Returning to the fold

[fzsmiffy7]

So in 2016 I made probably the worst mistake of my biking career which was to trade in my beloved 03 Fazer thou for a brand new MT09 Tracer having believed the advertising hype that these were the new Fazer. Well nothing in my opinion could have been further from the truth, I put it down to individual taste because I am aware that these bikes have a strong following but in short I hated it. I rode it for 3000 miles over a 3 month period because I wanted to give it a chance but I couldn't get on with it. Instead of cutting my losses and going straight back to a Fazer though I embarked on a merry go round of different bikes in search of the perfect replacement. In short I've decided there is no perfect replacement so last week I sold my Z1000sx and am now looking for a good Gen 1 FZS1000, I've seen quite a few advertised for top money, is this due to their popularity or a consequence of the lockdown. If anyone knows of a good reasonably priced bike I'd be grateful for a heads up, thanks lads

[Ripsnortingvtwin]

well welcome back there been a few on here but keep looking sure you find something

[fzsmiffy7]

Thanks mate I'm sure I will, I've been in contact with 3 dealers about their bikes over the last week but none of them have got back to me when I've asked about delivery, seems strange in these uncertain times that people don't seem too eager to sell their bikes.

[Ripsnortingvtwin]

looks this way all over i have to agree , post a photo of your new old one when you get it 

[coffee]

Don't fancy a gen 2 then?

[fzsmiffy7]

I'll definitely share photos when I get one. I think the Gen 2's are ok but I've heard a lot of bad things about them and they're supposed to be not as comfortable and not so good on fuel, I have looked at a couple though and to be fair my mate has one and he says it's the best bike he's ever had.

[b1k3rdude]

@fzsmiffy7, as you have both a FZS1 and a Tracer9, Can I ask what comparison and like or dislikes you have between the two bikes..?

[fzsmiffy7]

As a Yamaha lover I believe that a Gen 1 Fazer was probably the worlds greatest all rounder, they were as advertised, brilliant for touring,commuting and not bad for scratching too, loads of power and you could tinker with them to make them even better. One thing that never needed any tinkering though was the riding position and comfort they gave you, all day long ability. Fairly cheap mods to the suspension would get great results.
In my opinion the Tracer 9 which was advertised as the new Fazer never lived up to the hype and was probably such a big seller because of the relatively low price and 0% finance deals that Yamaha gave, I took advantage of such a deal myself.
The test ride was good with the three cylinder cross plane engine being really responsive and the chassis being quite flickable and the bike felt stable in the bends. Living with the bike though it became clear very quickly that this bike needed lots of work to make it anywhere near as good as a Fazer.
First thing I noticed was the vague feeling you get from the front end at speed, like it wanted to wash out all the time, then there was that seat, 30 to 40 miles was all it took to get really uncomfortable with numb bum syndrome, Yamaha offered a comfort gel seat at over 300 quid but I read reports that it was no better than standard, the rear suspension was far too hard and was jolting over bumps and the exhaust was a one piece job so an after market exhaust would set you back 1200 quid. The throttle response was far too aggressive with that on off feeling you get with so many modern bikes so rolling on the power out of corners was virtually impossible whichever power mode you had on.The build quality wasn't the usual Yamaha standard probably due to the knock down price of 8 grand. The fuel guage was a joke too. I realise that Yamaha have addressed the faults and made the Tracer into a much better motorcycle but that improvement will cost you over 10 grand now and there are lots of more capable bikes for that kind of money.
So really too many faults and niggles to get on with so I took a 2 grand hit and traded it for a Kawasaki sx thou which was a lot better all round bike but wasn't any where near as comfortable as a Fazer.
So here I am going back to where I feel most at home on a motorcycle, a Gen 1 FZS1000 in gleaming black with less than 17000 miles on the clock, it might all go horribly wrong, who knows but I'm willing to take the risk if I end up being a happy biker again.

[b1k3rdude]

• First thing I noticed was the vague feeling you get from the front end at speed, like it wanted to wash out all the time,
• then there was that seat, 30 to 40 miles was all it took to get really uncomfortable with numb bum syndrome,
• the rear suspension was far too hard and was jolting over bumps
• the exhaust was a one piece job so an after market exhaust would set you back 1200 quid.
• The throttle response was far too aggressive with that on off feeling you get with so many modern bikes so rolling on the power out of corners was virtually impossible whichever power mode you had on.
• The build quality wasn't the usual Yamaha standard probably due to the knock down price of 8 grand.
• The fuel guage was a joke too.
• Yamaha have addressed the faults with the Tracer
• Traded it for a Kawasaki sx thou which was a lot better all round bike but wasn't any where near as comfortable as a Fazer.

• Yeah I noticed that, and this was on a 2019 tracer 9 GT no less, so Yamaha haven't fixed that. So what is the fix for this?
• Arse! pardon the pun - is there no seat then for this bike that will mostly remedy that?
• hmm well got me the 900 GT I test rode didn't seem that hard, not as hard as my FZS1000 but not as plush as my GSF1250.
• I remember the dealer saying something about this I thought surely not, but then a quick search online confirms it.
• This can be tuned out via a ECU remap.
• No surprise there.
• How so..?
• Yeah but from what year and on..?
• Interesting, do you still have the Z1000SX..? and did you do anything with the seat on that..?

