NathFZ1 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Hi guys, I'm sure this topic has been debated over and over. Opinion is split from what I can see on the Internet. I'm thinking of buying a Yamaha FZ1 as a first bike. This was actually recommended to me by my instructor as he said that I should buy a bike that I can grow into. Not one that I'm going to have to sell after 1 year. I was like he's crazy there's no way that I should get an 1000cc bike as my first bike. The thing is I'm learning on a Suzuki Gladius 650 at the moment and am fully comfortable with that. I don't want to get too cocky but I'd be happy to get on most if not any 650 or 750. Many older bikers who I've spoken to have said to start on something smaller but thats because it was so much easier to get a licence when they learned (apparently you could ride a 50 or 125 and then have a fully unrestricted licence). Would welcome any thoughts on getting an 1000cc as a first bike? Is that too much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullscreenaging Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 In my opinion it’s not too much. it will only go as fast as you make it go. The difference between a 600 and a 1000 is not massive. Especially for the bike that you’ve mentioned. It’ll have more torque and and be less buzzy than 600 and in that respect can be a better ride. I say go for it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Have a ride on one its the only way to find out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 You can do yourself just as much damage on a 600 as a 1000. I ride a 500 and a 1200. Frankly I think the 1200 is safer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonio Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 I'd agree. A fazer thousand isn't a crazy beast. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NathFZ1 Posted August 20, 2021 Author Share Posted August 20, 2021 Thanks a lot guys. I failed my Mod 2 yesterday so have to wait at a month until the resit. If I had been learning on a 250 then a jump to a 1000 would be too much but from what I can see comparing the Gladius and FZ1 (in terms of seat height and weight) there's not a great deal of difference. I'm going to have a look at an FZ1 tomorrow and the seller is retired, doesn't drive it in the rain, is always kept in the garage, it has low mileage and looks in a good nick from what I can see so far so it seems a perfect fit. Can't ride it yet which is frustrating as I don't have my licence yet but he said he'll take me pillion. I can see what my instructor is saying because if I had a Gladius, I think I would honestly want to sell it after 6 months even when on my 1-2-1s with him my back starts to ache after an hour of riding. Opinion is so split on the internet (but it is mostly from America where I think they might learn on much lower cc bikes). Some people are saying go for it and others are saying completely the opposite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Frog Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 I agree with the replies you have already had and you are definately not crazy to consider the Fazer 1000 as it is a very practical machine that does a lot of things well. Please do the research into insurance costs though as this may influence the choices available to you. Cheers Ian 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxie49 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 You're certainly not mad mate, FZ1 is a good bike, and a great all rounder. I would take on board what Ian said though about insurance, well worth looking into before you go ahead and decide to buy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Westerly Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 1 hour ago, NathFZ1 said: Opinion is so split on the internet (but it is mostly from America where I think they might learn on much lower cc bikes). Some people are saying go for it and others are saying completely the opposite! A lot of stuff about bikes from the US is pure shite from the British perspective. Google what they have to do to be let loose on the highway riding a bike and it's not much more onerous than our CBT. Probably why there's so much stuff about starting small and working up. There's stuff even on this forum with riders moaning about having bought a starter bike being bored with it in a couple of months. Not saying you should go straight into a Panigale or R1 but a large bike per se is not a bad thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xMachina Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 I went from a 125 to a 1200, at the end of the day the fact you are asking the question means you at least have the right idea and understand it needs to be respected. Interestingly, there was only £20 difference in the insurance between the 600 and 1200 when I passed. The only positive I can see to starting out on smaller bikes is they tend to be lighter so if you do drop it its easier to get it back up, other than that there's nothing that can't be learned on a bigger CC bike compared to a smaller one. I'm personally a quite slow, lazy rider so bigger CC with most of the grunt lower down suits me perfectly as I'm not constantly up and down the box. There's also a lot more fun to be had before the speeds get questionable. I'm firmly of the belief that if you are the kind of person to go nuts on a bike the engine size has very little to do with the likely outcome, so go try one out and see how you like. I've just bought a GSX1250FA and (Suzuki fanboy alert) I'm really liking it, if you can give that a try too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackholesun Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Bikes don't really seem to lose value from what I've seen so even if you did buy a lower cc bike I guess you won't lose money on it What did you fail on ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NathFZ1 Posted August 20, 2021 Author Share Posted August 20, 2021 The insurance isn't actually that bad but its completely unaffordable if I do fully comp so gonna have to go third party fire and theft to build up my