New bike recommendation

[Simplesam]

Hey everybody.  I’m new to the forums and have a serious dilemma.  I’m in the market to look for a new bike. I’ve been riding for 5 Years on a Ninja 300 and this year I want to upgrade.  My thoughts are between a new MT 07 or 09 but not sure which.  I will be riding to work mostly on hwy about 45 min each way and for fun, I like twisty roads.  Learning on the 300 was good and all but after a while It got dull because it didn’t have a lot of grunt.  

 

Which is better on the twisty roads?  Is 09 that much different of an animal than 07?  I’ve seen a ton of YouTube videos but still can’t seem to make a decision on one or he other.  Also if it makes a difference I’m about 5’6 and 150 lbs.  

 

help? Lol thanks

[Cruizin]

The FZ-07 is one of the best commuting bikes ever made. Looks are sexy, exhaust is sexy and gets great MPG. 

I used to own an FZ-09, also a great bike and is allot more powerful but alot less MPG. I averaged only 37 mpg on mine but that's because I was busy doing wheelies and getting speeding tickets.

 

Test ride both and picture yourself riding it every day. 

 

[norcal616]

as an owner of both a FZ-07 and FJ-09... both bikes are just as nimble equally... I consider the FZ-07 an urban/city machine more so than the FJ-09 which is better once you start getting past the 55mph zones, its still comfy at city lvl but the FZ-07 gets the edge... my go to bike is the FJ-09 but dont mind taking the FZ-07 out on fri/sat night's ... 

 

between the 2 bikes they cover my motorcycle needs...

[gregjet]

Stock , my opinion is the 07 is a VERY much better bike because of the very poor fuelling of the fly by wire throttle of the 09. The 07 is problematic but less so than the 09. Once reflashed , it is harder to judge. Both are great motors and the 09's suspension setup can be modded to a higher standard.

I have heard the 09 fuel economy improves markedly after a flash, despite the fact that the flash adds more fuel.

Me, I prefer twins and the lower weight of the 07. The 07 has bolt quality and torquing issues but don't know about the 09.

Either reflashed and suspension fixed are as good as anything you are likely to find in the market. Plenty of mod stuff for both.

The tank on the 07 is stupidly small if that is an important factor.

 

[br4nd0n]

Another thing to consider, if you are inseam challenged, such as myself, is that the FZ-09 has a wide motor which sticks out where a short rider's legs would be and will burn you. I like to call these protrusions little tumors on the engine. Also, the FZ-09 is supposedly more twitchy on the throttle and with all that more power, it could equal a bad day.

[Cruizin]

And moving up from a Ninja 300, you might just kill yerself on an FZ-09. The power of that bike is all in the low/middle RPM's. Twist the throttle like you did on the 300 and the front wheel will stand straight up in the air 1st three gears on the FZ-09. 

 

The FZ07 can wheelie too but you are expecting it when it happens. I opped the wheel up on the FZ-09 way too many times by surprise when I first bought it. 

0-60 mph the FZ-09 beats a ton of bikes. 

 

 

[topazsparrow]

15 hours ago, Cruizin said:

And moving up from a Ninja 300, you might just kill yerself on an FZ-09. The power of that bike is all in the low/middle RPM's. Twist the throttle like you did on the 300 and the front wheel will stand straight up in the air 1st three gears on the FZ-09. 

 

The FZ07 can wheelie too but you are expecting it when it happens. I opped the wheel up on the FZ-09 way too many times by surprise when I first bought it. 

0-60 mph the FZ-09 beats a ton of bikes. 

 

 

The 09's seem to have the most annoying throttle response issues. Either they're too jerky or too slow depending on the mode you're in and what you're trying to do.

 

Took my FJ-09 out for a short spin on the weekend and immediately remembered why I'm selling it this spring. FZ-09 might be decent with a tune and some love, but stock for stock, the 07 is a better value and more versatile IMO.

[gregjet]

All reports say that a quality reflash does as great a job of smoothing the throttle response of the 09 as it does for the 07. Very similar issues ( ultra lean modes, fuel shutoff, ultra lean trailing throttle) on both . but the fly by wire makes the 09 much worse. It also makes it much better when it is reprogrammed.

[djfz07]

I've ridden my cousins FZ09 bone stock and after he added exhaust, reflash, and upgraded the suspension.  I was seriously considering one before I bought my FZ07.  I found pretty much the same issues everyone else complains about.  Suspension felt a little too soft, throttle was annoying, didn't really like how my legs bumped the engine, and it seemed like it just didn't carry its weight as well for only being 20-something pounds heavier than the 07.  Even after the suspension upgrades (Racetech), I wasn't really into it.  The flash helped massively with the smoothness but I still felt as thought the bike was very snappy with its torque.  I definitely couldn't recommend something like that to someone coming off a 300.  I'm a seasoned rider and that bike made me nervous and I've ridden much more powerful bikes.  It's a beast of a bike and can bite you really fast if you're not careful.  It does have modes too although I've only ridden it in the fastest mode (A, I think) so I can't comment on how much you can tame it down.

