500 miles on my 2017 FZ-07

[Littlebriar]

Just picked up my new '17 Red FZ-07 with ABS. Got a great deal on it and have been enjoying it. I'm an old fart (68 yrs) who enjoys cross country tours, spirited riding in the mountains and the occasional track day. My main ride is a 2016 BMW R1200RT. It's a wonderful bike on those long trips but I was looking for something lighter and more nimble for the twisties. The FZ is a blast! It's got almost identical hp to weight ratio as my RT so it's plenty quick. The low seat height is great for my 29" inseam and the 200lbs weight reduction makes this thing really a joy to maneuver in tight places. My first impressions after only 500 miles. First, the positives:

1. Seat and riding position are fine for me. I'm surprised that I can ride through a full tank of fuel with no problems.
2. Brakes work well
3. Light weight makes for a nimble ride
4. Transmission is super smooth and makes for effortless quick upshifts and downshifts
5. Plenty of lean angle. Haven't been even close to getting it to drag on anything.
6. Instrumentation is adequate, although I'm not thrilled with the tach.

Now for some "areas for improvement"

1. Throttle is like a toggle switch. Takes a very light touch to ride this thing smoothly. Looks like an ECU tune is in my future.
2. Ride isn't great. Expansion joints can be bone jarring. Bumps in corners can be exciting. Looks like an upgrade is in order. I'm finding the options to be a bit mind boggling and much more research will be needed.
3. My BMW is full fairing bike. I need some sort of fairing, windshield. I really like the styling on the bike and don't want some big, clunky windshield to screw that up but need something to deflect some of that air from my chest.
4. Really miss the heated grips and cruise control but understand this is not a touring bike.
5. Not impressed with the Bridgestone BattlaxTires. Rear grip isn't inspiring at all. Will need to upgrade soon.

I've signed up for a track day at Grattan Raceway in Michigan Monday. Looking forward to that. Might be a bit wet so that will be exciting.

Finally, glad I found this forum. From what I've seen so far it is very friendly and informative. I hope I can contribute in the future as I learn more about this fun little toy. Any suggestions on my list of improvements would be appreciated.

[Littlebriar]

Here's the bike.

 

[r1limited]

That throttle response will change 180 with a flash IMO I should had doen that first thing off the bat but had to save some bucks first.

Track day on stock suspenders

 

Do not over ride it, those suspenders will not handle race track speed

and personally I hate bridgestones period, opting for Dunlop Q3 Plus

 

Oh Ya BTW Welcome old guy from another old guy who still thinks he is 19

[DewMan]

Welcome! You'll find a lot of us umm errr "more seasoned" MT/FZ-07 riders here. 

 

Your list of areas for improvement is spot on.

2 Wheel DynoWorks has lots of fans here, myself included, to get the ECU flashed for a large # of configurations.

Suspension options are many and opinions are varied I don't think there's been any consensus as to a definitive solution that all would be happy with. But I've not heard of any upgrade that's not, at least in most ways, better than stock. Personally I've been more than happy with the Bitubo upgrades I've had done front and rear.

Faring and tire opinions are as many as there are options out there. Both are vary personal choices it seems.

 

Congrats on your new '17 ABS. I've got the same bike and I'm quite happy with it overall, but I had to replace the factory vinyl covered plank with a Corbin saddle to make it comfortable enough for rides lasting longer than an hour.

[rick]

welcome. I've gone thru a couple similar transitions over the years. i traded an 86 K1100RSA  (a 630lb land taught) for a April Futura back in 2003. That 100 lb weight loss was amazing. I still have that 16 year old Fut and it' s my choice for a long ride - especially  2-up, but that bike is a full 130 lbs heavier than the FZ. And that weight loss is downright liberating! With the FZ, I'm never worrying about where my feet can tippy toe - my inseam is an inch less than yours. The Aprilia now feels ponderous by comparison (well, to push about at least, it's still quite a bit faster than the FZ)  

 

Those 023 Bridgestone's are several 'stone generations behind what's current. And yeah, the rear will slide a bit. But, imo, some of that is the stock boing-thing Yamaha calls a shock. Its lack of good compliance will allow the tire to briefly lose traction just when you need it most. I'm still on the OE 023, but I've not really noticed it since a basic Ohiins went on the back.

 

As for windscreens, I have an MRA double bubble that takes a lot of the air off my chest, but I still also miss the wind protection of a bigger fairing. Have a look at the Madstad. lots of adjustability and lots of choices for the height of the plastic. https://madstad.com/collections/yamaha/products/yamaha-fz-07-2014

 

[Beemer]

Welcome and congrats on your new FZ-07. I felt the same way about my FZ, didn't want to mess up the looks of it with a big windscreen so I settled on a 39 cm. Ermax windscreen. It's tall enough it takes the wind blast off your chest at highway speeds but it's not so big that it doesn't look like a sport bike. I just made this clip for a different thread but you can see what it looks like and they come in different colors, other than just clear & smoke.

https://youtu.be/TDUQTbCUHcI

 

[gregjet]

You picked the fuelling crap quickly enough. As the others have said the ECU reflash completely changes the bike for the much better.

