FZ6 Pointers

[Shoop]

Hey @Tonik,

I didn't want to add a lot of stuff to the happy thread about your purchase so I thought I'd start a separate one here.

First, if you're interested in the FZ6 you REALLY need to visit the FZ6 forum at 600Riders.com. It's a large and well moderated site with a huge amount of info and help that's specific to the FZ6.

 

MOST IMPORTANT - I love this bike. You've already bought one so I don't need sell it to you. Please don't take my list, below, as any indication that I see these things as problems. They're just things you should know about.

 

OK, next a quick list of comments that everybody makes.

The clutch requires a strong pull and has a very narrow engagement zone. You'll get used to it. It helps to lube the cable every year or so.

The chain needs to have 2" slack when on the center stand. She gets fussy and whines if it's too tight. Check this after anybody else changes or moves your wheel because most bikes do not need 2". (Justin did it right.)

The speedo is probably reading higher than actual by 5% or more. My first mod was to add a SpeedoDRD device that corrects the speedometer reading. Mine required a -4.5% correction. That doesn't sound like much but I'm a measurement guy and it really bugged me.

Pauly is correct.  The most important improvement you can make on this bike is to improve the front suspension. You're a bit lighter than I am so you might not mind it as much, but the springs are very soft. The easiest fix is to just change the springs. But I got a great deal on a set of forks from an R6 which is a very popular mod. Check the FZ6 forum. With a set of spacers fabbed by a guy on the FZ6 forum, the replacement was super simple and the handling was much improved - like - OMG - why did I wait???  

The shifter can be a bit clunky but it is solid. Before the first cold weather you should lube the external linkages on the shifter, especially at the rubber boot just above the left footpeg. If left too long the shifter will get fussy and almost refuse to shift down. Major PITA when this happened to me first time a few weeks after I bought the bike third-hand. Was terrified that I'd have major bills for tranny work, but a few drops of lithuim spray did the trick. Found that on the forum.

The kill switch can be a problem and can fail and be hard to diagnose. Best to just use the ignition to shut down. That was my habit anyway.

The electrical system is a bit light. People have had problems with heated gear.

If you jump start the bike, the car must NOT be running or you will fry the the R/R. 

If you're happy with the mirrors - just leave them. But I had difficulty seeing much behind me so I replaced mine with mirrors from an R6. Simple bolt-match change-out. The R6 mirrors extend  a tiny bit more to the side, which improves the view, but have less rise which puts them closer to the bars and control levers.

Many people complain about the handlebars, particularly about the sweep angle of the stock bars. For a larger diameter, try grip buddies. They are vibe deadening also. Many people try the much straighter and flatter FZ1 bar, but most find they need to add a riser adaptor to stay clear of the tank. Some try the FZ6R bars which are in between. (The FZ6R is not an FZ6 - close, but not quite.) If you want to try them I have the FZ6R bars (free). They were too close to my mirrors and I don't think the sweep was really bothering me.

About the pipes - Justin is correct, mine are stock but one of the two prior owners had somebody do a nice clean job of opening them and removing most of the baffles. I've heard recordings of projects like this that did not turn out well but I like the sound that resulted with mine. Not too loud. Not at all wheezy.

If you decide to lose the rear fender, consider the R&G fender eliminator. Good quality and it accomodates the oval shape of the existing signal stalks.

That's all for now.

Chris

Edited July 15, 2017 by Shoop

[Shoop]

And now for an amusing story about a speedometer.

I posted this in Oct. 2013 in the FZ6 forum. 

 

WHO ARE YOU, AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY WIFE?

Before I start the story, please understand that my wife is a wonderful person  and has been surprisingly supportive ever since I gingerly mentioned that I was, you know, maybe thinking of buying a bike. (I was riding when we met in college but tapered off then stopped a bit after our first was born and I started a suit & tie job.) But she also has a rep for being pretty much a straight arrow, which seems to come with teaching elementary school music. 

So, I find the bike I want, Craigslist. It's a great deal but is 60 miles away and is on the other side of the river, in Ohio. I'm in WV. Plan A was for my neighbor (experienced rider, great guy) to ride it back, but he was not available till Sunday. Then I learn from my local dealer that I need to get the title notarized because it will be switching states, and our best bet was to go to the Ohio BMV. They're not open on Sunday. Will I wait till next weekend?  RIGHT

So, plan B is that I ride it back. Yep, first ride in at least 25 years - 60 miles. The wife is still fine with this. Notice the title of the post?

One more wrinkle. I forgot to look into getting temp plates. We realize this in the parking lot at the BMV. After a bit of discussion we decide to wing it. (This part is unlike either of us. BIKE FEVER!)