 

The FZ07 IMO is just a much better balanced bike and it's more forgiving which helps to inspire confidence.  Still has a great hit of torque in the low-mid range without overwhelming you.  The suspension on the 07 isn't the greatest either though and the stock throttle has an abrupt off-to-on transition that can be a little jerky but it's nowhere near as bad as the 09.  The money saved from going with the 07 can easily correct those issues.

 

 

[norcal616]

The throttle on the FZ/FJ-09 is electronic rather than the ole school cable system...

Yes the electronic throttle is "touchy" if you didn't realize it was electronic

The FZ/FJ-09 throttle response can be softened up by adjusting the Acceleration Position Sensor value from like 17 to 12/13

[topazsparrow]

26 minutes ago, norcal616 said:

The throttle on the FZ/FJ-09 is electronic rather than the ole school cable system...

Yes the electronic throttle is "touchy" if you didn't realize it was electronic

The FZ/FJ-09 throttle response can be softened up by adjusting the Acceleration Position Sensor value from like 17 to 12/13

I'm assuming you need a tune to do this adjustment yeah?

[stickshift]

The fuelling on the 2017 onwards 09 is great, hard to fault really. The earlier model is vastly different if it hasn't been reflashed.

 

The current model 09 also has much improved forks over the earlier model (upgrade not needed imo) though the shock is not much of an improvement (upgrade necessary).

 

I prefer the torque of the 09 but all other characteristics - lower weight, seat/bar/peg position, low speed handling, wheelies - of the 07.

 

OP: the 09 will be a handful following the 300, the 07 will provide years of entertainment.

[norcal616]

1 minute ago, topazsparrow said:

I'm assuming you need a tune to do this adjustment yeah?

no... pre 2017 FJ-09 can adjust this via dash board and allen key... post 2017 a dealership will have to hook up dealership code scanner to adjustment...

[topazsparrow]

1 minute ago, norcal616 said:

no... pre 2017 FJ-09 can adjust this via dash board and allen key... post 2017 a dealership will have to hook up dealership code scanner to adjustment...

Nice. I'm sitting on a 2016 FJ-09 right now waiting for it to sell. I'll have to give that shot in the mean time.

[norcal616]

5 minutes ago, topazsparrow said:

Nice. I'm sitting on a 2016 FJ-09 right now waiting for it to sell. I'll have to give that shot in the mean time.

https://fj-09.org/thread/5045/accelerator-position-sensor-aps-adjustment?page=1

[shinyribs]

Keep in mind that this is a FZ07 forum, so the replies will likely be biased towards choosing an 07. Likewise, if you ask this on the 09 forum the replies will be biased towards the 09. 

 

First of all, it seems the 09 gets regarded as a full size bike and the 07 as a "small bike". In reality, the 09 seat height is only 0.4" taller than the 07 and the 09 has 1.6" longer wheelbase. The 07 IS a full size bike. 

 

Secondly, let's get the hp thing out of the way. If you look at 09 forums at the "should I get an 07 or an 09" threads ( which I did myself), you always hear the same thing: the 09 has more power. Yes, it does. The 09 keeps building power at speed when the 07 starts to run out of steam. However, IMO, at any speeds below 60 mph or so I think both bikes are pretty similar in power. While the 09 is more powerful, the 07 is still a horse down low. Any WOT action in first gear will result in the bike standing on the back tire. Second gear is more tame, but the bike can still power wheelie with ease. Clutch up wheelies are very easy in 3rd gear, and sometimes happen by surprise without the clutch. I've had my 07 pop the tire up in 4th a few times, though it's not very high or anything. My point is, unless you need to do 80mph wheelies or run in excess of 100 mph, the 07 can easily hold it's own everywhere else. Not saying the 07 can't break 100mph. I've seen 120'ish a few times. The bike's tongue isn't hanging out, but it's getting close. 

 

I don't have a lot of seat time on 09's. I learned about the 09 and was super excited about getting one. I got to test ride two different 09's. One was bone stock and the other had been flashed with an Akro exhaust. I won't bash the 09, but I was disappointed to say the least. I didn't like the ergos and wasn't crazy about the handling. Other than a fantastic engine, it was just a bike to me. The salesman knew I was disappointed and suggested I try out an 07. My initial thought was " it's a little bike and has less power than the 09, and the power is the only thing I like about the 09", so I declined the offer. But I went home and researched the 07 and decided to give it a shot. Hell, why not as least ride the bike? How often do you get that chance anyway? I went out a couple days later, rode an 07 and bought it on the spot. I'm 6' 3" tall with a 33" inseam. I felt the 07 had more legroom than the  09, but the 07's stock handlebars sucked for me. I put on taller, wider bars and am very happy with the ergos. My suggestion would be to ride both and see which one trips your trigger. You may hate the 07 and love the 09, or the other way around. The 07 isn't a miniature 09, it's a completely different bike. 

