Interesting post to read.
Really glad I still have my baby FZS 2003 Foxeye, I was thinking about selling it at the beginning of the summer but the Mrs talked me out of it, glad she did.
Someone mentioned that the FZS 600 was not, or, did not feel as planted as the big boys Fazers, don't know never ridden one (I am not a Big Boy)
An FZS 600 with a Nitron R1 shock on back and Ohlins linears in the front along with YSS cartridge emulators makes it really planted.
It is an expensive exercise, but, so is throwing the bike up the road because it let go or ran wide on a bend, mine turns in fast and can be flicked about happily.
Again as someone else mentioned you have to really be hooning to push the 600 engine to the limits on the road.
I was thinking about an early 1K Fazer as a winter project last year, but ended up with a Honda C90
not quite the same I know but still a lot of fun and that fun last much longer, well it take an age to get anywhere.