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FZ-09 vs. FZ-07

Junkie said:
I'm tempted to buy one but hear insurance is not at all cheap on them, due to a lot of newer riders buying/crashing them.
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I have ran into that problem on qoutes for the Fz-09. It is more expensive for me to insure that bike without ABS than to insure a zx10r with ABS :thumbdown

I am really hoping that Yamaha puts ABS on that for 2016
 
DIY said:
I've ridden both at a demo day. If they were stock I'd probably go for the 07. The 09 has more power but the mods take you to Triumph street triple $$$ and, for the money, the Triumph is still a better bike. The 07 is light, agile, and with the suspension mods should be a giant killer. However, if long distances are in the mix the 09 gets the slight nod. Personally, I think the 07 is the better package. For myself I wouldn't buy either. I've had a parallel twin before so I would like to try other engine configurations and if I wanted a triple I'd go with a Triumph.
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I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers at, or your math may be off, but the MSRP of a STR is upwards in the $13k price range. Add tax and fees, you're easily at $15k. The FZ-09 can be had at just over $9k OTD, some even less if you search hard. The suspension mods average between $1-2k depending on your setup. At the MOST, you'd be at a total of around $11k for a BRAND NEW FZ-09 with UPGRADED suspension suitable for track use. That's a $4k difference. You could buy a separate track bike for $4k.

The STR may be a "better" bike, but not $4k better. YMMV.
 
Ari Henning stood on his head in Motorcyclist to "fix" the FZ09 and was never satisfied with the result.

Vague front end feel being the worst issue he talked about.
 
GAJ said:
Ari Henning stood on his head in Motorcyclist to "fix" the FZ09 and was never satisfied with the result.

Vague front end feel being the worst issue he talked about.
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You have to understand that yes, if you want it to be a straight track bike and set some records, it's probably not the best platform to begin with. But to 99.9% of riders, with the suspension mods on an FZ-09, you will NOT notice a difference, nor will you push it that far to its limits for it to even matter. For canyon carving, spirited rides, daily riding and commuting, I honestly can't think of a better new bike for the money than a suspension upgraded FZ-09.

I think it's a great bike for street, canyons and track. A jack of all trades if you will. A master at none. But you can't argue with that price point.
 
GAJ said:
Ari Henning stood on his head in Motorcyclist to "fix" the FZ09 and was never satisfied with the result.

Vague front end feel being the worst issue he talked about.
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i don't remember if he went all in on upgrades like ohlins cartridges or ak-20,etc-wasn't he trying to fix on a budget?he never got to happy with the FZ-09 for sure.anytime i've ridden a handlebar equipped bike at the track it's felt pretty flighty.
 
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ratlab said:
i don't remember if he went all in on upgrades like ohlins cartridges or ak-20,etc-wasn't he trying to fix on a budget?he never got to happy with the FZ-09 for sure.anytime i've ridden a handlebar equipped bike at the track it's felt pretty flighty.
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Which is why I am looking into putting clip ons on my bike. Just don't tell Lou. Although I am 6'5" with a long torso and can sit upright on any bike with clip ons. Cycle-ergo website has me literally leaning backwards with stock bars on the FZ lol
 
jh2586 said:
I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers at, or your math may be off, but the MSRP of a STR is upwards in the $13k price range. Add tax and fees, you're easily at $15k. The FZ-09 can be had at just over $9k OTD, some even less if you search hard.
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STR MSRP is $9,999.
 
Do you have the cash to upgrade the suspension, should you want to, on the FZ9?

Let's not forget that the after market bits on the FZ7 could need to be pulled and revalve for you. While it's not that difficult or expensive, it would still be downtime and extra money. At the very least, you could be looking at a respring.

The FZ7 having conventional forks is a turn off for me.

I'd go FZ9 and fully adjustable suspension sprung and valved for you.
 
RightCoastBias said:
Do you have the cash to upgrade the suspension, should you want to, on the FZ9?

Let's not forget that the after market bits on the FZ7 could need to be pulled and revalve for you. While it's not that difficult or expensive, it would still be downtime and extra money. At the very least, you could be looking at a respring.

The FZ7 having conventional forks is a turn off for me.

I'd go FZ9 and fully adjustable suspension sprung and valved for you.
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the suspension on the fz-07 is ok for awhile-the ohlins on it is preload only and emulators are a bandaid, so down the road i would do ak-20's and a penske double clicker,but for a bike off the showroom floor at that price it's pretty decent.conventional forks don't bother me.the forks on my 2003 honda 600rr after gold valving were as good as any i have used-not quite up to my full boat ohlins on my gsxr 1000,but pretty darn good.
 
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Oh just read his post. I got confused with the SPEED triple r. I'm sure the Street triple R is a great bike overall, but I really like the powerband on the FZ-09. I've never ridden a street triple r and I'm sure the suspension is good, but I know it can't touch the FZ in terms of power.

Like I said though, for a little bit of upgrades you can make the FZ a track bike with no issues. I plan on spending about $1500 on suspension upgrades on mine. Not gonna track it or anything, but definitely ride a lot more spirited.
 
jh2586 said:
Oh just read his post. I got confused with the SPEED triple r. I'm sure the Street triple R is a great bike overall, but I really like the powerband on the FZ-09. I've never ridden a street triple r and I'm sure the suspension is good, but I know it can't touch the FZ in terms of power.

Like I said though, for a little bit of upgrades you can make the FZ a track bike with no issues. I plan on spending about $1500 on suspension upgrades on mine. Not gonna track it or anything, but definitely ride a lot more spirited.
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Street triple and the Fz9 are running about the same HP and torque.
 
I've said it several times at this point but I love my fz09. Im about 200lbs with my gear on, I went with a $50 zx6rr shock, $90 sonic springs from stoltec, 15w fork oil, and a $40 set up from Dave Moss. I'm super happy with the results, have put just over 10k miles on it, and have had it on the track 4 times. It handles great, I love it, dont let the "bad suspension" worry you. It can be greatly improved with very little money, and the engine is really great. Riding the bike still puts a huge grin on my face every time I ride it. Good luck on your decision.
 
I'm in the same boat. In fact, I was at the Yamaha dealer today asking for an OTD quote.

Both have usable torque, the 09 may still have response issues. The 07 has damper rod forks (WTF!?), but the 09 cartridge forks are not so good. The 09 costs a lot to insure for some reason. The 07 gets better gas mileage.

Stiffer fork springs are an easy fix for either. The 07 forks won't be great without high-dollar cartridge conversions. Somebody retrofits OEM cartridges for way less than Traxxion AK-20s but you have to wait.
 
At least we are looking at the same numbers, but 15ft/lbs across the rev range is pretty significant in my experience.

The twitchy fueling is now insignificant and I average 38mpg with track days, weekend runs, and commuting.

I was in a hurry to replace suspension until I had my stock suspension tuned, now it's 80% better. Especially on the track where mid corner bumps are uncommon.
 
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Smash Allen said:
At least we are looking at the same numbers, but 15ft/lbs across the rev range is pretty significant in my experience.
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Seemingly. But all reviewers/reviews put these bikes pretty close together in most aspects.

And the FZ-09 isn't walking away with all the shootout wins. Most are still going to the triumph.
 
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