Been over ten years without a bike... that now rectified. Picked up an
2003 FZ1 earlier this week, first Yamaha I've owned since an RD400 in 1979:
The FZ1 is... fun. I never imagined I'd say this, but I might have gotten more bike than I need - well, of course I did, but that's part of the fun. Some observations:
It's moderately comfortable - much better than a pure sport bike, but not as comfy as any of my four GS Suzukis were. I think I'll probably put a taller screen on it, and bar risers. There's a fair amount of wind turbulence noise, ear plugs are a must (years of riding without them have taken a toll on my hearing, took me years to learn that lesson).
The engine is a gem - 20-valve four, making something like 120+ horsepower at the rear wheel. Throttle response is snappy, no glaring flat spots. It's fairly smooth - smoother than an of GS1100 - with some buzz at about 75mph (I'll prob go up a tooth on countersprocket). Someone told me that these Yamahas are peaky; clearly, he never rode one. You can tool around in sixth gear all the way down to around 25mph, and still roll on just fine. Passing on the highway? - a downshift is optional. First gear is good to about 85mph, and then you've got five more to go. Yippee.
Handling, compared to superbikes of the 70s/80s, is... just grand. You can flick it into corners with no drama, this thing can make anyone feel like Kenny Roberts. Very, very high limits (I'll leave the corner of that envelope untested, thank you much). Brakes are better than anything I've ridden.
Looking forward to a ride to Deal's Gap sometime in the fall...
