[ZQ8Dude]

sorry if im in the wrong area. This does pertain to the FZ6 mainly, but also some other bikes.

Recently ive decided that i want a bike. Originally i was planning to buy a foxbody mustang or decomissioned police car to use as my college commuter and save miles on my nice truck, but thats no fun.

anyways ive come down to just a few bikes. Generally im not a fan of the pure sport bikes, especiall for something im gonna use for just screwing around town and maybe a few college commutes.

On the FZ6, i noticed it uses a motor very similar to the R6, can it be upgraded to R6 specs? also can you make the FZ6 handle like the R6?

The next bike i was thinking of was the SV650, but i saw that its twin cylinder rather then a 4cyl, is that a big limiting factor? how does this bike compare to a stock FZ6?

aside from the 599 are their any other worthy naked sport bikes?

sorry if im in the wrong area, :squid here

 

[flipperMAN]

The FZ6S is detuned slightly for the midrange than the R6, but trust me the FZ6 rockets from 6,500 rpm up so much so you won't need engine work to get a buzz.

The SV650 is a beautiful motorcycle and either would be a proud buy. The SV has the low ground grunt while the FZ6 with it's detuned R6 engine has it high.

The FZ6 is more upright than the SV650 and is much better when your knocking of the miles in there hundreds.

The V-Twin in the SV650 sings like one should but of course it can't match the power of a four.

I'm not sure if the Ducati 600 Monster is sold in the states, but it is another naked in the 600 range if it is.

No disrepect but the Honda is a big commuting motorcycling and is as boring as bat shit.

The two choices you have looked at (FZ & SV) clearly show good judgement. Ride em both and which ever one makes you sing "Im sitting on top of the world" buy it.

Both have power & passion.

Let us know how ya go

 

[CerebralAssassin]

If you want a FZ6 to perform like a R6, just buy the R6. By the time you spend the money to mod the FZ to do what you want, you could've bought the R6. If this is your first bike ever, I would not suggest getting an R6. Mind you that the R6 is 130 HP and the FZ6 is 94, so I don't think there's a lot you can do performance wise to get the FZ6 up that high. Then there is the difference of weight with the R6 being a lot lighter than the FZ. Oh, not to forget the huge difference in riding position. I changed my bars to the Coerce Hyper bars to get lower and more forward as I felt stock was too upright and not aggressive. There are some guys here that have upgraded to the R6 forks and brakes and also use a Power Commander III to try and increase HP, so you can get somewhat close.

Since I've never owned or ridden a bike, the R6 was not a factor so I was in between the SV650 and the FZ6 and chose the FZ because of looks. The SV650 has more torque than the FZ, and even though the FZ has more HP, the SV has more HP at lower RPMs, but if you do a sprocket conversion kit, you can do the same effect for the FZ. The only other naked would be a ZZR750 from Kawasaki, but in my opinion, if this is your first bike, a 750 would not be the choice for a beginner. Honestly, if the FZ did not have the undertail exhaust and front fairing, I probably would've bought the SV. Either one you go with, SV or FZ, both are good bikes.

 

[ZQ8Dude]

The FZ6S is detuned slightly for the midrange than the R6, but trust me the FZ6 rockets from 6,500 rpm up so much so you won't need engine work to get a buzz.

The SV650 is a beautiful motorcycle and either would be a proud buy. The SV has the low ground grunt while the FZ6 with it's detuned R6 engine has it high.

The FZ6 is more upright than the SV650 and is much better when your knocking of the miles in there hundreds.

The V-Twin in the SV650 sings like one should but of course it can't match the power of a four.

I'm not sure if the Ducati 600 Monster is sold in the states, but it is another naked in the 600 range if it is.

No disrepect but the Honda is a big commuting motorcycling and is as boring as bat shit.

The two choices you have looked at (FZ & SV) clearly show good judgement. Ride em both and which ever one makes you sing "Im sitting on top of the world" buy it.

Both have power & passion.

