Date: 28-03-24  Time: 20:20 pm

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Messages - ChristoT

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1
FZS600 Fazer / Re: Project Fazer: The build thread
« on: 28 August 2023, 09:42:26 pm »
Thanks both!
Amazing work man, im only restoring my 98 and i cant imagine the amount of stress and work going into basically creating your own bike. fair play and I know you'll see it through to the end  :thumbup :thumbup

Basher, I've been keeping half an eye on your build thread - coming together nicely! Rotten luck with the heads though.



Your perseverance and vision are truly a credit to you. To have seen your project through over such a long timescale and despite the trials and tribulations of life, is amazing.
Thanks for sharing, and the very best of luck with the fine tuning over the coming winter. It’s all downhill now,
 :) :thumbup :thumbup
Thanks Robbo! Been a long time coming. Time to enjoy it!

2
FZS600 Fazer / Re: Project Fazer: The build thread
« on: 31 July 2023, 08:18:11 pm »
Thanks both! I know it's not completely finished, but bugger me is it ever getting close! As for perseverance - another word for that is pig headed  :rollin But I'm really happy with how it turned out. And it gets better every time I ride it!  :D

3
FZS600 Fazer / Re: Project Fazer: The build thread
« on: 30 July 2023, 10:51:17 pm »

The spec list - for now:
- 1999 FZS600 frame and engine
- 1999 R1 USD forks and wheel, modified to take FZS600 speedo drive
- Standard blue spot front callipers, braided lines
- One-off clip on bars, 2001 FZS600 switchgear
- Standard FZS600 front fairing, HID headlights
- SFS Silicone coolant hoses
- K&N air filter, standard airbox
- Yuasa YTZ10S battery
- OE lower engine bars
- Pyramid Plastics belly pan
- Full stainless exhaust system, 4-1-2 header & link pipe
- Twin underseat Pipe Werx carbon silencers (2009 R1)
- Ducati 748 Biposto rear subframe
- Ducati 916 Biposto tail plastics - heavily modified
- Custom rider’s seat base
- Ducati 916 pillion seat
- Ducati 748 pillion pegs w/ carbon heel plates
- One-off custom tail lights (custom PCB, 3D printed enclosure)
- Mini indicators all around
- 2007 R1 tail tidy
- VFR750 single sided swingarm, suspension pickup points widened to use FZS600 shock & linkage
- eBay special rear hugger
- VFR750 rear brake calliper, braided line, eBay special reservoir
- Hagon rear shock w/ jack up kit dogbones
- Extended centre stand
- Michelin Pilot Power 2CTs


4
FZS600 Fazer / Re: Project Fazer: The build thread
« on: 30 July 2023, 10:43:55 pm »
Project LazaFZS. AKA the project that wouldn’t die!

Strap in kids, this is going to be a long one.

The project so far: in Feb 2014 I was a fresh-faced 20yr old, and I was off motorcycles having written my last Fazer 600 off in Sept 2013. The replacement bike, a Kawasaki ZX-4, had blown its engine up in spectacular form in December on my way back from France for Christmas. My parents, deciding enough was enough, banned me from getting another bike, and blackmailed me to ensure that I complied. This was a terrible blow to me: not only did my whole friendship network revolve around bikes, I had turned riding into an outlet, a coping mechanism, for any shit in my life. With no coping mechanisms available to me, I was really, really miserable, and desperate to get back on two wheels. I therefore bought another Fazer 600 with £250 that I’d managed to scrape together. Despite it being in pieces (I was handed a jam jar containing the buckets and shims for the head!), I decided to have a stab at a concept build I had been playing around with in my mind. See the previous posts in this thread for details.