Rick described the boingy thing that holds up the rear as a shock. I suspect he is too kind. Pogo stick is closer...a very soft pogostick ( maybe even a pog stick though it should go...)

Don't be too hard on those tyres. They are not spectacular, but the reflash, rear shock and front suspension fix will improve their feel. They do grip Ok, but have a harsh feel, unusually for Bridgestone. I still think there are way better options though. Lots on tyres on the forum and we have several genuinely good suspension people.

[Littlebriar]

Just ordered the 2wdw flash last night. I'll send it in when I am out of town for a week. I'm a bit overwhelmed with the suspension choices right now. Heavy into the research but suffering from overload. My BMW didn't require any suspension tweaks so I'm starting from ground zero. I am watching Max McCalister's videos to bone up a bit on the subject. I'm fortunate in that money is not a major concern so I want to do it right the first time. If I can get something for the forks that I can do myself, that would be great. I'm fairly mechanically inclined and I'm not afraid to buy specialty tools if required. I'm looking at Bitubo XZE31, XZE11 or similar and JBH cartridge but can't find pricing. Can I install the cartridge myself? I'm not fixed on that solution so any suggestions would be appreciated.

I like to ride in the mountains and the occasional track day. This is not a daily commuter.

[rick]

There are cartridges that are basically drop-in with no cutting/irreversible stuff needed. 

Pulling the forks is straight forward. Removing the bolt at the bottom can be a royal pita. 

[djfz07]

I'm running the Ohlins NIX-22 cartridges up front and a Penske 8983 rear shock.  Shock was super easy to install, forks a little more involved but relatively easy.  Both completely transformed how the bike behaves.  Toughest part was getting the bottom bolt out of the forks as rick mentioned above.  I now have full adjustability and the proper spring rates for my weight.  I'd say the suspension and ECU reflash were the two most effective things I've done to my bike.

[DewMan]

19 hours ago, Littlebriar said:

Just ordered the 2wdw flash last night. I'll send it in when I am out of town for a week. I'm a bit overwhelmed with the suspension choices right now. Heavy into the research but suffering from overload. My BMW didn't require any suspension tweaks so I'm starting from ground zero. I am watching Max McCalister's videos to bone up a bit on the subject. I'm fortunate in that money is not a major concern so I want to do it right the first time. If I can get something for the forks that I can do myself, that would be great. I'm fairly mechanically inclined and I'm not afraid to buy specialty tools if required. I'm looking at Bitubo XZE31, XZE11 or similar and JBH cartridge but can't find pricing. Can I install the cartridge myself? I'm not fixed on that solution so any suggestions would be appreciated. 

I like to ride in the mountains and the occasional track day. This is not a daily commuter. 

You won't regret the 2WDW flash. 

 

If you want Bitubo pricing holler at @bellissimoto. He can hook you up with any information and pricing you need.  If you can follow direction and are comfortable around a ratchet and other basic mechanics tools, You can handle the JBH install. The rear shock installation is even easier. There are several threads here that will walk you through the installation of either one.

Good luck in finding the suspension solution that best suits your needs.

[bellissimoto]

I'd be glad to help sort you out.  Bitubo is a great choice as far as suspension, and as far as your fueling needs, RapidBike is another great option.

 

I've went to great lengths in building up my personal FZ-07, so if you need anything just PM me

 

- Paul

[Littlebriar]

I called Paul from Bellissimoto who was super helpful with advice on all sorts of things yesterday. I wound up ordering Bitubo XXF11 shock and the JBH cartridges. He also convinced me to get the RapidBike EVO autotune instead of an ECU flash. Paul knows his stuff when it comes to the FZ-07 and his enthusiasm is over the top. His prices were great too. Can't wait to get this stuff in the mail and then on the bike.

[rick]

1 hour ago, Littlebriar said:

I called Paul from Bellissimoto who was super helpful with advice on all sorts of things yesterday. I wound up ordering Bitubo XXF11 shock and the JBH cartridges. He also convinced me to get the RapidBike EVO autotune instead of an ECU flash. Paul knows his stuff when it comes to the FZ-07 and his enthusiasm is over the top. His prices were great too. Can't wait to get this stuff in the mail and then on the bike.

Let the spending begin. LOL

 

Loads of aftermarket farkles to choose from for this bike. There should be a clinical term for it, as we're all afflicted with the modify disease.   

 

Though I'll probably just live with it, I don't care much for the exuberant engine braking (though it does sound cool off throttle). It would be the 1st thing (and maybe the only thing) changed if I was to remap 

 

You will not regret  losing the OE suspension bits - one little bit

[bellissimoto]

6 hours ago, Littlebriar said:

I called Paul from Bellissimoto who was super helpful with advice on all sorts of things yesterday. I wound up ordering Bitubo XXF11 shock and the JBH cartridges. He also convinced me to get the RapidBike EVO autotune instead of an ECU flash. Paul knows his stuff when it comes to the FZ-07 and his enthusiasm is over the top. His prices were great too. Can't wait to get this stuff in the mail and then on the bike.

Thank you Sir!  Was a pleasure talking to you!  

 

 

- Paul