Bought a Raven FZ6 today

[typehxr1]

Brief synopsis....owned two previous bikes, the first being a 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom (10 months), and a 2009 Honda CBR600RR (3 weeks). I totaled the CBR while trying to be safe ironically and flipped it doing 50mph on the highway. A year (and a cast, a shoulder surgery, a 4 months of short-term disability) later, I got the itch again and support from the wife.

I was going to the Honda dealership to get an '05 Interceptor w/ABS that had 1,600 miles on it. We stopped at a Yamaha place on the way and even though we still went to see the Interceptor afterwards, we came back and bought a leftover new '09 Raven FZ6. I got to ride it 19 miles home in 5pm Houston commuter traffic (a big, big step for me since this was the same time/road I crashed) and it was so nice to be on two wheels again, albeit sweating bullets the whole time

Sadly, I have to go to work out of town for 2 weeks, so it will sitting all by itself in the garage until I return. I plan on getting frame sliders, the Givi engine protector, a darker windscreen, and maybe a rear seat cowl to cover the passenger seat. I will also be powder-coating the rims somewhere between the subtle bronze on the R6 and flashy gold on the FZ1.

Speaking of the FZ1....the 2010 in Raven w/gold rims is literally THE sexiest bike I have seen in person. If I had the extra dough and balls to ride the beast, I would have gotten it....pure dripping wet motorcycle sex. Hotttt bike.

 

[wolfe1down]

First off, :welcome: to the forum!

I got to ride it 19 miles home in 5pm Houston commuter traffic (a big, big step for me since this was the same time/road I crashed) and it was so nice to be on two wheels again, albeit sweating bullets the whole time

I can appreciate sweating bullets on your first ride after an accident. But, like the saying goes "If you fall off your horse, you've gotta get right back on!" And it sounds like you've got your wife's support as well! You just bought an AWESOME bike, and it'll treat you well.

Good luck, and if you need help for anything, this is definitely the place to ask!

 

[typehxr1]

Yeah man, she's the best not only with this, but in many, many other respects as well.

I really do think this will suit me best. I liked the Kawi cruiser, but well, it was a cruiser and it was clunky and bloated. The Supersport was too much on the other end of the spectrum. Generally speaking I am middle of the road on the way I think and the things I do, so it only makes sense that a bike w/the same qualities will serve me well.

Thanks for the well wishes.

FYI, for those in the Houston area, I walked otd w/this for $6k brand new today if this can help anyone w/negotiations.

 

[CCHOUSEKY]

I concur with wolfe1down...:welcome:

Another mod that you might eventually realize you'll want...an aftermarket seat. If you do any long riding, not necessarily in distance but also in time (all afternoon, for example), you're gonna find that the stock seat will kill your rear end. Of course, some people have no problems with the stock seat...but most do.

I've got a Corbin and it's fantastic. There's also Top Saddlery (or Sellerie, they're a French company, I believe), and the Yamaha Comfort Seat (it has a gel pad in the rider and passenger portion and is better than the stock, but not as good as Corbin or TS). There's another one that people like, but for the life of me I can't remember the company's name right now.

New, these will run you around $400 on average (the Comfort Seat can be found for around $150), but if you look hard enough, I would advise on finding a used one for much less. I got my Corbin used for $185 shipped, just for reference sake.

The FZ6 is one of the best bikes going, for sure. It's great for commuting but also works perfectly for sport-riding and touring. You've made a great choice!

 

[Geoff]

^^^^^
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This guy who posted above me (CChouseky), pretty much convinced me to buy my corbin seat.:thumbup: They are great seats.​

:welcome::thumbup::welcome::thumbup:

Hey, I'm glad to hear your story and your decision to ride again. I hope you will enjoy the FZ6. It's a great bike up and down; also, it's very fun to mod it over and over again Welcome! and make sure you thoroughly check out the site. Plenty of great information.

 

[maverick1970]

Welcome to the FZ6 Forum. Your story was very close to my own reality and it made me look forward to the day when I can get back on the road once again.

I bought my FZ6 brand new in 2007 and went from one end of the spectrum of mods to the other. It is a very modifible bike. I feel that you are definitely in the middle when it comes to bikes. Enjoy and look forward to your pictures and mods.

 

[texcollect]

Another Raven 2009 FZ6 in the Houston area !! Cool !!