Despite my grand plans, I had decided in late 2014 to put the project on hold for a few years and to put the bike back to stock. I had run out of money and time, and was desperate to get a bike, any bike, back on the road. I sold most of the non-standard parts I had: the VFR swingarm, the wheel, the bodywork to help pay to get what I had back on the road.
Back to stock
Back to stock


In February of 2016, I eventually succeeded! It was back to standard (mostly), and I was on 2 wheels again. It had taken a hell of a lot of time (and a hell of a lot of patience from Mark [Deefer666] putting up with me!!), but it worked and ran pretty well. Wouldn’t last long though: in July that same year, while pushing hard around a roundabout, I discovered that it is indeed possible to ride off the edge of the rear tyre. At 70mph. My knee down was followed by my everything else down, and we all met the kerb head first, probably still doing about 40mph. End result, a lovely concussion and a very bent bike.


Knob.

To this day, I have no recollection of how I got the bike home, and no idea how the hell it made it: the bike went in tail first and the swingarm had been knocked offset by about an inch. There was also a 2in chunk of alloy missing from the rear wheel, and the bead was visible (still held pressure for 6 months!). The engine mercifully survived, thanks solely to the engine bars I had fitted. My first memory after picking myself up off the road was standing in my front room going “hang on, where’s the bike?” and having to go to the garage to check if it was there. Concussion does weird things to your memory, and that was a rather surreal 24 hrs - including the bit where I thought it was a good idea to drive myself to A&E - which I then did. Thankfully not on the bike.

The project was back on.

I had been keeping an eye open for parts, and slowly accumulating them - after all, the project was on hold, not completely dead. In April 2016, I had managed to get my mitts on a complete VFR750 rear end: wheel, calliper, suspension, the lot! Then in May, I managed to buy some almost new carbon exhausts for a 2009 R1 for a song. I managed to buy a set of R1 forks in April with a front wheel following in September. I asked a firm in Derby to modify the rear shock mount on the frame of the bike as the single sided swingarm’s shock isn’t central. This was duly done. Badly. I got a toolmaker to press the Fazer’s steering stem into the R1 lower yoke, and got a local friend of mine to help me make some spacers for the swingarm. It was starting to come together mechanically! 
USD & SSSA
USD & SSSA



On a completely unrelated note: in January 2017, my girlfriend dumped me, 2 days before I flew to the Netherlands for my grandmother’s funeral. Three months later, I moved from Derby to Leighton Buzzard and in August that same year I met Katy.

Somewhere along the way I had managed to lay my hands on a Ducati 748 biposto rear fairing and pillion seat. With Mark’s help, we started to modify it to fit the Fazer subframe. I had decided early on I didn’t want to reuse the Ducati tail lights, and we managed to find a set of lenses that fit the shape rather nicely. But seeing as the lightbox behind them was too big, I took on the task of designing and making my own PCBs and my own custom tail lights. Gen 1 was a learning experience, but would ultimately not be used as they were not fit for purpose.
Gen 1 PCB
Gen 1 PCB


After many weeks of swearing at it, Mark convinced me in 2018 that it would be far easier to buy a Ducati subframe and use that rather than trying to butcher the Italian plastics to fit the uncooperative Japanese subframe: a case of close enough to look like it might work, but not close enough to actually do so without an inordinate amount of work. By 2019, I had finally got organised enough to arrange for the old subframe to be cut off and the new one welded on. It fit the bike surprisingly well! 
Welded subframe
Welded subframe


Katy had been very supportive of me getting back into bikes, and while she joked that she thought the Fazer didn’t actually exist, she humoured me rambling on about the project. In late 2019, she even braved going on the back of my recently acquired FJ1200 - the bike itch still needed scratching! - and decided she really rather enjoyed it! I therefore had to buy some  Ducati 748 pillion pegs in 2020 so she could continue to ride with me once the project was done. The FJ being a bit of a dog, it was sold a few months later to help with a downpayment on a house... which came with a garage!! But because I clearly can’t help myself, the FJ was replaced with another wreck of a Fazer, which was rebuilt and which I have been riding since I got it running again in November 2021. This bike would go on to be cannibalised to help get the project back on the road.
FJ goes woof
FJ goes woof

