Not to this forum, I hasten to add but sadly to my Fazer 1000.
After almost 18 years of ownership, it's time to say 'goodbye' to the old girl. Truth is that with all the motorhome touring we've done over the past 3 years, the bike has only done about 500 miles in that time. Since we're continuing to spend 5-6 months on the road each year, it just doesn't make sense to keep taxing and insuring her for such minimal use.
In addition, the Spanish MOT test equivalent, the ITV, is such a PITA to pass unless the bike is in stock condition. Almost all of the mods I'd done over the years had to be reversed to pass the test and it was always such a hassle even after doing that. So, I've spent the past couple of days putting her back to near standard condition ready for another run at the ITV and then she'll be up for sale.
I've also gone through all my Fazer spares stocks that I'd accumulated and those will be advertised soon in Sales and Wants here. A couple of special items will be an Akropovic titanium oval end can and a rare DPBMC blue (the fastest colour ever!) fuel tank with the Yamaha tuning fork logo rather than the YAMAHA lettering. The latter was never available in the UK and Akrapovic no longer do the link pipes for the Gen 1 - but I've got one in perfect condition!
Sorting through everything and going through photos taken since 2002 brought home just how many mods and changes the bike has undergone. Four different end cans (Blueflame SS oval, Blueflame titanium Tri-oval, MIVV GP carbon and then the Akrapovic, which included full 4-2-1 headers for a few years); K-tech forks, R1 forks, K-tech forks again but with SS20 cartridges. A K-tech modded standard shock (mine was the prototype for this mod), a Technoflex shock, an Ohlins and then an R6 shock (nice one, Luke!
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Bodywork changes include 4 different screens, 2 huggers, an MBD belly pan, colour-matched side panels, and three different seats. I've had straight bars and Renthals; Pazzo levers, bar end mirrors and Oberon footpegs. I also had alloy rearsets for a time.
Brake discs were changed to Armstrong wavy discs and there were at least 3 sets of stainless hoses to accommodate the various fork set-ups, along with an R1 radial master cylinder up front.
Of course, there had to be a Multigauge in the list - an early addition, one of the first made, and needless to say, every variation of Ivan's jet kit mod. This started with an original Slip-On kit which I brought back from the USA in 2002 before they were even available in the UK. When the MB kit came out, I upgunned to that along with the necessary airbox lid and intake stub mods. With the Akrapovic full system, she absolutely flew!
It goes without saying that putting her up for sale with so much history between us is a real wrench. Luckily, I've still got my '99 R1 which I've been keeping SORN'ed for the last couple of years and I can always put that one back on the road if I feel the need for speed in the future. For now, though, I'll be taking a riding sabatical but I'll keep the riding gear in good nick, just in case. I know so many guys who've sold up completely, only to regret it a year or two later.
As always, I'll be staying in touch on this forum and while I tend to go 'radio silent' during our travels, it's rare that I fail to check on the site most days.
I'll post again when the list of items for sale goes live. We'll be driving back to the UK in April and I'll bring everything over with me to post in the UK then.
Cheers!
Mike