Former Fz6 rider, looking at getting Fz1, advice/help????

Buying a used vehicle: in Texas, you have to pay tax on either the sale price or the BlueBook value, whichever is GREATER. Even if they actually sold it for a dollar. Maybe your sale document reflects that?
 
Pyrogenic said:
I wonder if that applies to Fazers. Since the reflectors are so huge, and nearly touch, I would say that could never look like a car's headlights... Unlike some bikes where the headlights are separated by a lot of fairing.... The appearance of my headlights from a distance almost looke like one huge and wide light.
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That is the point from a distance your bike with two lights isnt an issue, its when your right there where the lights are seen as two gives and unsuspecting motorist the image that your actually a car from a distance. If your headlights were one and always looked like one evn up close you would be recognized as a motorcycle. or a car with on headlight either way your more likely not going to get pulled out in front of.
 
Pyrogenic said:
Buying a used vehicle: in Texas, you have to pay tax on either the sale price or the BlueBook value, whichever is GREATER. Even if they actually sold it for a dollar. Maybe your sale document reflects that?
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Nope, that isn't even where I'm at yet. I still have to get the bike from WI. The sales document indicates a taxable sale price of 6088$ because they added the doc fee into it. In AZ we pay 6% tax on the sale price of the vehicle. So I was planning on $360 plus about $70 for tags when it gets here.

These guys are about to lose my business. I see they got the bike turned into them in September. That bike is just going to sit for a lot longer.
 
Earlzach said:
*****'08 FZ1 YAMAHA CANDY RED
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LOL, I just was checking on craigslist and cycle trader and saw that. I'm just not a red/blue guy.

I am barely a fan of the dark gray. I prefer black. I will be taking off the rims and having them painted black, the windshield smoked out, the pipe will do carbon fiber black.

I don't know why Yamaha keeps going back to the gray, they did it with the Fz8 as well, released a beautiful black in 11 and then 12 used the gray.

I understand the history behind the red and blue but just not my thing.
 
$6088 is too much if they're going to screw you around like that If you can cancel the deal with no penalty, do it. There are an abundance of used FZ1s available. I'm sure you can find a nice one in the colour you want for around $5000. You arrange transport or, even better, do a fly 'n ride. You are not far from the LA area, a motorcycle heaven. Surely there is another FZ1 out there :)
 
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Ssky0078 said:
Hi guys, I am new to this forum. I wanted to ask a few questions to you that have had experience with the Fz1

I am a 34 year old male who recently started riding motorcycles. I took the MSF BRC at the end of Octorber. I got my first bike an 2008 Fz6 mid-november and crashed it 12-2-2012. The crash was partly my fault, partly not, I had hit a patch a gravel on a twisty and long story short laid the bike down. (long story is here with pictures, The Story of My First Crash 12-2-2012 - Yamaha FZ6 Forums - International FZ6 Motorcycle Community Forum ) They are most likely going to total it because the cosmetic damage alone is at least the value of the bike.

I had logged 1800 miles in 2 weeks with 2 seperate rides of greater than 200 miles in an afternoon. I use the bike as a daily commuter and weekend canyon carver, just like the promotional propaganda suggests for the Fz. I was planning on taking the Total Control advanced riding class next weekend but now looks like I will have to wait till the end of the month.

Ok, now down to the questions. (I'm looking at GenII Fz1's 2006 or 2009). I will post the question and my reason for asking down below.


Are the adjustments available on the Fz1 forks and rear shock going to be enough to accomodate my 6'4" 250 lb body or am I going to still have to do aftermarket mods for the bikes suspension?
I was going to do this on the Fz6 before the crash anyway

Is the difference in the engine displacement (hp/torque) really going to make that huge of a difference that I will get in trouble that much more easily?
I ride more or less responsibly and only really like to open it up on the straights (topped the Fz6 out at 130 no cars, straight clean road, and would hit 80-100 evading cars or passing them if you will on the highway, normally follow the +9 over the speed limit rule), and take corners cautiously (posted speed limit more or less) as I'm still learning. When I tell people I am thinking of getting a liter bike they freak out because I'm a new rider and just crashed but I was also getting to the point of wondering if I had too small of a bike to begin with. I mean the motorcycle still follows the controls as in braking and acceleration right, not just launching on it's own (lol, jk)?

Does the Fz1 have that same inline 4 vibration as the Fz6 in the higher rpms 6000+? With the bigger engine would I be able to keep the rpms down and thus the vibrations on the Fz1?
My little Fz6 when I would wind her up past 6000rpm the vibes were down right annoying. I do take 2 regular trips a month on about a 60 mile chunk of highway that has a posted speed limit of 75 and most cars go 85. I like to stay slightly out and away from them so I am at 85 and 90 and I still get passed on occassion, my rpms are 6500ish in 6th gear and the vibration can kill me.

Is the Fz1 as easy to throw around in the twisty's as the Fz6? If I were to make a mistake is that extra weight in an Fz1 going to make it that much more difficult to recover?

Any other thoughts, comments, concerns, questions you guys may have to help me make a good decision here would be great.
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I would say go for the FZ1 2006 model. I say the 2006 model because it has harsher suspension for heavier riders and pillion carriers, but the fuel delivery can be jerky at higher revs until you get used to it. The 2007 onwards has a ecu update to fix this problem and softer suspension. Regards to power and speed difference, ive never ridden the fz6 but when i bought my fz1 i hadnt ridden for over 10 years and come from a cbr600. I got used to the power of the fz1 in no time at all by taking it steady and building up confidence and learning what it and i could do. Im at the stage now where there are no chicken strips on the tyres and have had to unscrew and remove the little footrest screw in ground scrub screws because they were catching the floor. I think i would have got bored with a lower powered bike thats why ive put a k&n filter and remus exhaust to this one, which has gave me 142bhp at the wheel and i find it no problem at all unless its wet and the roads are greasy but thats mainly in winter.
 