Another completely unrelated note: Katy proved she was actually insane in July 2022 when she said “I do” and married me. My best man, Richard, was a friend I had made at University through our mutual love of motorbikes back in 2012 when we were both still on 125s.
Christo & Katy
Christo & Katy

The start of 2023 brought with it a renewed enthusiasm to get the bike finished - in no small part thanks to a private track day in France I was invited to by some friends. As a result, the bike was relocated from Mark's unit to Stotfold Engineers, run by Terry Ives in Biggleswade. Terry is an absolutely fantastic machinist, a proper old school engineer, and can fabricate most things asked of him out of metal - a skill I’ve definitely put to the test. Here we started work at a furious pace. Starting with the rear suspension: ever since 2016 the shock was held in position by a calculated stack of washers - not good enough. Terry reinforced the widened upper and lower shock mounts and made the correct size spacers. He also had to extend the suspension pickup points on the swingarm: the VFR carries its dogbones fairly close together, the Fazer's sit relatively wide. He did a beautiful job considering he was welding 30yr old cast aluminium with God knows how many contaminants in it! We also replaced all the suspension bearings in the bike (excluding the engine), and modified the left side of the wheel and the left fork stanchion to accept the Fazer speedo drive. A word of advice: don't do this, it’s a pig of a job. Terry did manage to get it to work eventually, but the net result is that there isn’t a single unmodified part on that side of the front end - including the speedo drive itself which needed boring out and trimming down to fit.
Modified swingarm
Modified swingarm

Modified stanchion
Modified stanchion


The tail unit only really sort of fitted the bike, especially at the front, so Mark performed some plastic surgery, and we got the seat unit trimmed to a point where it sat nicely on the frame. Seeing as there was no chance of any seat base fitting the bike, we made our own out of fibreglass - wrapping the frame, tank, and tail unit in pallet wrap and masking tape and laying up directly in situ. Once this had cured and was trimmed, I made a tongue to locate under the rear tank bracket and fiberglassed this into the seat base. For the first time, we also got the end cans fitted onto the bike and started thinking about how to plumb them in.
Fiberglassing the seat
Fiberglassing the seat


Once we had laid out where most of the components went, the bike went to a friend of Mark’s to have the link pipe made. I wanted twin underseat exhausts, and I wanted them to be properly functional. As a result, we ended up modifying the exit of the headers (to point it straight rather than kicked out to the side) and put together a 1 into 2 pipe. It was a tight fit, clearing the frame with millimetres to spare. But clear it did, and the net result looked glorious. Once this was done, and the bike was back at Terry’s, we were able to make a new battery box to accommodate a new, shorter battery, make mounting provisions for a new rear brake reservoir, and lay the harness onto the bike and locate all the components. At this same time we made a new mount for the seat lock and trimmed the side covers to fit the remodelled frame geometry.
Battery tray
Battery tray

The Gen 1 tail light boards had been badly designed, mostly due to my lack of knowledge in electronic design, but I still wanted to do something bespoke. As a result, I asked the head of mechatronics at work for some design advice on how to make them better. Net result, the LEDs that originally barely glowed were now bright enough to blind me, and needed some significant throttling to have even a passing chance at legality. I found some PCB design software online, taught myself how to use it, and designed all new circuits. Rather than make my own boards this time, I instead bought 5 boards to my design from a Chinese firm called PCBWay. After handing over £35, about a week later my boards were delivered. At least I got the design right on the second attempt… The boards assembled very nicely, and after blinding myself repeatedly while giggling like a maniac (gotta test them somehow!) I had one fully populated with components, with a second as a spare. I had also bought a 3D printer to help with a number of projects, and so designed and printed a new enclosure for the new boards to sit in. The lenses were cut off the old light box and Araldited onto this enclosure before the whole thing was assembled onto the seat unit.
Gen 2 lights
Gen 2 lights

