Opinions Please

Norm:

Another question for you. Remember I am an FNG to this so be patient. I am a 43 male that weighs about 182 and am 5'9". I had considered an FJR. The Connie felt to big. I went with the FZ1 because of the price as well as everyone told me that was a great first bike. I took it out for about 25-30 miles on Sat. What you do you like about the C14 as compared to the FZ1 and vice versa. Also did you consider an FJ or an ST?
 
sloppy said:
Norm:

Another question for you. Remember I am an FNG to this so be patient. I am a 43 male that weighs about 182 and am 5'9". I had considered an FJR. The Connie felt to big. I went with the FZ1 because of the price as well as everyone told me that was a great first bike. I took it out for about 25-30 miles on Sat. What you do you like about the C14 as compared to the FZ1 and vice versa. Also did you consider an FJ or an ST?
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Wow, its a great question but the answer is not easy. I worked myself up to the C14. I went through a lot of bikes, getting bigger and faster, step by step. My personal opinion is that the large sport tourers such as the FJR, the C14, the Honda ST, and the BMW k1300GT are among the most technically difficult bikes to handle for many reasons: They sit relatively high so for a 5'9 guy like you and a 5'10 guy like me we just about flat foot it when seated. That's due to the seat heat of 32" and the wideness of these bikes. They are all very heavy, over 200 pounds more in some cases than the FZ1 and worst of all they carry that weight high. Lastly, with their 1300-1400cc engines they are as powerful as our FZ1's and have about 25% more torque. IMHO, these are not beginner bikes and only those with a lot of miles under their belt should attempt to regularly ride these bikes. A test ride will not disclose to you all the varied situations you will get into with these bikes: slight grades and small depressions at a stop or in a parking lot, your driveway, your garage or anywhere else where you are doing some tight maneuvering under power or not under power will be exponentially more difficult with these bikes than the FZ1. This man's opinion is to put 10 to 15 thousand miles on the FZ1 before you move to an FJR or the like. The respective forums for these bikes are full of stories of inexperienced riders dropping the bikes over and over, or worse. What they do offer though is ridiculous amenities like grip warmers, electronically adjustable mirrors and the ability to soak up harsh roads and keep your body fresher for longer rides. They usually ride longer between fill up stops due to larger gas tanks as well. And in heavy winds on the highway they track like an arrow,

I compared and rode extensively all of the above bikes and with the exception of the Honda ST which I haven't tried yet I liked the C14 the best (2010 model) but I have to say the FJR gives a very comparable ride to the C14. The ST seemed overpriced and a little dated compared to the other bikes but it does sit low which I believe is an advantage, There were also reports in the literature of policemen (in Great Britain I believe) that had the the ST over a hundred MPH in a chase and felt the bike starting to go out of control. I believe one even was in an accident resulting in the police force switching bikes. You would be hard pressed though to find a bad review of the ST and their owners love them immensely.


The FZ! and the C14 are built for two different purposes so it's hard to compare them. The FZ1 will eat up all those big tourers in the twisties and at least keep pace on the straights. The Connie is a mile eater that can carve things up fairly well though and with standard hard bags that attach and detach easily they are great multi-day bikes.

I hope I wasn't too long winded.
 
Not long winded at all. I really appreciate the input Norm. That is why I joined the forum, to get answers from riders like you. I feel good about my selection.
 
Thank you. If the FZ1 is your first bike you certainly started with a bang. I personally don't consider the FZ1 a starter bike. In fact it's a bike to be respected by even advanced riders (which is not me). But if you're careful on it and can get that 10K miles on it you'll be fine on any of those big sport tourers mentioned above.
 
Norm said:
Eric, you rode my C14 for a good bit,; how would you answer this question? Was I off by much?
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No, you were not off at all Norm. I did not have a lot of seat time on the C14 but in the time I did have on her, I found the bike to be quite nimble for a large bike as well as extremely feature-rich! Although the C14 is a fair amount heavier than the FJR, she carries it quite well. Kawasaki did a fine job of keeping the weight distributed and as much of it as low as possible. The FJR is sill also a very nice bike but is becoming quite dated in design. 2011 does show a few more attractive features added to the FJR but these were due to the C14's sales and success. The FJR weighs about 30 lbs less but this is subjective as the reported curb weights of all bikes are not 100% accurate.

