I really hope they bring this bike to the US!

[70 Cam Guy]

Hey all haven't been around much because of a weekend at home and a slight dsl outage but I'm back and came back on to CycleForums to see a link in the naked forum to this

http://motorcycledaily.com/12august03_2004yamaha_fz6.htm

I really dig the naked one and would probably buy the red one if they released it here.  Its the "in-between" naked bike I've been waiting for.  A little more than an SV650 but less than an (insurance expensive) liter bike.  Also I still think a liter bike would be too much for me whenever I pick up a new bike so this looks really good.  The headlight reminds me of a Brutale  :mrgreen:

on a side note, my buddy sent me this link.  Its funny if you ever played internet games like Starcraft, CS, Quake, etc
http://bbspot.com/News/2003/06/camper.html

[90GS500rehab]

[pantablo]

Dont hold your breath. The UK and Europe have had the fazer 600 for several years already but they haven't issued it in the US then, so I don't think this one is coming either.

Someone on another forum mentioned about petitioning Yamaha to ship it here (as was done for the fjr1300 apparently). I'll be the first to sign if petition does appear.

[kyzee]

What about this mean machine from Aprilla??? Something to die for!!!

[octane]

Both pretty bikes. The difference is most of us could actually consider the payment on the FZ!

[JamesG]

Yeah... I want one BAD!  I'm already writing a letter to Yamaha.  If (no WHEN) they bring them to the States I will sell, trade, hock, or burn for the ins money my YZF!


About the only thing I don't like about it is that it appears to have cheapo non-adjustable forks and shock. But that is fixable with a AM shock and pair of tubes swiped from an R6.  
:mrgreen:

[Lars]

I think it's weird that they don't ship such models to the U.S.  In Europe these bikes are popular because they are more practical on the street than sportbikes. They're much more comfortable and have more low-end torque wich is very useful in the city

Kyzee: Isn't the Aprilia RSV Mille shipped to the U.S. ??

[JamesG]

The problem is that over here  riding is seen more as a hobby and not as a primary means of transportation. People seeking the thrill of performance buy race replicas and "practical" motorcycleists ride Harleys or metric cruisers with little in between

[octane]

Well said JamesG.

Yes, the Aprilia is available in the states, but it costs more than a small car, insurance is ridiculous, and there is no real dealer network.

[StanFry]

The front fairing looks like it was added on as an afterthough.  Too much gap between the handlebars and the windshield.

Just my opinion.

Stan

[JamesG]

Eh?  The standard bars requires alot of room for them to have 70 degrees of sweep.  I thought it blended in nicely with the shape of the tank and radiator. A hell of alot better than the new SVS'...

The rest of the bike could be fugly, but the undertail exhausts still would give me a woody!

[Lars]

The problem is that over here  riding is seen more as a hobby and not as a primary means of transportation. People seeking the thrill of performance buy race replicas and "practical" motorcycleists ride Harleys or metric cruisers with little in between

In Europe a lot of motorcyclists ride just for the fun. The naked bikes are another kind of fun as sportbikes. They have a bit less power, but more torque so you can "play" more with those bikes.  (as much torque as car )

I've been a passenger on a Honda CB900. It doesn't matter at how many rpm's you open the throttle, the power curve is almost linear.  When you open it up, the cars start moving backwards FAST almost immmediately. Because of the torque you can ride it at 3500 rpm on the highway.

Isn't there any model of heavy naked bike shipped to the U.S. ?? That would be bad.  

[JamesG]

We have FZ1s, CB919 (Hornet), ZX1200s, SV1Ks, the naked Milles, and some other stuff.
Big bikes usually aren't the problem, its smaller bikes that we are deficet in. The 400cc 4stroke sportbikes, 125 & 250 2stroke anything haven't been exported here since the 80's and scooters of any kind are pretty much non-existant (but that has started to change).

[70 Cam Guy]

We have FZ1s, CB919 (Hornet), ZX1200s, SV1Ks, the naked Milles, and some other stuff.
Big bikes usually aren't the problem, its smaller bikes that we are deficet in. The 400cc 4stroke sportbikes, 125 & 250 2stroke anything haven't been exported here since the 80's and scooters of any kind are pretty much non-existant (but that has started to change).

We also have the Z1000 and other big hooligan nakeds.  Lars, The problem is was have nothing in the middle like the Hornet 600 or FZ6.  It goes from our GS500's and SV650's up to liter class bikes.  I am still a bit intimidated by the bigger bikes and don't want to spend money on rear tires every 2000-3000 miles (3200-4800 Km).  Insurance on many bikes is based on displacement so they are relatively expensive to cover.

The article says it passed the EURO emissions no problem so it should not be difficult to bring over here and sell at a reasonable price.  I personally think they would sell well as the only new alternative to the SV650

[shep_bannister]

How about a Honda CB500 (read GS500 Wannabe)?

http://www.hondaitalia.com/moto/uff_stampa/media/viewvideo.asp?movie=video/2003/motown_cb500.mov&data=AGM%20-%20Motown&titolo=CB500

The movie is in italian and is very slow, so be patient.

[Zarathustra]

how much is it to ship a bike from europe to the US?  say i was in italy next summer (which i will be) and i see one i want, and want to get it shipped back here for me.  would it be an excessive amount?  cause that is one sweet ass bike.  i would deffinately get the half fairing on it though.  also, no msrp on that review, hmmmmm.

[Piper5177]

That is the worst video ever, and it does the CB500 no justice.  It's actually a pretty good bike. 499cc 4 valves per cylinder and 57 hp

[Lars]

We also have the Z1000 and other big hooligan nakeds.  Lars, The problem is was have nothing in the middle like the Hornet 600 or FZ6.  It goes from our GS500's and SV650's up to liter class bikes.  I am still a bit intimidated by the bigger bikes and don't want to spend money on rear tires every 2000-3000 miles (3200-4800 Km).  Insurance on many bikes is based on displacement so they are relatively expensive to cover.

The article says it passed the EURO emissions no problem so it should not be difficult to bring over here and sell at a reasonable price.  I personally think they would sell well as the only new alternative to the SV650

Ah. I thought for a moment that they didn't ship heavy naked bikes to the U.S. !  But it's not that bad.    Weird though that they don't have as much 600cc class bikes.  In Europe this is the most important class. It's the class between the lightweight commuter (learner) bikes and the really heavy bikes.  

The 400cc class is not officially imported into Europe, but there are a lot of grey imports riding around such as Honda CB1 or Kawasaki ZXR400.

[Lars]

That is the worst video ever, and it does the CB500 no justice.  It's actually a pretty good bike. 499cc 4 valves per cylinder and 57 hp

Hehe, it seems like it's an official Honda promotion movie
Commercials in Europe often have another style as those in the U.S.
But I agree this one is really for if you can't sleep

Most opinions I hear about the CB500 is that it's better built, is more powerful, but too expensive and doesn't steer as quick as a GS.

[kyzee]

Yes, the Aprilia is available in the states, but it costs more than a small car, insurance is ridiculous, and there is no real dealer network.

Yup pretty much the same problem with Cagiva, Ducati  and Laverda's.
THe one in the pic is the Aprilia RSV Mille R FACTORY 2004

Maximum power at crank :
138.72 hp (102 kW) at 9500 rpm

Maximum torque at crank :
10.9 kgm (107 Nm) at 7,500 rpm

Something to drool for.