Hello fellas – and you ladies out there too
Wanted to introduce myself and give my thoughts and initial impressions on the FZ-07, as I just had a short test ride back to back with other naked bikes I’m considering. I’ll detail my thoughts below, but first a little background on me so you have a better understanding of where I’m coming from…
I’ve been riding on and off for nearly 30 years now. Bikes I’ve owned, in order:
1986 Kawasaki Ninja 250R
1988 Suzuki GSX-R 750
2000 Yamaha R6
2001 Suzuki SV-650 (fully modified, daily driven club racer style)
By far, the best bike…well let’s say the most “FUN” bike on that list was the SV-650 naked. I had the whole bike gone through by an ex-suspension technician that worked for the HRC GP team back in the day. Needless to say, the bike handled better than the R6…and the torque, AMAZING. Bike pulled hard as hell, but was slightly buzzy at the very top of the rev range.
I sold the SV about 2 years ago, and regret every minute of it. I figured enough time has passed where I’m in the market for another bike…another naked. Why naked? I’ll answer that in the form of an analogy – The best camera is the one you take with you. You can have the best digital SLR camera known to man, but if it’s too bulky and you find yourself leaving it behind for a point and shoot instead, well than then the point and shoot camera has become the ‘best’ camera, so why not shop around for the best point and shoot camera out there?
That’s how I feel with motorcycles. I used to love the supersports…ala crotch rockets, but realistically their performance envelope is too high for the street to get the most fun from – and the street is where most people do the bulk, if not all, of their riding. I found myself never riding the R6 unless I was going to the canyons, but the SV I took everywhere, including the canyons.
Let’s face it, not everyone rides around at redline, and if you do, you can’t even get out of first or second gear legally on a modern supersport. Nakeds give you a better sense of speed at lower speeds, since there is nothing to shield you from the wind, and they traditionally have much more usable power and torque down in the low to midrange revs where the bulk of street riding is done, giving you the best of both worlds – speed and a bit of safety margin, per se.
On to the comparison. I didn't pigeon hole myself into a particular bike or brand. I looked at what will give me the most amount of FUN overall in a wide variety of conditions, regardless of price, displacement, brand, or pedigree.
I’ve looked at several bikes and the ones that made the cut I rode them back to back…all in the same day. For the record, I’m 5’8’’ and weigh in at 165 lbs, which is an important reference when it comes to ergonomics and suspension set up.
KTM 1290 Super Duke - didn't test ride. Felt more like a big Hyper motard type of bike than a traditional naked. Wide seat, sitting high in the air. Not comfortable for me. A lot of electronic wizardry that I've read isn't well sorted out. PASS…
KTM 690 Duke – didn't test ride. Felt very, very light. Seat was narrower than Super Duke and overall I fit better on it, but still more of a Hyper Motard styling. If you’re after this style, it’s definitely worth looking into. After seeing and sitting on it in person, I’m not. PASS…
Suzuki SFV650 – didn't test ride. Felt like visiting an old friend, but not in such a good way. More of a traditional naked styling which I like, but it felt very dated. Comfortable to sit on, but felt hefty and too heavy. Red frame doesn’t compliment it like the exposed frame of the old ones. PASS…
Honda CBR 650F – didn't test ride. Didn't even know about this bike until I saw it today in the showroom. Yes, it has fairings, but I actually it, a lot, at least aesthetically. The looks, the seating position…Honda got it right on this. It’s a very good in-between, between a super sports bike, and something like a Suzuki Katana 600 for example. Low seat height, clip on bars but not low at all and very comfortable. Wavy discs, and bodywork that is tastefully done that won’t leave you wanting the look of a supersports bike. Looks like a very good option for those inexperienced riders that *think* they need a supersports 600, but most likely shouldn't be on one, for practical reasons I mentioned earlier. I have no idea about performance tho. I’m sure it’s good enough. PASS…
Yamaha FZ-09 – didn't test ride. Fit great on this bike. Hard to categorize the seating position - somewhere between sitting on a dirt bike and hyper motard style. More upright than the Duke or Superduke. It was different, but I liked it, a lot. Lightweight. Not too keen on the rear styling tho, regarding the banana 1 piece seat. It’s not bad at all, but I don’t think it complements the front. The front of the bike looks very mean, but then fizzles out towards the rear. Does look decent for two-up riding tho, considering. I know the engine is awesome in this bike, but in my research, the mapping and ride by wire isn’t up to par yet…many reports of “abruptness”, and “hard to modulate the throttle” floating around the net. PASS…
Ducati Monster and Streetfighter 848 – didn't test ride. I’ll make this real simple. Not a fan of the current Monsters’ styling. It’s too retro for me. The Streetfighter 848 changes all this, but looks way more like a bare bones superbike than a traditional naked, plus, I’ve read several reports that the electronic wizardry isn't up to par. PASS on both…
MV Agusta 675 Brutale – didn't test ride. For me, one of the most aesthetically pleasing nakeds to date. Looks like a piece of rolling art. The triple exhaust is a sight to see in person, as pics don’t do it justice. Very light weight. Sitting on it felt similar to the KTM Duke 690. The riding position didn't seem to match it’s outward aggression appearance, which gave me mixed signals. I understand this bike literally screams in the top rev range, but not so nice to live with for all-purpose use. Because of that, PASS…
I know what your thinking…so what then, actually DID make the cut to test ride?