no claims. @xMachina so I've looked at the weight differences between the two and the FZ1 is 30kg heavier than the Gladius when wet and the seat height is only half a cm higher than the Gladius. Funny enough the first time I ever got on a 650 the weight of it fell on top of me when I stopped at a junction. I stopped, the weight of the bike went to the left and I couldn't hold it up and and I fell over, it fell on top of me and my leg got trapped underneath. I'm def gonna try the FZ1 once I've got my licence but the advice from bikers on here has helped alot. @Blackholesun I was turning right at a rounfabout and so going into the right hand lane when exiting and didn't do a left shoulder check for traffic approaching from the left. Also froze at a mini roundabout when I was turning right. The traffic on the other side was going straight and was waiting for me to go but I was waiting for them to go. Gave me a serious for undue hesitation. The instructor had to tell me that I had priority and I could go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Frog Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 I think you may well be surprised at the cost of third party insurance. In my experience (3 bikes 2 cars ) TPF&T is more expensive than fully comp. Cheers Ian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 16 minutes ago, Ian Frog said: I think you may well be surprised at the cost of third party insurance. In my experience (3 bikes 2 cars ) TPF&T is more expensive than fully comp. Cheers Ian That's my experience as well. Fully comp is often cheaper than TPF&T. Sounds counter intuitive but insurance is based on statistics and fully comp owners tend to have less claims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NathFZ1 Posted August 20, 2021 Author Share Posted August 20, 2021 So at the moment I'm getting quoted an annual cost of £1100 for TPF&T and £2200 for fully comp (both MCE)!! MCE are the only provider that I can get insurance from on the comparison sites. I've got 6 points for speeding but these weren't crazy speeds they were 20mph cameras that sprung up out of nowhere (still speeding but the first time I was going to 24 and the second time 27). I would go 3rd party only but not confident of my bike not being nicked as I am in London and motorcycle theft is really high here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynax Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 You will be far better speaking to them, comparison sites just give very general quotes, and as you are a member on here try Bikesure use the link for the number and get some discount 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Frog Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Wow those quotes are fruity. None of my business but please make sure you talk to a person at a broker or insurance company rather than take the word of a meerkat or operatic tenor, you might get a slightly more realistic quote. Again none of my business but if you are in the cess pit we call a capital city (I was born there so I am qualified to make that statement) unless you are lucky enough to escape regularly I would question the choice of a litre bike. Back in the day when I was despatching the quickest things overall in London were 250`s or 500`s. It is totally your choice. By the way in 79 when I passed within an hour I was off on a Z650 which was quite hot poop for the time so I am in no way critisising your choice. Cheers Ian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 20 mph cameras! Seriously, that's bonkers. The 20mph zones are local authority rather than national highways. Cheeky buggers. Totally agree with what's been said about going direct to proper insurers rather than online jokers. My experience of Bikesure has been excellent. I don't know anything about London other than I was once offered a job there and took all of 0.5 seconds to decline it. Just not my cup of tea. My nephews love it. But they are young and foolish. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianco2564 Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 I knew I needed a bigger bike when I could ride my 600 Diversion around at full throttle without feeling overwhelmed by it. If you can ride the Gladius like this id agree you could cope with a bigger bike, maybe not an FZ1 as that's basically a naked R1 with 150hp against the Gladius 70hp but maybe a 750. You own comments show you don't seem comfortable with the idea of a 1000cc and the last thing you need is to be intimidated by your bike. And as said do you really need a litre bike in London, I'd prefer something smaller and more agile. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonio Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 My 1200 was astonishingly useless in London - the delivery guys on scoots all would run rings round me while I was stuck looking balefully at a 3 foot wide gap between the traffic. In contrast, riding the DRZ in town is truly awesome: it accelerates like a beast, it's loud, it's got wide bars for nipping around cars and it's as thin as a wafer-thin wafer. Depends a lot what you're going to be using it for. If it's mainly for London commuting, you might consider something like a supermoto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pie man Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 I've never ridden a motorcycle in that there Londinium, nor do I ever want too, with so much congestion and the eyewatering insurance you've been quoted I would think again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NathFZ1 Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 Had a look today. Was too much of a beaut to turn down. Have only gone and bought my first bike 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 12 minutes ago, NathFZ1 said: Had a look today. Was too much of a beaut to turn down. Have only gone and bought my first bike Pics pics pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six30 Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 pics or it didn't happen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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