FZ-07 Handling vs other bikes?

[topazsparrow]

Anyone own an FZ-07 and frequently ride other bikes?
 
Specifically I'm curious how it holds up VS some adventure bikes (africa twin, etc). I know the FZ isn't super amazing in stock form at all, but I've only ever riden a GSXR1000 and an SV650 - both of which are quite capable and confidence inspiring compared to the stock FZ.

[r1limited]

Anyone own an FZ-07 and frequently ride other bikes? 
Specifically I'm curious how it holds up VS some adventure bikes (africa twin, etc). I know the FZ isn't super amazing in stock form at all, but I've only ever riden a GSXR1000 and an SV650 - both of which are quite capable and confidence inspiring compared to the stock FZ.

Your observation on the handling of a FZ in stock form is well taken.  I will just state, the bars suck and have to go, I opted for a flat track bend at 32in wide which made the bike far more desirable to me in stock trim.  I as well add 3 clicks to the rear and well that caused the front to be very finicky far more than what it was with a stock rear setup.  I did not expect anything less, so I clicked it back two and that stopped the front end push and sort of evened things out.  The bottom line is very simple, the stock suspension on the FZ is hampered 80% by the front forks.  You certainly cannot compare the FZ in stock trim to a adventure bike, that would be like comparing a apple to an orange as they are two distinct purpose driven bikes.  I will venture to say all new riders on a FZ will be happy with how it is, experienced riders will tweak it, riders like myself will its re-engineering time.
 
Shoot outs on the SV and FZ have been done, the FZ does not kick its ass it is a winner though.  For the record I have owned and own several differing bikes, you just cannot compare, the FZ is what it is in stock form
 

[norcal616]

I own a FZ-07 and a FJ-09... both bikes are on different ends of the motorcycle spectrum for me... You can compare reviews,shootouts, etc but I choose bikes on they "speak" to me...it like asking which is a better car a Camaro or a Mustang?
 
For what the FZ-07 offers for its price I find it very hard to not say anything bad about the FZ-07, granted I got a few small personal irks about the FZ-07...the best thing is the FZ-07 is that hits great notes across the entire age range and backgrounds of many riders...that alone gives the FZ-07 community many ways to help us mold the FZ-07 to our needs...

[bigdaddybane]

FZ07 is amazing bike but IMO can't be compared to "real" touring/adventure motorcycles.

[avanti]

Different bikes are intended for different purposes and different riders. For example, I couldn't imagine owning and using an "adventure" bike. One must compare apples to apples, etc. Even then, opinions will differ. I, for one, think the bars on the 07 are just fine... getting the picture? As mentioned, look at the professional (published) comparos and such. What you will see is that the 07 comes out on top when put up against its realistic competition, invariably. Is it perfect, of course not. When did $7K ever buy perfection! Ride one, if you've not, and decide for yourself. All the best!!!

[faffi]

The suspension is on par with what we had in the 1970s, other than that the FZ is a splendid bike when it comes to handling.

[Cruizin]

Well, lets keep in mind that the FZ-07 is a $7,000 motorcycle. It's bottom of the scale pricing wise, people need to be realistic when they buy one, this is not a Africa Twin or a Gixxer.
 
Its alot closer to the handling of a SV-650 than some people want to admit. And the SV-650 has been around for a long time and has been refined. The FZ-07 is only three years old. It will get refined and later models will have some refinements. But anyone who wants track performance handling isn't buying a $7,000 motorcycle.
 
But the FZ-07 is freaking awesome at real world handling. Im talking every day commuting. It is one of the easiest bikes to ride in the city. Lane splitting, changing lanes, putting around in traffic, you aren't having to rev it and work the clutch in traffic. You dont have to rev it to get to power. In real world commuting (the ridng we all do the most of) I'd take an FZ-07 over an R-6 or Gixxer or even an SV-650 any day of the week.
 
Who is the FZ-07 for?
 
1. It's for the first time new bike buyer who wants great looks, easy to ride, torque at any RPM, for a low price, that will last 100,000 miles with really low ownership costs. I have owned this forum for 3 years and have read over 6000 people's posts and nobody has had an FZ-07 grenade on them. This bikes is built to last and be easy to ride carefree for a mega amount of years. It takes alot of abuse and is very very forgiving.
 
2.It's also for the guy who already has a track bike/performance bike. And wants a 2nd bike that he/she will actually live with every day. Because that Track/performance bike freaking sucks in the real world. Gotaa rev the hell out of it to run right. Sucks in stop and go traffic. Eats fuel like a beast. Handles great at high speed, sucks at 8 mph lane splitting. Uncomfortable, too heavy and sucks in tight spaces. Too much work. So they buy an FZ-07 for mega cheap, and ride it on a daily basis carefree and easy and looks damn good doing it. Gets compliments in parking lots.
 
