2009 Yamaha FZ6

In our search for an upright-sitting standard bike that Heather and I can swap back and forth, we came across the FZ6. It wasn't too tall; she could sit on it comfortably with feet firmly planted. The bike utilizes a handlebar rather than the clip-on's you see on most sport bikes, and the sitting position was not overly aggressive. I was really looking forward to riding this bike and the Triumph Street Triple at Bike Week to see if the Yamaha was as fun on the street as it looked on paper.

For starters, riding the FZ6 after the Street Triple was not a fair comparison. I'll try to remain objective while describing the Fizzer, but the honest truth is I'm biased. The Triumph just did everything better and was a more exhilarating yet comfortable ride.

I'm approximately 5 foot 10 and was able to stand with my feet flat on the ground and butt almost off the seat. While riding, my right foot felt stretched... if I kept my foot in a natural feeling position it kept pressing down on the brake. Keeping it raised enough to avoid the brake felt awkward and uncomfortable. I finally solved the problem by resting my toes on the peg and ignoring the rear brake altogether. Hey, it only provides 25% or so of the stopping power anyway, right?

Handling was adequate; the rear shock has an adjustable preload and the front is non-adjustable. We never got into a curve that felt like it was pushing the suspension to its limits, but also never really got exciting, either.

The FZ6 redlines at 1400 rpm, which hit right around 62 mph in first gear. Acceleration was... adequate. That seems to be the recurring word with the FZ6- adequate. Maybe it's because I rode a more exciting motorcycle first, maybe I was just underwhelmed after expecting more than the bike delivered.

The FZ6 is not a bad motorcycle, and the $7,290 MSRP vs $9,499 for the Street Triple R reflects how unfair a comparison this really is. I almost feel the need to apologize to the FZ6 for not liking it more. It handles better than a cruiser, accelerates better than a beginner bike, and does a decent job as basic two wheeled transportation.

I find myself giving a resounding "Eh, you could do worse."

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