[RobG]

I'm still in shock that this happened! I went by the dealer to get some spark plugs for my ER-6n and to ask them to look at the lousy on/off throttle response (very jerky). So I got my plugs and walked the showroom floor while waiting on service. I saw they still had an orange/white 2010 Z1000 there, a bike I've loved since they came out.

So for the heck of it, I go up to the sales guy and say, "if I wanted to buy that Z1000 today, what could you do for me?" And we got to talking.

In the end... $9200 for the bike, plus $4000 in trade for my ER-6n, no money down, and they cut the interest rate in half over what I was paying on my ER-6n loan. $235 for doc and reg, and no sales tax in Oregon. I couldn't pass that up!

So here I am at home... 10:40 PM, it's now raining outside and is due to keep raining through Monday or Tuesday of next week. So typical.

I just ordered up an Ermax windscreen, R&G Sliders, handwarmers, and a new set of Michelin Pilot Road 2CT tires to replace the stock Duncraps (I commute to work on the bike and need rain tires). Starting next week I'll ride my DR650 to work until the tires arrive and are installed. Tomorrow I'll just drive my WRX and pay the $6 parking fee.

Question -- anybody know what the headlight bulbs are in this thing? The manual doesn't say. I want to order an HID kit. The stock light is really lousy, and the HID kit I put in my ER-6n did wonders.

When I have some more money I'll add braided brake lines and upgraded pads. I had those on my ER-6n and they were awesome.

But wow this is 10x the bike! It's sooooo silky smooth. It turns in much better than the ER. I haven't gone over 5000 RPM yet nor over 1/3 throttle and WOW it's strong! Ride quality is much improved over the ER. The ER-6n was a great beginner bike (I just started riding in January). Then I got a used DR650 a month ago, and I hadn't really been planning on a new street bike until next year... but this deal came along and I couldn't pass it up.

Rob

 

[Lumberjack]

Wow! As a fellow 650r/Er-6n owner I'm totally jealous! I just started riding in February myself (about 10,000 miles in)...

I really want a Z1000 though I just have a blast on my modded up 650r...

I think the 650r is just the cat's pajamas, so I prolly shouldn't accept any test rides on the Z1000 at local dealerships!

 

[shakebite]

Rob.. welcome aboard…. rain is sooooo frustrating (I should know living in Devon UK)

 

[Black Sheep]

Rob.. welcome aboard…. rain is sooooo frustrating (I should know living in Devon UK)

Really??? I thought I heard that it never rains in the UK... oh, wait... that would be "It never rains in Southern California"... my mistake! :silly:

To the OP... congrats on the new bike... I hope you didn't have to pay for the service on the ER-6n!

 

[RobG]

Thanks everybody!

Nope, didn't pay for the service on the old bike; they never did anything more than ride it to verify the problem. When the guy rolls back in, I went up to him and said, "um... they just approved me for a new bike. I don't care about the problem anymore." He smiled, said no prob, and went back inside.

Lumberjack: Yeah, do NOT ride one... seriously. If you do, you will either (a) buy it, or (b) start hating your 650R. The motor alone.... I mean, without even riding it. Just start it up. It's totally smooth. My ER-6n vibrated more than my DR650, and the DR is a single! And 1/4 throttle on the Z is what 1/2-2/3 throttle is on the ER. I'm actually pretty nervous about riding the thing again once the roads dry... I watched several videos of it last night, and it looks like it'll pick the nose up pretty easily. My ER wouldn't wheelie at all, which as a new rider, that's a good thing!

The 650R/ER-6n is a fantastic starter and commuter bike. I'll miss getting 55 mpg.

Rob

 

[Black Sheep]

...

The 650R/ER-6n is a fantastic starter and commuter bike. I'll miss getting 55 mpg.

Rob

No you won't...

 

[RobG]

No you won't...

Hahahaha. Perhaps not. My DR650 gets 48-50 mpg so if I go on long trips, odds are I'll take it instead anyway. The Z will be for local commuting and playing when I don't plan to need dirt capabilities. And there really isn't much dirt around Salem.

So now I'm sitting here at work... it's 6:25 AM, it's dark, there's only one other person in the building, and I'm like, is it next week yet? I want the new tires here and on, plus my sliders. And for it to stop raining. It was painful bringing the car to work this morning, leaving the Z sitting there at home.

Rob

 

[jalaan1]

good for you!!!!!

CONGRATS!

 

[Lumberjack]

Hey there Rob - good on ya then! Pls report back with more comparrison info when you get the chance to ride it..

Hard for me to imagine a bike that has such a strong motor but doesn't vibrate! The 2009 650r/Er-6n doesn't vibrate near as much as the pre-2007 650r though I know that - that bike buzzes hard all through the handlebars when 5-7k is reached on the tach....

