jbot Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 I call front in the caterpillar. The FZ is a fantastic bike. It will do anything you need it to, and the Gen1 models are getting very reasonably priced.i told you not to eat the cuttlefish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmutt Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 One thing I need to keep in mind is this will be replacing the shadow, that my fiance has to be comfortable on the back. I can get a top box/backrest for the sprint and that should make her happy, what about the fz? She's not a skinny girl, she's got curves and hips like a woman and has never felt comfortable on the back of a sport bike. You "probably" won't find passenger comfort on any sport tour platform this side of an FJR or C14 without a seat swap and drop pegs. Of course this probably depends on your wife2be and how long legged/flexible/iron-butted she is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailwood Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 My wife has ridden several thousand miles on the back of my FZ and says that it's not too bad. I've got a Corbin seat and a Givi rear box with a backrest that makes things much nicer for her, and we've done some 4+ hour stints loaded with camping gear that have been ok. My image is that the Gen 1 bikes are a bit more comfortable than the Gen 2 but either one is going to be miles above what you'd find on a supersport bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailwood Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Here's a shot of mine in full touring form as a reference: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschoolsdime92 Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 My wife and I do some decent day trips via fz1. It's great. There's a ton more room , for the passenger. On the sprint we could only do 100 miles or so, and she constantly smashed me into the tank. One thing I will say about my sprint was that the fit and finish was outstanding. The paint was awesome, the fairing fit was great. It was a joy to wrench on in that aspect. I.P is exactly right. If your willing to spend the wrench time , it can be very rewarding. I loved it until i waited forever for some parts and that's when Trudy and I parted ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedytriple Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Buy a speedtriple instead. LOL! I beat on mine keeps going...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted May 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Hmmm...I'm going to have to test ride both and see which I like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschoolsdime92 Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Here's the discussion of my fz to the sprint http://www.triumphrat.net/sprint-forum/189699-i-got-rid-of-my-sprint.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokey Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Sorry I can't afford a bike new or nice enough to meet your approval. Pitch in a few grand and maybe I can.All bikes have issues eventually. I havent heard of any specific failure areas outside of the starter sprag gear and the wheel and suspension linkage bearings. Im a professional mechanic and don't mind putting in the maintenance hours. I need a bike I can ride right now and I don't want to drive across the state to shop for it. If I don't like the sprint I'll sell it. Sorry Sam, wasn't meaning or my intentions to come across as an asshole. What is your price-range, and the FZ1 as mentioned would be a hard ride to beat, even if you had to pay just a little bit more than you wanted to. Good luck, I am sure you will find something that makes you smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted May 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Its cool pokey. My budget is going to be around $3500 I'm guessing. The only thing that scares me about the fz1 is 2nd gear going out. I remember that being a problem for the old fzr....figured they would have solved it by now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollnhot Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 My 02 has 36000 trouble free miles, other than regular maintainence. Nothings ever broken, ridden up to 150 miles non stop with wife on back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I need to quit looking at craigslist, just found a few more possibilities...an old bmw k1200, a kaw zrx1200 and an old magna v65.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie14 Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 You probably won't go wrong with any of these sport touring bikes. They are by nature fun to ride, and they are set up for long distance touring. No one of them is perfect for everyone. When I was looking for one, I would occasionally come across some reasonably priced FJRs. I saw a couple in the 4k to 5k price range. The FJR has been around since 2003. Good Luck on finding one that fits your needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I would love an fjr but they are hard to find and slightly out of my price range. Going to give the fz1 a serious look along with the sprint and maybe the zrx. The wifey would probably like the magna the most, comfy seat and backrest but I have my suspicions about the first gen vf motor, they suffer from cam bearing wear from poor head oiling and if its anything like the vf700 magna, any minor repair involves taking half the motor apart. Still, its on the cheap end of my budget and would leave me lots of money for bookers and blow.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedytriple Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Buy this bike and be done they are bullet proof. Comfy, can be made to handle, or be a real sleeper http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/mcy/3812140243.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 (edited) Ooooh....bandito.....me gusta..... Edited May 30, 2013 by CrazySkullCrusher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hailwood Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I'd still take an FZ all things being equal, but damn that Bandit is nice, especially with all the hard bags. It's been a long time since I've ridden one, but those things are torque monsters for sure and dead reliable if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedytriple Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Hey Sam buy my triple so i can go buy that bandit lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motociclista Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Going to give the fz1 a serious look along with the sprint and maybe the zrx. Ah, yes, three bikes I've either seriously considered buying or I've bought something very similar. You, sir, are clearly a man of impeccable taste. My $0.02: In my experience, the 955 engine is underrated. My Speed Triple has 92k on it and is now in semi-retirement, has needed basically no work at all and I'm a lousy mechanic, so no credit goes to me. Just ask anyone who knows me. So clearly it lasts and it's a fun and torquey motor. Very nearly pulled the trigger on both an FZ1 and a ZRX and rode lots of miles on borrowed versions of both. I might give the ZRX a slight nod for 2-up riding, but you can't go wrong with a gen-one FZ1. I am a little less enamored of the Bandit. I did a 1,000-mile day on one once and my opinion is probably colored by the fact that I was riding one of the infamous early oil-burning models. Really, the ONLY hesitation I'd have about the Sprint, for your purposes, is 2-up comfort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Yeah, and if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. I love the idea of the sprint, and maybe I'd replace my TL with one, but I'm leaning more towards a sport-standard to replace the cruiser for 2-up riding. Ideally I would buy a swiss army bike that did it all: commuting, weekend zips through the twisties and comfy 2-up cruising but idk if such a beast exists, let alone in my price range. If the fz1 has enough seat and I can put on a baackrest or top box relatively cheap and easily then I would probably go with it vs the circa 1986 designed engine of the bandit. I must ride them all I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadyone Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I learned to ride on a 01 Speed Triple with the 955 triple motor. I love that motor. Tons of power. And they handle well too. I'd buy a sprint in a heartbeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokey Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 (edited) I loves these so much, and those hard cases can come off if you like. These are damn rockets and dead reliable!!!! http://motorcycles.smartcarguide.com/listing/19750320/ http://motorcycles.smartcarguide.com/listing/19839797/ http://motorcycles.smartcarguide.com/listing/20164597/ Edited May 30, 2013 by Pokey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbot Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I'm gonna put bets that he goes with the fz1 human centipede. People just go coocoo for centipede. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anden Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted May 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Insurance guy came and took pics of the damage today, should hear back by tomorrow, hopefully have a check in my hand next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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