New to me Gen 1 Fazer first ride

[ianh]

Hi all. Got my bike from Peasy yesterday.
Rode it back from Peterborough to Plymouth - 290miles - so have formed a good impression of the bike.


Immediate thoughts
Was pleasantly surprised at how good an 11yr old bike can look. Obvious that the bike had been looked after. More to the point, it had all of the mods that I wanted (although, now looking for a few more!!) Yamaha build quality as good as my previous FJ1200 and my Thunderace had been.


Riding
Wow!! Felt like a moped after my big Ox of a ZZR1100!!
VERY similar riding position to a R1100GS I had. Very comfortable straightaway and a natural reach to all of the controls.
Right, clutch out - am I in gear? Yes I am. Bloody hell, first ride and can't engage clutch. 
Oh ok- it's at the end of the lever span (like right at the end!!)
Controls are very light, and we're off.
I remember in the 90's, test riding one of the first generation Triumph Sprints - the ones with the spine frame.
When I got back, I got on my 89' CBR600FL and felt like a giant.
Well, this is similar after my ZZR11.
Definitely a case of twist and go.

After fueling up (and spilling petrol over Peasy - don't ask!!) I got onto the A1.
My, isn't she fast, but the long throttle travel means it's easy to think you're at full throttle when you're not.
After rearticulating my throttle hand, I gave it some beans.
Indicated 140mph (allegedly) in seconds, with more to come.
Throttle like an on/off switch, with no real engine braking.
Mikes Full Monty Ivanising work has done it's job and there is no stuttering, hesitation or spluttering.
Just pure clean drive from any revs, in any gear.
Peasy fitted a different master cylinder and SBS sintered pads - EXCELLENT stopping power (1 or 2 fingers only)
Back brake effective too. [size=78%][/size]Funny to let a car catch up at 90, then blast them away (childish I know [size=78%][/size] )
Comfort is fantastic, but three observations
1 - Seat is very soft and my arse is numb quite quickly
2 - Footrests seem quite high. I prefer to stretch my legs out to the pillion pegs and rest on them when cruising. This just makes        the footrests seem even higher when I use them again though.
[/size]3 - LOTS of turbulence around the DB screen, so lots of noise. Also a lot of pressure on my neck and shoulders. This got much        worse the nearer I got to Plymouth.


At the end, I was cold and aching. Oh for my heated grips. The temperature had dropped significantly and the spattered flies on my visor slowed me down in the dark. That's when 'twist and go' and a high riding position was particularly useful.


Summary

It took me 41/2 hrs to get home, including a pitstop for fuel, with 160 before the light came on. That was at an easy 95-100mph (allegedly)
The bike felt 'new'. The R6 shock and the front fork service have definitely benefited the bike (I'm 6' and 17st)
The engine is like a turbine in the way the power is available, with a kick above 8k. Obviously faster in black too 
Seems to me that, if I can sort out a couple of gripes, she's perfect.
Mirrors were good, headlights excellent, especially on full beam and road presence good to.


Gripes (personal to me)
Seat v soft - suggestions?
Footpegs high - suggestions
Screen buffeting - shorter screen, taller screen?
Cold hands - fitting heated grips asap.
Neck and shoulder soreness - screen change?
Clutch bite - idiots guide for me to adjust the cable/freeplay etc (pleeeaase)

[tomlinscote]

Nice review and welcome to the fold.


I have had mine since new in 2004, and up to say 6 years ago had no probs with neck and shoulders etc but now I suffer a lot, i put it down to getting old and less flexible/fit!
I Have a dB screen and also a higher one for longer trips, both are fairly noisy opinion here is divided some say use a short one and let your helmet do the work. I fitted dl650 handguards and Oxford grips but now have heated gloves... Never had a prob with the legs but I don't have long legs, that said I cobbled together some highway pegs for long trips just to vary knee position.



Keeping at say half revs, 90ish you can easily get 180-200 from a full tank, even giving it some 170 is no problem.
If it doesn't have one already a multigauge is a nice option/toy.


Enjoy the bike :-)

[ianh]

Nice review and welcome to the fold.


I have had mine since new in 2004, and up to say 6 years ago had no probs with neck and shoulders etc but now I suffer a lot, i put it down to getting old and less flexible/fit!
I Have a dB screen and also a higher one for longer trips, both are fairly noisy opinion here is divided some say use a short one and let your helmet do the work. I fitted dl650 handguards and Oxford grips but now have heated gloves... Never had a prob with the legs but I don't have long legs, that said I cobbled together some highway pegs for long trips just to vary knee position.