I actually hope for a bike that wheelies easier - I like to pop little ones on the 650r, but to do that I have to ride it up to 5-6k in 1st, chop the throttle, then snap back on the throttle strongly - this gets the wheel up for sure but it feels hard to control - I'd like a bike that would just do a natural power wheelie in 1st or 2nd when throttle is applied strongly but smoothly - I don't like doing the throttle snap thing to get the wheel up..

 

[Curtie223]

Nice upgrade!

 

[RobG]

Today turned out nicer than they had forecast. The sun came out, the road dried up, so I took off at noon and went riding! I managed to put about 80 miles on the bike today.

The only single word that can really sum this thing up is WOW! Absolutely amazing bike. Talk about ZERO regret getting it. There is no way I could ever go back to the ER-6n now, and I also can see that had I NOT traded the thing in, I would be wishing I had.

The power is amazing. Power and torque. Any magazine review that says this thing is high strung or isn't torquey is completely full of crap. Throttle response is instantaneous. The torque is amazing. From 50 mph in 6th gear, you do not have to downshift. Just turn the throttle and go. It takes off like crazy.

I rode from Salem down to Albany and back on backroads. I was doing break-in style riding... 1/2 throttle from 3000 to 7000 RPM, then let off and slow down on engine braking to 3000, and repeat. I did that the whole way down and back up. I did it in every gear. I also hit 101 at one point.

What makes the torque so nice is how well it handles. It feels like it's a part of me. I was always fighting with the ER to make the thing lean over into a turn. It just didn't want to. It felt like understeer in a car. But the Z is totally neutral. It just does everything so precisely. I can zig zag through an S curve with precision. It'll lay over and stand back up as quickly or as slowly as you ask. The ER wanted you to follow its pace. The Z follows yours.

I'm looking forward to getting more miles on it so I can open it up more and more. I did manage to run most of the gas out of it and refilled it... I got a whopping 21 mpg. Not surprising given the way I was riding it. I'm sure once broken in, it'll be up into the mid 30's to hopefully mid 40's.

I absolutely LOVE this bike. I'm still in awe at just how much better it is than my ER.

Rob

 

[Mr Skidmarks]

What are your rpms at going 70 in 6th?

 

[RobG]

5000 RPM. 60 mph is 4200 RPM.

Rob

 

[desertrat67]

Time to change your profile pic.

 

[snuggles30]

I skipped buying a 650r/e6n when I checked on insurance, they consider the Z1000 a standard bike so it was less the $30 a month for $0 deductible insurance for me...

So for less than $100 a month I insure a 09 Mini Cooper S 00 Buick Park Ave and 10 Z1000 all with $0 deductible.... I have had more than my share of tickets, but none have gone on my record...

 

[shakebite]

Hey there Rob - good on ya then! Pls report back with more comparrison info when you get the chance to ride it..

Hard for me to imagine a bike that has such a strong motor but doesn't vibrate! The 2009 650r/Er-6n doesn't vibrate near as much as the pre-2007 650r though I know that - that bike buzzes hard all through the handlebars when 5-7k is reached on the tach....

I actually hope for a bike that wheelies easier - I like to pop little ones on the 650r, but to do that I have to ride it up to 5-6k in 1st, chop the throttle, then snap back on the throttle strongly - this gets the wheel up for sure but it feels hard to control - I'd like a bike that would just do a natural power wheelie in 1st or 2nd when throttle is applied strongly but smoothly - I don't like doing the throttle snap thing to get the wheel up..

I'm getting just over 40MPG on a run and i know what you mean re-wheelies!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBdKg9ObBUA

 

[RobG]

I've removed my ER-6n avatar until I can get a good pic of the Z.

Rob

 

[neviander]

Aw man, this is one of those threads that reawakens my lust for the Z1000. I started riding in late April of this year and got a KLR 650 as a starter bike, I love it, but I never take it off road and am constantly finding myself wanting more power.

As far as I know, there is still an orange and white Z up where I got my KLR and it beckons to me every time I'm in there. Honestly, before I started riding, bikes like the Z, or sport bikes in general, kinda scared me. Now that I have about 6600 miles of all sorts of riding under my belt I feel the Z NEEDS ME...or I need it, arg, maybe I think about it too much.

 

[Lumberjack]

Yup, I think that is the way I'm gonna rationalize this purchase - I don't need the Z, the Z needs me! Altruism, man, altruism...

 

[Lumberjack]

Hey Rob - how does the Z1000 feel weight-wise compared to the Er-6n when riding or at low speeds? I know it has a good 40lbs or so on the Er-6n but I hear it handles the weight well - does it feel heavier than the Er-6n overall?

Also, do you notice any difference in terms of the suspension, like when cornering over uneven/bumpy pavement? That's one thing I really don't like about the 650r - it rails around corners that have smooth pavement, but feels very unsure of itself when cornering over bumpy pavement..