Yamaha FZ-09 on a scale (pics)

[RubberSideDown]

^

Less than 2K- ECU flash ~$350, the stock shock from a Kawi 636 for around $50 used on eBay will fit, a few hundred for springs- with labor, still less than a grand if you can source the parts yourself.

[ll2]

^

Less than 2K- ECU flash ~$350, the stock shock from a Kawi 636 for around $50 used on eBay will fit, a few hundred for springs- with labor, still less than a grand if you can source the parts yourself.

Possible with second hand parts. I was referring to new parts.

I mean cool bike but why they compromise on suspensions therefore handling? Just pisses me off.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[mania]

^

Less than 2K- ECU flash ~$350, the stock shock from a Kawi 636 for around $50 used on eBay will fit, a few hundred for springs- with labor, still less than a grand if you can source the parts yourself.

Possible with second hand parts. I was referring to new parts.

I mean cool bike but why they compromise on suspensions therefore handling? Just pisses me off.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Soft is not compromise & the suspension is probably better than what came stock on your bike.

I'm sorry but all I ever heard from folks who bought this bike is how much they love it.

I do personally know one guy that dropped around a grand on it new because he is a hot rider & wanted the upgrade right off.

But he was still all grins about how it was still $3000 cheaper than the Triumph triple he had a deposit on + in his opinion better.

Really though you should check some of the owners threads on this bike like on ADV rider site.

Their thread is now over 150 pages long.

Plenty of riders over 200 lbs claim they will keep the stock suspension & are quite pleased with it.

That is really the bottom line at the end of the day. Those who own & ride them are reporting well.

Magazine Reporters who ride it for a day of course need to present something good & bad or they are accused of being biased

opposite of those that defend a brand even when it has obviously been reported to have some problems.

Edited March 10, 2014 by mania

[mania]

^

Less than 2K- ECU flash ~$350, the stock shock from a Kawi 636 for around $50 used on eBay will fit, a few hundred for springs- with labor, still less than a grand if you can source the parts yourself.

You ever consider buying this RSD?

I know it is a far cry from the BMW but one third the cost & 100% Japan built

Seems like nothing but fun

Like this guy said the motor is the thing & the suspension as you & he said easily improved

[ll2]

^

Less than 2K- ECU flash ~$350, the stock shock from a Kawi 636 for around $50 used on eBay will fit, a few hundred for springs- with labor, still less than a grand if you can source the parts yourself.

Possible with second hand parts. I was referring to new parts.

I mean cool bike but why they compromise on suspensions therefore handling? Just pisses me off.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Soft is not compromise & the suspension is probably better than what came stock on your bike.

I'm sorry but all I ever heard from folks who bought this bike is how much they love it.

I do personally know one guy that dropped around a grand on it new because he is a hot rider & wanted the upgrade right off.

But he was still all grins about how it was still $3000 cheaper than the Triumph triple he had a deposit on + in his opinion better.

Really though you should check some of the owners threads on this bike like on ADV rider site.

Their thread is now over 150 pages long.

Plenty of riders over 200 lbs claim they will keep the stock suspension & are quite pleased with it.

That is really the bottom line at the end of the day. Those who own & ride them are reporting well.

Magazine Reporters who ride it for a day of course need to present something good & bad or they are accused of being biased

opposite of those that defend a brand even when it has obviously been reported to have some problems.

yes but my bike is not 110 hp one so suspensions are enough.

mania, i m reading reviews about this bike for a long time as it is an interesting, cool bike for me apart from the looks and i would be happy to own one right now for my city bombing missions but all the reviews are stating the same. so all these guys writing in these magazines for years are lying to us? if so we never look at these magazines anymore?

here is the newest. this guy also owns one:

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/features/2014_yamaha_fz_09_doin_time/

and if you drop 1000 usd more, you get a street triple with abs in usa with cool reviews all over.

Edited March 10, 2014 by ll2

[mania]

yes but my bike is not 110 hp one so suspensions are enough.

so all these guys writing in these magazines for years are lying to us? if so we never look at these magazines anymore?

here is the newest. this guy also owns one:

and if you drop 1000 usd more, you get a street triple with abs in usa with cool reviews all over.

No not at all. As I said all reviews need to list some pro's & cons.

But that is a far cry from the terminology you use in almost all your posts about

anything that is not Honda.

