"No, I don't thank you for the fish at all" (notindetroit)
10/13/2014 at 14:04 • Filed to: Oppositelock Reviews, Motorcycle Review, Motorcycle, Review, Two Wheels Good, Yamaha, FZ6
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"No, I don't thank you for the fish at all" (notindetroit)
10/13/2014 at 14:04 • Filed to: Oppositelock Reviews, Motorcycle Review, Motorcycle, Review, Two Wheels Good, Yamaha, FZ6 | 5
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In most people's minds, motorcycles fall into !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! : big heavy cruisers chewing up dry pavement over hundreds of miles at a time (or bikes that pretend to) and small, lithe sport bikes hitting hundreds of MPH in the blink of an eye (or bikes that pretend to). The bikes that fall somewhere or nowhere in between - including ones that look as if they should be wearing a Harley or GSX badge - are either seen as commuting-only or retro/throwback oddities or confused for their larger and faster brethren by the non-riding public. If it has even a vague resemblance to a Hog or a sportbike, it must be one, or if it looks like a classic Triumph or BMW it must be some ancient import ridden around by the same eccentric who thinks wrenching on an MGB all weekend is the epitome of fun. The fact is, looks entirely boil down to marketing, and many "standard" category bikes look like cruisers or sportbikes because that's what people expect all bikes to look like. The 2009 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer (yes, that's seriously it's name, unfortunately) is one of those straddling-the-line bikes. A capable 600cc-class commuter or even sport tourer (as was the setup on mine), does it have the performance to back up its naked sportbike looks?
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Above image copyright Eric Putter Photography/ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , used under Fair Use License. All other photos copyright by the author ("NotInDetroit")
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Exterior (8/10)
Let's start out by explaining what a "naked bike" ostensibly is - as the name implies, it's nominally a sportbike sans the fancy fairings. As you can plainly see the FZ6 still has a fairing, albeit a minimal one, and it was still marketed by Yamaha as a "naked bike" so, yeah, I'll roll with it.
When it comes to 600cc sportbikes/sport tourers the aesthetic variation is minimal as form strictly adheres to function. The frame and tank is quite literally wrapped around the engine in a package designed to interfere minimally in terms of aerodynamics and weight, and the seat is likewise designed with top priorities for a seating position aimed at comfort and reducing the rider's own aerodynamic drag (not necessarily in that order, depending on the bike). Therefore it all comes down to the fairing and perhaps some aesthetic flair to the gas tank that will set it apart from other bikes and potentially make or break its design. Of course, on a true naked bike (like the Yamaha FZ9) the burly exposed look of its metal tube latticework and hulking gas tank are the whole point of the aesthetic appeal; as far as the FZ6 goes, the bird's beak of its minimalist fairing makes for a streamlined and attractive if not rather anonymous package. Like the last of the Hyundai Tiburons and Toyota Celicas, you can tell its meant to evoke a sporting emotion, even if you can't tell exactly what brand it is.
Seating Position (6/10)
The seating position of the FZ6 reflects its Jack of all Trades, Master of None status. A near upright position on long stretches of open road from one tourist trap to another is surprisingly comfortable for a bike of this nature, but if you'd rather hunker down to where your entire field of vision is filtered through that tiny windscreen and attack the apex, you won't be forced into an uncomfortable stance either. That's not to say riding the FZ6 isn't completely problem-free.
For starters, the stock seat flat out sucks. It's probably more at home on a Gixxer, CBR or even a 'Busa, or at least some all-powerful sportbike you'd ride for maybe the length of an average feature film at most. If you're looking to use this truly as a sport tourer, you'd be wise to look into the aftermarket. Riding it for two hours plus and you'll run into chafing issues. And believe me, that is not fun . In addition to the FZ6 I also ride another Yamaha product, a Star Motorcycles VStar 950 upgraded with a Mustang seat. The difference between those two bikes, especially on long rides, is like sitting on a well-padded office chair all day and straddling a vinyl yoga mat draped across a gymnast's horse.
The bike itself is also quite tall, tall enough to remind you that it's no true sportbike. Yes, I've dropped it. More than once. So did the previous owner. You'd be wise to install pegs or other forms of drop protection on the bike. On the other hand, it's tall enough so that you could probably get away with installing all-terrain tires and using it as an adventure bike (I had in fact planned to do exactly this until circumstance intervened - but more on that later).
Acceleration (5/10)
How well the bike accelerates depends on how you look at it, actually. If you've ridden nothing but Gixxers and large-displacement Ninjas and CBRs all your life, it's going to feel like a two-wheel Camry trying to unground itself from the ground. On the other hand, if the four-wheel Camry and other cages serve as your measuring stick, it's going to take off like a rocket. It'll cruise all day at 3,000-5,000 RPM as well as it does at 8,000 to even 12,000 RPM - yes, it'll rev like a sportbike at least. Just enough to get you out of (or in) trouble, but more manageable for an intermediate rider before climbing onto a true superbike.
