JonnoBass

Hi all. I'm not sure if these were available in the UK. but growing up as a kid in South Africa the rules were- you could ride a 50cc legally with a Learner's License from the age of 16. It was the ultimate badge of independance being 16 and owning 'A 50''. There were two major players that kids used to aspire to- the Honda MBX50 and the king - the Yamaha Rz 50cc. Gang wars could break out depending on which one you supported I got mine just before turning 17 after doing God knows what to scrimp and save to get the money together. Buying fixing and selling BMX's, selling fruit- eg. a crate of oranges repackaged into bags of 5 would sell for a R1 (about 8p) outside the local liquor store like hotcakes. Finally I got my very own 50 from a neighbour's kid who had 2 and wanted another riding buddy. My dad hated the idea but relented in the end. this bike was quick. let me tell you. You could have the 'ports done' or even 're-bore' it. I kept mine stock except for a spacer put on the single back shock to lift the tale a bit. There was nothing like the smell of 2stroke first thing in the morning. or sneaking out to mom and pops car to siphon some petrol out to be clear the pic above is not mine unfortunately-- not one photo exists of my RZ50 ., but it looked damn near this after loads of repairing and a re-spray with same original colour scheme. they came in either white and blue or white and red. I had to replace all kinds of bits and pieces, including a new seat, tank and indicator lights to get it into roadworthy condition. Only a 50 but it had heart. In my eyes a Yamaha Classic.

I read up in great detail about this very topic in order to help me make the exact same choice. I assume you might already have made your decision but i'll answer anyway as I'm sure new people will be on this forum all the time wondering the same. The FZ6 is classed as an 'intermediate bike'. ie. not for a first big bike. it has the the R6 engine but tuned for lower and mid range power- ie for city use. It sort of runs out of gear on the open road imo. but low end? It has loads of guts. How does 50 to 60mph in 1st strike your fancy? 90mph in 2nd? you get the idea. having said that- i got the FZ6 as my first 'big bike'. but i am 32 and had smaller bikes for years back in South Africa. Dirt riding etc. So I felt comfortable with this choice and I like to think now days I ride smart and careful. I don't have the urge to do wheelies anymore and you might even say I've become a bit 'reserved'- perhaps London biking and the very excellent Eastside Riders (school i did full uk license with) helped me realise that this is vital for survival on these roads. For me I get enjoyment out of taking corners perfectly with nice smooth acceleration or judging conditions just right to avoid accidents that would perhaps have been unavoidable had I been riding like a cowboy- if you know what I mean? This doesn't mean I ride slow- its just that i ride careful. I guess what I'm trying to say is a lot has to do with your mental state. I know when I was 22 (only ten years ago but quite a lot changes in that time) I don't think the Fazer would've been a wise choice. But I was bullet proof then- a bit of a drinker if you know what i mean- but you might have you head screwed on tight and then maybe the Fazer could be spot on. It has a comfy straight up sitting position, nice smooth power, easy to ride one might say. but get all nervous and fidgety on her, hit a nice fat pothole and slip with your accelerator and you just might have 98kw of power saying HELLO!

Have a Yamaha Accoustic for messing around on. but my weapon of choice is Bass. Have a Rickenbacker and a Cort B4. all pumped through a MAG 500 Ashdown on a 4 by 10 cab paired with a 2 by 15 cab. Hence the forum nick

yeah- i think the problem is they truly don't realise the size of what they're driving. Power steering and powerful engines make them feel all light and nimble- but its still a huge chunk of metal being thrown around. I must say though- a higher danger in London seems to be the Scooter riders! Seem to have their own rule book. but then hitting a scooter is not the same as hitting a 4wd! Your R6 looks absolutely demonic! what a machine- you must be proud.

hi all. here is a photo after a bit of a bath. yamaha top box not installed- but i use it so much its almost a permanent feature now- anyone thinking of getting one should opt for the genuine yamaha box- the lines are sleek and it fits the image of the bike. (damn- wish I had a photo of it on now ) the only thing i've added are the small tribal decals on tank and near front indicators. have truly grown to love this bike.

Hi there- I take delivery of my new FZ6S Fazer tomorrow (if they have the alarm fitted by now!! please please as the weather looks great this weekend) its a 2005/06 model which I picked up for a savings of £1400 on the '07 model. hope i made the right choice!! it is brand new and i'll be first registered owner but i'm a little bit worried that maybe I should have coughed up (as in a very deep chesty and painful cough) some more bucks to get the brand spanking new 07 model as they've probably ironed out some kinks between 05 and 07. but I've not seen much evidence of this in my research. I hope that any teething problems from the new 04 model were fixed when introducing the 05 model.. i figured the savings would be better spent on a quality Datatool 'Green' alarm and a few yamaha accessories like a top box, engine guards etc. anyway- back to topic- i had the same dilemma of trying to decide btw the R6 or the YZ6 and have been assured that for commuting etc the Fazer is the way to go. -the R6 is undoubtedly easier on the eye but as my first 'big' bike the FZ6S came very strongly recommended due to riding position and ease of use but with enough grunt in the perfomance department that as my abilities grow- the engine and perfomance will be there to draw on - in bucket loads apparently! I am extremely excited about riding it home tomorrow for the first time. did you get your FZ6S in the end Smitty and were you pleased with your choice? i take it you've enjoyed it so much there is no point in returning to the forum. I hope to come back soon to post a pic and to share some of my experience with the FZ6S as my first big bike. as a tool for research and to help settle nerves before signing on the dotted line, these forums are invaluable.

as above but very importantly slicks are heated to around 90 degrees for use on the race track. at cold temperatures you would have more traction using road tyres which are specially designed to keep you safe on the road at normal operating temperatures slicks are illegal for a reason- if they had more traction they would be legal as it would be safer and believe it or not that is what most laws are there for- but they don't have more traction at low temperatures and therefor it is not safer. especially in the wet where you would wrap yourself around a pole in no time. by all means get a set of slicks but if you value your skin (and pride and joy) use them only where they belong- on the track.