Yamaha FZ6

My current bike is a 2005 Yamaha FZ6. It was purchased brand new from Hi-Tech Motorsports in Billings, MT. The FZ6 is a fuel injected 600cc sport-touring bike which does a nice job of mixing the fun of the sport part with the comfort of the touring part. The sportbike factor is enhanced, in no small part, by the fact that the inline 4 cylinder engine is based on the R6 engine; the primary difference being a different cam profile which results in more midrange power and torque for "streetability."

Although the different cam profile makes the FZ6 much tamer and more manageable around town and in traffic, one simply needs to coax the engine closer to the insane 14,000 RPM redline to get a real feel for the supersport power hiding inside. The little 600 starts to pull pretty strong around 6,000 RPM, and as you get closer to the 10,000 RPM range the "sport" factor really gets pronounced!

The FZ6 is sometimes called the "swiss army knife" of motorcycles. I think that this is a pretty accurate description since the bike is well equipped for a variety of duties and is just at home on a relaxing 2-up afternoon cruise with the wife as it is pushing twisties or doing a track day at triple digit speeds. The combination of the R6 derived, high revving inline 4 with a slightly more uptight seating position makes for a truly versatile motorcycle.

right front view of my FZ6

In addition to being both insanely fast and all day comfortable, the Yamaha FZ6 is truly a thing of beauty and is guaranteed to get lots of attention wherever it goes. Although the inside of the engine delivers the performance one would expect from its R6 racing heritage, the outside has been smoothed and polished to deliver eye candy as well as power. To maximize the visibility of such a beautiful engine, as well as to provide lower weight and increased rigidity for maximum performance, Yahama uses a 2 peice cast aluminum frame on the FZ6 which is completely free of welds and looks simply amazing.

O.K., enough of the Yamaha commercial! Despite the excellent job that the designers did on the FZ6, it just wouldn't be right not to proceed to doing "mods" soon after acquiring a new bike. My quest to make my FZ6 exactly the way I want it began within a few hours of picking it up at the dealer. My list of performance, functionality, and/or cosmetic enhancing modifications includes the following:

My FZ6 Modifications to date

Frame sliders bolt to, and extend outwards from, the frame of a sport bike. They are most often made from either derlin (a tough plastic) or aluminum and are intended to prevent or minimize damage to the bike in the event that it gets dropped.
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A fender eliminator is a purely cosmetic modification. Often the first mod done to a sport bike, it involves removing the bulky ans usually ugly monstrosity of a rear fender/license plate mount that come from the factory on an otherwise nice looking machine. You can either purchase a commercially available kit to remount the license plate and lights or fabricate your own. This is an easy and relatively inexpensive mod which vastly improves the "sporty" look of the bike.
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The center stand, for all practical purposes anyway, is mostly just a bunch of ugly unneeded weight hanging below the bike. It also poses a safety risk when riding aggressively as the low and wide nature of it can easily get caught on the asphalt when cornering at even moderate lean angles. When riding agressively it is an accident waiting to happen and simply not worth the risk of leaving it attached in my opinion.
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Braided stainless steel brake lines are one of the best performance mods that can be done. Not only do they look extremely cool, but they have a dramatic effect on the braking ability of the bike. Unlike ordinary rubber brake lines, they do not expand under the hydraulic pressure and produce a much firmer brake. They also allow the fluid to cool more rapidly which translates into considerably less brake fade when riding and braking hard. With the ability to go fast comes the need to be able to stop fast. I love my Galfer braided steel brake lines, they help tremendously and I highly recommend them.
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The FZ6 fairing has a perfect spot to install R1 pod light sockets. I used amber l.e.d. bulbs in mine as they are even brighter while using much less amperage. I have mine wired so that they are on all the time as running lights and flash alternately with the stock turn signals when turning. The effect is really cool and makes the bike all the more visible. To get the alternating effect, simply wire the positive side of the l.e.d.'s to the running light positive and the negative side of the l.e.d.'s to the positive side of the appropriate turn signal circuit.
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Changing sprockets was almost certainly my favorite mod. By dropping a tooth in front and going up 2 teeth in the rear for a 15/48 combination (stock is 16/46) the bike's acceleration increased tremendously. The R6 based FZ6 is fast to start with, but a simple (and inexpensive) sprocket change makes it wickedly quick. I also love the fact that it brings the front end up MUCH easier because I absolutely love to do wheelies.
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I added a Speedohealer to correct the factory speedometer error as well as to compensate for the sprocket changes and get the speedometer showing an accurate speed again. The speedhealer (part number SH-Y01) plugs directly into the factory wiring harness and is super easy to calibrate. It is also very accurate and was definitely a hundred dollars well spent.
click here for the calibration setting calculator.
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My quick connect battery leads came into existence after realizing what a major pain in the butt it was to access the battery which is buried under the airbox. In order to get to the battery, one must: remove the inner sections of the fairing, remove the gas tank, and remove the air box. Not only is this entirely too much work, but if you need battery acces to jump start the bike it pretty much makes that an impossibility! After having some battery trouble, I quickly decided to build some quick connect cables which would allow for simple connection of a battery charger or jumper cables when needed.
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My Michelin Pilot Power Tires get the power to the pavement very effectively. I can absolutely assure you that whatever rave reviews you may have read about the Michelin Pilot Power sport tires, they were a grave understatement! These are, without a doubt, the absolute BEST tires ever to grace the rims of a sport bike. They heat up fast, stick like glue (even on wet roads), and seem to fall effortlessly into the corners. They grip so well that they inspire confidence and make otherwise insane lean angles, even approaching 50 degrees, seem effortless and natural. Made of the same synthetic compound as the famous Michelin MotoGp tires, they are literally built to go fast in the corners.
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