2009 Yamaha FZ6R: Speed Without Pain
Sportiness sells. And it doesn't even have to be sporty. If something just gives the illusion, that's usually enough for the buying public.
How else can you explain "Sport" stickers on minivans, the most mundane conveyance known to man?
For motorcyclists, the sport and fun factor is a huge part of why we ride and Yamaha knows this, as evidenced by the cutting edge R1 and R6 sportbikes. Many riders like their bikes to look sporty but aren't interested in their extreme riding position, focused nature and higher costs.
Yamaha's 2009 FZ6R has the appearance of a hypersport motorcycle, yet boasts comfortable ergonomics in an easy-to-ride package that retails for a bargain $8,799.
Where the standard FZ6 has an aluminum frame and swingarm, the "R" saves pennies by using steel and making the engine a stressed member of same.
A further re-tuned version of the previous generation R6 motor makes the R an ideal mount for entry level sportbike riders and commuters.
Further cost saving strategies mean that the conventional front forks are non adjustable, while the rear shock is preload-adjustable only. And twin pot sliding-pin calipers squeeze twin 298 mm discs up front rather than calipers with opposed pistons as used on most sportbikes.
The fully-faired entry level sportbike class also includes Suzuki's four-cylinder GSX650F and SV650 twin, as well as Kawasaki's Ninja 650R.
Both Suzukis are at least $300 more than the 6R, but offset that with ABS. The Kawasaki comes in at a few hundred less, but its twin-cylinder engine isn't as refined or as powerful as the Yamaha's.
The first thing I noticed when I swung a leg over the FZ6R was a very comfortable riding position.
The tubular bars rise above the triple clamps and the footpegs are a reasonable distance from the seat. Some fine tuning is available as the seat adjusts over a 20 mm range (albeit a few bolts have to be removed and adjusted) and the handlebar clamps can be reversed, moving the bars 20 mm backwards or forwards.
Standard seat height is 780 mm (30.9 inches), which is non-intimidating for new riders or those short of inseam.
The instrumentation is simple, yet functional with an analogue tachometer, a digital speedo, fuel gauge, clock and twin tripmeters, which automatically start counting the distance traveled once the fuel light comes on.
The dash layout looked vaguely familiar and I realized that it's a dead ringer for the FZ1's, the motorcycle I rode during my January tour of Australia. Spent a lot of time looking at those gauges.
Where the FZ6 has a 180 section rear tire, the R's narrower 160 section bun really aids turn-in and lightens the steering response.
Even though it feels a bit on the soft side, the handling is very good with spring and damping rates that seem well-matched to the chassis. The steering is light, predictable and very stable, whether you're keeping up with traffic on the 401 or tooling around town.
Putting some klicks on the 6R, I grew quite fond of the comfortable riding position, no matter whether I was in the city, on the highway or even doing a bit of sporting.
The bars are wide enough for good leverage around town but narrow enough so you're not uncomfortable on the open road. One area of improvement would be the seat, which I found a bit hard and a tad narrow.
I had an inkling the digital speedometer was somewhat inaccurate so I bolted my portable GPS to the handlebar for some impromptu calibration. This unit has proven to be fairly close to other motorcycle speedometers and spot on when riding through neighbourhood "information stations" that say "your speed is ..."
An indicated 50 km/h was an actual 44, while an indicated 60 was an actual 53. On the highway, the spread was even greater as the speedo displayed 113 km/h when cruising at an actual 100.
Maybe Yamaha is using a psychological ploy to get new riders to ride responsibly. After all, there's always a certain thrill in getting away with something.
The fuel gauge accuracy is also suspect. When the gauge got down to one bar showing (after traveling 210 km), I filled up and could only get 9.55 litres into the 17-litre tank.
I guess that's better than wheezing to a halt when still showing a half a tank. Owners should get used to using the tripmeter because the way the 6R sips fuel, a realistic cruising range should be over 300 km per tank.
The brakes have a soft initial bite and overall stopping power isn't quite up to sportbike snuff – which is probably a good thing because the intended user wouldn't want hair-trigger brakes.
The five-position adjustable lever is a nice touch on a motorcycle in this category.
The R6-derived engine is an absolute gem. Retuned for less top end punch and more mid-range, it's turbine smooth and has a surprising amount of grunt right off the bottom, which is an aid to new riders and a boon to riding in the city.
The sound emitting from said 4-into-2-into-1 exhaust system is certainly mellow enough without sounding strangled – I just think a nice, MotoGP-styled shorty can would really upgrade the looks.
The FZ6R is another excellent middleweight that blends sportbike styling with real-world rideability and performance. The fact that it's good value to boot is just an added bonus.
From: wheels.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment