I keep this bike because it's unique looking. There weren't that many sold when you could buy a FJ1200 for about $500 more. It's relatively comfortable. And it has a unique engine architecture that is visible. I don't like it when the full fairings are in place, they just don't look right to me.

It has so many miles on it, I'm sure nobody really believes me when I tell them. Of course, most of the miles were accumulated when I rode about 100 miles everyday during the week, rain or shine or frost, and probably 200 miles a day on the weekends for the first 3 years of it's life for 9 months of the year. When I started at Yamaha Motor Corp. the bike had 118,000 miles approx. in 3 years of riding, it now shows over 178,000 miles, I've slowed down on the riding in my old age. It's been down 2 times, once by me and once by my brother, not that there hasn't been close calls mind you. I was even hit by a minivan in Milwaukee once but, didn't crash. Drag raced, road raced, toured and commuted on. Shown at and even won some bike shows. Not very much two up riding though, the wife hates it, too fast and not enough seating area. Plus the nitrous tank is under the back portion of the seat and that makes it UNCOMFORTABLE.

Now that the new FZ is out, I may consider going to this low mass approach of FZing.

We'll see.