Keeping at say half revs, 90ish you can easily get 180-200 from a full tank, even giving it some 170 is no problem.
If it doesn't have one already a multigauge is a nice option/toy.


Enjoy the bike :-)

Thanks. Not heard of a multigauge? Do you still have your handguards? I reckon the fuel consumption will have gone up due to the richer needles etc. I'm happy with the mpg to the light.
I tought a short screen may be better too.

[tomlinscote]

No no longer have the handguards as had an accident last week that ripped them off. They were about £50 from Suzuki but you maybe able to get pattern ones elsewhere??


T

[ianh]

Thanks.
Were they plug and play?

[PieEater]

Hi and welcome to the club. I'm going to be riding from Exeter to Peterborough later this year so good to know how long to plan for the journey   
1) There are a couple of respected bike seat specialists that will refoam and recover your seat for you according to your requirements I've used Tony Archer who was very reasonably priced and did a good job, others have had good results from Digger 
2) I wander if you won't get used to the change in riding position after a while as with any new bike it will take some adjusting to but will eventually gel. You could look at rearsets but I think they will have more of a horizontal affect than vertical, but I've no personal experience of them so can't say for sure. Gilles did make them for the Gen1 but I suspect you'd be hard pressed to find any now but you might get some Chinese ones from eBay.
3) Screens are very subjective, I am one of those that prefers a shorter screen, I have the streetfighter screen which basically fills the gap in the fairing and comes no higher. My good friend AndyW has just invested in a Puig DB screen after having tried a number of alternatives and is very happy with it, he is over 6".
4) Cold hands - I don't ride when it's that cold as I don't enjoy it and for me my bike is all about enjoyment.
5) I don't know if a change of bars / bar position may help with your joint aches as well as a change of screen?
6) I've just posted on adjusting the clutch in the other thread about the same issue.

Hope that's of some use.

[ianh]

Thanks Pie Eater.
I appreciate your comments.
There were a couple of ways I could have come back, but I picked the one that was easiest to stick in my head A1 - A14 - M6 - M42 etc.
Nice ride as well, never saw one plod.


The clutch adjustment advice is appreciated.
When you wind the lever adjuster right in, does that move/tighten the cable? Is that what decreases the lever span?
Do you then slacken off/adjust the bottom, by the clutch?

[bigfootpete]

I wonder if your peg height problem may be related to the soft seat. I'm 6'3" and don't have an issue with the pegs.

I use a gel seat which is just velcroed on to the original, as I didn't want to pay the extortionate price for an airhawk, that probably gives​ me at least half an inch.

As for the shoulder ache, I think that is just a long ride at high speeds on a bike your not used to.
I've got the original screen on, but I don't notice the wind hitting me in the chest anymore, I think I got used​ to it.

[PieEater]

Thanks Pie Eater.
I appreciate your comments.
There were a couple of ways I could have come back, but I picked the one that was easiest to stick in my head A1 - A14 - M6 - M42 etc.
Nice ride as well, never saw one plod.

Yeah that's the way we've been in the car before, a bit boring but at least it's done and dusted in good time.

The clutch adjustment advice is appreciated.
When you wind the lever adjuster right in, does that move/tighten the cable? Is that what decreases the lever span?
Do you then slacken off/adjust the bottom, by the clutch?

No the idea is to try not to use the adjuster at the lever end as much as possible as that's what ends up causing the bite point to be at the end of the levers movement. With the lever adjuster all the way in take up as much of the slack as you're comfortable with at the actuating arm end or with the adjuster in the middle of the cable and only use the adjuster at the lever end to adjust the bite point if it comes in too early. It might take a couple of goes to get it right but that's what works for me, leave a little bit of free play at the lever pivot to make sure the clutch isn't engaged all the time and test ride the bike at high revs to make sure there is no clutch sip.

[ianh]

ta

[ProdigalSon]

Glad your enjoying your new ride, I downgraded from an Aprilia Tuono V4R to a Gen. 1 Fazer 1000 as I needed to free up some money. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice a 15 year old bike can be to ride and I've really gelled with the bike now and love it. I've fitted a BMW S1000RR rear shock to mine and Oxford heated grips as well as adjustable levers. Next on the list is an Ivans Full Monty kit and fork service and springs but I can still hang with a lot of riders on more modern and powerful machinery.

[ianh]

just been out on a 30 mile run tonight. Bike is lovely....