FZ-6 vs YZF-600R

 

I am currently riding a Yamaha V-Star 1100 Silverado cruiser and will be
selling it in favor of buying a
sport bike.  My main goals are high gas mileage, low maintenance, comfort,
reliability, able to be comfortable on the freeway and priced under $8k(In
order of importance).  I am very much looking for a bike to purely commute
with plus an occasional long distance ride.   The V-Star is a wonderfull
cruiser but the gas mileage is under 40 mpg(range about a120 miles) and the
valves have to be adjusted every 4k miles plus I find that all I am doing
with it is commuting plus and occasional play trip in the mountains.  So, I
have decided to find a good reliable high mpg sport bike.  On the advice of
several trusted enthusiasts I am looking at the 05 Yamaha FZ-6.  I am now
also
looking at the Yamaha YZF-600R. I have put 16k miles on the V-Star in the
last 2
years and consider myself an intermediate rider.

I would appreciate any advice that anyone might have.

bobo

 



First of all, low fuel consumption sports bikes don't really exist,
certainly not in the style you've mentioned. You're not likely to get many
more MPG on an FZ-6 than you are on your V-Star anyway and at most about 4
MPG extra and substantially less MPG on the R6 than you're currently getting
(around 38)

Low maintenance isn't usually one of the features of a sports bikes either,
as they're a MUCH more highly stressed machine than the V-Star.

Comfort next. Again, sports bikes aren't reknown for providing that as the
riding position is somewhat "extreme" when compared to the "bolt upright"
position on the Star. Your feet are WAY back (in comparison) and high up,
your handlebars are VERY low and this requires a good old crouched position.
not good for distance work and (as far as I'm concerned, not brilliant for
city/town use either.

Cost? Again, a good sports bike isn't cheap unless you buy 2nd hand and then
you're likely to be buying a bike that's had the nuts screwed off it. After
all, they ARE sportsbikes.

Maybe you should consider an "in-betweener" along the lines of the Suzuki
V-Strom/Kawasaki KLV1000, Honda Varadero, or CBF 600 (Sports tourers thy
call 'em)?. A more user friendly riding position but with enough
"sportsbike" about them to make them enjoyable. The fairings aren't so all
encompassing as a pure sportsbike, so getting "into" the bike for
maintenance is easy enough and the engines are slightly de-tuned (and
henceless stressed) than their sportsbike brothers.
Good weather protection and most have "hard points" to hang any luggage you
may decide to fit for a long trip.

Of course, all the manufacturers make bikes in the same vein, so it's worth
looking at them all.

Beav

 

BOBO wrote:

I just bought a vstar 1100 classic. Is it normal to have to lash the
valves every 4k miles?
Jimmmr

 


That is my understanding....that is part of the reason I am selling
it....too much maintenance.....the valves have to be checked and adjusted
every 4k miles...plus oil change every 3k and if you want to change the
filter(I do everytime), you have to drop the pipes to get the filter cover
off....and the kicker of it all, is that to check the valves..they also
charge you for an oil change because that have to drain the oil to do the
valves....also....have you tried to check your oil level??  You need 2
people to do it....1 to balance the bike....the second to read the
bubble.......The V-Star 1100 is a great cruiser.......it's too bad they
didn't make it maintenance friendly for those of us who don't like to work
on bikes..........bobo