Got to ride an FZ07. Oh my!

[Watcher]

So a close friend of mine bought himself a brand new FZ07.  He's working a very good job and when I was talking to him about my dream bike he hopped on the band wagon and beat me to it.  I'm totally jealous, especially because I won't be able to afford one until either late this year or early next year.

He picked it up yesterday, and invited me over to drool over it after I got off work.  Little did I know what I was in for!
He was asking me about engine break in, since I had rebuilt the motor on my GS500 last year, and after we talked he asked me if I wanted to break it in.  I said sure and he tossed me the keys!   

So he lent me his gear, we warmed it up, and I threw a leg over.  And I'm still smiling!

That thing doesn't deserve the FZ moniker, it truly is a Master of Torque!  I have one better, TM07, because it's a Torque Monster!  I couldn't find a point when the engine would stop wanting to go!  It's the most willing power plant I've ever ridden on, and even with the stock exhaust that sound it makes is incredible!  Maybe it's good I don't have one, it would get me into trouble.  All night I had to closely watch the speedometer.  I don't know if it's just the fact I haven't ridden in several months or the engine is so willing to go (or both), but that thing wanted to keep me over the speed limit unless I deliberately babysat the speed.
Turn a corner, roll on, upshift, look down, engine brake the 15 or so MPH until I'm back to the right speed 
2nd gear launches are butter.  3rd gear launches are like 2nd gear launches on any other bike.  You don't even need a transmission, 3rd gear will carry you from a dead stop to 60mph and back down!
I tried a 4th gear launch and it was a little rough, but she went.  If you ran that clutch slow, it would launch from a dead stop in 6th, I can almost guarantee.

Suspension was nice.  Went over some train tracks and speed humps without even standing up and didn't take a beating.  It's also firm enough to not dip too much under hard breaking and to feel very confident in turns.
The bike feels a little heavy compared to a GS500, as it takes a little more push to lean in.  Not much, and it takes direction like a tennis racket, maybe heavy isn't the right word to use.  It's just incredibly stable, even at low speed.  Again, since I hadn't ridden in some months I could be my skill limiting me, but it felt harder to figure-8 than a GS500.  It felt like I really had to push the bike into the tight u-turn.  But after 10 minutes in a parking lot I was weaving that thing like I never stopped riding.

Riding position is perfect, peg position is perfect, I kept misshifting due to not releasing the shift lever enough to ratchet the next gear and toeing up nothing.  The shift lever is a little close for me, I'd have to roll it up a notch if it was my bike.
If I have one gripe about the whole bike it's these:
The seat is a little lacking after 40+ minutes of riding, and the mirrors give me a good view of my shoulders and might as well not be there...

The rest of the bike is as close to perfect as I can dream.  If anyone here is wanting to get one, get one.  And even if you don't want one, don't pass up the opportunity to ride one.  It'll put a smile on your face 

[Iarn]

Are the mirrors not adjustable? Or would you say they're set for a more aggressive posture?

[Janx101]

Think the 07 goes hard? .. have a test ride on the 09!! ... like strapping a nuclear missile to your pants! Lol

[Watcher]

Are the mirrors not adjustable? Or would you say they're set for a more aggressive posture?

The mirrors are adjustable, but the arms they are on are very short.  If I position them to see 5/7 o'clock behind me I see my shoulders and nothing else.  If I turn them out enough to see the next lane, then they are at like 4/8 o'clock and that's such an angle that they only show my "blind spot" and don't actually show me the next lane over.

Let me put it this way, I was passed by a cop on the expressway running lights and no siren.  Before I saw him in the mirror, I saw the reflection of his blue and reds in the concrete barrier to my left and he almost immediately was along side me.  It actually frightened me.
On my GS I didn't have a great mirror view either, but I was able to position them in such a way where half the mirror was my shoulder and half was set up almost straight back.  I could see directly behind me if I shifted my shoulders and dipped my head, and it gave me a great view of my 5 and 7 o'clock.  Head check for blind spots.  The FZ feels like it's mirrors are for blind spots and head check for rear view...

I'd have to get bar end mirrors for it...

[Janx101]

... thinking.... (and I'm not meaning to harp on about the 09.... much)... I test rode an 09 last year.... didn't notice any major dramas with mirrors.... maybe slightly different stalks or bar width though?... however I did think apart from engine. . That most of the new fz bits were almost identical?

[ShowBizWolf]

Awesome write up on your experience... thank you for sharing!

[amkluttz]

I'm not sure I understand the FZ07.  If the FZ09 hadn't come out, sure.  For $1000 more (brand new at the dealer) you get a lot more motor, better suspension, and selectable riding modes.  I was talking to a dealer about the 07 and he said he had ridden both and that the 07 was a good bike but if you wanted a hooligan bike the 09 was it.  If I were financing a bike $1000 wouldn't hold me back from the 09.  I'm not really sure what Yamaha's strategy was there.

