2011 Ninja 1000 or yamaha FZ1??

I'd pick the FZ. But only you can decide. And before you lay down your dough, go up to Lomita to South Bay Triumph and test ride the new Triumph Thruxton.
 
It's insane that motorcycle dealers expect one to shell out thousands of dollars for a product, which is all about the driving experience, WITH OUT a test ride!:mad:
Here's what I've done. I've been successful in finding dealers who do allow test rides. (And, I feel no compunction about buying it elsewhere if I can find a better price.) Or, I'll find one on the used market and get a test ride. I'll be damned if I'm going to spend all that money with out even knowing if I like riding the bike or not! :mad: Yea, I know, they claim it's their insurance carrier who prohibits them from offering test rides. But, I've always been able to find dealers who will let you test ride. What's different about their insurance company? I just won't buy a motorcycle w/o a test ride. For me it's the only sensible thing to do.
 
Over here in Australia you sign a waiver stating that if you crash you have to pay a from $3000 - $4000 insurance premium (price depending upon dealers particular insurance)
 
ballmead said:
Over here in Australia you sign a waiver stating that if you crash you have to pay a from $3000 - $4000 insurance premium (price depending upon dealers particular insurance)
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You are not sue happy in Australia like in the US so the dealer's liability is not as great. Even if he is sued and loses the payout is peanuts (relative to US). That's just the way it is.

Many (most?) dealers in US will let you test ride their used bikes as long as you have motorcycle endorsement on your license. They'll often tag along on another bike and take you over a set road course. Some dealers will let you ride new machines but I think these are supported by the distributor (Triumph comes to mind) as part of their marketing plan. Remember, most people won't pay a new price for a bike that has 40 or 50 miles on it, they will think it as used and want a price cut and someone has to bear that price cut. Most new bikes sitting on the showroom floor are not prepped and ready to go, they don't have batteries or fuel in them, and they haven't had everything tightened down and aligned which happens when it is finally sold. I haven't found a dealer who will pull one of these units aside, fully prep it and let you go for a ride. The world is full of yahoos and hoons who would abuse the opportunity to test ride brand new bikes with no intention of buying, so I cannot blame the dealer. Dealers aren't making tons of money on new bikes so I try to work with them and not abuse them.
 
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Stock to Stock Ninja 1000 is a better bike. FZ1 handles better though in any form. Modded FZ1 will spank it big time. If you mod the Ninja 1000 then it will spank the FZ1 big time.
However, it will take more $$ to mod the Ninja than the FZ1 if you consider you can get FZ1s for much cheaper prices especially now. In a few years both bikes will be at par in terms of price and the obvious choice will be the Ninja.
 
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i test rode my bike when i bought it off a private seller. very cool guy, just asked me if i had my license and let me take it right out onto the busy roads. needless to say the bike was in such good shape that i probably would have got it anyway for the price. but when i was looking around there were people selling fz-1's for cheap prices and i emailed them back and forth and was about to go check it out, and asked if the guy would let me test ride, and he said no, so i said f-off. he also didn't have any paperwork for the bike besides the title, very sketchy dude to say the least. but the one i got i test rode and it came with all the paperwork ever involved with the bike from the time the one and only owner took it off the lot a year ago, to the time i took it off his hands. i would just make him sign a little contract like the aussie guys said, holding him liable if he did crash it. because there is always this:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CG5HozkvAc"]allstate test ride[/ame]
 
Evitzee said:
You are not sue happy in Australia like in the US so the dealer's liability is not as great. Even if he is sued and loses the payout is peanuts (relative to US). That's just the way it is.

Many (most?) dealers in US will let you test ride their used bikes as long as you have motorcycle endorsement on your license. They'll often tag along on another bike and take you over a set road course. Some dealers will let you ride new machines but I think these are supported by the distributor (Triumph comes to mind) as part of their marketing plan. Remember, most people won't pay a new price for a bike that has 40 or 50 miles on it, they will think it as used and want a price cut and someone has to bear that price cut. Most new bikes sitting on the showroom floor are not prepped and ready to go, they don't have batteries or fuel in them, and they haven't had everything tightened down and aligned which happens when it is finally sold. I haven't found a dealer who will pull one of these units aside, fully prep it and let you go for a ride. The world is full of yahoos and hoons who would abuse the opportunity to test ride brand new bikes with no intention of buying, so I cannot blame the dealer. Dealers aren't making tons of money on new bikes so I try to work with them and not abuse them.
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My local dealer has been great. He allows test rides and he let me test ride a new FZ1 twice before I bought it from a pvt party. He prepped a 0 mile Ninja 1000 for a test ride and called me back when it was ready and had no regrets when I found my modded FZ1 to be much better than it. He is cool!
 
I wish I could help you with words of wisdom. The guys here have done their best to give you all the information you need and if it were me, given the pricing and the maintenance factiods, I'd be searching for the best FZ1 deal available.

Unlike a couple of expert resident forum specialists who know everything about the naked Ninja 1000 version 1.0, I've neither researched one or ridden one. I did sit on one once and it wasn't uncomfortable for those few minutes. I'd love to try one out.

But, I'm a Bleeding-Blue Yamaha lifer who can only tell you that thus far, the FZ1 has left me wanting nothing more out of a motorcycle. She fills every need I have, performs beautifully in any situation to include cruising, touring (loaded to the hilt!), spirited riding, full-on corner carving and just being a beautiful piece of eye-candy that makes me smile when I see her. In the world of motorcycles, this is my dream girl and I'm glad I've found her!
 
