[mangosmoothie]

So seems like just yesterday I bought my '13 speedy. It's been great. I've put 4500 miles on it in <6 months. I've had absolutely 0 issues with it.

But over time... I fell out of love with it. It was a more refined version of my '99. Dare I even say..... not as fun. Yes, it makes more power and sounds better..... but it doesn't feel all that much faster, especially not at 8,000 feet DA. The engine is so linear. It's just a no drama bike. I also wanted to add some features like cruise control. I live in a desert. It's 70 miles of highway to get anywhere interesting. So that's 140 miles of just highway any time I want to ride. Cruise would be so nice. I also just want a little more excitement in my life.

I was contemplating what could replace it. I thought about a ZH2 long and hard but I'm not sure it's worth double the cost. I actually rode a 1290 SDGT and didn't like it at all. On top of that, buddy just grenaded one with 40k miles. The tuono V4 was a thought, but in the end.......... I wanted jap reliability and dealer support.

So I pulled the trigger on a 2017 FZ10. Unfortunately due to work, I can't go get it until 11/17. But they're holding it for me. The '13 Speedy is being traded on it.

Decided to go used because it's a good spot to be in. Bikes are still new and low mileage but sizably cheaper than new. In 2018 the bikes switched to MT-10 and gained a quickshifter, otherwise the same bike. BUT I want quickshift up and down which means having to replace the OEM unit anyway. So that was a non-consideration. I also REALLY liked this color combo and it was only offered this year.

The youtube reviews all show it just ripping power wheelies in 3rd. My FJ09 would power wheelie first without any issue. You crossed like 6k and it just gently lifted the front wheel. Yamaha tends to gear their naked bikes very short with short wheelbases. This FZ makes way more torque so I believe 3rd will be no issue. I think this will be exactly what I want. An exciting, soulful bike mixed with the tried and true Japanese reliability.

From what I can tell, it has the Yamaha comfort seat, spools on the swingarm, case and frame sliders, tail tidy, M4 3/4 exhaust, and new pilot road 5 tires. I'm not a fan of the bar end mirrors.. Will be looking for OEM replacements there.

I'm trying to see how it's tuned or who tuned it. If 2wdw tuned it, I'm going to add the autotune and quick shifter w/ autoblip. If they didn't, I'll have them re-flash the ECU with their tune, and then add the autotune and qs. I used them for my FJ09 and they were wonderful. They're loved by the FJ and FZ community.

I already know I love how it sounds, the crossplane is wicked. And it's going to be absurdly fast. The 100-200 kmh sprint is around 4 sec flat............. Just insane. It's ever so slightly quicker 100-200 in a 4th gear roll on than a 1290 SDR and ZH2 kmh (about a tenth or so) and a V4 Tuono (about half a second) believe it or not. A brand new Speed Triple RS is over 6 seconds. The FZ09/FJ09 is around 7 flat. C6 ZR1 is 7.8 so that puts into perspective how fast all these bikes are. Super pumped to get on this beast and have some fun.

I can't think of a better value of a bike out there right now new or used. I wasn't a huge fan of the transformer face but it's growing on me. And the colors make up for. Love that liquid grey and neon wheels.

 

[Devilsfan]

Congrats on the new bike! Looks great.

 

[ducatiman]

Looky you, Mangs! CONGRATS! An FZ10 basically an R1 in disguise, no? Long highway drones will be cut short with this thing, gonna require some (self) control. Be careful out there, don't be losin' your license! Yamaha reasonably treated, well maintained (as I'm sure yours will be) should last a good long time. Curious, any members of your forums with extreme high mileages?

 

[mangosmoothie]

It's like a budget R1. Different cyl head/cams/con rods and I believe pistons. use of steel where an R1 might use aluminum or magnesium. No fancy IMU system. Different brakes.

Haven't seen super high mileage yet. One guy at 36k with no issues to report.

I'm hoping the cruise control makes the highway stints better. Plethora of windshield options too if I want to go that route. But yeah, hoping this thing can just eat some miles with no major issues.

 

[mangosmoothie]

I've seen 4 people post engine failure lol. Doesn't seem like many at all relative to the number of bikes produced

I know at least two of them were tuned, and they didn't say by who. I do fully understand doing mods like that is a roll of the dice but I have faith in 2wdw.