I cannot say that I would push the Connie as hard as the FZ1 but a more skilled rider can likely do an excellent job of keeping up with some of the supersports out there. I found that the C14 (or FJR) would be a great bike for just what Norm said, the multi-day and long rides. I would not own one for trips around town or commuting though. Perhaps later in my life when I calm down and also have more time for touring, I'll buy one of these fine machines but it will be used. There's a lot of great deals to be had on older models of these bikes. :D
 
Norm and FZ1 in NH thanks again. I realize that this is a lot of bike. I also felt that I was mature (matter of opinion lol) enough to get going at a slower rate and know my limits. I did get this because of the versatility, price point, quality and since it is ubiquitous there are many aftermarket items to choose from. Also, if I don't like riding I won't loose my shirt if I traded. So far, I have enjoyed the riding expect for freezing my a-- off.
 
sloppy said:
Norm and FZ1 in NH thanks again. I realize that this is a lot of bike. I also felt that I was mature (matter of opinion lol) enough to get going at a slower rate and know my limits. I did get this because of the versatility, price point, quality and since it is ubiquitous there are many aftermarket items to choose from. Also, if I don't like riding I won't loose my shirt if I traded. So far, I have enjoyed the riding expect for freezing my a-- off.
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Sounds like a well thought out plan. I agree with you. The very fact you are here and soliciting advice about the bike says a lot about you. I'm sure you'll be fine. Although the last couple of guys that took Eric and my advice...well that's not really too important...

j/k
 
Some daylight pictures of the new to me 2007 FZ1. Got her insured, registered and inspected today. Also, my friend Rollie helped me change the oil (yes, I am that mechanically challenged) as the oil when I got her was very dark. We put Yamaha semi-synthetic in and it looks much better. I also cleaned and lubed the chain, and cleaned the rest of the bike, although it was fairly clean when I got it.

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I am loving being back on an FZ1. Rode the C14 some as well today just to do a side by side. The C14 is definitely more comfortable for me and with my Gerbing jacket and gloves and the heated grips I was fine with the temps down to 21F. The FZ1 is just a joy not to have to maneuver too hard to get out of parking spaces and much better on switchbacks. Even with the Gerbings I felt a little bit of the cold since the FZ1 is for all intents and purposes naked compared to the C14. Bottom line, they complement each other perfectly.
 
The bike looks awesome Norm, definitely "mint". I've always wondered why Yamaha didn't do something with the exhaust collector in terms of either plating it or having a plated cover of sorts. Everything sparkles on the bike until you get down to the collector, where you have that "tarnished" look to it. I wonder if it's possible to polish that up??? Hmmm??? Winter project for me I guess. Good luck with it Norm!
 
FZ1riderNY said:
The bike looks awesome Norm, definitely "mint". I've always wondered why Yamaha didn't do something with the exhaust collector in terms of either plating it or having a plated cover of sorts. Everything sparkles on the bike until you get down to the collector, where you have that "tarnished" look to it. I wonder if it's possible to polish that up??? Hmmm??? Winter project for me I guess. Good luck with it Norm!
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You're right Billy: Another good winter project. I'll give it a whirl. And thanks for the nice comments!
 
Norm ... "new to you" ... Heck, she looks new to me as well. Totally mint. Had something like that been available when I was looking I would have scooped that up in a heartbeat. Good luck with the new ride...
 
lee36 said:
Norm ... "new to you" ... Heck, she looks new to me as well. Totally mint. Had something like that been available when I was looking I would have scooped that up in a heartbeat. Good luck with the new ride...
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Thanks Lee! I think it's in even better shape than my '09 I traded in, which had some tiny nicks here and there just from normal riding with pebbles kicking up randomly from the road.
 
congrats on your new ride Norm. I hope it will bring you much joy and fun and takes your mind off things when they become difficult to bear...and welcome back!!
 
Here is my hawg that I bought the same day as Norm. I bought this from a guy in SC. I paid 4700 for it. It had 3900 miles. The previous owner was the second owner and he bought it with the aftermarket tinted windshield already attached. He took outstanding care of it and has Yamaha Oil bottles in his garage. The bikes body is cherry. It does however never tires within 700 miles. I really am happy with my choice and glad to find a forum where people are helpful with a newbie like me. Happy and safe riding all.
 
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