SV-650 is a great bike too, but it's also been around a long long time and the FZ-07 is outselling it 3-1 for a reason.
 
Other manufacturers are trying to come out with FZ-07 clones becaus ethe FZ-07 is currently the hottest selling 600cc + bike in the industry. Yamaha is doing something right.
 
We could all write letters to Yamaha and demand better performance suspension, and if they listened and upgraded the bike, it would no longer be a $7,000 bike. So ten the question becomes, if the FZ-07 becomes a $9,000 bike, would it still keep selling like it is now? I already know that answer.
 
Ride the piss out of your FZ-07's guy's and Gals. Beat on it, lean into it until the pegs scrape off. Ride it to work and to the store and to the gym everyday. I know guys who traded their FZ-07's in for bigger/faster and heavier bikes and at first they all love the new power. But after a while of trying to commute and those bikes and filling up with gas more often, and showing up to work all sweaty trying to maneuver thru traffic every day, alot of them start driving their cars more often. Alot of these guys end up missing their awesome commuting FZ-07's.

[Cruizin]

FZ07 is amazing bike but IMO can't be compared to "MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE" motorcycles.

 
There, fixed it for ya!
 

[faffi]

I think you misinterpreted bigdaddybane in that you cannot compare a basic street bike to an adventure bike, just as you cannot compare a sport bike or a cruiser to one since they are very different more often than not.
 
Other than that, I'm positive that 300 dollar more retail would have helped tremendously on the suspension performance. In fact, Yamaha used to have the best basic suspension right off the showroom floor, offering a great compromise between comfort and control. This advantage began with the XS500 in 1976 and lasted for many years.

[topazsparrow]

You guys are getting a bit carried away here. Almost as if to avoid the elephant in the room.
 
You sure CAN compare the FZ with more expensive bikes. It's okay that it's not a favorable comparison in every regard. The FZ has many good qualities and it's a well rounded bike.
 
I'm just specifically wondering how it compares to ADV bikes on the road and in actual rider experiences (from users here). It could be better, it could be worse. It could fall somewhere inbetween with comments about steering and lean effort, or tire feedback, or bump tolerance in corners.
 
I'm just trying to gauge if something like the Africa Twin would be a big compromise or even a small improvement... I'm not looking for a detailed analysis on the cost to performance ratio between apples and oranges.

[glockpointer]

My Africa Twin stomps my FZ in every category. I only wish the FZ handled as well as the AT. I love my FZ though, so it stays.

[Cruizin]

You guys are getting a bit carried away here. Almost as if to avoid the elephant in the room. 
You sure CAN compare the FZ with more expensive bikes. It's okay that it's not a favorable comparison in every regard. The FZ has many good qualities and it's a well rounded bike.
 
I'm just specifically wondering how it compares to ADV bikes on the road and in actual rider experiences (from users here). It could be better, it could be worse. It could fall somewhere in between with comments about steering and lean effort, or tire feedback, or bump tolerance in corners.
 
I'm just trying to gauge if something like the Africa Twin would be a big compromise or even a small improvement... I'm not looking for a detailed analysis on the cost to performance ratio between apples and oranges.

 
 
All true ADV bikes will be better than the FZ-07 in every handling category, highway, twisties, comfort, bump tolerance. The only thing handling wise the FZ-07 will be better at than a tall ADV bike will be low speed flickability.
 
Now, maybe we can discuss the handling differences between a Kia Rio and Sports cars?
 

[bigdaddybane]

FZ07 is amazing bike but IMO can't be compared to "MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE" motorcycles.

There, fixed it for ya!

Wow ... thanks for "auto" correction. Btw the question was about comparison between FZ07 and adventure bike, Africa Twin specifically .... nothing to do with the price/cost. 

[topazsparrow]

There, fixed it for ya!

Wow ... thanks for "auto" correction. Btw the question was about comparison between FZ07 and adventure bike, Africa Twin specifically .... nothing to do with the price/cost. 

I feel like a considerable portion of people in this thread only read the thread title and just started talking. 

[r1limited]

The suspension is on par with what we had in the 1970s, other than that the FZ is a splendid bike when it comes to handling.

Freakin A right.  and the 70s was what 3 inches of travel at best   Ceriani and Koni ruled the day. 

[gregjet]

I think a better comparison would be with the Africa twin and the new Tracer700 ( which handles better partially thanks to the longer swingarm).
The upcoming 07 version of the Tenere would be even more interesting ( it is SUPPOSED to be a much more serious attempt at using this wonderful engine in a "proper" purpose designed frame and suspension. Of course they could stuff it up and make the suspension as weak as the road 07.
faffi, methinks you remember 70's suspension way too fondly. Single pivot dual shocks and wet spagetti swingarms and skinny underdamped forks of the 70's don't compare favourably with even the low quality of the MT/FZ07.

