A small first ride review of the fz-10

Coming from a Ex-Harley rider and why I had to make the switch.


(English isnt my first language)



First, I should say that I had 2 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. An Iron 883 that I overgrowned fast and then traded for a Fat Boy Lo. I'm no expert at all, so you can take what I write with a grain of salt. You also have to know that I really liked those 2 motorcycles. The style, the sound of a modified exhaust on them, the foot forward position. (Yeah, I did change the one that came stock with the 883)



But I had to get rid of them because of lower back problem. I'm a 5'8" and 180pounds guy. I started having pain after doing a 6 months jogging training. It was a year ago. This was about the same time I bought my second Harley, the Lo. I quit jogging and replace that with road bike (bicycle) realizing that even if I was leaning on the bike, there was no pain. Anyway, short story, I saw 2 different doctors, did some stretchings each day to reinforce my back and it eventually got better after a year. Until I did a ride some weeks ago, a 2 hours ride with the Lo. Pain was back like before. At that moment, I decided to try to trade my Lo.



Being comfortable on my road bike, I started looking for a motorcycle that I can lean forward on. I looked into the Monster 1200, the BMW S100r, the FZ-10. Seating on those bikes at the dealer, the fz-10 was the better fit for me. I was watching a lot of Youtube first ride and reviews praising the quality of the FZ. At one of the dealer I went, they had a customer looking for a motorcycle like my Fat Boy, so they offered me a good deal (yeah I lost a bit) for the trade and I bought an FZ-10.



Yesterday morning, I took delivery of the bike. I was nervous but excited. I didnt really know if everything related to my back pain would be resolve with that new motorcycle. It was a risk I was wiling to take. I joined up with my brother after to go on a ride. I was on the bike from 11am to 8pm with only 3 short breaks and this kinda is my 1st ride review. I intend to post a follow-up when I get more mileage on it.



Well, as you know, the position was really different from what I was use to. I found that the seat is harder than my softail was, but the way I'm siting on it make it feel better. I was not having that tailbone pain I was use to get on a more than 3 hours riding the lo. Before riding the fz, I thought about buying the optional comfort seat, but I will wait. The stock seat is enough for me for now. Of course, my knees were a little bit cramped and my shoulder were tired at the end of the day, but my back was perfect. My wrists were fine probably because of the not so lean forward position (more upward than competition?).



About the engine, wow, just wow. I mean, I knew it would be different but shit, this is another world. When I throttle up, it accelerate like nothing I drove before. I only use the standard mode and full traction control (TCS3) trying to survive the change. On the Highway, 100km/h (60mi/h) was fast enough on the softail because of the wind pushing me and me trying to grip the handlebar to stay in position. On the FZ-10, 130km/h feels like 70km/h. I'll have to spare money to build a speed tickets fund. The braking is really great too but don't take my word for it since I come from a nearly 400kg bike with only 1 disk brake in front. I did try traction control on a small dirt road and it work flawlessly. That motorcycle is really easy to turn as we were riding a curvy mountain road. I felt confident and secure doing this road going faster then I use to with the cruiser.



Will I miss the Harley? I think I will for some of the things I don't have with the Yam. I'll miss the sound when I started it in the garage. I will miss the infinite possibilities to customize it and make it my own (My wallet won't miss that). I will miss having my wife on the pillion and being comfortable (On the Yam, she nearly got her knees above her hears). But for anything else, I won't miss it. And to enjoy myself on the motorcycle without as much pain, it is a good trade.



Finally, as the day was close to an end, I realized how far motorcycle technology has come. And I was living in the past with my Fat Boy lo. I understand this is not the same kind of things, and you can't compare apple and orange, but I mean, it's like making love for the first time compare to doing the shit yourself. This is how I was feeling anyway. I had a grin on my face the whole time I was riding. And that's what's important to me.



Questions? Comments?


Mat