Is the FZ6 good for me?

dustincookson

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Been doing some research on this bike. Seems like a real good deal, finding them all over my area for 2.5-3k. So basically im coming off a yamaha xt225 (basically mastered that 20 hp 267 lb bike, will i be ready for the fz6?) and i cant decide if i should sell it and get a bigger dual sport (like drz400) or keep it mainly for trails and have a good street bike. I mainly want a better street bike for occasional freeway/highway use, better street handling and having the ability to smoke basically any car i want in a drag lol. The only disadvantage is that i would have to keep the xt225 at my dad’s church (we have alot of space there and its a 10 minute drive) so i could keep the fz6 in the garage at home plus the extra insurance if i still want to use the xt as a dual sport. Which it seems like it may be 30$ a month for me as a 20 year old male (sound right?) What do you guys think? And any tips for finding a good one? I heard something about cracked frames?
 

TownsendsFJR1300

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Cracked frames are EXREMLY RARE AND only after major abuse (wheelies/HARD landings / crashes)
I've read of 2-3 here in since 2009..

If your still doing off road, the FZ won't cut it. Want a good, super dependable, mid sized fast bike, you can't beat the FZ.

Comparing an XT to an FZ, it's not even apples to oranges...
The FZ can get you in trouble real fast if riding stupid and if your "exercising" the throttle fully...

If your wallet permits, I'd keep both, at least for a little while. You may or may not like it, etc and can sell off one or the other later.

I bought my '07 FZ as a beater/wrecked in '09, (had a '04 FJR, '04 Goldwing and ''05 KLR at the time. The FZ was to replace the KLR.

Ended up selling ALL but the FZ as I fell in love with it....

.
 

Gary in NJ

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Welcome to the FZ forum Dustin.

I think I'm the right guy to answer some of your questions. I own both an FZ6 and DRZ400, and a good friend owned an XT225 and I got enough time on it to know what I think about it.

The XT is a great beginner bike, but when compared to a true off-road bike it's not a very capable bike. I'd call it a "play bike". I think for gravel roads and fire trails it's a fine machine, but it quickly falls on its face on any type single track or challenging hills.

The DRZ comes in a few different flavors. There are the E & S models that are dual-sport bikes (some E's are off-road only...depending on the year) and the SM that is strictly a road bike. The early E's make the most power (more agressive cams, pumper carb, higher compression ratio) where as the S and SM are choked by EPA regulations. As an off-road bike, the -400S is OK. It's heavy and geared as a dual-sport. I think it does better in desert environments than single track. It's perfectly fine for fire roads and gravel. I use to race off-road (hare scrambles and some MX) and a DRZ wouldn't be my 1st choice, or 10th choice, for an off-road machine (I don't like dual-sport bikes...they suck at everything). But if you need to be able to ride from trail to trail on public roads, the DRZ is a good choice. They have been in production for over 20 years and there is a wealth of knowledge on ThumperTalk (there is a dedicated DRZ forum). My DRZ is an E model that has been converted to street use only. I have significant modifications to the suspension and brakes. It is the most fun motorcycle I've ever ridden on the road - period. It's not happy on the highway, and it sucks for two-up riding - but get it on a twisty backroad and you'll never get the smile off your face. That's it's element. My summary; DRZ is a great dedicated backroad bike, an OK dual-sport (fire trails/gravel), and not such a good bike for technical off-road riding. There are some known issues with all year/model DRZ's that are well documented on ThumperTalk including some lock-tite fixes (internal to the engine), carb jetting (it is an analog bike) and stator/charging issues. But like any motorcycle, a well maintained machine will be reliable.

The FZ6 (2004-2009) is a great sport-standard motorcycle. It's comfortable, somewhat light-weight (450 lbs), has good power (around 100hp) and has real good EFI. It's a nice bridge between analog motorcycles and the new generation digital bikes. There are no frame cracking issues that I'm aware of on the FZ6. In fact there aren't any real issues for a well maintained machine - and it's damn-near maintenance free. A common issue that pops-up on machines that aren't ridden often is the in-tank fuel pump. The suspension is the weak point of the FZ6 (with almost all Yamaha FZ series motorcycles) but there are several things that can be done to improve the OEM suspension...and some owners have swapped in suspension components from other motorcycles. But out-of-the-box, the FZ6 is a great first street bike for someone that already knows how to ride. It can be modified as your experience grows. I've been riding motorcycles since I was 10 years old and have owned just about every type/style bike made - and I really like the FZ6 for it's balance of performance, comfort and reliability. As you mentioned, good (and real good) examples can be found in the $3,000 range.

A $3,000 FZ6 is going to be a nice bike. A $3,000 DRZ is gonna be a rat and probably in need of some investment. That should be a consideration as well.
 

ShoopCE

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Everything that Scott and Gary said is great insight on the FZ6.

Regarding insurance, it shouldn't be too bad. I pay about $90/YEAR with GEICO - but I'm an old guy and I get a 20% discount for being an MSF instructor. And I stay at Holiday Inn Express whenever I can...

As a young guy, you'll pay more. But understand that the insurance companies rate this bike as much less of a liability than the R6 or other bikes with larger displacement. My theory is that if you get this one rather than one of the crazy bikes, then they suspect you don't have much of an ego problem. It's just a theory. Please let us know what it costs you - you KNOW you're going to get the FZ.

@Motogiro - Cliff, ol' buddy ... Broccoli??? Are we going to have to send you to another personal interactions sensitivity class? o_O
 

MattR302

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No single-cylinder dual sport is going to be pleasant for more than quick freeway trip. I’m saying this as someone with a big-bore 790cc DR650. Yes it will do 90+ mph, but I try to avoid it if possible. The common complaint with DRZ’s is that their 5-speed transmission is geared either too tall or dirt, or too low for street. If you want more highway than 15 minutes every once in a while, get something with multiple cylinders.

The FZ6 and s good for general street use and an occasional track day. Since you’re interested in dual-sport, if you want something for general street use and an occasional rough dirt road, at that $3k budget you can find V-Strom 650, CB500X, Versys 650.
 

gnyce

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Regarding insurance, it shouldn't be too bad. I pay about $90/YEAR with GEICO - but I'm an old guy and I get a 20% discount for being an MSF instructor. And I stay at Holiday Inn Express whenever I can...

As a young guy, you'll pay more. But understand that the insurance companies rate this bike as much less of a liability than the R6 or other bikes with larger displacement. My theory is that if you get this one rather than one of the crazy bikes, then they suspect you don't have much of an ego problem. It's just a theory. Please let us know what it costs you - you KNOW you're going to get the FZ.

Funny, but when I purchased the FZ6 and called my insurance company to add, they called me back to say they didn't insure "sport bikes". I explained that it was a sport-touring, and not a racing/crotch rocket. Not sure the agent knew what I was referring to, but she went back to the carrier, and it's been on my policy since. Now, I'm also an old guy and have a good history with the insurance company, so nobody blinked an eye when I added the '87 FZR1000. So maybe once you establish some bona fides? But don't let them push you into "it's a sportbike" (even though she can haul once you get the revs up).
 

Smittyboy

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I've had my 08 since new, and 63k miles later all I've done is oil, brakes, and tires. A friend "did" a tb synch but buggered it. I got it close enough later on. I love my bike, after all, I've been with her longer than I've been with my wife ;)
 
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