Originally Posted by
redken1
Chris, I would urge you not to overlook the FZ1/Fazer, but of course I’m biased as I own one. As has already been stated, you will know which bike is right for you once you have ridden a few which meet your requirements. I owned an 800 VFR pre-VTEC and it was an excellent all rounder. I know it is not a like-for-like comparison and probably not fair to compare the two machines, especially in light of the age of the VFR (have not ridden later models), but I much prefer my current bike for the following reasons. To my shame I am still a bit of a performance junkie and the R1 engine delivers approx a third more power than the VFR. I would say there is not a lot in it in terms of handling. Although it is not important to me, I would imagine the 200 cc would be an advantage if you intend to take a pillion on long hauls. You will also need to consider the riding position which suits you best, The FZ1/Fazer is certainly more upright than sports-tourers like the Triumph ST and VFR. I’m not knocking the VFR because it is a well proven brilliant bike and I loved mine, I just found it a bit tiring on my back and wrists – Mother Nature’s fault not the bike. Lol.
More than welcome to have a blast on my beast mate. Good luck.
PS I would say that IMHO Yamaha priced the FZ1/Fazer what is a very underrated bike far too high and that obviously had a negative impact on sales. Not really relevant if you are buying second hand though.