 

[mangosmoothie]

Update time. Got the bike on Tuesday. While in California, I explored Orange County and LA a bit. Unfortunately not on the bike because I didn't have ramps to unload it or valid registration.

Got home Thursday morning and promptly went for a 300 mile ride. I am very pleased with how smooth the engine is. Smoother than a triple for sure. It's weird hearing the deep note of the crossplane while being smooth as butter. Cruise control was worth the price of admission alone. I also found the riding position more comfortable than the Speed Triple. It does ride a bit stiffer, though.

Once I got down to the twisties...... Wow. Super nimble and flickable. Eager to change directions. Mid corner stability is great. Overall best handling bike I've ridden.

And the power............ As it revs, you can feel it push you into the seat harder and harder. It wants you to rev it out. I put the bike in B mode (most aggressive) and TCS in 1 (least invasive). Hit it in 2nd gear at about 5k rpms. By 7k it was lifting the front wheel. Shift to 3rd. One again, lifted the front wheel around 7k. This is pure power. My 1050 speed triple wouldn't even power wheelie 1st. The FZ is doing it in 3rd. Redline is a tad over 12k. So the midrange and top end is just insane. But it's pretty tame in the lower rpms. You can grab a handful of throttle at 4k and you have a split second to think about what you've done. The speed triple would just snap your neck (which can be fun in it's own right), but it wasn't fun to rev out. You could short shift it and it still felt like the same result in each gear.

Once I got a feel for it... I was getting a little aggressive with it out of the roundabouts in the middle of nowhere. Found out it will power wheelie 2nd out of the roundabout and let you steer it with the throttle. It has an electronic steering damper so the front wheel comes back down with no drama. I couldn't upset the bike. I can't really describe it..... it wants you to be aggressive with it... Self control is a must.

So I'm very happy with the bike. It's everything I hoped for, and more. A welcome contrast to my previous triples.

Some reviews complain about fuel range/gas mileage. I was getting 40 mpg. My speed triple got like 44. So not the end of the world there. I was able to go 120 miles on a tank which included some twisty road romping, and it still showed 1/4 tank.

The only lackluster area is the front brakes. They stop, but the lever feel doesn't give me much confidence. I think I'm going to try stainless lines up front and see if that helps. If not, I will try the R1 radial master cylinder as well. Both my speed triples have stainless lines from the factory so that may just be what I'm used to. The back brake is great, however. I find it easier to modulate than the speed triple, and the abs isn't as intrusive.

And then a funny side note..... I live in hospital housing so I ride by the hospital on my way in/out. I guess I passed a maintenance guy Thursday when I left for my ride. He was out working on something. Friday I passed him again as he was riding home from work. He turned around and followed me home. He was like WHAT EXHAUST IS THAT??? THAT BIKE SOUNDS INSANE!! He's a brand new rider with a Versys 650. Guess he's looking for an exhaust for his Versys. I told him to find a used slip on. He went on to tell me he just went on the highway for the first time the other day for a few miles. The closest city to us is Flagstaff which is about 70 miles away (just a 65 mph 2 lane straight highway) but he didn't want to go that far by himself. He was also asking about like which part of the lane to ride in, etc. I gave him my number, hopefully we can go ride sometime. It feels weird having someone ask me for advice like that... Seems like just yesterday I was on here with my EX500 asking the same questions. But then I stop and think... It's been 8 years (holy cow) and I've logged over 40,000 riding miles so I probably have picked up a thing or two along the way 😄

 

[Devilsfan]

. It feels weird having someone ask me for advice like that... Seems like just yesterday I was on here with my EX500 asking the same questions. But then I stop and think... It's been 8 years (holy cow) and I've logged over 40,000 riding miles so I probably have picked up a thing or two along the way 😄

I've made quite a few friends from riding...we all share the common interest! Definitely hook up and go riding together. Who knows, you guys may just become great pals!
Enjoy that bike! Chart some routes (with some good lunch stops) and show that guy the ropes. The Versys is an excellent motorcycle and handles superbly. (Just let him know, he better have a breaker bar when he changes his chain!)