CrazyBiker said:
My local dealer has been great. He allows test rides and he let me test ride a new FZ1 twice before I bought it from a pvt party. He prepped a 0 mile Ninja 1000 for a test ride and called me back when it was ready and had no regrets when I found my modded FZ1 to be much better than it. He is cool!
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Hang on to that dealer as there aren't many like that around. He is an exception.
 
FZ1inNH said:
I wish I could help you with words of wisdom. The guys here have done their best to give you all the information you need and if it were me, given the pricing and the maintenance factiods, I'd be searching for the best FZ1 deal available.

Unlike a couple of expert resident forum specialists who know everything about the naked Ninja 1000 version 1.0, I've neither researched one or ridden one. I did sit on one once and it wasn't uncomfortable for those few minutes. I'd love to try one out.

But, I'm a Bleeding-Blue Yamaha lifer who can only tell you that thus far, the FZ1 has left me wanting nothing more out of a motorcycle. She fills every need I have, performs beautifully in any situation to include cruising, touring (loaded to the hilt!), spirited riding, full-on corner carving and just being a beautiful piece of eye-candy that makes me smile when I see her. In the world of motorcycles, this is my dream girl and I'm glad I've found her!
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You found your dream girl twice my friend. And you deserve it all!
 
another nice thread for many reasons..First a biker leaving an exotic euro bike(the only bikes with soul.....)and looking for a japan one to stop having problems..who just read me know well what I wanna tell so I shut up..
Second the choice: Kawa is completely new and is early to say if have any problems:new z1000,the naked,in Italy had a recall for a problem on a front brake fluid tube that was on a wrong position and was consumed by the fork's contact(for example).With fz1 that kind of things never happen:the proget's age in an assurance. The price of fz1 have a great discount for the same reason and you will not wait to retire one from dealer..
Guys you know how much I love this bike but those are the only goods points for fz1 in my opinion. Kawa is new gen bike, good suspensions,radials brakes,abs(in italy is the first japan..)new chassis,and the suite version is very good looking! You know that I tried kawa on track for 3 laps on semidry ground and really cant say if short gears and bigger engine size(1050cc-/+)fell so different on low and medium rpm because is not the range for track but the bike is very good. In Italy Superbikeitalia,my favorite magazine talk about naked version like''first jap ready to fight with euronaked''. To much in my opinion but they really like the low and medium torque and sad that z1000 is incredible for weeling..
A new proget bike is easy to sale on second hand market and,especially in this case,is better than last generation.
So if you are not crazy for fz1,kawa is a better choice at the moment. But for me a good option is find an used fz1 with a lot of upgrade,like the johnnyontherocks bike,to stay in yamaha and having a cool fz1 that never shows the age of the proget..
 
1. I drive 45miles round trip from work, and I have lower back plus neck issues and i'm 5.10 wanting to keep as much wind off me as possible.
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That alone would keep me off the Kawasaki, a magic machine it is but I put it next to a Duke as a pure track suited bike.

Just my impressions and I have only done a test ride on the Kawaka.
 
Dustin said:
A used FZ1 is the way to go, hands down. You can purchase a used one for fractions of what a new one will cost. If you were so inclined, the money saved could be used towards upgrades on the bike or just put into a year's worth of maintenance and gas.
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I totally agree with Dustin. I bought my second hand 2006 FZ1 in october 2009, 9k miles at that time, 18k at present. It costed 6.5k€ (9.3k$), while I would have spent 11.5k€ (16,4k$) for a brand new one. I have never regretted, indeed it was one of the best decision I've ever made. You could say I was lucky. I tell you that before to sign the sale contract, I had doublechecked it very carefully. I went to a trusted dealer, who is my usual dealer, and I made sure he trusted my bike, asking for a 2-years-full-warranty. He does trust my bike, because he has always serviced it, and because it is a Yamaha, a japanese efficient and reliable bike. So, if I were you, I would go a little around my area and find an FZ1 in a good condition, better on sale on a motorbike shop which gives you a 2-year-full-warranty. Year of manufacturing in my opinion is not that relevant, if the bike has always been serviced in the proper way and the owner was a passionate biker. And I bet the most part of the FZ1 owners are like this, because FZ1 is not a "show off bike", I mean, you don't buy it just to show off, sitting out of the most popular bikers' bar of the city (you would have rather bought an R1 or a Ducati - if you can afford it).

If I were you, at the moment I would save a lot of money and buy a second hand FZ1 (and you will see you will love it, I had the feeling it is exactly what you're looking for - in the worst case you will have just to do something to improve suspensions, as I did). And if you are unhappy, or not that happy, then you can look around for your next bike, since you still have some money in your pockets.
 
Take a look at this custom from Roaring Toyz in FL... They are working with Kawasaki and dubbed this one the "Inside Out" Ninja 1000 because the frame is chrome and the accents are all black. Nice work here!

Img-33192.jpg
 
Well I have ridden both the Z1000 and Ninja 1000 and stock either is a better bike than the stock FZ1. They are geared nicely and the mid-range punch is great, even if they give away a few horse on the top-end to the FZ1. However, like anything else what works for me may not work for you so unless you're able to test ride it yourself it's a moot point. I especially liked the adjustable windscreen on the Ninja 1000...nice little touch.
 
Does the Kawi engine use an extra balancer shaft inside the engine, parallel to the crankshaft ?
These are used in some engines to balance out some of the modes of vibration - the FZ/R1 do not have it.
 
Yes, Kawasaki has always been using secondary balancer shafts. Still the 07 ZX6R I spent some time on had horrible vibrations as well as the brand new ninja I test rode had ball numbing vibrations in the same 5-7k rpm range which is the norm for cruising/touring.
 
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