With the bike back in one piece, the next step was to undo all our hard work and take it all to bits! In the space of about 4 hours, the nearly complete bike was stripped to a completely bare frame, and was taken to Perfect Coatings in Meppershall along with the front fairing subframe, the fairing bunny ears, the sidestand, the centre stand, and various fairing brackets. Full credit to them, they did an absolutely gorgeous job to a ridiculously short deadline. The tank and all the panels went to Mark for priming, and the bike started to go back together at breakneck speed. 
Powdercoated frame
Powdercoated frame


Remember the track day I mentioned? Well, this was now under a week away, and the bike was still a small pile of bits. I got damn close, but eventually had to face reality - I was due to leave the UK on Wednesday, and at 11:30pm on Monday, the bike was back in one piece but with multiple issues preventing me from getting it to MOT the following day: it ran, but was leaking coolant from multiple hoses, the clutch seemed permanently engaged, the handlebars hadn’t been made yet, and the headlights were stubbornly refusing to work (HIDs are great when they work and a royal pain in the arse the rest of the time). I reluctantly waved the white flag, and travelled over in a friend’s car instead. The track day was a blast though, I managed to scrounge a go around the track on a ZX10R and a VTR1000, and vowed to repeat the experience on my own bike next year.Once home, those last minor niggles were swiftly resolved one by one. The rubber hoses I had reused were thrown in the bin, and a spare set of silicone hoses I had were fitted instead (I had originally not fitted them as blue hoses wouldn’t fit any of the paint schemes I was considering. Blue bikes are slowest!). The headlights were rewired and eventually were forced into submission. The clutch was fixed by changing the actuator in the sprocket cover that had got snarled up. And Terry finished making the clip on bars - by modifying a set of Renthal bars fairly extensively. Net result, on the 12th of July, the bike went for MOT and passed with no advisories. Not the end of the project, but a damn good milestone!
MOT time
MOT time


Initial observations from the first ride: the back end was far too hard, the preload needed dropping quite a lot (was perfect 2 up however). While the bike turned more slowly - hardly surprising considering the wider tyres front and rear - it felt really nicely planted, and gave no indication of any vices. Dropping the rear preload three clicks turned it into a different animal completely with a gloriously light front end - even playful - and a firm but planted rear. The carbs weren’t yet properly set up and the bike was running rich; this meant that the exhausts burbled beautifully on the overrun. The exhaust tone was really nice, noticeably louder than stock but nowhere near antisocial. I was running a standard VFR750 rear sprocket, a full 5 teeth smaller than stock FZS, and the effect on the acceleration was significant. I’ve not fully decided, but I think I might aim for stock FZS gearing or bias it slightly to enjoy lower revs on longer journeys. For getting used to it, the current setup is acceptable. The new riding position is glorious - the rider’s seat is quite a bit longer than stock as well as being lower and narrower at the back. Add the clip ons and the stance is sportier than the Fazer’s sit up and beg without being full sports bike, and leaves enough room for me to really tuck my 6’3” frame behind the fairing. Needless to say, I love it.

Left view
Left view


So what’s next? Well, the bike is currently just in primer and will need proper paint - probably this winter. The pillion seat needs recovering, and the rider's seat needs foam and covering. I’m currently sitting on hacked up bit of 40mm race foam which does the job but looks terrible and isn’t the comfiest. To be honest, those are probably the main two things that need doing before I can legitimately call the bike done. I have some plans for the engine, probably a winter project. I do have a few minor niggles to address: the gearing needs sorting, the indicators are cheap and try to fall off every so often, and the exhausts aren’t quite symmetrical yet (need to try to tweak the clamp straps - again). I also need to improve the rider pegs, the centre stand stopper is a little too short,one of the HID ballasts has a rather iffy plug, etc etc…  nothing major, all just little kinks that I need to iron out as I go along.