But, what do I know?  I couldn't afford either when my GS bit the bullet so I bought a SV650.

-Andy

[Janx101]

Err. .. the new fz07 came out after the 09!

[amkluttz]

Err. .. the new fz07 came out after the 09!

My point exactly.  It would seem that the FZ09 is a better bike all around for only $1000 difference in price (at least around here).  I could see the point of the FZ07 if it were $2000+ different.  It seems as if they are going after the same market with two different bikes that look very similar and have a lot of the same characteristics with different motors.  Maybe some people are just really in to parallel twins?

-Andy

[Janx101]

The 07 I think is aimed at the learner or tamer rider market. .. plus Yamaha is trying to jam as much as possible into the niche?

[Janx101]

There was talk of a fz03 also.... but I stopped paying attention recently. . Its the 09 or gtfo!

[amkluttz]

The 07 I think is aimed at the learner or tamer rider market. .. plus Yamaha is trying to jam as much as possible into the niche?

Not something I had considered but it makes sense.  If it pulls as hard as was said in the first post I'm not sure how great it would be for a first rider.  With that said the dealerships have no problem selling an R1 to a squid who's never been on a bike.  My local dealer tried to sell me a R6 as my first bike and I flat out told them they were crazy.

There is an R3 coming out but I haven't heard anything about a FZ03.

-Andy

[Watcher]

Yeah, the 09 is "more bike" for not much more money, but I'm committed that a 2 cylinder just has more character.

3 cylinder is neat, but it sounds just as Meh as a 4 cylinder.  Half of the riding experience in my opinion is the sound of the machine, and those FZ07s sound amazing!

I don't need mapping, riding profiles, or some super trick suspension for road riding anyway...

[Janx101]

I agree that the 07 sounds good! ... and somewhat better than a LOT of 2 cylinders! ...
I don't like the nasal howl of the 4's. .. I do like the odd gurgle? Of the 3 pots.... and just get a chubby every time I remember twisting the 09 open lol!

I understand the draw of the 07 for you Watcher... think it might be the overall FZ/MT package though?.. no matter what variation. .. Yamaha have potentially put a class smasher design together? ... omg did I just say that on a Suzuki based forum?!

[Kijona]

If you like torque you should try one of the Suzuki twins like the DL1000/650 or SV1000/650 or TL1000 (The TL's a bit scary, personally).

[Janx101]

Yeah I want to have a ride on them... but just as Watcher is enamoured of the twin sound. .. I lurv! the triple sound!.... I've ridden a TL pre licence days... wikked fun! .. but yes scary in just how fast it grunts up there! ... maybe in my dream garage though?!

[Watcher]

I'd love an SV650N, just everyone in the area who has one either has a faired version and/or wants WAY too much for it.  Like, asking $1000 over KBB value...

[amkluttz]

I agree that the 07 sounds good! ... and somewhat better than a LOT of 2 cylinders! ...
I don't like the nasal howl of the 4's. .. I do like the odd gurgle? Of the 3 pots.... and just get a chubby every time I remember twisting the 09 open lol!

I understand the draw of the 07 for you Watcher... think it might be the overall FZ/MT package though?.. no matter what variation. .. Yamaha have potentially put a class smasher design together? ... omg did I just say that on a Suzuki based forum?!

I haven't actually heard the FZ07 but it was my understanding that most parallel twins don't make an extremely pleasant sound.  The GS was okay once you got a pipe on it and I heard the Ninja 650 wasn't much better.  I think Yamaha did knock it out of the park with these new bikes though.  If I weren't going to go all-out and get the Ducati I want the FZ09 is on my very short list.  If you want to buy a bike for the sound it makes it would be hard not to buy a Ducati.

I'd love an SV650N, just everyone in the area who has one either has a faired version and/or wants WAY too much for it.  Like, asking $1000 over KBB value...

That's what I ended up doing when the GS motor had a valve shim explode inside of it.  I was going to buy a '06 SV650S from a friend with 12,000 miles on it but I ended up with a 2000 SV650 in almost showroom condition with 3008 miles on it when I picked it up.  I really just didn't want the fairings and it was going to be a lot of work and money to remove them and get it the way I wanted.  The older "curvy" frames look better in my opinion anyway.  I did spend a pretty penny on a 14 year old bike though... $3000.  The previous owner had put a full Yoshimura system on it (and some other goodies) that is not produced anymore.  After a trip all the way around I-485 on Friday I absolutely love the sound it makes.  The 37 MPG, on the other hand, I don't love.

-Andy