That is cool but the truth is the riders who own it are reporting very favorably. As for

a grand above $7999 buying a Street Triple I do not think so.

Lastly as I said many riders over 200lbs are reporting the suspension is fine for them

Not everyone races the street, But for those that do the suspension is a very easy fix & the motor

along with the quality of a 100% Japanese build is unheard of at this price point.

If I was in the US I would be hard pressed not to buy one just on that alone.

Edited March 10, 2014 by mania

[ll2]

yes but my bike is not 110 hp one so suspensions are enough.

so all these guys writing in these magazines for years are lying to us? if so we never look at these magazines anymore?

here is the newest. this guy also owns one:

and if you drop 1000 usd more, you get a street triple with abs in usa with cool reviews all over.

No not at all. As I said all reviews need to list some pro's & cons.

But that is a far cry from the terminology you use in almost all your posts about

anything that is not Honda.

That is cool but the truth is the riders who own it are reporting very favorably. As for

a grand above $7999 buying a Street Triple I do not think so.

Lastly as I said many riders over 200lbs are reporting the suspension is fine for them

Not everyone races the street, But for those that do the suspension is a very easy fix & the motor

along with the quality of a 100% Japanese build is unheard of at this price point.

If I was in the US I would be hard pressed not to buy one just on that alone.

well mania, for that price/value/performance, it is tempting for me too! even those blue rims grew on me now!

and thai price is tempting as well and i consider this bike over kawa z800 with closed eyes any day - even over kawa z1000 in favor of light weight.

but these reviews tell me the fact that, i need to upgrade the suspensions and flash the ecu moreover it might cost me 1 k usd or two on top. or maybe it might never bother me like some owners. but i proceed with caution after the reviews.

still, i am just pissed off to yamaha for not granting better suspensions and fueling for this bike, you dont?

dont get it wrong mania.

[mania]

well mania, for that price/value/performance, it is tempting for me too! even those blue rims grew on me now!

and thai price is tempting as well and i consider this bike over kawa z800 with closed eyes any day - even over kawa z1000 in favor of light weight.

but these reviews tell me the fact that, i need to upgrade the suspensions and flash the ecu moreover it might cost me 1 k usd or two on top. or maybe it might never bother me like some owners. but i proceed with caution after the reviews.

still, i am just pissed off to yamaha for not granting better suspensions and fueling for this bike, you dont?

dont get it wrong mania.

Granted & let me just say

this bike is $7999 in the USA

435k in Thailand

Yamaha addressed the most important thing in a sound frame

with a killer engine that has a torque curve if you can even call it a curve to die for.

at this price point I have to say they have exceeded all expectations & have a real winner on

their hands.

You will not find a properly suspended bike in Thailand for under a million baht.

Look at what is proposed for even the new Honda 650

I accept that street bikes will almost always be sprung very soft.

The majority of street riders are not going to press it. If they were they know what to change

or they buy million+ baht bikes that already have top shelf suspensions.

The things you or I may think need upgrading on this bike is more than fine for most riders as is.

Yet again $7999/435k baht?

115 horsepower...65lbs torque....all in a 417 pound wet package???

Yamaha has really hit a home run in the grins department with this deal IMO

Edited March 10, 2014 by mania

[BirdsandBooze]

Got to remember that in Yamaha's major target markets ( not Thailand ) the MT-09 is a bargain priced bike where you get an awful lot for the asking price, £6799 in the UK. Even more astounding is the price of the twin cylinder crossplane crank MT-07 which has more horsepower and is lighter than the ER6N and Gladius and is also cheaper at only £5199.

[ll2]

well mania, for that price/value/performance, it is tempting for me too! even those blue rims grew on me now!

and thai price is tempting as well and i consider this bike over kawa z800 with closed eyes any day - even over kawa z1000 in favor of light weight.

but these reviews tell me the fact that, i need to upgrade the suspensions and flash the ecu moreover it might cost me 1 k usd or two on top. or maybe it might never bother me like some owners. but i proceed with caution after the reviews.

still, i am just pissed off to yamaha for not granting better suspensions and fueling for this bike, you dont?

dont get it wrong mania.

Granted & let me just say

this bike is $7999 in the USA

435k in Thailand

Yamaha addressed the most important thing in a sound frame

with a killer engine that has a torque curve if you can even call it a curve to die for.

at this price point I have to say they have exceeded all expectations & have a real winner on

their hands.