Let us know how ya go

you can bash hondas around me all you please...they piss me off. my brother had an accord that had an uncurable exhaust leak after changing back from his fart can to OEM, ended up selling it that way. and i own a honda 400ex quad that was built cold blooded. takes forever to fire up, as opposed to my dads raptor that starts up like its freakin fuel injected.

thats why i said aside from the 599, its expensive and i dont trust hondas anymore

the ducati is out of the question, they are way too expensive.

Do dealers let you ride them? i never had the opportunity while quad shopping. Anyways it will be a little while before i can get either, i wont have enough till january(tax return time)

thanks for all the info.

 

[TRaGiK]

The FZ6 is more upright than the SV650 and is much better when your knocking of the miles in there hundreds.

If you get the naked SV, the above doesn't necesarily hold true.

I found the naked's bars too much upright and installed Coerce Hyperbars on it. Still, not nearly as leaned forward as the S model, but better than the stock bars. I find it to be nearly perfect, and actually more comfortable.

Initial cost of a Ducati isn't bad. You can get the Monster 620 i.e. Dark for right around $6500. It's the maintenence that will kill you. I'd definately shy away from the Duc.

After putting over 20k in 2 years on my naked SV, I can't say enough good things about it. No problems to speak of, and even tho it makes ONLY ~70 hp, I still am not even close to being bored of it yet. It does everything I ask of it (twisties, commuting, touring). The only complaint is with touring due to 0 wind protection, but, I have gotten used to it. I've done 500 mile days on it, and it really isn't that bad anymore.

Another thing is it's extremely fun busting SS bikes ass through the twisties... they never see it coming from the lowly SV. Makes me giggle every time.

I've never ridden a FZ, so I have nothing to say about them other than I like the looks.

Both bikes have a cult following, and you won't go wrong choosing either the FZ, or the SV.

 

[flipperMAN]

Where beginning to sound like the FZ/SV S/N owners club. nfloor

:cheers

 

[ZXRhino]

Help me out I was asked to for my 2 cents about a good bike to start on. Before I give my 2 cents I like to have some first hand experience. I just met a guy I work with that has a 2001 SV650. I asked him if I could take it out for a test ride ( knowing that if i wreck it he could have my ZX9R and I would get a stunt bike). Anyway I noticed two things that made me feel uncomfortable.

The first thing was the bike didn't seem to balance itself well at speeds under 25 mph. I don't know what it was but when I first started off it seemed to wobble left to right. It just didn't feel good even when I was slowing to a stop light or stop sign it just seemed like I had to steer it more than my 9 to keep it up right.

The second thing I notice is that it seemed to have a bit more torque in first gear than I was expecting. My thoughts are between the wobble and the torque I couldn't recommend this bike. I talked to the owner and another person who owns one and they both went down on their bikes doing a low speed turn. I would think that the balance issue I had would be enough to make me wash out in a low speed turn also. Someone help me out do you think it was something wrong with the bike, or me? Now I'm not bashing it I just want to know if anyone else had the same experience as I did.

 

[TRaGiK]

ZXRhino - I've never noticed the low speed problems you mention.... even when I first got the bike.

The torque it makes is only a few ft. pounds more than 600 SS bikes, just comes in at a lot lower RPM. The S model is geared even taller than the naked (44t as opposed to 45t rear sprocket), so percieved torque should be a little less.

I really can't say either one of these bikes (SV or FZ) would be a great beginner bike. Both make a little too much power (low end torque on the SV, and HP on the FZ) for a beginner. There's much worse to choose from tho.

 

[TRaGiK]

Where beginning to sound like the FZ/SV S/N owners club. nfloor

:cheers

Is that such a bad thing? The SV forum is so dead on here that us SV owners have to come over here and stir shit up.

 

[ZQ8Dude]

ZXRhino - I've never noticed the low speed problems you mention.... even when I first got the bike.

The torque it makes is only a few ft. pounds more than 600 SS bikes, just comes in at a lot lower RPM. The S model is geared even taller than the naked (44t as opposed to 45t rear sprocket), so percieved torque should be a little less.

