Buying an FZS600 - help please!

[spoodzilla]

Hi,


Looking at a bike tomorrow, Y reg, 42k, not much history. Looks in good condition from photos, seller has taken the front fairing off to give it a naked look but fairing is part of the sale. Last MOT has a few advisories, exhaust leak, front pads low, splitlink chain. Not sure if these have all been solved.


I know to check the downpipes, and the 1-2 clunk/ slipping out of 2nd, anything else I should worry about?


Asking price is £1100, does this sound reasonable?


Bike will be my day to day commuter and for playtime at the weekend 😁

[Arfa]

Ask yourself why they really removed the fairing? Was is dropped? Or was it really someone wanting a custom look? Check fairing, headlight cluster, wiring loom, mirrors, main square bracket and two side brackets are included, if you want to convert it back. Check the mounts on the frame haven'tbeen ground off too, to give a 'cleaner cafe racer look bro'.
Check past MOT advisories have been sorted. If not, it gives you a clue the seller hasn't maintained it well, or just bodged things to make do. If so, you'll keep uncovering more crap that'll cause you grief in the future.
Other things to check:Front sprocket nut, check if the recall fatter nut has been fitted, or at least the original nut hasn't come off in past and it's since been bodged. It's common to find it's been welded on (which might explain why the chain not being sorted out...)
Check back brake is not seized and is good. It needs regularly cleaning and TLC or it can catch all the road crap and seize up. Many swap on a blue spot FZS1000 rear brake in such cases.

Sounds like downpipe will need replacing, not a show stopper though. £200 should get you a set of stainless pipes. But fitting can be a bitch if the header bolts snap - so check if they look like a mess of corrosion.
Check condition of all water hoses, if any cracked/brittle - there's no good source of silicone replacements.Check if still original rubber brake hose - if so they'll need replacing at this age, but that's a cheapish job (~£60 parts + ~2hrs labour)
Rear shock could be due refresh if still original (red one). If not hugger fitted, check if its all crudded up and corroded down there.
Check other usual suspects, no oil on forks, check oil colour in window, check brake pads replaced, age of tyres, rust in tank, any random crash damage etc.

Either way, be fussy, if it all smells like a bodge-fest, just walk away, there's plenty of Fazer's about to choose from.

[Gnasher]

Walk away £1100 is higher end for that year of bike and it's not standard.  It's going to cost you to correct the firing and possible other issues if they haven't been and there's possible crash damage.  Pads, split link chain (it shouldn't have one) exhaust add that lot it's £400 ish add in labour if you can't do it yourself, plus it's clearly not well cared for, so who knows what else and a service, you're getting close to £1000ish.


Add some of the money or all of it to the buying price (if you can) and look for a better one they're many out there £1800ish will get you a really good one.  One you pay for, turn the key and ride 


If you really are on a tight budget and you can't wait, knock off at least £500.  This is very common, people trying to sell bikes for silly money that need more than the asking price to put them right, as said my advice walk away. 

[fazersharp]

I ony know of one person on this forum in the past 18 years that has said that they were "thinking" of removing the fairing for a naked look. Dont know if they did it or not but at the time I thought it was an odd thing to do, each to their own and all that but I would sy that 99.9% of fazers with no fairing naked look are done because of crash damage. Maybe the fairing they have is not the one that was on the bike, does it have the decals ?My exhaust has a few holes in the colector box that for the last 2 years I have got away with filling.
The caliper blue spot exchange refers to the rear.

I would say find another one.

[darrsi]

Worst time ever to buy a bike, just approaching summer, so prices will be higher than normal.


Sounds ropey to me by the way, I wouldn't touch it.

[BBROWN1664]

1-2 clunk is often chain tension not set correctly (25-35mm)
Split link chain tells me it was/is owned by a bodger doing work on the cheap and/or not knowing what they are really doing
Street fightered tells me its been crashed unless theres no other evidence to show that. If he is supplying the fairing, what about all the brackets/lights/fill panes etc?
£1100 what you would pay for a good original condition bike with that mileage and age. If you really like the bike and its not been crashed, pay no more than £850-900 top, possibly more like £750 as you will need to spend £250+ on pipes and end can, £100+ on a new chain and sprockets. Those prices assume you can fit them yourself, add another £100+ if you cannot.

[Paul]

Bought my Fazer new in 2001.  Took the fairing off shortly after, it's now clocked 104,000 miles. 
Personally I think they look better without the fairing.


I think £1100 is a bit on the high side given the mileage.

[BMCfaz]

You'll probably have looked at the bike by now and made your decision, but, having looked at 600 Fazers on the market recently, the price looks to be pretty average. They seem to be anything from £900 to £2800, with dealers mainly asking over £2000.


If the fairing has been removed and tidied up properly at least you should have a headlight that does what it's supposed to do.



Only you can decide whether the bike is worth it when you've seen it and factored in the work that needs doing. You won't regret buying a decent FZS600!