happy bd to me, happy bd to me, happy bd dear dean, happy bd

[dean owens]

well it's not my birthday....

as you know i have agonized over getting rid of my gl650 and getting a new bike. narrowed it down to an fz6 but then had to pick which one. well on friday (4/24/09) i drove 2.5 hours to pay for and pick up my new (2006 with 1300 miles) blue and black fz6. sadly i couldn't ride it that day. had to wait for the title to arrive on monday (4/27/09) and then meet up with the previous owner on tuesday (4/28/09) to get it signed over and get my tags. but by the time i got home i was too tired to ride. so yesterday (4/29/09) i got to take her out for a spin. went for a 2 hour/110 mile ride.

boy is the fz6 a different bike. the things i didn't like about the gl650 the fz6 does well. but the things i like about the gl650.... well.... not so well. but that's fine. there's never a perfect bike. for me right now, this is a great bike. it does what i need it to do. the only things i plan on doing right now is looking into a taller windshield for colder days, highway pegs for somewhere else to put my feet on longer trips, luggage and hand guards. i'm sure there will be other stuff along the way, but for right now i'm good.

and since no happy bikeday song is complete without pictures....



and my favorite. i have to keep her off of it. she climbs up on her own and starts acting like she's riding.


to those that took the time to help me out with this decision... thanks. i really do appreciate it.

[Brackstone]

Congrats! I've always been partial to blue

[RhadamYgg]

...
and my favorite. i have to keep her off of it. she climbs up on her own and starts acting like she's riding.

That has got to be the cutest picture. It is always nice to see a rider that has kids.

Congrats on the bike!

How old is your daughter? Looks a bit older than your avatar.

RhadamYgg

[Flipper]

Wow, beautiful bike Dean, congratulations. (beautiful kid too BTW).

I'm rather partial to naked standards and the fz6 is one of my favorites.
I would suggest some frame sliders (just in case) because that top fairing looks a bit vulnerable.

I'm curious as to what things you liked better about your gl650?

[dean owens]

Congrats! I've always been partial to blue

why thank ya. i haven't been, but it's growing on me.

[dean owens]

That has got to be the cutest picture. It is always nice to see a rider that has kids.

Congrats on the bike!

How old is your daughter? Looks a bit older than your avatar.

RhadamYgg

yeah, i'm a little partial to her. she makes everything better. except when she needs a nap. even then i wouldn't trade her in.

she was about 16 months old in the avatar. she's growing fast and will be 3 this june. so hard to believe. she's lived just about a 5th of her life needed to start driving. and a 6th of her life needed to graduate high school. it's passing by way too fast.

i need to update my avatar because her little sister will be 1 this june. it's just such a good picture.

[dean owens]

Wow, beautiful bike Dean, congratulations. (beautiful kid too BTW).

well thank you, and thank you.

I'm rather partial to naked standards and the fz6 is one of my favorites.

funny. when i started riding i pretty much just like cruisers. i specifically like bobbers. i still like cruisers. but about a year and a half ago i saw an fz6. for the first time i looked at a "sporty" bike and thought "that actually looks pretty good." i think it's the dual-undertail exhaust. most sport(y) bikes have those little pointy tails and just don't look good to me. but since liking the fz6, now i look at gixxer and think, "that actually looks pretty good."

i do dig naked standards a lot more. i think my favorites right now are the "retro" standards... bikes like the late 70's cb type bikes. especially the newer ones like this guzzi.

I would suggest some frame sliders (just in case) because that top fairing looks a bit vulnerable.

yeah, i've thought about that. it currently has this engine guard on it.

i'm keeping the engine guard because i'm going to put some highway pegs on it. but i have thought about doubling up with some sliders. we'll see. i need to do a little more research.

I'm curious as to what things you liked better about your gl650?

well, it's the things that make it a silverwing.
- it has air shocks and is heavy. so hitting a bump isn't that big of a deal. yesterday i hit a bump on the fz6 (that i didn't even see) and thought i was going airborne.
- the fz6 is much buzzier in the handlebars. and by much i mean that the gl650 didn't have any buzz in the bars. the fz6 on the other hand made my hands a little numb after my 2 hours of riding.
- the silverwing has a true standard seating position so i wasn't leaned over at all. also, i could put my feet on the passenger pegs (not happenin' on the fz6) and the highway pegs (hopefully happenin' on the fz6 in about a week).
- v-twin take off.

even so, i really like the fz6. because i could list all sorts of things i didn't like about the silverwing. there's no perfect bike. i think the fz6 is good for me right now. i wish i could keep both though. they have their pluses and minuses. sadly, that's not in the cards.