shape around $3k.

I'm sure you've thought of sv650's as well; if you don't get the S version the ergos are pretty much the same as the FZ6.

Honda is bringing back (if that's the right way to describe it) their 599 for 2006, which is pretty cheap, I think. You might consider the F4i too. How about a used or leftover Daytona 650? Triumphs should be cheap if you can find one used.

I second the F4i

Great all-around bike, if pricier and less comfy than the FZ6.

I just rode an '05 R6 about 150 miles yesterday- it blows my mind how smooth that motor is and how buzzy the FZ6's is. It's a shame.

Not to sound like a broken record, but if you can find an '05 Triumph Speed 4, it's what the FZ6 should be. Very smooth, great suspension and brakes, and fairly comfortable. A $300 handlebar kit from LSL makes it a great commuter/wannabe motard.

Check out my article here: http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcgabe/05_Living_with_the_Triumph/index.motml

Yamaha claims this model is "tuned for enhanced midrange" already". I doubt you will be able to tweak it much better than it already is. The usual pipe & jet mods may acutally cost you midrange. Chances are, if you don't like it now, you won't like it ever.



From the sounds of it you want a comfortable, affordable, torquey and sporty commuter. Probably better off with a twin, or triple. You can get an earlier generation Triumph Speed Triple (or other models) for a reasonable price these days. The Buell thing is a nice alternative if you can afford it, stay away from the tube-frame models. Guzzi Breva 750 maybe? Good Luck!

OK, so the FZ6 is an FI bike so you won't be jetting but power commandering etc.

Check out the MO middleweight comparo in the archives. I felt the same way about the FZ-6.



The Buell City X might be a good choice for you.

Have you considered a KLR, Interceptor, Concours? Sorry, but's been a while.

O fer crissake wear thick gloves. In my day all bikes were like grabbing a downed power line in your mouth and that was the Good part. Ya don't even need to put in quarters for the massage...

Here here! Any, err...problems with the Buell though?

Jeehuzus, what are you, like 43? At least you had "monoshocks".



Go hit a road berm with some worn out Girlings sometime. And try it with the Girlings attached to a '69 441.



Thick gloves indeed.

***** man what girlings? we had sheeplings and were glad for them.

I hate that weed-whacker buzz. The Meriden Triumphs got that resonant buzz above 5000rpm that drove you to religion.



If you don't want vibration the only way to go is a rubber mounted motor spun at the sweet spot the rubber mounts were designed for.



There's no vibration worse than an 850 Norton Commando (OK, maybe the Atlas) at any speed, except when the shims are set precisely at 0.009" gap and you're in 4th gear at precisely 3,765rpm. Then it's dead smooth - no (and I mean NO!) vibration.

If you want more torque, get a twin or maybe the new BMW 650 with belt drive. Or get a great motorcycle (FZ-6) and use the gear box to keep those little tiny pistons flying around the crank at warp speed and "feel the power."

Commute 80 mile a day on my '05 DL650...

She may be ugly but she sure can cook!!

My Kawi 750S had some buzziness over 7,000 RPM but it did not lack for power. Wind protection was pretty good and the mileage was great on regular gas.

Was that the air-cooled GPz-engined ZR-7S, or the newer "not-quite-a-Z1000 water-cooled Z750S?



The former is a dog, but handled better than it ought to have. The latter is a fine bike, the most powerful of the budget middleweights, and not bad for a passenger, either.



A used BMW roadster wouldn't go amiss, either. No need to be scared off by higher milages; those who can afford to buy them are typically wealthy and anal enough to maintain them. the oil-head 1150 is a good engine, and even the valve checks, though frequent, aren't expensive.

Embrace the ugly

Go weestrom. Ugly can be liberating. You can strap and bolt anything to it and not make it worse. Its like wearing socks under your sandals.. Sure feels good if you don't mind the stares..

get a yamaha yzf600r before they stop making them

the ergos aren't all that bad, actually they are pretty good. the suspension is fantastic and the motor is smoooooth

i've owned quite a few bikes and the 600r is still one of my favorites