You will not find a properly suspended bike in Thailand for under a million baht.

Look at what is proposed for even the new Honda 650

I accept that street bikes will almost always be sprung very soft.

The majority of street riders are not going to press it. If they were they know what to change

or they buy million+ baht bikes that already have top shelf suspensions.

The things you or I may think need upgrading on this bike is more than fine for most riders as is.

Yet again $7999/435k baht?

115 horsepower...65lbs torque....all in a 417 pound wet package???

Yamaha has really hit a home run in the grins department with this deal IMO

right. that is why i take this bike as the Resurrection of Yamaha. cool specs and japanese reliability. odd design but who cares design once you sit on one

still, it would be better if we get better suspensions and fueling able to satisfy everyone.

[ll2]

Got to remember that in Yamaha's major target markets ( not Thailand ) the MT-09 is a bargain priced bike where you get an awful lot for the asking price, £6799 in the UK. Even more astounding is the price of the twin cylinder crossplane crank MT-07 which has more horsepower and is lighter than the ER6N and Gladius and is also cheaper at only £5199.

yamaha mt 07 is killer value and black one looks better than mt 09 somehow. nearly the same price with honda cbr500f and a lot more powerful with 75 hp and lots pf torque plus lighter!

[BirdsandBooze]

Yamaha is really stepping up to the plate with it's new models and has revised it's pricing strategy to become more competitive. Some posters on the forum were questioning the equipping of the R125 with such sporty hardware. The fact is that the old model is the best selling 125 'supersport' in the UK which shows that Yamaha knows it's market. If teenage new riders can't have warp speed performance they'll settle for something that is equally important to them which is pose value. The release of the long awaited R25 should be very interesting if it puts out decent power and comes equipped like it's smaller sibling.

[liddelljohn]

i set bikes suspension up for racing and street and soft does not always mean bad ,,,, my street Ducati Monster S4 with heavy engine mods has 117bhp at rear wheel and an ohlins PRCS 46 shock on the rear but the front was way to firm and rebound was terrible with standard showa forks ,,, with 9.5nm springs , i went down to 7.5nm Ohlins custom springs and some revalving to get the handling perfect for Thai roads ,,soft it is but it tracks bumpy Thai roads perfectly at 120mph aand handles like a gem in all other conditions and fork dive is also minimal ,, no bottoming out on potholes either ,,,

there are a lot of misconceptions about suspensions setups on motorcycles ....

[Wong!]

Got to remember that in Yamaha's major target markets ( not Thailand ) the MT-09 is a bargain priced bike where you get an awful lot for the asking price, £6799 in the UK. Even more astounding is the price of the twin cylinder crossplane crank MT-07 which has more horsepower and is lighter than the ER6N and Gladius and is also cheaper at only £5199.

I saw the chap from MCN raving about the MT-07 the other day. Said it was an absolute diamond of a bike and wondered why Yamaha haven't made more noise about it.

[JUDAS]

Hilarious review from a very inexperienced rider but he's having a great time.

[mania]

Hilarious review from a very inexperienced rider but he's having a great time.

I remember that video & yes it was funny

Best part was near 32:55 check it out

[mania]

Customers supposed to get these any day now.

Will be nice to see & hear a few on the streets

[ll2]

Customers supposed to get these any day now.

Will be nice to see & hear a few on the streets

mania, test rode it and what a beast it is.

front wants to rise automatically!

Really great power and engine sounds good too.

But it does not feel light as one expects from low weight somehow and suspensions are soft a bit but yamaha guys said they can be adjusted to be firmer.

Also it needs an ABS for me but for others it should be fine.

They said they sold some and lots of interest so sure we will see them around. 435 k thb is not bad if you think kawa z1000 is going for close to 580 k thb..

But i liked yamaha mt 07 more than mt 09 somehow, dont know why.

[mania]

Customers supposed to get these any day now.

Will be nice to see & hear a few on the streets

mania, test rode it and what a beast it is.

front wants to rise automatically!

Really great power and engine sounds good too.

But it does not feel light as one expects from low weight somehow and suspensions are soft a bit but yamaha guys said they can be adjusted to be firmer.

Also it needs an ABS for me but for others it should be fine.

They said they sold some and lots of interest so sure we will see them around. 435 k thb is not bad if you think kawa z1000 is going for close to 580 k thb..

