Bye bye FZ1: In the market for a new bike

[peterjca]

Here's a very very open question...

My days with the FZ1 are now truely over. It's time to buy a new bike in the next month. I've hankered after a Speed Triple for years (is the R version worth it?). Not really sure what I want apart from decent torque, no gear dancing, not a sportsbike, not the new Yamaha MTs, not an adventure bike, flat bars.

I commute every day throughout the year and try to ride as much as I can.

Suggestions on a postcard to...

[richfzs]

Gen 1?   

[bigbluebear]

My mate has a Speed Triple R who upgraded it from the standard model.......but he still couldn't compete with my newly McIvanised Gen1 at the weekend.

[lew600fazer]

Are you in the market for a brand new one? I have a friend selling a 2011 Kawasaki Z1000SX complete with panniers etc! I know this bike personally and it is well looked after. I think it is on ebay for less than £6k, loads of after market extras. He is only selling it as he has a 2013 sx model he bought the 2013 one as a CAT D and has sorted it out.

Check it out in the forsale section on www.z1000sx.co.uk the listing for it is under  maccamike

The SX is a fantastic bit of kit, same get up and go a the GEN 2 but not as revy. I had one for nearly 3 years, and as much as I love my FZ1 sorry I sold the sx on.
Lew

[fazer390]

I've had my gen 1 for almost 10yrs now! but if I had the money for a new bike I'd have a Z1000SX
 

[bigralphie]

If you can find one a BMW S1000R ?

[peterjca]

If you can find one a BMW S1000R ?

Damn. Thanks for that suggestion 

[esetest]

Ducati Diavel .

[Frosties]

'nuff said 

[ogri48]

Mt-01...

[Grandma]

Why not stay with a Fazer? Not the Gen 2 Fazer 1000 which is rubbish, but consider the Fazer 8, which is frugal 55mpg., fast, fun, handles like a dream with decent tyres on it, comfy and as tough as old boots. An almost new one can be had from £5500, one on Flebay at the mo with 4 miles on the clock, last years model. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151229299335?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
[/size][/color]After having an R1 for ten years with a Gen 1 Fazer 1000 as backup,[/font][/color][/size]I bought an ex demo with 600 miles and saved a couple of grand.[/color]
[/size]Fazer 8 does everything the R1 did and is more comfortable, not as heavy as Gen 1, even managed an indicated 115mph down the straight on Brands Hatch Indy now the engine has loosened up nicely[/size]

[stevierst]

I was in the same situation as you a couple of months ago, and thought 1050 speed triple.

I test ride a 06 model, and was left a little unimpressed tbh. It's supposed to be the best of both worlds, torque of a twin, screams of a 4. Erm...... Not exactly. More like the worst of both world's, and not my cuppa.
Got back on my gen II and thought 'this is miles better'. (grandma :-*  )

I rode a few different machines, the mt-09 included, and loved it but couldn't justify it for my needs (16-20k/annum), the z1000 too, loved the looks, but it's cost again for me.
I settled for my two bike line up, a carb'd R1 with a comfort kit for playing, and my Thundercat for commuting (60mpg, comfy, nimble  )
Have you thought about 2 bikes? In reality it only costs me an extra £200/year for insurance/tax/MOT.

Why compromise when you can have both?

[darrsi]

Here's a very very open question...

My days with the FZ1 are now truely over. It's time to buy a new bike in the next month. I've hankered after a Speed Triple for years (is the R version worth it?). Not really sure what I want apart from decent torque, no gear dancing, not a sportsbike, not the new Yamaha MTs, not an adventure bike, flat bars.

I commute every day throughout the year and try to ride as much as I can.

Suggestions on a postcard to...

Any particular reasons why you've had enough?

[peterjca]

Any particular reasons why you've had enough?

It's quite simple. I never really gelled with this bike. It's the 2008 model and I always had problems e.g. with the suspension and a vague front end, enough to reduce my confidence. Prior to the 2008 model I had the first FZ1 Fazer - the 2006 model which I liked a lot. In 2008, I came off the 2006 bike in damp greasy conditions at slow speed whilst banked over when the rear spun up and spat me off. Bike was written off and I got the 2008 model next, which I've tolerated and not loved.

My circumstances are much better than they were years ago. I can afford a change from the 8 years I've been riding FZ1s, and I also have more time to enjoy biking. So it's time to make that change and embrace more of what motorcycling offers these days.

[chaparral02]

Suggestions on a postcard to...

There only one bike that worthy to choose from....

[darrsi]

I've always had an interest in a Tuono after seeing a courier turn up on one at work.

[richfzs]

Those tuono's are lovely. If I was after a sports bike, they'd be way up on the list - the factory model, before they went 4cyl....

[bigralphie]

they are lovely I had the red lion Factory like the one above but they only do make you ride like a loon 
Mine was unreliable also 

[BBROWN1664]

Aprilia Mana 850?
Had a short test ride on one last weekend. It was different.

[darrsi]

they are lovely I had the red lion Factory like the one above but they only do make you ride like a loon 
Mine was unreliable also 

Unreliable in what way?


I had an Aprilia Toureg 20+ years ago and when it worked it was great, but the trouble i had with it was painful, and because Aprilia's were new to the scene back then all parts were way dearer than any other bike.

[stevierst]

My wingman has a gen II Tuono factory, and its brilliant!
It's a real hooligan tool, but comfy and fairly refined for a high powered v-twin. It corners by riders esp it's that easy to ride. It's like being on a magic carpet. It hasn't broken down yet either. His last one did 47k, and never missed a beat.

Main trouble is they're butt ugly!

[darrsi]

My wingman has a gen II Tuono factory, and its brilliant!
It's a real hooligan tool, but comfy and fairly refined for a high powered v-twin. It corners by riders esp it's that easy to ride. It's like being on a magic carpet. It hasn't broken down yet either. His last one did 47k, and never missed a beat.

Main trouble is they're butt ugly!

I was gonna say the only thing i find off-putting is the headlight area, it seems like an afterthought, or something that's been chucked on in a hurry.
Other than that i like the rest of the bike looks wise.
I sat on one years ago at a bike show in Hendon Police College, and even though i wasn't riding it, it kind of felt right for me.

[stevierst]

Yeah, it looks like a transformers head bolted on, a bit like an amateurs back yard streetfighter. Imho the gen I looked better.

[bigralphie]

It melted 3 stators ,2 with the previous owner (who I found the tuono forum) and one when I ownned it so... 3 in 9,000 miles 
What made it worse was it did it in the car park of the Chunnel as I was waiting to board on my way to Monza WSB 


I get a good and aftermarket stator and direct wired it  doing away with the connectors (which tend to melt anyway) and it seemed fine after
Its just I didn't trust touring on it ,If I could have afforded to I would have kept it for weekend shenanigans  and ran it along side my current ZZR1400

[peterjca]

I may be wandering over to the dark side. For the first time in my life, I visited a BMW dealer and "bought" an S1000R. I say "bought" because although it now has sold stickers on it and I've put down a deposit, the whole deal is based on me taking a test ride (which I couldn't do at the time) and if I'm satisfied with the ride the deal goes through, otherwise it's null and void and I get my whole deposit back. It's a red one that someone else had ordered and then decided not to buy. I sat on the demo bike and the riding position suited me fine.

It's the Sport version of the S1000R. The dealer says they don't bother getting any of the base models as there's virtually no demand for them when the Sport offers a whole lot more for a little more cost.