FZ8 Hatred

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Sebastian F7

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How come everyone hates the FZ8 so much. Everywhere I look online its I hate this I hate that the FZ8 sucks.
It compares very close to the old vfr 800 power and weight wise. Everyone seems to still get wet over the vfr800.
I have quite a bit of time on both the fz1 and fz8 and I dont mind the 8 a bit. I dont hop on it and go wow this thing is heavy and slow.
Its not an FZ1 and I dont expect FZ1 power when I jump on it.
What gives?
:gaming:
 
When I did the demo ride on the Fz8 I found it to be close to the Fz1 but just left a little bit of something to be desired. I like the Fz1 with the little bit of extra get up and go. The Fz8 still seemed very capable, just not enough thrill factor for me (insert comments bout my crash on the Fz1, mind you I have 11k miles since, with no problem)
 
lol Yamaha even hates them..they are being replaced ;). look like cool bikes and according to the specs they are more than just a little bit behind in power compared to the FZ1. To each there own .
 
Haters gonna hate. It's a good looking bike with a proven package, nothing wrong with that.

Some people are just trying to compensate for something :)
 
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I've always liked the FZ8 (always=3 years), but I've never had the chance to ride one. I'm guessing the h8 (hate) comes from the fact that almost everything looks like the FZ1-N, but it's 200cc's down. From the reviews I've read and watched on YouTube, it sounded like it was easier to turn than the FZ1 due to a lighter flywheel and the power was more even, possibly due to the header (I love the FZ8 header look). I've even tried to get my wife to jump from a Ninja 250R to the FZ8 (maybe more for me than her :spank2:)

Maybe, in the USA, people wanted the FZ1-N instead of the FZ8. I think Canada got the FZ8-S and FZ8-N. It did seem like Yamaha was telling people, "if you want to go naked, loose 200cc's of power", and that didn't set well. :2cents:
 
Okay, since I have an 8, I'll throw in my 2 cents.

It just seems to be human nature to validate everything we do/have, whether it's what we do for a living, how smart our kids are, or even what kind of motorcycle we own.

There will always be those who think - my bikes faster than yours, mine's better in the twisties, I'm cool, your not cool. Nothing can be done about that kind of attitude, and anyone in their right mind should not waste their time trying to argue with that type of mentality.

Yes, I have done some mods to my bike, but that would appear to be a popular thing to do, whether a person rides a R1, FZ1, FZ8 or just about any bike.

For me, I go WOT and the bike goes fast. I pull on the brake lever and the bike stops. I go into a curve and the bike is like it's on rails (Ohlins/RaceTech Suspension).

In short - feels good.
 
I like the FZ8 a lot. Just enough power for what I would need. I know the FZ1 is a better bike but I don't really need 150 HP. I have 80 WHP on my FZ6R on a good day and it's way enough for normal use.

We got the same thing with FZ6 vs. FZ6R. The same will happen with the FZ8 vs. FZ9. I haven't rode a FZ8 but help to tune it with my new mid ship exhaust. Right out the box the bike get more woop with the exhaust (dyno run to come shortly 13' stock vs Marthy exhaust / PCV)

Still waiting on the final numbers of the R1 cams swap. The first dyno run with the TB slip on was right there with a R6 (103-5 WHP). So power should not be an issue... there's a gain with the new exhaust... just need to put it on paper. From the butt dyno is about 5 HP... that's close to 110 WHP if the butt dyno is right! LOL

So the FZ9 has 113 at the crank... great! The R1 cams swap got 55 ft.lb or torque or something like that... ya... final number not here yet.

So for someone like me stuck in Florida road... The FZ8 make good sense for me. The FZ9 is a nice bike don't get me wrong. But I'm not digging the tail section and the small fuel tank is not working for me.

Not quite decided on what I will get later this year. Most that likely it will be a middle weight naked bike. gotta few on my list...

At the end of the day, I don't think there's anything wrong with the FZ8. Just a matter of personal taste and needs. We can say that from about any bike out there...
 
Somebody needs to get an FZ8 to Ivan. If it is half as corked-up as the FZ1, there is a much better motorcycle engine just waiting to be unlocked.
 
I don't hate it at all. I like it and I'm glad Yamaha listened to the buyers and made changes for the last two years. It's an FZ1 that has a lot of function/features removed. It's a better mid-range bike than the stock FZ1... I'd take one as a commuter because of the better MPG if the price was right.