But i liked yamaha mt 07 more than mt 09 somehow, dont know why.

I am surprised it felt heavy given its weight.

But sometimes it is also where the center of gravity is & maybe it was top heavy/ full fuel tank ?

Yes price is not bad I guess for import here & aimed at the Ducati Monster price surely

Too bad we cannot have the US retail here which would be like 260k baht

They would sell all day at that price

Was just curious so

I just sat on the CBR650 the other day at BW CM & was surprised it felt quite light swaying it back & forth

with wife on back.

Edited May 15, 2014 by mania

[ll2]

Customers supposed to get these any day now.

Will be nice to see & hear a few on the streets

mania, test rode it and what a beast it is.

front wants to rise automatically!

Really great power and engine sounds good too.

But it does not feel light as one expects from low weight somehow and suspensions are soft a bit but yamaha guys said they can be adjusted to be firmer.

Also it needs an ABS for me but for others it should be fine.

They said they sold some and lots of interest so sure we will see them around. 435 k thb is not bad if you think kawa z1000 is going for close to 580 k thb..

But i liked yamaha mt 07 more than mt 09 somehow, dont know why.

I am surprised it felt heavy given its weight.

But sometimes it is also where the center of gravity is & maybe it was top heavy/ full fuel tank ?

Yes price is not bad I guess for import here & aimed at the Ducati Monster price surely

Too bad we cannot have the US retail here which would be like 260k baht

They would sell all day at that price

Was just curious so

I just sat on the CBR650 the other day at BW CM & was surprised it felt quite light swaying it back & forth

with wife on back.

Posdibly due to high center of gravity, mt09 feels heavier. Also it is not a low bike too. But i can say yamaha did very good job on this bike. I am sure i gey one if they sell it here for usa prices!

Honda Cbr650f feels quite light due to low center of gravity. It is agile for a 209 kg bike. I was scary before riding it but it hides its weight really well. Can do all acrobatics i can do on cbr500r.

But mania, possibly the fuel tank is empty so feels lighter than it is.

Hope you buy one mania as a former owner of a cbr f!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[nikster]

They have a few at Yamaha Square Chiang Mai. I think all customer bikes but not sure. Looks nice in person, a little brutal.

Except somebody at Yamaha should be fired for putting that exhaust on - what were they thinking? Exhaust is the most boring ever; Triumph and MV Augusta have shown so many just gorgeous triple exhaust designs, you'd think they could have just copied that? Instead it's a single pipe... ugh.

Personally I think this bike is overpriced in Thailand, at least 100k too much. It's a cheap bike in the USA. The suspension was described in one review: "As delivered, the FZ-09 wallowed through corners like an '83 Cutlass with blown struts."

I think it's naive to think that would be an easy fix. I only mucked around with suspension setup once but it was enough to realize it's actually a science. It's really hard, and lots of experimentation needs to go in it. I guess if Ohlins or whatever come out with a shock specifically for the MT-09 it could be good. But once you've spent the money on suspension you're going to be very close to 500k or even over, and at that point you might as well get a Hypermotard. The Hyper has a rock solid stock suspension - sex appeal thrown in for free, basically.

So yeah nothing against this bike I just think it costs too much. And I wouldn't really want to deal with a suspension that needs to be replaced right from the get-go.

Edited May 15, 2014 by nikster

[RubberSideDown]

The Hypermotard isn't the FZ-09's competition- the Street Triple is, and the price difference is about 300K. There's a new kit from Hyperpro that includes both a rear shock and fork springs for less than $1,000. If you can source it (even with 40% import tax added) it's a cheap way to fix the suspension and end up with a great bike under 500K.

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/article/upgrade-yamahas-budget-friendly-fz-09-hyperpro-termignoni

[mania]

Personally I think this bike is overpriced in Thailand, at least 100k too much. It's a cheap bike in the USA. The suspension was described in one review: "As delivered, the FZ-09 wallowed through corners like an '83 Cutlass with blown struts."

Yes it is hard to accept some prices here.

But Look at KTM?? Selling really cheap bikes here for triple price.