I thought I got a good deal on mine when I paid less for mine than my buddy did for his FZ6R despite the FZ6 having a higher dealer price, but OTD for 6k is damn good. Which dealership did you go to?

Congratulations on the new bike. See you around.

 

[joe1971]

I concur with wolfe1down...:welcome:

Another mod that you might eventually realize you'll want...an aftermarket seat. If you do any long riding, not necessarily in distance but also in time (all afternoon, for example), you're gonna find that the stock seat will kill your rear end. Of course, some people have no problems with the stock seat...but most do.

I've got a Corbin and it's fantastic. There's also Top Saddlery (or Sellerie, they're a French company, I believe), and the Yamaha Comfort Seat (it has a gel pad in the rider and passenger portion and is better than the stock, but not as good as Corbin or TS). There's another one that people like, but for the life of me I can't remember the company's name right now.

New, these will run you around $400 on average (the Comfort Seat can be found for around $150), but if you look hard enough, I would advise on finding a used one for much less. I got my Corbin used for $185 shipped, just for reference sake.

The FZ6 is one of the best bikes going, for sure. It's great for commuting but also works perfectly for sport-riding and touring. You've made a great choice!

Didn't the 09s come with the comfort seat?

 

[sublime0713]

Didn't the 09s come with the comfort seat?

My 09 didn't

 

[Dennis in NH]

You picked a good bike to come back too. I know what you mean about the gold rims on black bike -- looks very blingy like a hot chick .

Anyway how'd you flip the CBR doing 50mph?

I had a similar story -- fell off the back of a CBR1000 after the front end went up and down and up and down as my hand held the throttle for dear life until I fell off the back. It was surreal to observe the bike (with my earplugs there was little sound) go off by itself and down a ditch and up and flip around onto the ground . It was surely the wrong bike for my skill level, overconfidence, and wrong suspension setup :spank:.

The FZ6 (traded it recently) was a great come back bike and better suited for longer distance riding. To the left of 8K RPM, it's a nice ride; to the right of 8K RPM, it can really crank.

Enjoy it and don't forget to post pics.

Dennis

 

[04fizzer]

I've driven in Houston. I've gotta say, you've got balls for riding anything with less than 4 wheels down there. Y'all are crazy!

As they say, you know there are bad drivers there when the Mexicans get insurance!

 

[typehxr1]

I've driven in Houston. I've gotta say, you've got balls for riding anything with less than 4 wheels down there. Y'all are crazy!

As they say, you know there are bad drivers there when the Mexicans get insurance!

Ha true about that! You know, after I wrecked, I had friends telling me that they had friends who sold their bikes when they moved there and others that said "hey you know you shouldn't ride in Houston", etc, etc. Back then I also wasn't aware that I could use the HOV lane. It will be a BIG help this time around though I will try to avoid riding during peak hours this go-round when I can.

 

[typehxr1]

Welcome to the FZ6 Forum. Your story was very close to my own reality and it made me look forward to the day when I can get back on the road once again.

I bought my FZ6 brand new in 2007 and went from one end of the spectrum of mods to the other. It is a very modifible bike. I feel that you are definitely in the middle when it comes to bikes. Enjoy and look forward to your pictures and mods.

It was tough brother. The circumstances surrounding the purchase w/my work and my wife going to work and us riding around together in my truck.....left me with just the bike at the dealership and having to get home. They took longer than I would have liked dealing with my credit union and by the time it was time to go, I realized it was 5pm. Let's just say it took me a while to drive off of the lot and straight onto a major highway. This was the first time in my life I had to "slay the dragon" or "face my fears head on" ,etc etc. My chest was tense for close to 2 hrs before I could relax but I was proud. Support from my wife made a big difference. I wish you well in coming back. I wasn't sure I would.

 

[typehxr1]

Another Raven 2009 FZ6 in the Houston area !! Cool !!

I thought I got a good deal on mine when I paid less for mine than my buddy did for his FZ6R despite the FZ6 having a higher dealer price, but OTD for 6k is damn good. Which dealership did you go to?

Congratulations on the new bike. See you around.

