ornery Posted August 24, 2015 Author Share Posted August 24, 2015 Aha Rick, I think you put your finger on it, inadvertently. I've been mulling this all day, and I think you helped me get it. Most members of this board love riding hard, and switch out bikes as better performing ones come along. This FZ-07 performs WAY beyond anything I "need". The difference is, I purchased this bike for the long haul, probably till I die. I planned to keep it rolling literally till I die. Well, this ain't the one. Maybe not the BMW either. Just don't know now, but when I do find the right one, it's for keeps. Having all the electronic bells & whistles is kind of scary, but I'm depending on that computer to run the fuel injection etc., so what the hell? Not going to a carbureted bike, that's for sure! I'll maintain and repair as much as I can myself, just like I do the cars and appliances. I'll only put on a couple thousand miles a year, so it should hold up OK, knock wood. “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member yamahappy74 Posted August 24, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted August 24, 2015 I will have this thing into spring next year. Took it out last night at 10:30PM (I usually get up at 4:00AM) for a 15 mile ride, with the excuse of running an errand. With nobody else on the road, it was very pleasant. What I enjoy about it, far outweighs what I don't. I particularly liked the selling price, which is very good bang for the buck. Of course you have to expect trade offs for that. This will sound flaky, but I just don't love this bike. I love all my cars, my bicycles, and I own some hand and power tools I really love, but not this bike. Gawd, that is flaky, I better shut up. Suffice it to say, I'm still looking, and it will be many months before I do any test rides. Thanks a million for all the input. It takes a lot of typing to try and describe a feeling, and I appreciate the effort. I feel the same way. I really loved my R6 and my Triumph Striple, but this bike I just "like". I don't know what it is about it, but it doesn't wow me. It looks great, it's got power, and the price was right, but for some reason, I don't find myself wanting to go outside and look at it on a regular basis. I really think I'm meant to be on a sport bike; that's where I feel at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwpowere36m3 Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 About the only comparison is they both have two wheels and minimal plastics.... My coworker just bought one, after I bought my FZ-07. Higher quality components, fit/finish, features... but they come at a higher price. Is it worth about $10k more than a FZ, that's personal choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauljr Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Guess I don't know why everyone thinks a BMW (new boxer) is so expensive to maintain, I would sure rather check the valves on my R than the FZ. Oil change is oil change, oh, I guess I need an extra quart of oil for the R and a bit of oil for the rear drive. I've owned a few BMW Boxers starting with a 78 R100S and all have been among the easiest to service bikes I've owned. I guess the only thing easier to service I've owned were the Buell's and a lone HD. Now if we were talking about a Ducati.....I've never had one of those but would probably agree it would be maintenance intensive. I sure don't need a dealers services to maintain my R any more than I do the FZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassecou Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I feel the same way. I really loved my R6 and my Triumph Striple, but this bike I just "like". I don't know what it is about it, but it doesn't wow me. It looks great, it's got power, and the price was right, but for some reason, I don't find myself wanting to go outside and look at it on a regular basis. I really think I'm meant to be on a sport bike; that's where I feel at home. Same here, I enjoy the FZ, but there is no "WOW". The best "WOW" I got from any bike I owned was a Ninja 900. I believed I figured out what is a "WOW" for me, which might not be a "WOW" for someone else. Its at least a 100hp bike. Maybe its that 4cyl feel. For other it might be something else. But as much as the FZ is a fun bike to own, its not the "WOW" I was looking for. I will keep it for a while longer, but definitely need something more exiting. Maybe, the FZ is really just a beginner's bike after all, and has lead us, very well, to make us think to be more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulibiker Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I will have this thing into spring next year. Took it out last night at 10:30PM (I usually get up at 4:00AM) for a 15 mile ride, with the excuse of running an errand. With nobody else on the road, it was very pleasant. What I enjoy about it, far outweighs what I don't. I particularly liked the selling price, which is very good bang for the buck. Of course you have to expect trade offs for that. This will sound flaky, but I just don't love this bike. I love all my cars, my bicycles, and I own some hand and power tools I really love, but not this bike. Gawd, that is flaky, I better shut up. Suffice it to say, I'm still looking, and it will be many months before I do any test rides. Thanks a million for all the input. It takes a lot of typing to try and describe a feeling, and I appreciate the effort. Not flaky............I know exactly how you feel. Have owned 20+ motorcycles in my 30+ years of riding. There are just some bike that just "feel" right, for me that was a Honda 919, ZRX1100, 1st Gen SV650, & Yamaha Vmax. ABSOLUTELY love those bikes. On the flip side, have had a lot of bikes that just felt wrong. Not any one thing about the bikes, they just didn't do it for me. And some of those bikes had/have a HUGE following, VFR750 & FJ1200 to name a couple. I have mixed feelings about my FZ07, can't decide if I want to keep it or sell it. I like a lot of things about it I really do, but if dealers around here allowed test rides, I don't think I would have bought one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member dony Posted August 25, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted August 25, 2015 One of my friends I ride with has a R1200R, and while he has more power than my 07 I can easily keep up when we are up to speed and I think I actually have more top end than him. His is definitely more comfortable for longer trips but I would not take it over the 07, its just lighter and way more fun to ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornery Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 You know, after the market tanking yesterday, pissing away thousands of dollars for a slightly better machine/ toy, doesn't sound like such a hot idea. I wonder if I have the wherewithal to take on a vintage bike? Maybe a turn key, that's already been restored. It would probably hold