Falling out of love with my FZ

[RyanSterling]

Hey guys, I think that part of the reason I wasn't on here for a while is that frankly I have sort of fallen out of love with my FZ8. I am sure it is no surprise to anyone that the main reason for it is the suspension. I have just never liked the handling. It feels unsettled to me, and despite adjusting the rear every way I can think of I have just lost my love for the bike I think. I was planning on changing the rear shock and maybe even the forks over to the new 2013 setup.

That being said I can only imagine the cost of that and Im kind of tired of putting effort and money in to a bike I am not really happy with anymore. More than just bitching I guess I was curious if I am the only one sort of feeling that way.

I would also be curious to hear success stories from those who changed their suspension and now hopefully have the bike they want.

As it sits now I am going to the Bike show this weekend in Long Beach and have a feeling I might come home with something new picked out. Lately I have been thinking about the MV Agusta Brutale 675 but dont trust the reliability. My Boss has a brand new F3 and it is already out of commission with electrical problems.

 

[n00b]

This is the only bike i've had, so I have nothing to compare it too... but I've had many hobbies before, and the whole point is to be totally into it. The day you look at it and think it's just blah, it's time to try something else.
I'm hoping the bike thing for me is more about riding than modding. Seems like that's I've ever done with my cars.

 

[master paper clip]

Still in love with my 8, just need a better seat. As for the suspension swap, camo did it and said it was great.. sure he will chime in

 

[highoctane]

This also my first "new" bike and am content just cruising around.
I also seem to never get rid of shit once I buy it, probalbly still have it in 30 years

 

[Deleted member 438]

My bike is really well set up now and it can handle the track just fine. I was able to keep the cost of the shock way down because I am using Satan's r1 shock adapter.

 

[bren]

i love my beast more and more each day/ each mod! lol

Still working on the wife for a power commander though lol

 

[Ben1105]

I have a confession to make, as much as I have loved my 8 it's never really felt right and I've never felt quite satisfied with it. I may be moving on sooner rather than later.

 

[Camo]

I was going to move onto something else twice; once because I wasn't feeling like modding another bike into what I deemed well balanced for my riding. So I guess much like yourself, I wasn't feeling the bond one has when your bike feels like a family member.
As the story goes, the cost of buying something else and the loss I was going to have to take on the 8 was crushing to say the least.
I maybe should have spent more time initially deciding on a bike before jumping on the 8?

Second time I was looking for the best financial balance in order to get my two eldest boys on dirt bikes while I managed to stay on a road bike. It would have been a sad goodbye this time round.


The money I've spent on my 8 has transformed it completely. The OEM front end was a hate filled bastard son of satan. We battled each other for dominance and in the end, I decided to fight fire with fire and ripped it off and replaced it with an 07 R1 unit that's been dialled in to suit.
That only made the rear feel like someone trying to kick me right in my asshole.
FZ1 rear shock balanced everything out and gave a firmer, more reliable feel but I ended up with a base model Penske that has superseded my expectation of the handling of my 8.
The combination of the front and rear upgrades has definitely reinvigorated my love for the bike.
I feel the power is fine and I'm pretty sure the only things that are left on my list of upgrades would be wider bars, danmoto rear sets, R1 master cylinder and custom lines to suit.
Headers and PCV would do the bike justice but I've found I can go quicker with good suspension and brakes. Plus the cost of headers, PCv and dyno is not a cost I'm willing to reach into my pocket for.
I'd like to keep the 8 for road riding and buy a cheap sportbike to thrash around the track, best of both worlds then.

I think if you weigh up the cost of a new ride and the loss you take in selling the 8, you'll probably find you could chuck 2k into your 8, be as happy as fuck and still come out in front.

But I hear you. Essentially you need a bike you can live with.


Tldr; - fixed the suspension and now I love it, money and value are two different things.
Sorry for the novel

 

[AlCab]

I love my 8 more each time I ride it but then again, I am not a very advanced rider so I am sure I would be happy with even a lesser bike. But I am older than most of you guys and have no desire to ride at 9/10ths so for me, the 8 fits the bill perfectly, and looks awesome. Now if I was really into riding aggressively and did a lot of track days, I would have bought a proper sport bike, not a street fighter.

