One owner Fazers

[His Dudeness]

Are there any foccers out there who bought a Fazer back in 98 and have had the bike since new? Would be interesting to follow a bike from zero miles and see where its been and what work has been done on it over the years.

[fazersharp]

Sort of been covered here http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,10160.0.html
maybe

[richfzs]

Yes me!

[His Dudeness]

Yes me!

Do you want to stop dancing for a minute and tell us about it?

[red98]

no...no...no...dont stop dancing  ...thats the only reason i come on here 

[alan sherman]

I've had  mine since 2000 and did have a list of work that was done over the years. What do you want to know?

[His Dudeness]

I've had  mine since 2000 and did have a list of work that was done over the years. What do you want to know?

Whatever you want to put up yourself really it's up to you. Maybe what you paid for it initially and where you bought it, the work that was done to it and at what miles, if it's been on any big trips stuff like that. Just a bit of a history of the bike. It could be an ambassador to all fazers

[alan sherman]

Bought on the internet in 2000 for 4300 pounds. Top box and rack were needed for transport. Rear tyres do 4 to 6 thousand miles, fronts 6 to 12! Used Dunlop, Bridgestone settled on.

I did a lot of fiddling but the only things that needed changing were:
K and n air filter: cheaper than oe ones in the long run.
Tank, fairing and can when someone knocked it over when parked.
Header pipes rusted through about 25k. Replaced with stainless.
Rear shock replaced with a technoflex unit at a similar mileage.
Rear brake caliper seized about 30k. Replaced with a freezer thou one as they look and last longer.
Braided brake lines after 5 years
Discs replaced once on front, twice on back (now on 65k). Tried galfer wave ones. Look great, not as smooth as oe ones.
Fork oil been done a couple of times, front brake seals once, steering bearing once, three batteries, rear wheel bearings once,
One new rear wheel off ebay as thr disc bolts would not come out!
One pair of fork stancions due to my one crash.
One clutch cable
One clutch lever as it got sloppy

Clutch plates were replaced due to stupidity (scotoil in the engine) but would have been fine if left alone.

Chain and sprockets do about 15k I think.
 other consumables such as fluids, filter, plugs, pads, bulbs when needed.


Usage has been lots of commute miles to and around London, fun with foccers, two track days, two trips to the nurbergring. Tours to Scotland, France Spain, Spain Morocco. Two up camping to Wales.

Half its life has been spent living on the street, half in a garage.

[Paul]

This may not count, but I bought mine new in April 2001.


It's clocked 73,000 miles.


I've changed the usual; oil/filter, air filter, plugs, disc pads, chain and sprockets etc.


However I have never changed anything else other than for cosmetic reasons (took the fairing off it).


One thing I've never had to change is the battery, it's original to the bike.
I've no idea why it's lasted this long.


I've never changed the fuel filter either, or re-shimmed the valves.


I noticed it was starting to use some oil last year, but it still seems to run o.k.


I'm waring out though, in fact I think I'm waring out faster than it is.
I have this sinking feeling that it may well out-last me. 

[dcurzon]

Some good mileages there!

My '99, bought in September for £900 on eBay. 43k on the clock, one owner from new. From what I can see, everything was standard except headlight mod for 2nd dipped beam, and that had a blown fuse and bulb so I rewired that. Lots of paperwork and service history, it had a new battery at some point, plus stainless steel headers. Also, the tank was replaced as it had a leak due to rust, apparently this was an issue with the early ones?

So I'm owner number 2. Now on 47500k. I re-did the headlight mod. 

46000: oil and k&n oil filter. I've always used k&n oil filters anyway so that was fitted along with oil change. Planning on doing oil every 3-4k and oil filter every 3 oil changes.
Givi rack and big top box fitted. 
Scottoiler fitted.

47500 miles: k&n air filter fitted
New chain & sprockets, plus the 12mm sprocket nut.
Handle bar risers fitted.
Michelin Pilot Road 3 front fitted.
BT021's that we're on it screwed - front seemed like the carcass had broken internally as the tyre profile was seriously deformed on the rhs, possibly due to previous owner not using the bike for long periods of time? Tipping into right turns and the front was constantly trying to wash away!
Rear will be done when I return to work, with a PR3.
Awaiting delivery of heated grips, so consider as also fitted at 47500.

What am I hoping for?  I bought this bike after a 5 year break from mcycles, I retired from racing at the end of 2008 and just didn't want to be around bikes, but cost/journey time of commuting forced my hand a little. Lost all my NCB due to the break as we'll.  I'm hoping to complete IAM or Rospa this year.  I'm also hoping to make this bike last well into 70+k.