its value from here on out. I'll do some research and see what seems promising, obtaining parts being the biggest concern. [strong]Edit:[/strong] Not a far fetched idea I guess. “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonme Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 collecting is a very fickle endeavor that many, many people get 'wrong' and lose their ass. It's also a 'successful' person game since those with "too much money" will actually pay your asking price. If the economy is sucking your pool of buyers shrinks dramatically and those that are left can be picky as hell. I personally would love a CB900F Bol d'Or but I'm not paying more than 3 grand. The above was not investment advice, I'm not a registered securities and antiquities dealer, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 The thing I like the most about this FZ is how light and nimble it is. I've explored roads on this bike I'd never have taken on that land yacht, 630 lb K11 or my 100 lb lighter Aprilia (which is a bit tall and top heavy to boot) And that represents 18 years of riding. If I find myself on a narrow, crappy road that I've had enough of, I can turn around w/o a single worry of dropping the bike. My Aprilia breaks if it falls and I can't pick it up myself - I ride by myself most of the time. As for valve inspection that will come well down the road at 25k miles, something tells me it will be just an inspection w/o need for shims. I've now got the rear suspension pretty much how I like it with the base Ohlns shock (can you believe 5 clicks softer in rebound than the recommended std. setting) . Just need to get the front sorted - and that will come. I'd not want to take a long trip on this bike though. I'd choose my 13 year old Futura for bigger miles. So in that respect, It's a bit of a let down. That said, the new R1200RS might be a decent replacement for my Futura (which has the most stable valvetrain and phenomenal saddle ever) - but it'll never ever have the Aprilia's charisma/character. Even if people at gas stations to this day insist on asking me "Aprilia, is that made by Ducati"? Damnit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornery Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 I wouldn't be buying to flip it, I'd keep it as a daily driver hopefully. I don't care for restoring cars. Best bang for the buck is ten year old models. All the depreciation is done, and the bells & whistles still work, with parts still available. Don't know if that's the same with bikes or not. I do know restoring cars to sell is the same as you mentioned. Way too much work for too little or no profit. [video src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h9wlof1BaA] I guess these guys restore bikes that already belong to customers. Awesome job! “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member hobbs Posted August 25, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted August 25, 2015 The 1970s CB bikes are all over the place. Cheap, easy to work on, and parts are readily available. I enjoyed my CB550. I do wish I still owned it. And ultra cheap to insure. First bike and it still only cost me like $300 a year. Everything went braap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 My 2nd bike was a 1972 CB500/4. Bought it slightly used to the tune of $1200 iirc. Rode that bike from PA to CO and back in the summer of 1974 after I finished college when I was too young to know any better. . Riding that bike again would just be an in-your-face eye opener as to how much better bikes are now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauljr Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Rick, you need to quit rubbing that Futura thing in. I've regretted not getting one of those since they quit making them. Had a chance when they came out as I was near a dealership, had a Triumph Sprint ST at the time and someone I didn't even know asked me to demo the Futura and compare it to my ST so he would know what to buy, hey, I don't understand, but I was willing. Only thing I could tell him was to get the Futura. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Sorry, I still try to ride it every 4th or 5th ride. but every time I do, it's like goin out for a drink with an old friend. Yep, only 4 sales years for the states - and a 5th in Europe ending in 2005. Probably not many left alive at this point and parts are becoming a bit of a problem. Thankfully, mine's been very reliable and gets 46 mpg w/o ever seeing a fairly tall 6th gear. This has been an interesting sorta conversation - liking a bike vs loving it. In one more year, I'll have had that Aprilia as long as any bike I've ever owned. As of right now, that title belongs to a 1982 smoke red, R100RS that I had for 14 years. Almost 20 years later i kick myself that i sold it. And did so cause the driveshaft was losing oil into the gearbox - 3 attempts to fix it failed and I bought a nightmare of a K11RS that was always broken and blew up on the next guy to own it.. That R bike didn't handle all that well, with maybe 60 hp was hardly fast, needed new seat foam in the biggest of ways, and tubed tire choices were limited by then, but man did it ever have that "X" factor. It was just cool. Sadly, the little FZ, fun and frugal as it is, doesn't really stir those innards in me either - yep, a bit jaded I guess. Want a good comparison - get up close and personal with a new 1100 Tuono. And whatever you do, don't ride one! On the flip side - I had a choice of 3 bikes when i bought the FZ - A Street Triple R (I'm really a 2 cylinder kinda guy), a Guzzi Griso (an expensive and purely emotional decision that I was ultimately too, erm, frugal to pull the trigger on - even though I still drool at the sight and sounds) http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/2014/08/article/2015-moto-guzzi-griso-se-v7-stone/) were the other 2. The role the FZ serves for me is near perfect. i have some nits, but no regrets. And btw, all the plastic bits on the FZ fit much, much nicer together than the unobtanium plastic on the Fut. I've been fairly impressed with how most of the bike is bolted together. Sure, there are some price points, but fit and finish are pretty darn good imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornery Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Aha, the search is over! “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Yeah, very, very cool. But 185 large! http://www.bikeexif.com/midual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonme Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 gah 50-80K price point, sure. but not an extra 100K tacked on. Doing your own motor in this day and age is just dumb. IF you want a living room ornament that might also run, sure thing. Should have just sourced a BMW R engine and turned it sideways and made some mods to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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