 

Also, are you dead set on Yamaha or the FZ lineup in particular? You may want to check out the SV 650 from Suzuki. I didn't care for the 650, but I know a guy that is 6'8" tall and he absolutely loves his SV! Most SV owners fall in love with their bikes. Triumph's Speed Triple 675 is another similar model. A bit revvy and pricey in comparison, but definitely worth a look. Kawasaki has their Z900 that also falls in to the same category as the FZ's, though it is a bit heavy compared to everything else. 

 

I'd say just keep an open mind and see which bike feels best when you sit on it. Once you decide which is comfortable to you, get a test ride and see if you like the power delivery. Peak power is fun on occasion, but think of how you'll ride the bike on a daily basis and make your choice from there. The worst than can happen is you pick and bike and later want something else. That's ok! Just get something else and start over again! You can never have too many new bikes  Good luck, and have fun. 

[YZEtc]

All I can tell you is my story:

 

First, after 5 years riding a Ninja 300, either of these bikes will feel like a missile.

That right there will be worth the price of admission, more than likely.

 

I test rode both the 2014 FZ-09 and 2015 FZ-07 at a Yamaha demo ride program called Yamaha Demo Days.

I rode the FZ-09 first, and the FZ-07 about 45 minutes later.

I wanted to buy a new street bike at the time (after going without a street-only bike for about four years), and was ready to buy the bike I liked best.

I went into the demo ride not preferring one over the other, and was pretty neutral on the two bikes in question.

 

The FZ-09 felt a lot, engine-wise, like a typical 4-cylindered sport bike in 850cc, even though it has a 3-cylindered engine.

Not bad at all, but I simply did not get too excited and was wondering what all of the press and Internet hype was about.

To me, it felt very plain and average - not extremely exciting.

Sure, it was 850cc fast and handled just fine and dandy, but I simply did not get too excited about anything.

 

The FZ-07 gave me some excitement.

The engine felt like a torquey V-Twin with thumping vibes to match, and a power delivery that felt perfect for riding on back roads.

The bike felt a bit smaller, light, and easier to maneuver than the FZ-09, and that bike felt good in those areas, itself.

Basically, the FZ-07 felt more fun to ride from the first release of the clutch lever.

[Beemer]

In case you didn't know it, a lot of people on here are veteran bike riders, people that have a lot of motorcycle miles under their belt and they know a good bike when they see it and here they are on this forum with new FZ-07's. What does that tell you? Right, this bike is a very nice bike to have and IMO a better step up from a Ninja 300 than the FZ-09. You can get plenty stupid on an FZ-07 if you want, believe me, but it takes a little more effort which makes it a safer bike for a person such as yourself. You mentioned your bike didn't have enough "grunt", well, the FZ-07/MT-07 will turn that frown upside down, guaranteed. 🙂

 

Edit: I forgot to mention, If you're doing a lot of highway riding the FZ-07 has good passing power at highway speeds, I usually don't have to drop down a gear to accelerate well and you will likely get better gas mileage on the 07. You might want to ask your insurance company the difference in cost for insurance between the two bikes. Something tells me insurance for the 09 may be more expensive. I could be wrong but worth a phone call.

[gregjet]

On the highway topic. Both have the same fuel tank size 14L ( ie tiny). However the 09 gets 17km/l and the 07 gets 23km/l ( Fuelly average figures). That gives the 07 a 84km(52miles) longer range from a tank.

Both are a pain to get properly full...

 

[norcal616]

Don't forget the FJ-09... bigger tank, more upright ergo than FZ-09... better suited for 2up, cargo add-ons, more element protection... don't let the FJ-09 looks fool you, it's very sporty...

[shinyribs]

39 minutes ago, norcal616 said:

Don't forget the FJ-09... bigger tank, more upright ergo than FZ-09... better suited for 2up, cargo add-ons, more element protection... don't let the FJ-09 looks fool you, it's very sporty...

I considered buying FJ09 and ripping the plastic off the front, but decided it wasn't worth the effort lol. Man, if they'd put the FJ seat on the FZ that'd be a helluva sport touring machine. Shame they're riddled with electronics. 

[r1limited]

Get a Boss Hog

Because everyone needs a V8 Strapped to two wheels 👉🤓👈

 

 

[mjh937]

V8?  Real men ride V10's

 

[mjh937]

Wait, did I say V10...of course I meant V12 

 

[i28]

You guys aren't man enough for 48 cylinders?