Tempted to get an FZS1000 for motorway/commuting duties, but have questions.

[AyJay]

I commute 120 miles a day on my FZS. I have the Yamaha touring screen which is a good compromise for me (I'm 6'1"), but you will probably have to try a few before finding one that suits. Being naked, your legs get colder than the with a full fairing, but apart from that, it's superb for commuting - loads of roll on power at motorway speeds but narrow handlebars and flick up mirrors means it's really quick through traffic, something which can't be said of massive trailies like GS1200s and Triumph Tigers.


If you're doing 20 or 30k miles per year, the most important consideration after mpg is servicing and the FZS is easy enough for most home mechanics bar the valve clearances, but they seem to need adjusting very infrequently which is good. Take a good look at how much servicing something like a VFR would cost - they're a bugger to work on and consequently expensive to service.


Apart from that, the longevity of FZS1000s is extraordinary. I've just hit 132,754 miles and I've only just had to replace the discs and suspension bushes. All my Hondas and Kawaksakis needed these doing at less than 50k miles. This also keeps the cost down. Many parts are interchangeable with other Yamaha models too - discs, calipers etc so there's plenty out there. The only things you might find hard to get second hand are fairing inserts, rear calipers and the downpipes.