I really can't say either one of these bikes (SV or FZ) would be a great beginner bike. Both make a little too much power (low end torque on the SV, and HP on the FZ) for a beginner. There's much worse to choose from tho.

the problem is that generally anything lower might as well be a throw away bike. atleast with one of these eventually i can built it up and keep it for along time, even if i feel the need to hit the track.

i dont mind if i dip one of these pretty bikes, i plan to add frame sliders before i even ride it once and plastics can be replaced. As well as spend a month or so just screwing around in my neighborhood. there are slow 25mph areas as well as 2 40mph roads that are so desolate that kids would race on it before cops started regular patrols there.

 

[04Fizzer]

the problem is that generally anything lower might as well be a throw away bike. atleast with one of these eventually i can built it up and keep it for along time, even if i feel the need to hit the track.

i dont mind if i dip one of these pretty bikes, i plan to add frame sliders before i even ride it once and plastics can be replaced. As well as spend a month or so just screwing around in my neighborhood. there are slow 25mph areas as well as 2 40mph roads that are so desolate that kids would race on it before cops started regular patrols there.

If you're looking for a first bike, I stand by my feelings of buying an OLD bike (read: early 80's). They're dirt cheap, and if you drop it, it's no big deal. Why waste a perfectly good bike?

So what if you have to trade it in in a year or two? Save yourself the money and the pain and get an old bike first.

 

[CerebralAssassin]

04FIZZER, I have to disagree. The FZ is the first bike I've ever owned or ridden. Just because a bike has a lot of power doesn't mean you have to use it to it's full extent. I feel it's a matter of comfort and riding within your limits. I guess that's where the tricky part comes in, knowing what your limit is and not pushing beyond because of pride or peer pressure. My friend has a SV1000 and he's an experienced rider, so it took me a long while before I was able to keep up with him on some rides. Usually he'd let me be the lead bike so I wasn't under pressure to make pace. I'm speaking of staying at a 600 class. I myself would not be comfortable on a 1k bike if it were my first time riding. I think the FZ or the SV would be a good bike to start off with as long as you know your limit and don't exceed it.

 

[04Fizzer]

04FIZZER, I have to disagree. The FZ is the first bike I've ever owned or ridden. Just because a bike has a lot of power doesn't mean you have to use it to it's full extent. I feel it's a matter of comfort and riding within your limits. I guess that's where the tricky part comes in, knowing what your limit is and not pushing beyond because of pride or peer pressure. My friend has a SV1000 and he's an experienced rider, so it took me a long while before I was able to keep up with him on some rides. Usually he'd let me be the lead bike so I wasn't under pressure to make pace. I'm speaking of staying at a 600 class. I myself would not be comfortable on a 1k bike if it were my first time riding. I think the FZ or the SV would be a good bike to start off with as long as you know your limit and don't exceed it.

I'm basing my opinion on the fact that I know nothing abotu his experience or personality. Unless I know you personally, I'm going to recommend an old beater as a first bike, and I know many others that think the same way I do. Yes, there are always exceptions to the rules, but they are often few and far between. You'll never see me recommend a brand new bike as a first bike, partially because I'd hate to see a new bike get totalled (and quite possibly the owner as well), and partially because a newbie is, point blank, going to drop the bike a few times, and it's just plain expensive to fix. It's better to drop a $400 bike than a $4000 bike.

 

[CerebralAssassin]

I'm basing my opinion on the fact that I know nothing abotu his experience or personality. Unless I know you personally, I'm going to recommend an old beater as a first bike, and I know many others that think the same way I do. Yes, there are always exceptions to the rules, but they are often few and far between. You'll never see me recommend a brand new bike as a first bike, partially because I'd hate to see a new bike get totalled (and quite possibly the owner as well), and partially because a newbie is, point blank, going to drop the bike a few times, and it's just plain expensive to fix. It's better to drop a $400 bike than a $4000 bike.

True. I see your point. After taking the MSF course, I was more confident in my riding ability. I am by no means ready for track riding or kneedragging. The best advise I was given is never ride beyond your comfort level or your abilities.

 

[Rigel89]

The FZ6 is a great first bike. It has enough power to where the bike will be fun to ride for years, but also enough to get the rider into trouble in a hurry.

Before you pick her up, take the MSF course... get your gear and enjoy.