 

[DJK1505]

for a few hundred bucks you can have the suspension taken care of and then have a bike that should meet all of your needs. But are you writing this thread as an excuse, not to be rude, but I hear so many people down the suspension but have spent little to no time researching what they can do. Or even have other experiences to compare it with. My suggestion is to figure out what you want a bike for. The stock suspension is an alright beginners suspension. Will last a beginner a few thousand miles while they learn the bike and how to ride. Once that is over the suspension is about as good a boat anchor as anything. You can get all crazy with some white brothers crap, penske crap, or do a little research and get the R1 suspension and totally transform your bike. Front and rear can easily be done for less than a grand. IF you just want a new bike, lets all stop blaming the suspension, and just admit the new-ness has worn off and the urge for something new has arose!

DJ

 

[Hoover]

This bike is the latest in a very long line of bikes. I have been riding for 30+ years and consider myself to be an experienced rider. I have had 1 crash in that time and that was my fault and it happened when I was 17.
A lot of my previous bikes were wobbly and difficult to ride without a lot of effort.
My 12 Bandit benefited from a full swap, my Z1000 had a re-valve and my TL1000S Came with a aftermarket rear.
If you think the FZ is a bad handling pig, I suggest you try and push a 70's or 80's superbike hard.
As I have stated here before, I am quite happy with the stock set-up, but I will be changing out the rear one for when I ride with a passenger.
That being said, I do not ride anywhere near as hard as I used to. Age and responsibility have certainly caught up with me. I still enjoy a good thrash but not much peg grinding any more.
I would like to make 1 more comparison. I learned to drive in a old rear wheel drive Ford Escort and for years competed in club rallies in an RS Escort and spent most of the time sideways, fighting for grip. I now own a Subaru WRX which has twice the power (and more) and twice the grip. Even though the Scoob is more advanced, feels more planted and handles so much better, I would trade it for the RS in a heartbeat.
I guess what I'm saying is this; I know the FZ's suspension is compromised, but it is light years ahead of what came before it. And it is cheap. Its cheap for a reason. It still looks the nuts and has a stonking engine. If the suspension is really the only reason, swap it out for proven improvements like many here have done.
As for going Italian, you know the risks. Would you use a Lambo or Ferrari as your daily driver? Great bits of kit, but I'm not sure I would trust something built in a country where everyone drinks a bottle of wine at lunch then takes a 3 hour nap!
Thats it.

 

[master paper clip]

As for going Italian, you know the risks. Would you use a Lambo or Ferrari as your daily driver? Great bits of kit, but I'm not sure I would trust something built in a country where everyone drinks a bottle of wine at lunch then takes a 3 hour nap!
Thats it.

Lmao... good one

 

[e11charlie]

I agree Hoover. Though not as many years in the saddle as you, I have ridden some tuned machines and some really old tech (Harley). To me a little effort in riding makes it fun. I rode "race" bikes that practically ride themselves. They dove into corners etc. If the FZ isn't the one for you then it isn't. The second I saw the 2012 and the moment I twisted the throttle I was hooked. It's the only bike I have ever been on that didn't have an immediate need to modify everything. Suspension isn't perfect but I don't care. The only thing I want to do is take it to a track and learn to ride it to its limits. Then maybe I will mod the suspension and engine to push it farther.

 

[Guillaume]

Great bits of kit, but I'm not sure I would trust something built in a country where everyone drinks a bottle of wine at lunch then takes a 3 hour nap!
Thats it.

Making me miss France! Though naps aren't too common... I mean, I can't even order a glass of wine during lunchtime at work. What's up with that?

As it sits now I am going to the Bike show this weekend in Long Beach and have a feeling I might come home with something new picked out.

On another note, I can't really chime in too much regarding the "loving of the bike". The FZ8 is my first bike and I've only been riding since March. The only other thing I tried was a Raider so of course I feel like the 8 handles like a champ!

Now let me get back into my "French Vulture Bastard" mode and just say that if ever you decide to switch and sell your bike in stock condition... I call dibs on your light mod and radiator shrouds!

 

[master paper clip]

There are things I would change. Like the headlight, a better seat, and would love it if our throttle was a buttery smooth as a super sport.. I often swap bikes with my buddy he has a 11 zx6r, personally only thing I like more about his bike then mine is the top end and that throttle.. its soo buttery smooth,Ours feels a little clunky but that's something I can deal with.. I haven't really gotten to rip on this bike in some decent corners cause its mostly flat land around me and whenever I find twisties there is either a lot of traffic or a cop near the corners.. but once winter get done with I'm planning on taking a nice ride out of state, wanna go up to new York state, go threw the mountains up there.. went up there with my koup and my girl on a random road trip and had some really great switch backs and nice winding roads plus was very little traffic.. but I feel the 8 has more pros then cons when compared to a lot of other bikes.. and since only thing u said u didn't like was the suspension, swap it with the r1 forks

Plus I'm sure others can tell u as great as the bike is, its not as easy to unload second hand.