Earlzach said:
That is the point from a distance your bike with two lights isnt an issue, its when your right there where the lights are seen as two gives and unsuspecting motorist the image that your actually a car from a distance. If your headlights were one and always looked like one evn up close you would be recognized as a motorcycle. or a car with on headlight either way your more likely not going to get pulled out in front of.
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This headlights things is true.
I experience it at night driving - me a t stop sign - waiting for an oncoming car - which I misjudged as being farther away than it actually was - because it was a Jeep Wrangler (they have their headlights set up and closer together than other cars). I didn't pull out in front of him - but I almost did - and I was very much surprised when I realized what it actually was - a Jeep with close together lights rather than a more distant regular car.

I have never had this kind of experience with a motorcycle, however.
I suspect that the motorcycle headlights are so close together that they really can not be practically mistaken for a far away car. The far away car would be changing position negligibly compared to a close up motorcycle. I'm guessing it would be more obvious seeing the rapidly changing position of the lights on the motorcycle that it was a much closer - rather than distant car --- that would probably have to be going 200+ mph to get the same type visual effect.

My opinion is that one-eyed cars are sometimes difficult to see. And errors could be made with them very easily. Whereas a two headlight (or more!) motorcycle brings a lot more notice to other drivers. - and improves your chances. ---- That is just me. That is how I operate. No need to slash, here.
 
Dustin said:
$6088 is too much if they're going to screw you around like that If you can cancel the deal with no penalty, do it. There are an abundance of used FZ1s available. I'm sure you can find a nice one in the colour you want for around $5000. You arrange transport or, even better, do a fly 'n ride. You are not far from the LA area, a motorcycle heaven. Surely there is another FZ1 out there :)
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I've looked. Most of the listings I see right now for an '09 are around $6500 to $8000. That's why I thought this was a good deal.

Also, I did the math on a fly and ride which would be around 150-200 for the plane ticket 100 for gas. Also, I work 6 days a week and would have to subtract the couple hundred dollars a day I usually make.

I would have to go back to a 2006 to find one in the 5k range. I dont' really want the jerky throttle control and would rather have the tamer Fz1 to start out with. I could even get a 2002 Fz1 with 25k miles from the shop a mile away from me. I don't like the colors (silver) and the bike looks rode. Also I plan on doing racetech springs no matter what because even if the older models are stiffer to begin with, they still are one to 2 settings off than for my weight.

There is aglut of Fz6r's those, but those things are ball-less at 66 horse and I've heard they get really boring to ride, really fast.
 
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Dustin said:
$6088 is too much if they're going to screw you around like that If you can cancel the deal with no penalty, do it. There are an abundance of used FZ1s available. I'm sure you can find a nice one in the colour you want for around $5000. You arrange transport or, even better, do a fly 'n ride. You are not far from the LA area, a motorcycle heaven. Surely there is another FZ1 out there :)
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Also don't feel bad for me. I came out about 1500 positive from my insurance check above what I had put in. I got my first bike 2k under book value.
 
:banghead:Most recent update::banghead:

I finally got all the dealers ridiculous paperwork back to them. I've got to wait until the 4th of January for delivery. I was so hoping to get my new bike before the new year. I had planned on going for a New Years Day ride.

I think I'm going to save up and buy a beater bike. I'm going crazy being in the car. It's even cold out for AZ and I still want to get back on two wheels.
 
I forgot the best part when talking to the dealer. I was like "man that sucks I was hoping to get it before the new year." and the guy responds "it's not like it matters after tomorrow anyway."

LOLOLOL Apocalypse Humor FTW:Rockon::dontknow::surrender:
 
So, making the most use of my time while waiting for the new bike to show up I came across this.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyVdyUTnlDw]THE CORNERING BIBLE 'La biblia de las curvas' Part1 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndU65pUKn9k]THE CORNERING BIBLE 'La biblia de las curvas' Part2 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U-B7dcPO48]THE CORNERING BIBLE 'La biblia de las curvas' Part3 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44_hMVhhtpI]THE CORNERING BIBLE 'La biblia de las curvas' Part4 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGthvmC2pNw]THE CORNERING BIBLE 'La biblia de las curvas' Part5 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0ncJ29DSB4]THE CORNERING BIBLE 'La biblia de las curvas' Part6 - YouTube[/ame]

I don't believe this is still protected under copyright as seeing that YouTube hasn't taken it down. If I'm wrong I'm sure the mods will take it down, I just thought everyone else would find it helpful.
 
After watching the part I video again about how the guy crashed I think I did most of the Survival Reactions. The only thing different is I actually entered the corner correctly and just failed when the back tire came loose and I got scared.

After watching the later videos on throttle control in poor riding conditions I think one of the keys is having balls of steel like those Isle of Man TT riders and just keep going even if the back is wiggling around, it seems a lot of times the bike will correct itself with proper throttle input.
 
This is Yellow Wolf at Deals gap on a 1800 Goldwing. Listen to the trailing bike scraping in the corners and still being smoked. If you ever road Deals Gap you know this is very impressive.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo]deals gap on a goldwing/gl1800 by yellow wolf dragons tail - YouTube[/ame]
 
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