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.
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.
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!
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...
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."
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.
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..
You want guttless, ride an R6 below 7000. The FZ6 has way more torque, something like 7 more ft/lbs up to that point. FI is a little snatchy with the on/off transition compared to the R6, but still better than my main ride 94 yami gts1000 with FI. Guess I'm just used to it. The FZ6 is my wife's bike. If you like torque and power w/o reving it a lot, buy a big inch cruiser or a 1000+cc bike, 600cc fours just are not going to cut it, period. I rode a Breva 750 when I was looking for a new bike to suprise her with for her birthday. Pretty bike but really gutless, my wife's 1982 KZ440 that the FZ6 replaced was faster and quicker. Same with the FZ6, a top gear roll on on the fZ6 results in way more go than than the Breva even if you downshift on the Breva once or twice which then runs into the rev limit very quickly. In general, all inline fours are a little buzzy at some point, the fZ6 smooths out considerably with a few thousand miles on the odo. Featurewise for the price, there isn't really anything out there that can beat the FZ6, or that can beat it for flat out speed. Some people are more sensitive to vibs and if they bother you, you will have to look elsewhere. The most balanced review of the FZ6 after riding one quite a bit is in MCN, motorcycle consumer news.
Hear, hear! FZ6 is an excellent commuter bike, only problem I've had with mine in over 21k miles is a flaky throttle position sensor (which I need to get fixed.........)
Vibration from mine is in the "annoying" range from about 5k rpm through about 6.2k, and only through the pegs. I haven't noticed vibration problems anywhere else. Shift up or twist the throttle harder, it goes away.
Sounds like several have already condemned it. If that's the way one feels about a bike, then that bike is not for you. I feel that way about several motorcycles, don't own 'em either.
If you're looking for a comfortable bike that still has some sporting prowess, I'd take a look at Yamaha's red-headed step child, the YZF600R. The YZF600R has more torque and horsepower than the FZ6 or R6 below 10,000 rpm's, it's about the same price as the FZ6, less buzzy, and has a pretty comfy riding position for long hauls. It's won top honors for being the best middleweight streetbike and it has been compared to the Honda VFR800 but with a cheaper price tag. My brother has an FZ6 and despite it's comfortable riding position it does have a horrible engine for street riding, and the vibes kill my brothers hands on 1 hour + rides. The older European Fazer 600 was a MUCH better all-around street bike, unfortunatley Yamaha decided not to bring it across the pond. Good luck shopping for the "perfect ride", there's lot's of good choices out there.
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