 

[RnR]

Sounds to me that it's already gone for you Ryan. Nothing to feel bad about. I've went through fazes of changing rides like underwear. Did notice when in that mind set that I was never really satisfied with any bike. And I've had some nice ones. I'm hoping that the FZ8 makes a new rider out of me. It's sure pushing all the right buttons at the moment. Good luck with your next.

 

[Lee_533]

I love my fz8. I did think about selling it and getting a Gsxr but considering I paid 9500 for the 8, I can drop 3k into it and still be cheaper than a Suzuki. I have only done the rear Ohlins shock and it made the bike feel a lot more planted. I'm waiting on an r6 wheel then I'm installing some fz1 forks with racetech valves and springs. All in all I'll be in to the suspension close to 1k but then I have a bad ass suspension set up for me. I love this bike and now I don't even consider the thought of selling it. Now if I had the kind of money to spend, of course I would buy a bad ass Ducati or Gsxr 750 with upgraded suspension, but I don't. The 8 is exactly what you paid for, but with a few suspension mods, it can be a great bike.

 

[Lee_533]

Making me miss France! Though naps aren't too common... I mean, I can't even order a glass of wine during lunchtime at work. What's up with that?



On another note, I can't really chime in too much regarding the "loving of the bike". The FZ8 is my first bike and I've only been riding since March. The only other thing I tried was a Raider so of course I feel like the 8 handles like a champ!

Now let me get back into my "French Vulture Bastard" mode and just say that if ever you decide to switch and sell your bike in stock condition... I call dibs on your light mod and radiator shrouds!

Damn it! I wanted the light!

 

[RyanSterling]

Sorry about the novel, if you want the conclusion just scroll to the last 2 paragraphs.

Thanks for all of the responses guys I really appreciate the input. I spent a lot of time in the garage last night scratching my head and thinking about what to do about the FZ. Trust me I have definitely done the research on what to do about the suspension. And if the bike handled how I wanted it to would I be happy with it? Unfortunately the answer is both yes and no.

The yes comes from the fact that I do still believe that for everything I want out of a bike it is still the best choice on the market. And I spent a LOT of time researching before I bought and rode just about every candidate that didn't get eliminated on a technicality. (valve intervals etc.) as I do my own maintenance.

I wanted a bike to take longer trips on that would be comfortable eating up the miles and I could still have fun on in the canyons. It had to be a naked bike and I also wanted an inline four because I prefer how they feel at speed. Though the street triple and shiver 750 rounded out the top three. The triple wasn't great for long trips and the Shivers engine was gutless at best. Plus I didn't want to wait for a slow boat from Italy if I ever needed parts as I tend to mod everything I own. Hence, I bought an FZ8 and no it wasn't because I couldn't afford the Fz1 I actually preferred the engine in the 8 and IMHO the FZ1 is fugly.

If I am to be completely honest about things I buy my cars and bikes with the full intention of treating them as a project right out of the box. As a designer and former fabricator modding my vehicles is damn near the most important part for me. I am just as happy in the garage as at the track or on a ride.

This is the closest thing to a sportbike that I have ever owned. I have always had Triumph Bonnevilles. A completely different animal to be sure and they have a very different personality to them to say the least. So I will be totally honest with myself and admit that perhaps that has a bit to do with my feeling there is a lack of romance with the FZ. It is a completely different aesthetic, and riding dynamic.

The simple answer I came up with was. I like the bike, and it is still the right choice given my criteria. But, it doesn't feel special like my other vehicles do. So I asked myself why. The answer, I believe, is because everything else I own I have redesigned or modified damn near every part of, and made it exactly what I wanted. With the exception of the headlight I really haven't done that with the FZ8. Thus when I look at it it still just looks like a motorcycle and not "my" motorcycle.

Hoover might have been on to something when he said it might have just been a desire for something new. But that something new doesn't mean a different bike. Just an evolution of the same one. And he was also right that the suspension is a relatively easy fix I was just having a hard time pouring effort and money into a bike that I wasn't really enthused about. Both are easy to fix, just takes time, sweat and money. And since I am putting my fastback build on hold for a while there is no time like the present.

Thanks again guys

 

[master paper clip]

Have u done the air box mod yet? Thats a good place to continue your modding, that and if u don't already have one get a power commander, turns the bike into an even better beast