With some mods, it can be a killer carver! And by mods, I mean better suspension but the same goes for the FZ1 too.... Yamaha doesn't put a lot of quality parts on the FZ series.... that is reserved for the R series. ;)
 
loosenut said:
Somebody needs to get an FZ8 to Ivan. If it is half as corked-up as the FZ1, there is a much better motorcycle engine just waiting to be unlocked.
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He can call me! I got it sort out already... LOL

Just messing... not quite to his level yet. But did really good for not owning one.

@ Cobalt: I have a R on mine... doesn't mean $hit! LOL
 
I wanted to try to unleash some more ponies from hers but she isnt worried about it and we have the 5 year YES warranty so I cant blame her. I keep telling her let me uncork the exhaust and put a k&n on.
I know some of the fz8 guys are doing some of that already.
 
Rode and considered FZ8 when I purchased my FZ1. I was riding and traded an '08 FZ6.

I liked the FZ8 and may have bought one if I hadn't owned an FZ6. There wasn't a big difference between the two bikes handling or power although I thought the FZ8 had a more comfortable seat.

FZ1 is something else again. That $1k price difference buys a lot more bike than what the FZ8 offers.
 
Sometimes it's not about the peak figures. Some people may prefer the character, look and feel of the FZ8. The FZ1 makes great top end power but suffers from lack of low and mid range, poor fuel economy and bad fuel injection. These things can be tweaked or fixed but that's still the character of the engine.

One of the things that drew me to the 919 was the motor. It only makes 100 hp at the wheel (30 less than the stock FZ1!) but it also makes 60+ lb-ft of torque from 3000 to 9000 rpm. This is really noticeable out in the real world. Combined with perfect fuel injection and 40-50 MPG, it's right up my alley. I was even getting 48 MPG trying to chase Doug up in the Sierra twisties.

A seat for every ass, after all ;)
 
Marthy said:
He can call me! I got it sort out already... LOL

Just messing... not quite to his level yet. But did really good for not owning one.

@ Cobalt: I have a R on mine... doesn't mean $hit! LOL
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He would need someone with an FZ8 to bring the whole bike into his shop in New York. It would be well worth it. The difference is amazing.
 
I don't think people 'hate' on the FZ8 any more than other bikes. I think part of the FZ8's problem is it came late in the product life of the base engine and frame and was relatively expensive compared to the FZ1 when you compared the actual street prices dealers were asking. I tested an FZ8 and FZ1 back to back two years ago and at the price I would have to pay for the brand new FZ8 I could pick up a brand new FZ1 which was a couple of model years older (but the same bike mechanically). It was really a no brainer....plus I didn't like the naked FZ8 which is a personal decision. I think the 'value' component of the FZ8 has hurt it's sales and acceptability. It never really bridged the gap between an FZ6R and an FZ1.
 
loosenut said:
He would need someone with an FZ8 to bring the whole bike into his shop in New York. It would be well worth it. The difference is amazing.
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There's something so cool about a smart guy like Ivan who knows a bike and motor so well he can work his magic to transform it to be what it should have been from the start. The coolest thing is how OEM/plug-and-play it is! That is so wicked
 
Evitzee said:
I don't think people 'hate' on the FZ8 any more than other bikes. I think part of the FZ8's problem is it came late in the product life of the base engine and frame and was relatively expensive compared to the FZ1 when you compared the actual street prices dealers were asking. I tested an FZ8 and FZ1 back to back two years ago and at the price I would have to pay for the brand new FZ8 I could pick up a brand new FZ1 which was a couple of model years older (but the same bike mechanically). It was really a no brainer....plus I didn't like the naked FZ8 which is a personal decision. I think the 'value' component of the FZ8 has hurt it's sales and acceptability. It never really bridged the gap between an FZ6R and an FZ1.
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Im not sure which 6 we test rode but it was a slug. No power. I tested the 8 and figured power would work well for the wife. Its also a bit shorter than the 1 so she can touch better. The should have bumped the power up another 15-20 or so ponies.
 
the only hate for the fz8 should be towards yamaha for taking what should have been an awesome bike and cheaping out on it which led to sub optimal performance. i wish the fz8 was better than it is but, with cheap parts thrown at it, it's lack of performance is disappointing. i was going to buy one until i rode it and went with a fz1 instead.

it really needs a tune, and suspension. my tuned fz6 was quicker than the stock fz8.
 
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