I would like to treat her to the R6 shock sometime around 50k, but I'll be honest and say that the current shock, whilst it's not amazing, it's not completely shot either, it still works ok. But previous owner was a small chap, and I'm carrying more load.

Mostly commuting 25 miles each way in/out of Central London from Essex, plus various events as a Marshall.

[darrsi]

This may not count, but I bought mine new in April 2001.


It's clocked 73,000 miles.


I've changed the usual; oil/filter, air filter, plugs, disc pads, chain and sprockets etc.


However I have never changed anything else other than for cosmetic reasons (took the fairing off it).


One thing I've never had to change is the battery, it's original to the bike.
I've no idea why it's lasted this long.


I've never changed the fuel filter either, or re-shimmed the valves.


I noticed it was starting to use some oil last year, but it still seems to run o.k.


I'm waring out though, in fact I think I'm waring out faster than it is.
I have this sinking feeling that it may well out-last me.

The fuel filter's only a few quid and dead easy to change, that's a long time gone to have not changed it so order one up and swap it over.

[unfazed]

Bought my Foxeye new in November 2003, now with 78000 miles up.

[Fazerider]

I bought mine new in November 1998.
It's still pretty much standard aside from accessories like heated grips and a front fender extender, the headlight mod, EBC front discs, Goodridge hoses, stainless downpipes/cheapo silencer from Sandy Bikespares and a Scottoiler… though I hope to get round to upgrading the suspension soon.
Like Paul above, it's still on the original battery. I think regular use is what keeps them healthy. (Paul, I changed my fuel filter for the first time earlier this year: the plastic body had developed cracks and was beginning to seep petrol. I opened it up and found the filter itself was quite clean.)


Once the engine got over 90,000 miles it started getting clattery and while a cam chain change would doubtless have helped, it sounded like the pistons were developing a bit of slap too and second gear was a bit iffy as well. After about a year of this I decided a replacement engine was the simplest cure since I didn't want to be off the road for long and fixing up the old one could have become a slow and expensive job.
I turfed out the old motor which now had 115,000 on it (checked the valve clearances again and they were still in spec, never having needed reshimming), bunged in one that I picked up locally for £50 and used that for a year before having to admit that I'd bought a pup. While it sounded as smooth as a sewing machine, second gear was every bit as dodgy as my old motor and it rapidly got worse until it wasn't only impossible to engage, but a fight to get past it to 3rd.
So I bought another engine, this time from a breaker who had had it running and assured me it had no problems. He was good as his word, and the bike clocked up its 157,000th mile just yesterday.


Aside from the usual servicing and consumables it's not needed much else done to it.
Throttle response gets poor because of wear on the carburettor sliders after about 70,000 miles so it's currently on its third set of carbs.
The tank rusted through from the inside 5 years ago, but the repair is holding OK. The radiator has corroded through a few times, probably because I don't clean it often enough in winter… it's currently on its 4th.
The centrestand cracks on a regular basis: it's on its third now and that's going. I've welded up an old one and added some bracing to strengthen it, I'm just waiting now for the paint to dry fully and the weather to ease off before I fit it.
Both the gear change and sidestand get sloppy due to wear against the pivot, I've replaced and/or rebuilt them with welding and filing over the years.


It's stranded me just once in all this time: the sparks died due to a chafed wire near the ignition unit.

[alan sherman]

That is a good mileage! Always good to hear when things are likely to go. For example when to do the cam chain. I reckon I'll leave well alone and just replace the engine If I ever get to 100k!

Good bikes.

[His Dudeness]

That is a good mileage! Always good to hear when things are likely to go. For example when to do the cam chain. I reckon I'll leave well alone and just replace the engine If I ever get to 100k!

Good bikes.

It's funny how different bikes wear. I had to do my cam chain recently at only 40k miles. The chain was noisey and tensioner was on it's last click and when I took the chain out it had a few slightly stiff links. I also had to do the valve clearances.

Other than that it's all been the usual service stuff. One chain and sprocket set, clutch plates and springs as it was slipping, clutch cable, fork seals, bushings and fork oil, one set of front pads, two sets of rear pads, a rear brake disk, rear brake seals, brake fluid a few times, oil and filter a few times, coolant a few times, one set of spark plugs, a battery, front wheel bearings and seal, cleaned the carbs a few times, it had a k&n air filter when I got it so I've cleaned that a few times, welded and painted the exhaust, it had new tyres on it when I bought it so I've only put one set on it. Not too bad really.

