FZ6 + some comparisons

[kevlarorc]

Welp, ninjetters, my ninja will soon be off to a new home.. I will miss it.
I just got an 07 FZ6. It has no plates at the moment though so I'm still on my 250 for the next couple of days. I was looking for something that I can put hard luggage on for groceries and trips and was itching for some more highway passing power



I haven't had a chance to ride the Fz6 on the highway yet but today I took it down the street to an empty parking lot and played around a bit. I figured I would post some quick comparisons I made in the event that someone else is also looking to go from a ninja to an FZ6. They aren't really in the dealerships anymore so it can be hard to even find one to sit on.

1. The bike feels physically much bigger. It is both taller and wider. I'm 6'1" so the FZ6 actually feels perfect whereas the ninja feels a bit cramped going back to it. My legs look goofy at a stop because they are bent so far on the ninja.

2. The power: It's an even bigger burst of power than I was expecting. I've been riding the 250r for 3.5 years so I've felt comfortable wringing the bike's neck for quite a while now. Trying to get even half throttle on the FZ is a bit scary at the moment. I was short shifting because anything over 7k RPM was getting a bit too peppy for the small parking lot.

3. The clutch: I was a bit concerned when researching the bike because so many people said that the clutch was really short. I found the clutch to be not much shorter than the ninja and something I will definitely adapt quickly to.

4. The throttle: This is a different story from the clutch. The throttle is very jerky when you chop it on or off. It's possible to launch smoothly by modulating the clutch but letting off the throttle completely when decelerating on the FZ is significantly more jerky than on the 250r. It will be hard to get used to this.

5. Brakes: FZ6 has some pretty badass brakes. I did some emergency stops (though not super hard because the bike needs a new front tire) and it stopped very quickly and the brakes just felt more solid than the 250r.

6. Suspension: HOLY ****. I never knew my crappy apartment complex parking lot could feel so smooth. I never adjusted any preload or anything on the 250r but now I know it must have been wrong this whole time. The 250r is quite stiff but I had just gotten used to that kind of handling. The FZ6 actually makes me feel like I'm falling or something because there's so much less road feedback on the rear tire. Front feels close to the same, maybe a bit softer.

Other random notes:

1. I love having no fairing, it makes maintenance easier. Only downside is I have started burning my knee on the crank case LOL.

2. Exhaust note on FZ is a beauty. My 250r has a Two Bros slip on and to be honest I was getting a bit tired of how loud it was. The FZ is very quiet until about 6k RPM and then it sounds like the wonderful I4 monster that it is.

3. Having a digital dash is pretty fantastic. People had a tendency to randomly reset my trip odometer on the 250r which was a pain because I used it to track chain lube intervals. FZ6 also has 2 trip meters and a clock.

4. The gas tank on the FZ6 doesnt let you see to the bottom like you can on the 250r so I guess I will have to actually track my mileage now. Before I just opened the tank and peered inside and sloshed the bike back and forth to see how much gas I had. The FZ has a gas gauge but I don't trust it.

If I come up with any more comparisons I'll edit the post or add another one further down.

[csmith12]

Cool bike!

Some yamaha thoughts;
Better suspension rocks!
You will get adjusted to the throttle. You maybe used to the 250 throttle, as the yami will be less forgiving. Same deal with the clutch.
One day.... hopefully never, you will be glad the brakes are bad ass. A steel line allows for 1 finger brake under most conditions.
The "yami tick" is the mostly the cam chain tensioner, when it wears out (around 15k-16k). Replace with an APE manual tensioner. 10min install and soooo much better.
Give michelin tires a try. The yami/fat man tire combo is wicked awesome

Enjoy the ride and hope you have many trouble free miles.

[kevlarorc]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Cool bike!

Some yamaha thoughts;
Better suspension rocks!
You will get adjusted to the throttle. You maybe used to the 250 throttle, as the yami will be less forgiving. Same deal with the clutch.
One day.... hopefully never, you will be glad the brakes are bad ass. A steel line allows for 1 finger brake under most conditions.
The "yami tick" is the mostly the cam chain tensioner, when it wears out (around 15k-16k). Replace with an APE manual tensioner. 10min install and soooo much better.
Give michelin tires a try. The yami/fat man tire combo is wicked awesome

Enjoy the ride and hope you have many trouble free miles.

Thanks! Previous owner's shop records show that they replaced the cam chain tensioner a while back so I should be good for a little while longer. The bike is currently running 2-3 year old Pilot Road 2s but I have a new set of PR3s coming in the mail on wednesday. The bike is so much more planted on the road than the ninja even with my strangely worn front tire! I can keep a line with a lot more confidence after only 50 miles on the bike.