[steveinsandiego]

hey, boys'n'girls,

i'm completing 20 yrs and +-225,000 miles of riding this december.
last saturday i sold my 2015 v-strom 650. at age 69 (comin' up 9/19) the strom at 480 wet plus about 10lbs for the givi topbox and attachment plate, and along with a high seat, i was having trouble throwin' the leg over (either way), and pushin' it around the garage.
before i bought the strom about two years ago i did test ride a slightly used FZ-07. dunno why i bypassed it, but i did, alas. no diss to the suzuki, mind you. anyhoo, i'm ready for a cycle under 400 lbs.

i'm quite easy-going. no hooliganism outta me. i like freeway cruising, and well-maintained backroads. of course, san diego county offers palomar mountain, which i approach, oh, maybe once every three years, and in the middle of the week when no one else is around. well, yeah, and i do split traffic...cautiously.

s-o-o-o-o, tell me about this scoot, oh, sure, i've read a few articles, and mc.com has awarded it midweight of the year three years running. this will be my sixth motorcycle and first yamaha (i really wanted a raider about six yrs ago, but that thing IS giNORmous!).
best feature? (i like the 24k service interval)
worst feature? i heard stock seats suck for two-up, which doesn't matter to me since meine kleine frau is totally disinterested in participating.
can i use an adjustable pitbull rear-wheel stand?

since i am NOT a wrench (tools and i are enemies, sort of...my collection consists mostly of old hand-me-downs). so, ok, i can change oil and filter, and clean, lube, adjust the chain. that's about it. i have been taking my bikes to a local indie who does ok imho.

i gots me the cash in my hot little hands. a local dealer has two 2017 abs models for $5988 (different stock numbers). i wonder if i can get it $7500 out the door???

alrighty, thanx for reading.

hey, the pic is 50 yrs ago this past summer. sunday on a honda 90.

 

[TimH]

Best feature: You nailed it - the weight. Makes for a nimble feel and easy management.

Worst feature: If you're a big guy you'll look and feel like a Shriner's clown. The suspension seems to be optimized for somebody under 5'9" and 160#. I LOVE it but larger or aggressive riders need to make modifications.

Bottom line: You need a test ride.

 

[steveinsandiego]

Best feature: You nailed it - the weight. Makes for a nimble feel and easy management.

Worst feature: If you're a big guy you'll look and feel like a Shriner's clown. The suspension seems to be optimized for somebody under 5'9" and 160#. I LOVE it but larger or aggressive riders need to make modifications.

Bottom line: You need a test ride.

hi, Tim, i'm 'bout 5'10''ish, around 173 which is about 13 lbs above my optimum weight (implemented a walking regimen - 2 miles, 5 days a week - to git down to 160, i hope). the test ride back in 2015 was ok. i wasn't used to the flickability - due to much less weight to deal with - but i liked it well enough. i have never modified any of the bikes i've owned...only add-ons, but never changed out/altered suspension, steering, or anything like that. no loud pipes. i'm sure i would notice and likely enjoy some tweaks, but i'm a cheap you-know-what...LOL.

 

[TimH]

You're a little long for an ideal riding position the way the FZ-07 is usually set up, but shouldn't have as many issues with shock settings as bigger guys do. Still should try another test ride. You may fall in love. Or not.

Somebody pointed out to me that pro-level MotoX bikes these days are around 175#. With 60 hp. Zow.

 

[hamboney]

seats not bad,,my biggest issue is sliding foward everytime you hit the brakes,,driving around town and lots of twisty roads can chaff your insides after a couple hours,,but i just finished a two day trip and surprisingly it wasn't bad at all,,having a good pair of riding pants that dont bunch up really helps . I actually brought a small piece of foam and stuck it under my butt the last couple hours of the trip home ,but that was after 6 hours in the saddle and 8 the day before ,you can always find a modified seat cover or yamaha has a comfy seat . i paid $7400 couple months back for abs,,{the abs back brake sucks,wish i could disengage it } plus tax and license.
I would buy another for under 6 K without bating an eye ,,snooze you lose

 

[steveinsandiego]

I would buy another for under 6 K without bating an eye ,,snooze you lose[/QUOTE]

 

[steveinsandiego]

I would buy another for under 6 K without bating an eye ,,snooze you lose

i figure at least $7500 out the door on a price tag of $5988: iin california tax+license are about 10%, and sometimes a dealer - mc or car - will charge tax on the msrp, not the sale price, which i don't understand; add back shipping; set-up fee, which amounts to a $10/hr highschooler tightening a few items, but dealer charges $90-100/hr; doc fee, which amounts to a $10 clerk-typist writing up the contract, + whatever else the dealer figures he can get away with....yeah, i know, whatever the market will bear. otoh, the 2018s are out - somewhere - so i dunno how much of a discount one could expect on a 2017.
i haven't moved on a new scoot. d'missis is resisting rather formidably... boo, hiss. oh, the dealer now has three for sale at $5988.............and another for the list price. all are red abs models.
once i gather the gumption i'll likely make an otd offer.....dealer can arrange the numbers any way he prefers.....