Sweet man, yeah glad to see someone so close with great taste I got it at Team Mancuso Southwest. My salesman was Ivan. To be honest, they tried to bone me real fast with some pretty insulting fees. Had I been younger and/or had less big purchase/life experience, I would have gotten raped. Several things helped me out. First, I knew I was approved for a bike loan already. Second, I was actually on my way to Honda of Houston to purchase a used Interceptor w/ABS and was wearing a Honda shirt. I was just there to look. I was also on a very crunched time table and wouldn't sit down at their desk. Lastly, they were staring at my wife's boobs pretty hard. In the end, they went from trying to do an OTD price of around 9k to 6k. I ended up paying $6,834 because my wife wanted me to get the 4yr bumper to bumper Yamaha warranty. I obliged though I don't think I'll need it. Hope this helps.

 

[Motogiro]

:welcome:typehxr1! to the best forum!
Glad you got back on and the FZ6 is such a great bike. It really does everything well.
Props to your wife for being supportive. :cheer: Treat her right! :rockon:

 

[typehxr1]

You picked a good bike to come back too. I know what you mean about the gold rims on black bike -- looks very blingy like a hot chick .

Anyway how'd you flip the CBR doing 50mph?

I had a similar story -- fell off the back of a CBR1000 after the front end went up and down and up and down as my hand held the throttle for dear life until I fell off the back. It was surreal to observe the bike (with my earplugs there was little sound) go off by itself and down a ditch and up and flip around onto the ground . It was surely the wrong bike for my skill level, overconfidence, and wrong suspension setup :spank:.

The FZ6 (traded it recently) was a great come back bike and better suited for longer distance riding. To the left of 8K RPM, it's a nice ride; to the right of 8K RPM, it can really crank.

Enjoy it and don't forget to post pics.

Dennis

A bunch of people slammed their brakes (like some bitches) when they saw a cop on the side of the ride that had ALREADY pulled someone over. I had just changed lanes (because you're supposed to get over). When I whipped my head around, all I saw were brake lights and I grabbed my front brake way too hard and blacked out before I went superman. I don't know if I flew over the car in front of me, etc except I woke up and the bike had flown over me about 50-70 feet, I couldn't breathe, and I believe I stopped 4 lanes of traffic. I landed head first (was wearing jeans, bike jacket, full face helmet, bike gloves, and saucony running shoes). I had a broken right 2nd rib (near neck), my right collar bone separated from my shoulder (all tendons holding it down ripped, though it did not protrude through my skin), some rash on my hips and knees and 3 microfractures in my right hand.

I consider myself lucky in several ways, 3 in particular. First, I blacked out and don't remember flying or landing. Second, I not only survived the impact but also didn't get run over while traveling on 12 lane-wide highway. Third, I am riding again.

 

[typehxr1]

:welcome:typehxr1! to the best forum!
Glad you got back on and the FZ6 is such a great bike. It really does everything well.
Props to your wife for being supportive. :cheer: Treat her right! :rockon:

Super props...she is the best. She called me today and told me when she went in the garage and saw it in there for the first time, it looked like it belonged. How awesome is that?! Lucky guy I am.

 

[deeptekkie]

I have exactly what you got. I love the stealthy look. Enjoy!

 

[Key5]

Hey typexhr,

You posted me about your similar story (being from Lafayette too etc) but I guess I didn't pay enough attention, because I saw this and realized you also just got your new FZ. You told me but duh, it didn't register

So congrats, to both of us FZ newbies Between the both of us we got Raven and Deep Blue (Hmmm...black and blue - hope that's not an omen )

Hey I've got to admire a man who doesn't give up :thumbup: You went from one exteme (cruiser) to the other (track-bike and disaster) and settled in between them (FZ6).

IMHO you made the right choice. You (and me, and the rest of us here) got the best of all motorcycling worlds. A comfortable standand that's easy to ride in town or on the interstate, can run through a country twistie like a scalded dog, and looks as good as that Goth girl you (well...I) could never get a date with in high school :rockon:

Ride safe bro, but have your fun too

 

[texcollect]

I got it at Team Mancuso Southwest. My salesman was Ivan.

I bought my bike last August and went to Mancuso to look. Ivan was my salesman, but then price I got was pretty bad. We (my buddy and I) went from there to Houston Yamaha up on 1960 and Geoff's starting price was lower than Ivan's final price so we bought 2 bikes there (Raven FZ6 and a Blue FZ6R). I have put almost 4000 miles on mine since then. It's been a blast.