First (real) ride...comparison to a cruiser

[2000 Intruder]

Ok, so I had my first real ride on the FZ6 yesterday. I rode it home from the dealership last Saturday, but it was too cold to do much highway riding. Yesterday it was about 55 degrees F, and sunny, so I got in about 90 miles in the afternoon. My first impressions are below.

My last bike was a cruiser, and I have to say that the FZ6 is a completely different animal. Now I understand why there's really no way to compare the two without riding both of them.

Comfort - I think the FZ is going to be more comfortable for longer rides. My weight seems to be more evenly distributed across my seat, legs, and arms, rather than all of my weight resting on my backside.

Slow speed maneuvers - the higher center of gravity of the FZ6 makes slow speed maneuvers a little more tricky. I was trying out some figure 8's in a parking lot, and I found myself putting my foot down more often than I liked. I'll probably take the MSF ERC this spring to refresh my skills.

Engine/power - plenty of power. I actually like the way the engine is a little more tame at the lower RPM's. It makes the power delivery more manageable, especially when I'm just easing around town. But the beast comes out once the RPM's break 8000. Nice. :thumbup:

Overall handling - very responsive. The bike absolutely goes where I tell it to.

Vibration - I've read some reviews that say the FZ6 buzzes at around 5000 RPM's. Since my last bike was a V-twin, by comparison I find the vibration of the FZ6 negligible.

Brakes - the back brake locks up waaay too easily for my taste. I was practicing some emergency stops to get a feel for the brakes, and while the front brakes are great, it takes very little pressure on the foot pedal to get the rear brake to lock up. That's going to take some getting used to.

Noise - surprisingly, the turbulent air coming off the fairing hits me square in the helmet. It makes for a louder ride due to all the buffeting wind noise.

Overall the FZ6 is great. I'm really going to enjoy this year's riding season. :Flash:

 

[mpb218]

Glad you like it! It's a great bike, I can't wait for summer.

 

[psnbye]

I too have found the wind hits me directly in the face at speed and I have to turn my music up louder but I plan on buying a taller windscreen to help out with that. I will also add some frame sliders as well as upgrade the exhaust system.:thumbup: My previous bike was a Harley Sportster which I gave to my wife when she let me buy the FZ6!!! Good trade as far as I can see.

 

[cv_rider]

Taller windscreens don't reduce wind noise, most of us have found. They certainly reduce wind blast, but if the turbulence off the top of the screen hits your visor, that creates the worst wind noise. Search for threads on people cutting down their windshields to shorter lengths for quieter rides (but more wind blast).

 

[FZyLarry]

Taller windscreens don't reduce wind noise, most of us have found. They certainly reduce wind blast, but if the turbulence off the top of the screen hits your visor, that creates the worst wind noise. Search for threads on people cutting down their windshields to shorter lengths for quieter rides (but more wind blast).

I cut my windscreen down about 6 months ago. It made a noticeable difference in noise reduction. Now the main amount of the wind hits me n the chest. However, about 2 months ago I bought a new helmet. Now the wind noise is back again and I feel my neck muscles getting tired on longer rides.

I think there is no perfect answer, the riders height, seating position/preference, helmet style & shape all come into play. I plan on buying a Puig double bubble soon and I guess I'll see how that works...

 

[reiobard]

glad that you sound like you will be enjoying the bike, glad that you are happy with the switch!

 

[Hellgate]

Great bike huh? You'll get the hang of the low speed stuff soon, very easy.

Glad you like it, you'll love it soon. :thumbup:

 

[dako81]

You'll come to love the FZ!

Yea, the weight distribution front/rear is WAY different than a cruiser. That's why you say a "slight" pressure will lock up the back brake. In actuality, you should be using very little back brake, especially in comparison to what you're used to. You probably got away with using a lot of it on your cruiser, since there's a lot more weight bias on the rear of a cruiser, holding the tire onto the road harder, allowing you to use more brake pressure.

Welcome!

 

[Mississippi]

Congrats on the bike!! Great Bike, and thanks for the initial wright up. I have never ridden a cruiser, so it was nice to see an opinion of someone who has.

 

[AJ_rider]

Congrats on the FZ, it's always nice to read a comparison post from a fresh FZ rider.

 

[DefyInertia]

Brakes - the back brake locks up waaay too easily for my taste. I was practicing some emergency stops to get a feel for the brakes, and while the front brakes are great, it takes very little pressure on the foot pedal to get the rear brake to lock up. That's going to take some getting used to.

Noise - surprisingly, the turbulent air coming off the fairing hits me square in the helmet. It makes for a louder ride due to all the buffeting wind noise.

Re: the rear brake, you can adjust the brake lever so that the rear wheel is less prone to locking up and easier to modulate. Mine requires some effort to lock the rear....but keep in mind, you can't rely on your rear brake on a sportbike like you can on a cruiser.

Noise...yeah, there is definitely some buggeting on the highway (I hate the highway!). If you dont' already, wearing ear plugs dulls the noise.

 

[Drinky]

on the rear brake I wouldn't know, mine has ABS.. (works great, unlike the BMW F800st..) but about the wind shield, I'm considering getting the cut down version,
as someone said in another topic, the naked bikes have less wind noise then the tophalf bikes. there may be some more wind pressure on your body with high speeds, but less noise around the helmet..