Hahah also thats funny & I am old enough to relate to that cutlass comment

But really I think the suspension is kind of standard for many of today's sport bike..... aka:way too soft

Probably really sticks out more on this bike due to its brutal power

that seems to promote hooliganism I swear on ADV forum some were selling already because they say they

just couldn't control themselves 2nd & 3rd gear wheelies & they knew where they were headed with the cops/injuries etc

Power to weight is pretty impressive on this one

But like I said in an earlier post (this thread or another?) I know a guy that bought one & fixed it up with a Penske shock & cartridges/springs up front

But he also told me he rode it stock for awhile & it was not bad really but shined big time after the upgrades. He paid under $1000 for the fix

But yes it would be nice if sport directed bikes came with sporty suspensions to handle the power.

Edited May 15, 2014 by mania

[nikster]

The Hypermotard isn't the FZ-09's competition- the Street Triple is, and the price difference is about 300K. There's a new kit from Hyperpro that includes both a rear shock and fork springs for less than $1,000. If you can source it (even with 40% import tax added) it's a cheap way to fix the suspension and end up with a great bike under 500K.

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/article/upgrade-yamahas-budget-friendly-fz-09-hyperpro-termignoni

Good to see there are upgrades!

Of course it's competition. At least RideApart thinks so in their FZ-09 review "Perhaps the nearest competitor in terms of fun is the Ducati Hypermotard, but that thing is a whopping $11,995."

As with so many bikes in Thailand, prices here are skewed by import taxes and as a result bikes that are awesome overseas mainly due to their low price aren't so great over here where they lack this advantage.

PS: The bike has no ABS? Or is that just the US spec? Ugh. Edit: I believe it does have ABS in Thailand. Not that Yamaha Thailand would put the specs on their web page or anything...

Edited May 15, 2014 by nikster

[RubberSideDown]

^

Some do- look at the CBR-1000RR SP it's got Ohlins front-and-back and has Brembo mono-bloc calipers, but it's a $3,000 premium over the base model.

There's no way that a bike that retails for 8K is going to have premium anything- at that price point, you have to accept some limitations (of course those limitations are even more glaring when the LOS price is taken into account). I posted earlier that there are some stock sportbike shocks (like from the Gixxer 600, I believe) that can be found on eBay for under $100 and can be made to fit- if you're good with a wrench, you can improve the FZ-09 for practically nothing- maybe $250 including fork springs.

I've read several reviews of the Yamaha- you have to remember that they're generally written by guys that are great riders and are spoiled by the newest/latest bikes on a daily basis- for most riders, the stock suspension will do the job.

[RubberSideDown]

^^

At the price-point, maybe, but the FZ-09 is a naked triple, and is squarely aimed at the Triumph- it's a lower-priced alternative, and it did quite well against it in the comparison tests I've read.

[mania]

Of course it's competition. At least RideApart thinks so in their "Perhaps the nearest competitor in terms of fun is the Ducati Hypermotard, but that thing is a whopping $11,995."

I think they compare only in terms of fun again due to the power to weight ratio being almost identical to

the Hyper

Hyper = 0.25

Fz-09 = 0.27

But I agree with RSD the FZ is no match for the Duc in quality of components etc.

Hence the price diff.

[RubberSideDown]

The friend who took the pics in the OP has since added a second FZ-09 to his stable (and when I say 'stable' I'm quite serious- he has something like 250 motorcycles, including a collection of Ducatis and Bimotas and a Y2K turbine bike- he's kind of nuts in a good way and is a local legend in SoCal;))- I know he did the suspension upgrades and an ECU flash and loves the bike- I have to find out how they're running now.

[ll2]

Test rode both hypermotard and mt09 and hypermotard runs and handles much more better. And in Thailand with these prices, if you want to choose between these two bikes, hypermotard is no brainer. Only 65 k thb difference! And duc has all those electronics and sex appeal.

Front suspensions of mt09 were softer than cbr650f - but of course they need to handle more power - and throttle was twitchy but it was twitchy with hypermotard too. besides, I think mt09 feels faster.

Still, sure both bikes can make any rider happy!

[seedy]

I've read several reviews of the Yamaha- you have to remember that they're generally written by guys that are great riders and are spoiled by the newest/latest bikes on a daily basis- for most riders, the stock suspension will do the job.

True.

Most get caught up in the hype, not realizing that their skill level is nowhere near the performance level that the top shelf components can deliver.

If you can pull wrenches some amazing things can be done for very little cash.

As your skills progress, you can buy better parts, but if starting with a 'starter' bike, probably better off with a higher-performance bike than try to improve yours. Many things different than just springs and shocks - geometry for one.