This bit threatens to stray into mawkish sentimentality, but that isn't the intent. I've been working on this project for a third of my life; it has outlived 3 girlfriends, 4 jobs, 4 house moves, 5 cars, and 1 hang glider. Since starting this project, I've graduated from University, met and married my wife, become a homeowner, and rehomed a cat. I've met and been able to ask for help from some remarkable people along the way, far more skilled than I could ever hope to be. And they have helped me finally see my vision through. Or more accurately, they helped see through the mad idea of a spotty teenager who was too bloody minded to give up.

5
For Sale & Wanted / Re: Fazer 1000 front wheel?
« on: 14 August 2016, 12:08:22 am »
Still looking, folks

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6
General / Re: Three word story
« on: 14 August 2016, 12:07:34 am »
Crusty, putrid anus

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7
General / Re: Three word story
« on: 17 July 2016, 12:30:37 pm »
Syphilitic Thai ladyboy

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8
FZS600 Fazer / Re: Show me your fazer!
« on: 16 July 2016, 10:45:44 pm »
I have no issues with standard mirrors.

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That's because you have thin skinny girl shoulders  :pokefun
You couldn't be further from the truth... ;)

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9
FZS600 Fazer / Re: Show me your fazer!
« on: 16 July 2016, 10:30:26 pm »
I have no issues with standard mirrors.

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10
General / Re: what did you do with your fazer today ?
« on: 15 July 2016, 05:57:41 pm »
Hooray!

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11
General / Re: Word Association
« on: 10 July 2016, 11:29:07 pm »
Poof

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12
General / Re: Three word story
« on: 10 July 2016, 11:28:45 pm »
Exupnuts old teabag

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13
General / Re: Three word story
« on: 08 July 2016, 10:43:19 pm »
Her rather hairy

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14
FZS600 Fazer / Re: Show me your fazer!
« on: 07 July 2016, 11:17:10 pm »
Agreed. Looks better with a smaller can, plus you'd be surprised how good it sounds with a free-flowing can!

Stock can weighs a ton too.

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1- I only weigh 10stone wet so a few grams wont matter
2- I can not hear it ant any speeds over 50mph
Whereas I get to hear delightful popping coming from behind my right lug'ole coming off the A38 at... ahem... 70.... of an evening after work. ;)

Braaaaap.

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15
FZS600 Fazer / Re: Show me your fazer!
« on: 07 July 2016, 11:00:39 pm »
That's definitely you, Pete!!

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16
FZS600 Fazer / Re: Show me your fazer!
« on: 07 July 2016, 10:48:51 pm »
Agreed. Looks better with a smaller can, plus you'd be surprised how good it sounds with a free-flowing can!

Stock can weighs a ton too.

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17
General / Re: Word Association
« on: 05 July 2016, 06:44:57 pm »
Almanac

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18
General / Re: Three word story
« on: 05 July 2016, 06:43:13 pm »
Manky spunk juice

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19
General / Re: Word Association
« on: 04 July 2016, 05:47:37 pm »
Pain

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20
General / Re: Three word story
« on: 03 July 2016, 10:30:29 pm »
Dispenser attached to

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21
General / Re: what did you do with your fazer today ?
« on: 02 July 2016, 08:53:11 pm »
Chain snapped, Dazza?

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22
General / Re: Three word story
« on: 25 June 2016, 08:42:50 pm »
Spot next to

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23
General / Re: Three word story
« on: 21 June 2016, 05:34:13 pm »
To hide the

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24
General / Re: What Fazer did you spot today?
« on: 19 June 2016, 11:02:28 am »
Saw 2 Fazers yesterday: a black and red Thou in Matlock, and a blue Boxeye. Nodded at the boxeye, couldn't quite crack off the salute in time.

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25
General / Re: What did you do with whatever else you've got?
« on: 26 May 2016, 10:28:33 pm »
Got formally signed off!

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