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05 Yamaha FZ6 discussion forum:´05 FZ6 vs ´05 Katana 600 + owners review (FZ6) |
| ´05 FZ6 vs ´05 Katana 600 + owners review (FZ6) |
| John said 2005-09-09 05:56 |
| Ive had my FZ6 for several months now. She has about 2600 miles on her. All in all a VERY good bike! This is my first bike, and it was very easy to learn on, and has been novice friendly. I SPECIFICALLY chose the FZ6 as my first bike due to its body style. I didnt have anyone to teach me and I figured that Id lay it down at least once. I wanted a bike with undertail exhaust, and only a partial fairing/cowling to minimize any damage. Luckily, my choice paid off, and I did drop her once at about 20-25 mph. She didnt suffer much damage. I cracked the cowling (but repaired it with a firberglass repair kit), I also broke off the mirror. I shelled out $70 for a new one, only to break that off when my bike fell over into a wall at work several days later. Needless to say, I figured out how to repair the mirror since then. I also modified the bike further by removing the windscreen and painting it solid black. Im tall, so I dont actually need to look through it much, even when Im leaned forward. The bike is nice and light, and is very comfortable to ride for long distances (I did 317 miles in one shot). She accelerates VERY well, and gets excelent gas mileage. My only real gripes about the bike are the stupid-looking single-side headlights (which no one seems to know if its possible to alter), and the overall lack of accessories/upgrades for the bike. The ´06 is the same, except that the engine and frame are now black instead of grey. Now, my friend just got himself a Katana 600 a few weeks ago. We´ve been comparing bikes every chance we get. Statistically speaking, the Katana and the FZ6 seem to be very close. The Katana is about 30 pounds heavier. They both have more or less the same engine, the same brakes, the same suspension, the same drive chain, the same fuel capactity and efficiency. The biggest noticable difference is asthetics. The Katana features a full-fairing style, and a side can. If I had bought the Katana and dropped it the same as I did my FZ6, I would have done CONSIDERABLY more damage. Even though the seat heights on both bikes are within 1" of each other, the Katana seems like it has a lower center of gravity. The Katana has some "additional" controls/buttons that are NOT on the FZ6 (such as a choke, a "pass" button which flashes your high-beams, and a reserve fuel tank switch). The Katana features an analog display, whereas the FZ6´s display is all-digital. One benefit of the FZ6 is that the fuel tank is monitored electronically. When the tank reaches 0.95 gallons of fuel, the fuel indicator begins to flash, indicating a need to refuel and thus eliminating the need for the fuel-reserve switch all-together. When riding the bikes, the first thing I noticed is that the steering is different. The Katana definately seems to have the edge in cornering over the FZ6 (which isnt to say that the FZ6 cant corner well, because she can). However, when it comes to all-out acceleration, the FZ6 is definately the clear winner there, especially doing a roll-on while moving. I dont know how many times my friend would accelerate from behind me and try to pass me, and I´d just roll-on the throttle and pull way ahead of him with very little effort. So, which would I chose? Its all personal preference really, but I would definately highly recommend the FZ6 to anyone. Newer riders can minimize damage, and will appreciate the lighter body. Experienced riders will appreciate the responsiveness of the bike overall, and the quick acceleration, and eveyrone will enjoy the better riding position on long trips! Thanks for listening to my two cents. -John |
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