Wanted to introduce myself and give my thoughts and initial impressions on the FZ-07, as I just had a short test ride back to back with other naked bikes I’m considering. I’ll detail my thoughts below, but first a little background on me so you have a better understanding of where I’m coming from…
I’ve been riding on and off for nearly 30 years now. Bikes I’ve owned, in order:
1986 Kawasaki Ninja 250R
1988 Suzuki GSX-R 750
2000 Yamaha R6
2001 Suzuki SV-650 (fully modified, daily driven club racer style)
By far, the best bike…well let’s say the most “FUN” bike on that list was the SV-650 naked. I had the whole bike gone through by an ex-suspension technician that worked for the HRC GP team back in the day. Needless to say, the bike handled better than the R6…and the torque, AMAZING. Bike pulled hard as hell, but was slightly buzzy at the very top of the rev range.
I sold the SV about 2 years ago, and regret every minute of it. I figured enough time has passed where I’m in the market for another bike…another naked. Why naked? I’ll answer that in the form of an analogy – The best camera is the one you take with you. You can have the best digital SLR camera known to man, but if it’s too bulky and you find yourself leaving it behind for a point and shoot instead, well than then the point and shoot camera has become the ‘best’ camera, so why not shop around for the best point and shoot camera out there?
That’s how I feel with motorcycles. I used to love the supersports…ala crotch rockets, but realistically their performance envelope is too high for the street to get the most fun from – and the street is where most people do the bulk, if not all, of their riding. I found myself never riding the R6 unless I was going to the canyons, but the SV I took everywhere, including the canyons.
Let’s face it, not everyone rides around at redline, and if you do, you can’t even get out of first or second gear legally on a modern supersport. Nakeds give you a better sense of speed at lower speeds, since there is nothing to shield you from the wind, and they traditionally have much more usable power and torque down in the low to midrange revs where the bulk of street riding is done, giving you the best of both worlds – speed and a bit of safety margin, per se.
On to the comparison. I didn't pigeon hole myself into a particular bike or brand. I looked at what will give me the most amount of FUN overall in a wide variety of conditions, regardless of price, displacement, brand, or pedigree.
I’ve looked at several bikes and the ones that made the cut I rode them back to back…all in the same day. For the record, I’m 5’8’’ and weigh in at 165 lbs, which is an important reference when it comes to ergonomics and suspension set up.
KTM 1290 Super Duke - didn't test ride. Felt more like a big Hyper motard type of bike than a traditional naked. Wide seat, sitting high in the air. Not comfortable for me. A lot of electronic wizardry that I've read isn't well sorted out. PASS…
KTM 690 Duke – didn't test ride. Felt very, very light. Seat was narrower than Super Duke and overall I fit better on it, but still more of a Hyper Motard styling. If you’re after this style, it’s definitely worth looking into. After seeing and sitting on it in person, I’m not. PASS…
Suzuki SFV650 – didn't test ride. Felt like visiting an old friend, but not in such a good way. More of a traditional naked styling which I like, but it felt very dated. Comfortable to sit on, but felt hefty and too heavy. Red frame doesn’t compliment it like the exposed frame of the old ones. PASS…
Honda CBR 650F – didn't test ride. Didn't even know about this bike until I saw it today in the showroom. Yes, it has fairings, but I actually it, a lot, at least aesthetically. The looks, the seating position…Honda got it right on this. It’s a very good in-between, between a super sports bike, and something like a Suzuki Katana 600 for example. Low seat height, clip on bars but not low at all and very comfortable. Wavy discs, and bodywork that is tastefully done that won’t leave you wanting the look of a supersports bike. Looks like a very good option for those inexperienced riders that *think* they need a supersports 600, but most likely shouldn't be on one, for practical reasons I mentioned earlier. I have no idea about performance tho. I’m sure it’s good enough. PASS…
Yamaha FZ-09 – didn't test ride. Fit great on this bike. Hard to categorize the seating position - somewhere between sitting on a dirt bike and hyper motard style. More upright than the Duke or Superduke. It was different, but I liked it, a lot. Lightweight. Not too keen on the rear styling tho, regarding the banana 1 piece seat. It’s not bad at all, but I don’t think it complements the front. The front of the bike looks very mean, but then fizzles out towards the rear. Does look decent for two-up riding tho, considering. I know the engine is awesome in this bike, but in my research, the mapping and ride by wire isn’t up to par yet…many reports of “abruptness”, and “hard to modulate the throttle” floating around the net. PASS…
Ducati Monster and Streetfighter 848 – didn't test ride. I’ll make this real simple. Not a fan of the current Monsters’ styling. It’s too retro for me. The Streetfighter 848 changes all this, but looks way more like a bare bones superbike than a traditional naked, plus, I’ve read several reports that the electronic wizardry isn't up to par. PASS on both…
MV Agusta 675 Brutale – didn't test ride. For me, one of the most aesthetically pleasing nakeds to date. Looks like a piece of rolling art. The triple exhaust is a sight to see in person, as pics don’t do it justice. Very light weight. Sitting on it felt similar to the KTM Duke 690. The riding position didn't seem to match it’s outward aggression appearance, which gave me mixed signals. I understand this bike literally screams in the top rev range, but not so nice to live with for all-purpose use. Because of that, PASS…
I know what your thinking…so what then, actually DID make the cut to test ride?
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