 

[ZQ8Dude]

I'm basing my opinion on the fact that I know nothing abotu his experience or personality. Unless I know you personally, I'm going to recommend an old beater as a first bike, and I know many others that think the same way I do. Yes, there are always exceptions to the rules, but they are often few and far between. You'll never see me recommend a brand new bike as a first bike, partially because I'd hate to see a new bike get totalled (and quite possibly the owner as well), and partially because a newbie is, point blank, going to drop the bike a few times, and it's just plain expensive to fix. It's better to drop a $400 bike than a $4000 bike.

i understand your opinion and your taking the assumption of what kids do on motorcycles, they showboat before they know what they're doing. That's fine and all, but it isnt me. I went through this when i started back in quads. Years before i got back in i had been riding auto-clutch utility quads that are embarressingly slow even compared to todays utility quads. i jumped back into the sport with a 400cc manual clutch quad that has the power to bring the front up real easily. Alot of people had a similar opinion as yours, but here i stand without doing anything stupid in front of my riding friends, even the ones riding b***** 500+cc sport quads.

Rigel- i thought you needed the bike before the MSF class? or thats what i was told from a friend who recently bought his bike.

 

[04Fizzer]

i understand your opinion and your taking the assumption of what kids do on motorcycles, they showboat before they know what they're doing. That's fine and all, but it isnt me. I went through this when i started back in quads. Years before i got back in i had been riding auto-clutch utility quads that are embarressingly slow even compared to todays utility quads. i jumped back into the sport with a 400cc manual clutch quad that has the power to bring the front up real easily. Alot of people had a similar opinion as yours, but here i stand without doing anything stupid in front of my riding friends, even the ones riding b***** 500+cc sport quads.

Rigel- i thought you needed the bike before the MSF class? or thats what i was told from a friend who recently bought his bike.

I'm just of the mind that I don't want to be responsible for someone killing themselves because I recommended a bike that they couldn't handle. On a side note, I think it's sick that Yamaha's making the Raptor in a 700 now.

The beginner's MSF provides the bike (double check with your state to be sure). The advanced class requires your own bike. Your own gear is needed for both, though some can be provided on a limited basis for the beginners.

 

[ZQ8Dude]

the new raptor is more hype then anything. its actually a 686cc bike with fuel injection...but for quads fuel injection just makes them extremely high maintence. just look at cannondale. hopefully they widen the new raptor too. my dads got a 660(his first quad also) and imho it sucks. its narrow and scary feeling when you try to slide it

ok thanks, im guessing my dumb friend is trying to jump straight to the advanced class.

anyways, i dont think you should feel responsible if it were to happen. it'd be my dumb mistake for doing something stupid. as i said earlier, im gonna spend a long time learning the bike before i even take it on busy roads

 

[Aburke27]

i understand your opinion and your taking the assumption of what kids do on motorcycles, they showboat before they know what they're doing. That's fine and all, but it isnt me. I went through this when i started back in quads. Years before i got back in i had been riding auto-clutch utility quads that are embarressingly slow even compared to todays utility quads. i jumped back into the sport with a 400cc manual clutch quad that has the power to bring the front up real easily. Alot of people had a similar opinion as yours, but here i stand without doing anything stupid in front of my riding friends, even the ones riding b***** 500+cc sport quads.

Rigel- i thought you needed the bike before the MSF class? or thats what i was told from a friend who recently bought his bike.

Dude, get whatever bike you want. Start on the FZ or SV if you want. I did it and i have had no problems. I wouldnt compare the starting out aspect of quads to sport bikes though. I grew up riding quads and the only thing that i took from quad riding is using the clutch.

 

[Aburke27]

the new raptor is more hype then anything. its actually a 686cc bike with fuel injection...but for quads fuel injection just makes them extremely high maintence. just look at cannondale. hopefully they widen the new raptor too. my dads got a 660(his first quad also) and imho it sucks. its narrow and scary feeling when you try to slide it

ok thanks, im guessing my dumb friend is trying to jump straight to the advanced class.

anyways, i dont think you should feel responsible if it were to happen. it'd be my dumb mistake for doing something stupid. as i said earlier, im gonna spend a long time learning the bike before i even take it on busy roads

Please dont compare a cannondale isson quad to a yamaha. That new raptor is awesome, but i think i would rather have that new YFZ.