How many of you have gone from FZ-09 to FZ-07?

[jberenyi]

I did a short test ride on a 2018 MT-09 this summer and was turned on to the point I started hunting for a used one.  Finally found a true beauty in matte silver with the hi viz wheels with only 3K miles on her.  Bought it for a song and took her out this weekend for a short trip only to find that the OEM seat was very uncomfortable.  Not sure why I didn't notice this issue in June during the test ride.  Maybe I was wearing my stretch jeans?  Anyhow,  just wondering if anyone in the group sold their 09 to get an 07 based on this issue alone.  I love the looks of the bike and its power but dang...that seat will make me into a man-gina soon.  I know Yamaha makes a comfort seat but it will raise me up about 1".

[DewMan]

The FZ-07's seat is no better. I call it the vinyl covered plank. Most of us here have replaced the factory seat with a Corbin saddle or some other sort of seat upgrade.

I wouldn't change to an 07 just for a more comfortable seat. I doubt you'd be any more happy with the 07 seat. I'd look into upgrading the 09 seat.

[FZ07R WaNaB]

17 minutes ago, DewMan said:

The FZ-07's seat is no better. I call it the vinyl covered plank. Most of us here have replaced the factory seat with a Corbin saddle or some other sort of seat upgrade.

... and then there are us freaks who actually like the stock seat on the 2014-2017 FZ-07, and have no desire to change it They changed the seat in 2018 which has the same seat height, but if you are close to being too short, the 18+ spreads your legs out raising the real seat height. It is more comfortable than the original seat.

If you do some searching on this website, you will find articles where people have switched from the FZ09 to the FZ07. Usually they talk about the less weight, better flickability, and the lower power. The last one is on the idea of being able to much better use the power you have then dealing with too much unusable power.

 

[DewMan]

12 minutes ago, FZ07R WaNaB said:

... and then there are us freaks who actually like the stock seat on the 2014-2017 FZ-07, and have no desire to change it They changed the seat in 2018 which has the same seat height, but if you are close to being too short, the 18+ spreads your legs out raising the real seat height. It is more comfortable than the original seat.

If you do some searching on this website, you will find articles where people have switched from the FZ09 to the FZ07. Usually they talk about the less weight, better flickability, and the lower power. The last one is on the idea of being able to much better use the power you have then dealing with too much unusable power.

 

You're definitely an outlier.  That said I don't remember anyone bragging about the 07 seat after switching from the 09 though. Just sayin..  

[norcal616]

As both bikes arnt really in the "tour" side but more like 90+% sport bike, so the seating position is straddling the gas tank... It's the nature of the beast... Aftermarket seat may solve solution but they are way to "touring" in terms of seating to actually move around vs just sitting in one place racking up miles on the highway on like a goldwing as it is a touring bike...

I actually point my toes inward( dirt bike habits) a bit to "lock" my knee into the gas tank under most conditions till I hit the curvy roads in which allows me to move around alot more and get up close and personal with the gas tank.. Locking my knees into the gas tank keeps me from sliding forward/keep my seating place...

 

The Yamaha comfort seat is a harder chunk of foam ... Best seat I have used is Seat Concepts for both bikes... 

[robbo10]

There are a number of ways to mod your existing seat.  I would suggest one way which is to work with an upholsterer to determine the foam and cover requirements. (I am a serial seat modder)

[Beemer]

There are a number of ways to mod and make your seat better and the one I chose years ago is what @robbo10 mentioned. The upholstery guy I went to has done a lot of boat seats over the last 20+ years and he said he's never had one complaint with the material he uses for padding, it's a "polymer" gel that you can buy off amazon. It's soft but yet firm, what you want in a seat. You can buy it the same thickness of the original seat and what he did was mark the section of the seat that I actually use/make contact with and he cut that old foam out. Then he simply cut the gel (it doesn't leak) the same size as the foam piece that was removed and put it in it's place and recovered it with the original cover. 

I said all that so that a person will see that it's something they can also do themselves with some scissors and a staple gun. If you're not good with your hands I wouldn't attempt it but an upholstery shop could do it easily. My seat is very comfortable but I've found that problems like poor blood flow and a bad sciatic nerve can make any seat look like this seat.

 

[robbo10]

Gel did not sort my MT-03 (Original) seat, but a layer of foam on top that did it.

[Beemer]

1 hour ago, robbo10 said:

Gel did not sort my MT-03 (Original) seat, but a layer of foam on top that did it.

I don't know which gel you used but it's very possible to use the wrong form of it.

[robbo10]

Maybe. I used the surgical version (for use in patient comfort).

[kylerhsm]

I don't mind the 07 seat at all. When I first jump on the bike it feels stiff and like it's going to be uncomfortable, but then I settle into it and don't really notice it too much. 1.72m and 72kg here, so maybe the ergos just work for someone my size. Either way, changing bikes based on the seat alone is silly when you have a few options for the MT09 which are going to be vastly better than the standard seats on either bike.

[topazsparrow]

I went from an FZ-07 to an FJ-09 then back to the FZ-07 (I kept it just in case i changed my mind thankfully).

 

The seat on the 07 is acceptable. With an extra pad for really long trips it's actually really quite good. The Ergo's on the 07 are pretty good at everything.

Outside of the engine, the MT-09 is not a better bike. It handles worse, it's more expensive to insure and fuel, and it's got the most annoying throttle in the world until you tune it (same for the FJ-09).

You're better off spending the difference on a MT-10 than trying to get the MT-09 to a good place suspension, ergo, and engine wise.

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by topazsparrow

[Cruizin]

I went from owning an FZ09 to owning the FZ07 forum. Does that count??

[_jdirty]

The longest I've ridden on my 07 would be 4 hours.. but I shift forward and back on the seat over time to change things up. Maybe that helps?

[YZEtc]

I've never owned an FZ-09 or MT-09, but I did participate in a Yamaha Demo Days test ride before I bought my 2015 FZ-07.

I wanted to try both the 2015 FZ-09 and 2015 FZ-07 and decide which I would buy in August of 2014.

I rode the FZ-09 first, and while that was enjoyable enough, nothing about it stood out and grabbed my attention.

If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought it was just another 4-cylindered sport bike of about 850cc with styling that looked like an insect.

 

Second was the FZ-07, and within 30 seconds, I felt I was onto something good.

While the FZ-09 did have more horsepower at higher RPM, that meant nothing to me compared to the low- and mid-range torque that was so easily accessible from the FZ-07.

No comparison, really.

Combining this with the slim feel of the FZ-07 and the dirt bike-like seating position and the pleasing tone of the engine and exhaust, I was sold.

I bought the FZ-07 a couple of days later.

I still own the bike.

 

Oh, yeah. The seat.

I've actually never owned a motorcycle where I had a real problem with the seat.

That's probably because I'm not just plopped upon it like a sack of potatoes, but moving around on it while doing some sport riding.

So, the seat feels not just fine and dandy, but I actually give a thumbs up to it's shape and how it allows movement quite easily.

I believe that most seats will have you wanting to take a break eventually if you are highway droning for hours at a time.

 

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by YZEtc

[Beemer]

16 hours ago, robbo10 said:

Maybe. I used the surgical version (for use in patient comfort).

I've thought about an extra layer of memory foam to help me deal with my specific problems, a little extra can't hurt.

[Weeksy]

Kinda, i had an XSR900 just before the MT07... 

[Rider360]

I used to own a 2014 FZ09. Sergeant makes a low seat for it that’s excellent!