[r1limited]

faffi, methinks you remember 70's suspension way too fondly. Single pivot dual shocks and wet spagetti swingarms and skinny underdamped forks of the 70's don't compare favourably with even the low quality of the MT/FZ07.

I know this was not meant for me, but them was the days when mens was mens and freestyle was invented, but we calle dit getting off in style  

[faffi]

Remember I rode a 1977 Z650 for 20k miles until last summer And I rode it again recently. It has Ikon shocks, called Koni back in the 70s and still made like they used to, and I had drilled out the damper rods for less compression damping. Its suspension is miles more compliant than what you find on the FZ07 and also copes much better with rough roads even during cornering. I had no trouble keeping up with an S1000XR over the mountains last summer, and the BMW had to slow more over broken tarmac than my old Kawasaki. Stability was never an issue, but you couldn't use excessive force when changing directions.
 
On a track the Kawa would be too soft and the forks and swingarm too flimsy. But for frost heaves and washboards, I'd go with the old bike every time.

[peteinpa]

I like the short wheelbase and lightness of the FZ. I can go around corners faster while still leaning less than my past and present bikes.
 
If the wheelbase is longer than 55 inches it's got to lean more. It's physics.

[faffi]

Every mm will add lean required for any given corner speed. So will every mm of tyre width. The old Z650 had a 55.9in wheelbase together with a 90 mm front and 110 mm rear tyre (3.25 and 4.00 in) and probably needed slightly less lean than the FZ07.
 
If you want to lean less, get one of these

[gregjet]

You hit the nail on the head when you said Koni(Ikon) shocks. The stock shocks on the mt07 are worse than seventies konis ( that is a damming indightment). Try the same bike with oriuginal shocks ( even in original condition). TRULY AWEFUL. And the forks and swingarm flop around on any transient input.
I will take a modern bike anytime. Even my beloved RD350LC was a like a piece of lace cloth in comparison ( although It did have a pretty good monoshock rear).
 
You want wierd litle bikes. Here is my ( here goes) Honda Spada ( vtr250) main frame and forks, with a carbon fibre rear sub frame, carbon fairings, and a carbon tank cover( fairing) with a Honda CR85 motor reported for the tar track. It was Soooooo much fun to ride. 85kg ( too heavy). It was a bit overtyred. I then made a CR85 motored Honda GP RS125 frame.

 

[blackout]

You hit the nail on the head when you said Koni(Ikon) shocks. The stock shocks on the mt07 are worse than seventies konis ( that is a damming indightment). Try the same bike with oriuginal shocks ( even in original condition). TRULY AWEFUL. And the forks and swingarm flop around on any transient input. I will take a modern bike anytime. Even my beloved RD350LC was a like a piece of lace cloth in comparison ( although It did have a pretty good monoshock rear).
 
You want wierd litle bikes. Here is my ( here goes) Honda Spada ( vtr250) main frame and forks, with a carbon fibre rear sub frame, carbon fairings, and a carbon tank cover( fairing) with a Honda CR85 motor reported for the tar track. It was Soooooo much fun to ride. 85kg ( too heavy). It was a bit overtyred. I then made a CR85 motored Honda GP RS125 frame.

 

Awesome stuff, thanks for sharing!

[faffi]

Yes, Greg, the stock shocks were rather bouncy But very comfy just cruising along
 
The Spada was only made for a couple of year at the end of the 80s IIRC. Very nice looking bike in stock form, sort of a mini-Hawk 650GT with some minor design inputs from the CB-1. I will not say your special was an improvement in the looks department (rofl)
 
What racing class is limited to 85cc? Sounds like a strange class. Only 2-strokes allowed, or could you fit a 125cc four-stroke instead?

[gregjet]

Australian racing class included in the overview "buckets". That bike was a motolite ( the rules are long and involved). Motors: to 85cc 2 stroke watercooled single, to 110cc 2stroke air cooled single, to 125cc 4stroke twin, to 150cc 4stroke 4 valve single, to 185cc 4 stroke single 2 valve, to 200 cc 4 stroke 2 valve with a carb limited throat...then it get even more complicated...
The bike was built up to be a functional racer. Looks irrevelent. The bike was lighter than me! The next RS125 framed one was 15kg lighter.
 
The Spada was sold here ( Castech Al frame with multilink rear suspension) until the mid 90's then changed to the VTR250 with a Ducati style trellis "frame" with the engine as a main stressed member and single pivot ( WHY?) swingarm bolted to the engine. In my opinion one of the greatest bikes Honda has made. That V twin was insanely complex to work on though. Still believe they were the best beginner bikes ever made. Last version here was fuel injected and was jus beautiful to ride once you changed the tyres so it didn't feel like it was falling over in corners.
 

[Beemer]

Please explain what you mean by, "how it holds up". Are you talking about riding an FZ-07 in the dirt like you would an African twin and making a comparison or comparing both bikes (shocks???) on the street alone? Two different bikes from two different worlds. How do you compare them?