Best to leave the braided hoses till the OE ones are on their way out.
If you have to replace em, best to fit something that will last forever ie braided ones.
 
 But in the meantime for road riding you get slightly better feel with rubber hoses, so no don't rush to replace em.
 

Are your brakes lacking?  Best thing you can do is clean the callipers, protect the pistons with red rubber grease, and bleed the brakes once or twice a year. 

 
 Huggers come down to personal taste.  I considered getting one when I got the K-Tech rear shock upgrade.  I asked the technician at K-Tech if he recommended the fitment of a hugger to protect the shock.  He said they offer no real protection for the shock and just make getting the wheel out and in harder.  So as I think they look pretty crap anyway, I didn't bother.
Mines a gen1 by the way.  Gel seat good, got one, heated grips, got those too.  I replaced the end can with something more fruity so it doesn't sound like a 1000cc sewing machine any more.  I love my hard luggage, great for carting stuff about.
It all depends what you want to do with your bike.
 

No worries then.

But seriously the only riding you should ever do with a screw or nail etc in the tyre is a very gentle limp home or to the bike shop.

You can usually tell when you grab hold em of whether it's right in or just a short tack.  A bit of gob on it, grab and wiggle, and if it's right in you'll get bubbles and maybe hear the hiss.  Then just leave it in (assuming it seals again OK) and limp very slowly home.  No bubbles just yank it out.

Another puncture I had was a 4inch screw.  It went right in the centre but must have been touching and moving about on the rim.  I was lucky I didn't come off.  It went down quite quick. 

I've called out the RAC about 3 times for punctures.  Good service.

Unfortunately my rear tyre has a small brass nail in it i'm unsure of the size so i've just left it in as theres no problems with leakage i don't see the point in fixing it as i'll be getting some new tyres soon.

What you are riding about with a nail in your tyre?

My policy if I find anything in my tyre, is to ride slow as foc till I get home or somewhere convenient to pull it out.  Then surprise surprise I pull it out.  If it's shallow tack and it hasn't punctured the tyre - well magic.  If the tyre goes down, well it's time for a proper repair or a new tyre.

Never ever ever ride about with a nail, screw, tack or whatever in your tyre.  If it works loose you then have a deflating tyre, or worse if it comes right out you can have instant total deflation. 

I once had my tyre punctured at speed on a dual carriageway, something punched a hole in it, it went down in seconds.  I probably only managed to stay on the bike as I was on a straight bit of road at the time, and lucky for me near an exit (so lucky again I didn't have to sit on the hard shoulder waiting for recovery).  The tyre was totally focced and looked like it was trying to work it's way off the rim.

Attend to debris in your tyres in a timely manner.

Nail in tyre, surely to god is a fail, and they should be advising you not to ride it.

Sounds like you are on the mend.
Get some good safety specs, you don't want that again!

OE shock;




OE shock upgraded to K-Tech spec;



Collector box is cast, I wouldn't worry about a bit of rust.  Pop the cover off (hopefully the previous owner has fitted stainless screws) and have a look.  Turn on the ignition and it should zero.  Fire up the bike and it should open a bit, twist the throttle and it'll open more.  If it zeros and moves, it's working.  But you'll be wanting to service it soon anyway I would think. 

Not difficult to service EXUP - guide here - http://www.cartestsoftware.com/fz1/exupmaintenance.html

Tyres should be fine I'd guess. 

Dunno about dog bones.

Off work having torn a tendon in my ankle last Friday.

Bored shitless. 

Going back in tomorrow, fed up with the sitting about.  Hopefully I've given it enougth rest.

Fortunately we have a physio that comes in every Thursday, so hopefully I'll get some good advice.  Just hope she doesn't tell me to go home and rest it more!

Are safety glasses not popular when playing squash?  Hope you make a full recovery snapper.  Ouch !

What is the "shock body"?

Is that not from the OE shock?

Hope you get it all sorted out Pitternator.

I had my gen1 rear shock upgraded to K-Tech spec.  What a difference!  Brilliant and it's still working fine years later.

I had hoped to do the front forks as well, but this stuff ain't cheap and so I haven't quite got round to it.

What I would say, is that if you have a gen1 thou with the OE shock complete with OE spring, is that unless you weigh only 8 or 9 stone (and any previous owners did too) is get the right spring fitted for your weight and get the seals overhauled and shock re-gassed.   The OE spring is a joke for the average UK rider.

VNA, what do you think the SNP would do about the tax on petrol?

 They have already introduced a 5p tax relief/subsidy to try and help the Islands.
Obviously under devolution, any Scottish Government has limited room for manoeuvre on this.
But certainly fuel prices, and as such fuel tax, can have a big impact on the economy.  Of course it doesn't help that our economy is so heavily dependent on fuel now.
One successful SNP policy, for example, was the RET experiment (road equivalent tariff) introduced on ferries between the mainland and the outer Hebrides.
 My understanding is that large increase in ferry traffic and resultant economic boost for the islands since the introduction of RET has more than made up for the extra subsidy provided for the ferries.  So RET stays in place.
So a reduction in fuel charges or fuel duty doesn't automatically equal a reduction in government income.
 
Of course Tory government policy is tax cuts for the rich, and then hope that that magically, that the rich being richer will mean everybody will be better off, or hang about a minute, do they give a foc anyway.

 Apparently the speculators have well over egged the price.   Demand has fallen sharply.   Crude prices are expected to take a sharp little drop.  Unleaded in turn should fall to at least a bargain basement 135p in 4-5 weeks (maybe - maybe not)

neither OE front sprocket on my 2 fazers had plastic inserts....so dont know where you have got this from ?

 See the photo above of my 1999 Fazer 600 sprocket.  That's the 600's OE sprocket.
 
 I bought the thou new in 2004, the sprocket had the same nylon/plastic insert thingy (might be a different colour).

I hate Hein Gerike in Glasgow.  I really really hate em.

They are ignorant arrogant twats, and look at you as if you are from another planet if you say (haggling) ask for a free tinted visor with your 420 quid Arai, or say as they pack the display model into the box "I'll be looking for at least a ton off and a free visor if you think you are fobbing me off with the display model!"

Then went I went back a weeks later for a spare side pod after breaking it and complained bitterly about the visor system (they told me it was the best on the market, better than Shoei and I'd love it) they told me "that's just your experiance" I almost lost it with them.

Never ever going in there again.  Umm expect when I next need a hat, just to try em on, find my size, and buy elsewhere. 

Might buy from them again, but absolutely only if the Glasgow shop comes under new and decent management.  Otherwise no, never.

Oh got leathers from Scott about three years ago, top of their range, made to measure and my spec for 500 quid (jacket and troosers).  Seriously thick leather, takes a good bit of breaking in, but great value.  All black, discreet logos, so I don't look like some power ranger twat when I'm oot on ma bike.