[fzsmiffy7]

My local dealer said that all the faults I'd listed were improved by the addition of the GT model but I couldn't care less by then so I didn't research that but by the sounds of it they didn't.
How much would ECU remapping cost? I reckon too much to justify putting right what Yamaha should be doing themselves, couple that with the cost of an exhaust and around £300 for a comfy seat you might as well buy a Versys or something.
On the subject of the fuel guage,it would show full for around 100 miles then it'd drop to half and 20 miles later would be flashing reserve at you for probably at least 80 miles so not the most accurate.
I started on a 2015 SX which was pretty good after I put a Sargent seat on it, I upgraded to a 2016 model with the better headlights and roomy panniers. After a brief spell on a BMW R1200rs which I don't want to talk about I returned to a 2017 SX performance edition with panniers,I kept the Sargent seat and put it on each model I got but curiously it had less effect on the comfort of the later bikes. Also each bike had a fault on 4th gear when you shut off the revs don't drop, didn't feel dangerous,just annoying. The dealers said they hadn't had anyone else complain about it so it was probably just the way I ride which I replied was a load of bollocks. I've since read that it is a major fault with the throttle sensors which should have been recalled by Kawasaki but wasn't so I'll think twice before ever buying another Kawasaki.

[b1k3rdude]

So Tracer, ECU needs remap, Suspension needs to be setup and tank range is BAD!!!!. And the SX, that sounds a lot like it could be fixed with an ECU remap. I would have to check with a tuner to be sure. And regarding the sensor, has the part number been superseded? manufactures have a track record of doing that. And lastly on the subject of 4th gear on the SX, complaints about 4th gear are all over the web but - all this time I thought it was a mechanical issue, not a fueling/ignition issue.

[Gnasher]

A lot of new model injected bikes suffer, throttle response issues and it's likely to get worse due to emissions standards  Euro 1 -6 etc.  Cars get around it by being bigger and it's easier to add other sensors, boxes of electronics, bigger exhausts, etc and they tend to be somewhat slower. 

Most can be cured by simple resistors which fool the ECU into thinking the bike is running colder than is really is (richer fuel mixture) which is what many plug in devices (Boosterplug etc) do and charge you a small fortune for what really cost a few quid.  I've got a customer who had issues with his SX, over come by plug in, just another fuelling issue. I've not heard of the throttle sensor issue (sounds US to me and law suit mongering) I can't see it being that either, as far as I'm aware and since the Honda fly by wire throttle (Fire Blades) dramas, they now fail to safe, i.e. any problem with self diagnostics and they just don't work, but it's possible even if very small. 

But I could well be wrong.

Long and the short you can't beat the FZS 600/1000 package is a real winner.

 


 

[b1k3rdude]

Long and the short you can't beat the FZS 600/1000 package is a real winner.

Agreed, just wish there was an FZS1000 with ABS and Id be sorted.

[VNA - BMW Wank]

So Tracer, ECU needs remap, Suspension needs to be properly and tank range is BAD!!!!.

In fairness I'd say an FZS1000 needs a jet kit (Ivans) and a rear shock.  Plus you need to get rid of the AIS so you can get at the spark plugs.

After a brief spell on a BMW R1200rs which I don't want to talk about

Curious - what went wrong there?  I'm now riding an R1250R (after 16 years with my trusty FZS1000) - which incidently is my first bike with fly by wire, fuel injection, ABS and traction control and a few other bits and bobs.  Oh I love the cruise control - and having proper built in heated grips.  So far so good, I'm happy with and enjoying my purchase.

The fuel injection is a touch off/on when closing and opening the throttle - like approaching but then not stopping for a junction - but I no longer notice it.  In terms of fuelling the bike is standard apart from a road legal SC Porject can (I couldn't stand the look of the OE dustbin) and I can't fault it.  I will not be de-catting it or re-mapping it.

A few niggles - the self-cancelling indicators do just that - they keep cancelling when you don't want them to.  Plus they go onto hazard warning if you brake heavily - which I think is annoying.  The side stand is too long - I have to be careful when parking.  I noticed I can easily catch the gear lever when going for the side stand - ops - no harm done, but now I pull the clutch every time.

I'm happy, I'm just hoping the boxer, now it has been comprehensively reworked and now water/air cooled is reliable - but I've got my 3 year warranty.

It looks like it may be heavy on rear tyres.

[b1k3rdude]

But out of the box, the FZS1000 is a better bike compared to a Tracer.

[Trebus]

I’ve ridden a Tracer and it was good in my opinion. Loads of leg room compared with the Fzs1000 but agreed that the seat isn’t great (had comfort seat too)

The Tracer feels much lighter and has enough go in it for most riders I think, not tried with pillion though.

Saw some grumbling about the front forks, these seemed fine to me as standard and better than the FZS1000 with linear springs. Rear shock is a bit poor, I believe a Kawasaki ZXR shock of some kind is the equivalent of the Fazer R6 mod.

[fzsmiffy7]

Lots of interesting comments which show that it's a case of individual preference for any bike, most people I guess will overlook some minor niggles because the best points of any bikes are what we focus on for our enjoyment. I don't say that any bike I've owned has been a really bad bike, more likely that the niggles have tempered the enjoyment of the good stuff. I acknowledge that the Fazer is not a perfect bike in the real world but in my world it is perfect for me, and that's all that really matters isn't it guys.