[darrsi]

Swapped the rear shock yesterday for a refurbed one, as it didn't feel right, and the original one had a leak that i never knew about. 
Not tried the new one yet but noticed that the bike was a bit higher straight away.
Bike's done around 42k.

[His Dudeness]

Swapped the rear shock yesterday for a refurbed one, as it didn't feel right, and the original one had a leak that i never knew about. 
Not tried the new one yet but noticed that the bike was a bit higher straight away.
Bike's done around 42k.

Did you notice any difference with the new shock?

[darrsi]

Swapped the rear shock yesterday for a refurbed one, as it didn't feel right, and the original one had a leak that i never knew about. 
Not tried the new one yet but noticed that the bike was a bit higher straight away.
Bike's done around 42k.

Did you notice any difference with the new shock?

Went out on it yesterday, and noticed a massive difference.
Because i only primarily really use it for commuting, and i'm always upright in traffic, it kind of crept up on me that there was an issue.
I knew it wasn't right a while back 'cos i was occasionally getting a minor back end drift on bends, but recently it was much more noticeable.
I'd already bought a shock from Fuzzy (cheers matey a few weeks back but just needed the time to fit it, so Xmas was perfect for me without fear of being called into work.
But as i said when the old one came off it had oil leaking out of the centre rod.
How much oil i don't know but bearing in mind i go down a couple of roads daily with speed bumps then i dread to think? It's very possible that i've just been riding the spring recently, but that's not 100%?


Anyway, it's just a refurbed original that i've replaced it with and for me personally it's great.
Much more solid and stable going in and coming out of bends and just a generally way better all round feel, which is hardly surprising!
I've never changed a shock on a bike before so maybe i was a bit naive not noticing things earlier, although i probably would have if i used the bike a bit more aggressively on a ride out, but ho-hum, it all ended okay. 

[His Dudeness]

Nice one. It's definitely on my to do list.

[darrsi]

Nice one. It's definitely on my to do list.

Virtually all roller bearings involved were ropey to say the least, get plenty of brake cleaner/degreaser and thick grease to lube them up.
I swear i heard one roller bearing 'sigh'......unless that was my mate helping me? 

[Fuzzy]

Glad you're happy with the shock Darrsi, it was a bit too firmly sprung & damped for me but it sounds like it's probably not far off an ideal set-up for you.

[darrsi]

Glad you're happy with the shock Darrsi, it was a bit too firmly sprung & damped for me but it sounds like it's probably not far off an ideal set-up for you.

As you probably noticed i'm a couple of pounds heavier than you so it does feel pretty good to me. 

[BluprintZ]

Slightly off topic Darrsi, interesting point about your bike breaking away slightly at the rear!
When i bought mine last year, it handled like it was on rails, even though it had been stood for a good 12 months, it had part worn Bridgestones on when i got it.
After i had the top-end re-done last September, i fitted new Bridgestones but by the the bad weather was starting to set in, so i didn't use it very often.
On the odd times i have been out on it, it has occasionally stepped out on the rear, so might be a good idea to check the rear shock i think.
Nice one.

G ; )

[darrsi]

Slightly off topic Darrsi, interesting point about your bike breaking away slightly at the rear!
When i bought mine last year, it handled like it was on rails, even though it had been stood for a good 12 months, it had part worn Bridgestones on when i got it.
After i had the top-end re-done last September, i fitted new Bridgestones but by the the bad weather was starting to set in, so i didn't use it very often.
On the odd times i have been out on it, it has occasionally stepped out on the rear, so might be a good idea to check the rear shock i think.
Nice one.

G ; )

People on here have mentioned a few times that the standard rear shock gets a bit weary from the 20,000 mile mark, so i should've taken the hint there to be honest, but as i've said before in all the bikes i've owned i've never had any known issues with shocks before so the problem kind of crept up on me gradually.
I was so ridiculously busy at work last year that i never even had time to get it sorted earlier either, i had to wait for the Xmas break to sort it out as i needed the bike on constant standby, i've still got 15 days holiday left to use in the next couple of months!! Bloody slave drivers!    

[Arfa]

Not quite one owner, but bought mine off chap who had it from new with full history.

He'd picked up one of the last 2003 FoxEye's, had to scour country for nice blue one, ended up ordering it from Chorely dealer and delivered to Essex. Had belly pan, hugger and blue screen fitted. Chap had done naff all with it, had only done 13K after 10 years.

Then I bought it, threw it at London and fucked it up... ;-)


BTW, mine's on around 22K now, what should I be looking out for with regards to rear shock?