Braking (5/10)
Likewise, stopping distances are respectable. If your frame of reference is entirely based on four-wheel transportation, it'll seem to stop on a dime. Perhaps too well to the point where you can actually get into trouble and lose control. But for an intermediate rider who knows what to do, it's hard to get in over your head and into dangerous situations.
Ride (5/10)
It's happiest on smooth pavement. It will go over typical road imperfections just fine, but larger bumps on rougher roads will cause problems. Forget about dirt - unless you get all-terrain/adventure tires, you're going to wipe out completely. I may or may not have some direct experience in this.
Handling (7/10)
This is where the FZ6 really shines, if not necessarily sets itself apart. It's a great entry-level experience for someone looking to eventually upgrade to a true sportbike or superbike but still wants something that can do canyon carving on the weekends. It's just maneuverable and lithe enough to make even average rides fun and will give novice or intermediate riders a brand new experience and perspective if all they've ever roadtripped on are cars or cruisers. Its average and adequate combination of seating position, ride and handling are still enough to make it a great and efficient alternative to cars and cruisers for those going nowhere rides, even if for shorter periods only given the stock seat. The sense of freedom I got from the knowledge that as long as there's pavement, this bike can get me there, no matter how sharp the curves, is a powerful sensation - hence why I named her FREEDOM MACHINE (yes, all italicized caps are quite necessary).
Gearbox (4/10)
The gearbox was a bit iffy on my machine at least, to the point where even after taking it to the shop it would occasionally stall out when trying to go from neutral to first (in fact the problem got even worse after it came back from said shop). Shifting between upper gears was smooth, but first-neutral-second was problematic enough to cause an occasional stall harsh enough to drop the damn bike (fortunately at near-dead stop speeds). If that seems like it might be a disconcerting problem, well, it should. It was enough for me to eventually put the bike up on Craigslist (hence why the photos look as if they've been directly ripped from there) - but things ended up taking a different path.
Toys (6/10 - after upgrades)
As you might've figured, a naked bike doesn't come with much in the way of toys. My bike gets a special modifier as the previous owner actually did a thorough reworking to bring it closer to sport touring spec. These included handlebar risers for a more comfortable upright riding position and detachable saddle bags, which turned out to be an outright blessing for daily college commuting (being detachable and suitcase-like, they frequently doubled as my book bags). The setup to actually attach these bags to the bike itself was a bit, shall we say, improvised (as evidenced by the galvanized steel brackets just visible at the bottom of the photograph) but it worked. The downside was that the previous owner had to sacrifice the rear turn signals to make it work, replacing them with a barely legal, tiny LED setup that was less than ideal.
Value (6/10) - And the Priceless Value of Your First Sport Tourer
If you've noticed a lot of average scores, that's because the FZ6 is about as average a bike as you can encounter. The liquid-cooled 600cc class four-banger is likely the most common engine configuration for a light sportbike/sport tourer out there. It rides, handles, accelerates and even looks like any other near-anonymous crotchrocket your mind can conjure up. As I've said, this isn't the type of bike for someone with the experience and desire for a 'Busa or even a Gixxer or Ninja of the same displacement. For someone looking for his or her first sport tourer, or even first bike bigger than 250 or 300ccs, it's an unforgettable experience.
A decent sport touring bike gives you the ability to go anywhere pavement stretches to, and taking advantage of that freedom will change your life. Traveling, cruising and even commuting undergoes a fundamental metamorphosis - suddenly, the journey becomes at least as important as the destination, assuming you even need a destination. Suddenly, you actually get all those other riders out there shooting out aimlessly wherever the roads take them.
FREEDOM MACHINE was a great ride and as far as I was concerned properly earned her name. Sadly, that all ended nearly a year ago when an '03 Taurus piloted by a 92 year old grandmother T-boned me at a local intersection. The 15 MPH crash speed wasn't enough to earn me an extended hospital stay, but it was enough to earn a few bruises and scrapes as badges, completely crack what little fairing there was and most importantly include the radiator and coolant reservoir along with it. Repair costs greatly exceeded the value of the bike and as I was trying to Craigslist it anyway I gladly accepted the insurance check.
That said, I greatly miss being able to take on corners at speed and just enjoy the general feeling of MUH FREEDOM as I did on this bike. Harleys may advertise themselves as the ultimate freedom machine, and as a rider of crusiers I appreciate the ride and the looks, but it's hard to beat the true flexibility of a sport tourer, even an average one at that.
Final Score: 58/100
MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
10/13/2014 at 14:22 |
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Yup, yup, yup, yup...i have one and it's good at everything but not really great at anything
JEM
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
10/13/2014 at 14:46 |
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This was one of the bikes I was heavily considering getting this year as my first bike, before I bought my Katana. I love the idea of sport/touring bikes as my commute is 80 miles round trip, 90% highway.
Great ride up!
Heh, I meant to type write up, but I'm keeping the typo :-)
Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
10/14/2014 at 00:00 |
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Is this why You called me this morning, and why I didnt see The Santa Feh in the southmoor parking lot today either?
B Reynolds
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
11/20/2015 at 16:41 |
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Actually thinking about picking one of these up if I can find one at the “right price” over the winter.