Next, I suggest that I should follow her on the way back home, but she insists that she'd rather follow me. She hates the GPS and wasn't watching the road on the way there. After a very brief suspicion that she was going along with the whole bike thing so she could dispose of me by running me down, well fairly brief, I agreed and we go. 

So I take off and I'm being VERY VERY careful, sticking to the speed limit EXACTLY! Perfect skills-test-type stops at stop signs, the works. The wife is following closely so, you know, it's less likely anybody, ahem, will get close enough to notice the lack of a plate. The first 20 miles were 2-lane with almost no places to pass. I noticed that a red Cherokee was tailgating my wife pretty hard for the last few miles before the road widened to 4 lanes. Soon as possible, the Jeep flew by. A few minutes later my wife passes and signals to pull over. She's decided to use a gun?

So I stop, pop the helmet, and walk up to the car. She asks, "Are you doing OK?" I'm grinning ear to ear. Yeah, it's going great. I LOVE this bike! Again she asks, "No, really. Is everything OK?" Hmmmm, I finally recognize the tone of voice, and the look in the eye. So I ask, "What's up Honey? Why are you asking?"


Get ready...


She asks, "Why are you going SO SLOW?" After a moment of stunned silence, maybe a minute or ten, I cracked another grin and asked her the "who are you?" line. But she's serious.  "I was going exactly 55! It wasn't a 65 zone, was it?" She says "No, but you were going 51, not 55." But, but, NO Way! Never... 

Hmmmm. After a moment, some of those old brain cells reconnected and I remembered seeing posts on this forum about the speedometer error. I resolved ON THE SPOT that I was going to get one of those calibration correctors. The rest of the trip I did not enjoy estimating my speed by multiplying by 0.9. 

After getting home and doing a bit more research I ordered a SpeedoDRD. Installation was very easy. Wife helped calibrate it with only a few complaints. It works great!

BTW, the tags were obtained first thing that Monday and the inspection was done Tuesday.

Chris

[Tonik]

Really appreciate all the tips. Yea, gonna do some bar work and the mirrors bug me big time. On the White Whale I can see perfectly behind me with both mirrors.

All Jap speedos read 5 percent too low.

Apparently the previous owner, or State 8 knew about the chain issue because it does have close to two inches of play. I was going to look at that next. So that is all set.

[Killer_kaw]

1 hour ago, Tonik said:

Really appreciate all the tips. Yea, gonna do some bar work and the mirrors bug me big time. On the White Whale I can see perfectly behind me with both mirrors.

All Jap speedos read 5 percent too low.

Apparently the previous owner, or State 8 knew about the chain issue because it does have close to two inches of play. I was going to look at that next. So that is all set.

Love these bar ends. Hate not being able to see well behind me. 

[Tonik]

14 minutes ago, Killer_kaw said:

Love these bar ends. Hate not being able to see well behind me. 

Thats a good option, plus the ones up front look a tad out of place.

[Tonik]

And I think I need a Puig touring windshield. No buffeting but it feels like its pressing on my throat. Not liking that at all 

[Tpoppa]

3 hours ago, Tonik said:

All Jap speedos read 5 percent too low

 

Both my Hondas are within 1 mph of my Garmin at 80 mph.

[Shoop]

1 hour ago, Tonik said:

And I think I need a Puig touring windshield. No buffeting but it feels like its pressing on my throat. Not liking that at all 

Yep, the stock screen puts a sheet of air right around neck level. That causes my otherwise quiet Shoei RF1200 to shriek at speeds over 65 or so because of turbulence at the neck roll at the chin strap. So I use ear plugs when riding any distances at speed. In colder weather I use a Windjammer. I am also fairly pleased with a different windscreen, the MRA Vario which has a small adjustable spoiler. It doesn't completely move the air away from the helmet. It seems more like it breaks up the strong concentrated stream without causing turbulence. 

 

 

[Tonik]

Wooo, you got the extra fast blue one too.

Goo Be Gone and a soft cloth will get that sticker off the tank.

[Kruse08]

@Tonik, you could have asked me anything about the FZ6 as I have one and love it.

[Tonik]

11 hours ago, Kruse08 said:

@Tonik, you could have asked me anything about the FZ6 as I have one and love it.

Until now there were not many questions. I knew it was the right bike, just had to get it home. Worry not, I will be tapping your knowledge.

[serpentracer]

the FZ6 was a good reliable bike.  and surprisingly not too bad on a track with some suspension tuning.  this is ped a member here at mid-ohio on his 2006 FZ6.

 

 

 

 

[2talltim]

Pony has some old man bars for ya.

[Tonik]

Woooo, for under 400 bucks I can put a rearset and clip ons on it and get tucked in.