FZ6 is anything but basic
Labeled a ''middleweight standard,'' the FZ6 should please a variety of riders, as it is friendly enough for newcomers and spunky enough for the experienced.
BY JAMES HESKETH
Special to The Herald
It is nearly impossible to just call a motorcycle a motorcycle these days. This is world where even nonspecialized motorcycles have become a specialty. There seems to be an obsessive need to classify and label everything.
So the moto-nomenclature has adopted the term ''middleweight-standard'' for what is essentially a basic motorcycle, one that doesn't fit into one of the three main categories -- cruiser, sportbike or touring bike.
Yamaha's entry into this middleweight-standard class is the FZ6.
Introduced earlier this year, the FZ6 is comfortable and friendly enough for new riders, spunky and stylish enough for experienced riders and affordable enough that anyone who is serious about buying a motorcycle will not be turned off by its price.
The FZ6 is just a motorcycle -- oh, but what a motorcycle it is.
Derived from the YZF-R6, an all-out 600cc track-worthy sportbike, Yamaha retuned the high-performance engine to make it friendlier in real-world traffic, reworked the ergonomics to provide a comfortable riding position and replaced the high-tech, race-quality suspension and brake components with less expensive -- but still adequate -- parts.
The 16-valve, liquid-cooled 98-hp, inline four can push the 428 pounds (dry weight) bike up to a top speed of just under 140 mph, with ease. Electronic fuel injection working with a catalytic converter keeps the emissions to a legal output as exhaust gasses pass through the dual under-seat mufflers.
Running the exhaust up and under the seat also helps when carrying luggage by eliminating the possibility of the bags resting against hot, side-mounted mufflers. A heat shield placed between the tops of the mufflers and the seat bottom helps keep the heat away from the rider's bottom.
Yamaha says the bike should get around 40 mpg and, with a 5.1-gallon fuel tank, that makes for 200 miles or so between stops at the gas station.
I had a chance to spend an afternoon on a FZ6 several months ago during Daytona Bike Week. I spent the morning on a YZF-R1, Yamaha's top of the line 1000cc sportbike and really welcomed the more relaxed riding ''attitude'' of the smaller bike.
The sharp looking, small, frame-mounted half-fairing kept the wind off my chest and did a good job of directing airflow over my helmet. At five-foot six-inches, small fairings were fine. But taller riders may be interested in the larger windshield Yamaha offers as an option.
The seat, at 31.5 inches off the ground, shouldn't give any riders grief when it comes to holding the bike up at stops. The comfortable reach to the handlebars combined with practically placed foot pegs gives the bike a practical ''ride-all-day'' feel when sitting on the well-padded seat.
The rear seat looked like it should be comfortable, and with two convenient grab rails on either side of the seat passengers can feel as secure on the back as the rider does. These grab rails will also make good places to hook bungee cords when strapping down a briefcase for a ride to work, or soft luggage when using the bike for touring duty.
This is a fun bike to ride. I found myself just weaving back and forth and when accelerating away from a stop, it was hard to resist that extra little twist of the throttle that would point the front skyward.
With an MSRP of $6,599, the street-friendly FZ6 costs $1,500 less than the track-loving YZF-R6 and most will find it a lot more practical to own.
For more information:
www.yamaha-motor.com
James Hesketh writes about motorcycles for Wheels & Waves. He can be e-mailed at
[email protected].
