My new Liquid Silver 03 R6

[mszilves]

Well guys, as some of you know, last week some kid decided to pull in front of me and do a u-turn, basically totalling the front end of my precious FZR. See here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4486&start=0

I have been debating for some time now buying something newer, but could not justify a purchase as there was absolutely nothing wrong with the FZR, in fact, it kept up with most of the newer machines. Well on Friday, with cash in hand, I went and picked up my new baby. This one was just way too good of a deal to resist.

The good: 03 R6, 15K km (9000 miles), original owner, barely ridden, never abused and not a scratch on it! (pics speak for themselves) In fact, it looks like it just came off the showroom floor. Has all maintenance history, no previous claims, and runs like a dream.

The bad: NOTHING! It's immaculate!

The price: $5 bills, which for some of you guys in the states is probably an ok deal, up here, it's a steal! Insurance co said book value is $6500, and that's what most here are going for, and in alot worse condition with more miles. The guy was moving away, and wanted to get rid of it quickly.

I couldn't be happier! So yesterday I took her out for her first ride, and ended up putting 300 miles on it. Can't believe how smooth it is. I was worried that the power would not be very street friendly, with it all at the top, but it pulls well all the way through, and the tranny is alot smoother than the FZR which is great for the city. All in all, I couldn't be happier. My wrist and right side was sore before the ride due to the accident, but I couldn't resist.

Here's some pics today after an oil change, but I'll get some good ones once I have some more time. I'm also planning the mods out already!

And as far as the FZR goes, I'm going to buy it back from the insurance co., slowly rebuild her, and either keep her as a track bike, or sell her, not sure yet. But with the work and her condition, shame to let it go to scrap. More to come...

[PIMPMYFZR]

Wow now thats what i call an upgrade ... Sorry to hear about your mishap .. Glad to see your doing Much Much better and with a better replacment .. Now i'm sure all those thoughts of the man hours and work will be washed out when riding this bad boy ,, she sure is purdy and KLEAN .. the kids seem to like it also .. Congrats ..

[delvryboy]

I think I'm in love.

[Fizzinatorr]

Congratulations! Beautiful bike! That P/O sure kept it clean

And cheers for getting back on 2 wheels so quickly ENJOY IT!

[sweekster]

Didn't waste any time, huh? I don't blame ya. Bike looks good. Congrats on the purchase.

[haunter]

very hot

[ragedigital]

I wanted to get an R6, but they're extremely overpriced here in the states as well.

And what happened with the front turn signals? Did the PO put those on crooked?

darrin

[mszilves]

I wanted to get an R6, but they're extremely overpriced here in the states as well.

And what happened with the front turn signals? Did the PO put those on crooked?

darrin

Yeah, they're actually not well suited to the bike... replacing those is one the list.

[mikev]

I like it!

(I'll take your YZF swinger/wheel/brake setup if you decide to sell off the FZR!)

[_Will_]

wow that's clean, glad your're happy with it

kinda a jinx taking pictures of it with an oil pan under it

[haro504]

nice bike i bet you think its better than mine huh! cause i do! wait? now i want a newer one look what you did.

[mszilves]

Beautiful bike!!!!! You need to flush your brake fluid!

Thanks Mark! You know, as terrible as getting in an accident can be, I never would've known how much fun a new bike could be. I've put 900km on it over the weekend, and honestly just don't want to get off it, even being sore. It is a dream to ride: super smooth, tons of power, handles amazing, looks good (though I'm still partial to the look of my FZR) and is just overall an awesome bike!

But in a lot of ways I still miss the FZR. I haven't heard back from the insurance company yet, but I certainly plan on buying back the FZR and restoring her.

And , I know, I need to flush my fluid. Apparently people have said that there is red brake fluid out there, though all I've ever seen is the yellow/clear stuff, even DOT 4. I'm just waiting on the stainless lines before I flush the system.

[tommyj27]

Congrats on the purchase. That's a really sharp looking bike, especially compared to some of the fugly-looking late model R6. I got a lot of saddle time on my Bro's '05 in July (yours is in way better shape). Compared to to my 600rr it seemed more comfortable, but seemed to want to over-steer at low speed. Both were partly due to him having lowered the bike. One thing I did notice was that the transmission still seems clunky; more like my fizz than the Honduh. I was really surprised how comfortable the bike was over distance. We went from NC to MN in 2 days, switching between bike and car every fuel stop. I would have been squirming all over my bike trying to rest my arse, but his was great.

[mszilves]

Congrats on the purchase. That's a really sharp looking bike, especially compared to some of the fugly-looking late model R6. I got a lot of saddle time on my Bro's '05 in July (yours is in way better shape). Compared to to my 600rr it seemed more comfortable, but seemed to want to over-steer at low speed. Both were partly due to him having lowered the bike. One thing I did notice was that the transmission still seems clunky; more like my fizz than the Honduh. I was really surprised how comfortable the bike was over distance. We went from NC to MN in 2 days, switching between bike and car every fuel stop. I would have been squirming all over my bike trying to rest my arse, but his was great.

I actually noticed similar characteristics on mine. It was definitely more comfortable than I had expected, especially over a couple 500km days. The riding position is different than the FZR certainly, but I actually find it more comfortable. Since the rearsets are higher, and the bars lower but closer to you, it took a bit getting used to, but overall I find it a more natural position than the FZR. You're right about the gearbox, pretty "clunky", relatively speaking, especially from 1st to 2nd, I was expecting it to be much smoother, but such is a Yamaha I guess. I was hoping they would've fixed that. And also the next gens got a slipper clutch which would be nice too... I wonder if that can be retrofitted? I also find it wants to oversteer a little at low speed, I think partly due to the 60 series front versus the 70 on the '05 and up. Once my front tire wears out, I'll put a 70 on it. Not sure exactly the benefits of the 70, but most people say to go with it. Did your brother's bike have the USD forks? I heard they changed over to those sometime in the '05 production year. That would be nice, but in the condition I got this bike in, I'm not going to be greedy. And besides, performance wise, I doubt anyone less than a moto-gp rider would be hard pressed to tell a difference in handling.

Sadly, the R6 forums are pretty much useless. Seems like a bunch of kids arguing over which color bike is better or faster. There is some info on there, but it's sparse and hard to find. I'm not leaving this forum anytime soon.

I'm finalizing the payout with my insurance company, and will be buying the FZR back to fix her back up again. She will live on! Maybe even better than before! As advanced as the R6 is, I miss the FZR in a lot of ways. Mostly because the R6 feels so light and wants to lean so much, I'm always afraid it's gonna slip out... but I'm sure as time goes on, it's just a matter of getting used to a new bike.

[mszilves]

It is a dream b ride compared to the FZR. I love to ride longer periods of time now. Much smoother and more comfortable in my opinion. Although the 96 Gixxer 1000 I rode for a week I would like to have back.

Looks like you got her all painted up! Looks great in all black! I'm actually thinking of painting my middle side fairings silver, to give it a more full-fairing look, but not quite sure yet. Still not quite sold on the silver/black/silver scheme.

I agree. Longer rides are alot more comfortable. Actually what surprised me was my buddy's '06 ZX6R (636). We traded a bit on a ride, and that is one comfortable bike to ride! I was shocked. It is an "angry", rough bike though compared to the R6, which almost feels like a Honda a bit, except for the clunky gearbox.