Bike - Rider Bonding

[CraigL]

Nothing kinky or obscure 


When any of you first got your Gen 1 Fazer, was it instant satisfaction or did it take a while to bond?


Picked up my Gen 1 in late Feb but as yet I don't feel like I have bonded with it yet! Have only ridden it 12 - 18 times and these were only 1 or 2 hr ride outs. Not sure if its the bike or me.


Late September last year I had an accident on my GSX 1400, which resulted in my bike being written off and me with a very nasty broken ankle. No one else was involved mind, wasn't speeding or riding like an idiot - I just got it wrong and paid the price. The Fazer is my first bike since the accident, I don't ride along and worry or panic that it might happen again - I just don't feel that I'm enjoying biking as much as I used to.


There are a couple of niggly things that I would like to do to the bike to make me happier - the first being balancing the carbs as she can be a little lumpy at low revs and hoping it will also eradicate the slight rattling noise I get from the clutch when the bike is in neutral and the clutch lever is out.


Any words of wisdom or should I man the f u and get out and ride 


Craig

[AyJay]

Sounds like a good thread to wax poetical.


I had a ZX9-R when I test rode the Fazer and it instantly won me over because it was near as dammit as fast, but much more comfortable. I bought it on the spot. However, like any in line 4, it takes a good while to bond, I think. At first, it's just appreciation of what it does, but over the months it works it's way into your soul. A big trip is usually what does it - mine was to the Alps and back. It was (and is) just brilliant at taking you a long way, allowing you to go nuts and full hooligan, then revert to being a big old softy you can ride like it was an automatic.


The other thing is, do some work on it. Fazer's are such a lovely bike to work on - nothing is particularly difficult compared to other bikes. That and a long distance trip are what bond me to my bikes.


I adore my Fazer. I've got a ZZR1400 as well, but as astounding as that bike is in so many ways, I just love climbing back on the Fazer. It just suits my every mood.


As for the clutch rattle when the in neutral - try a ZZR1400 - it's just the same but louder!

[bristol banger]

It took me a while to feel at one with my gen 1. I've altered a few things on the bike since I've had it nothing ground breaking but the list so far is gel seat, r1 front end, ivans full monty, r1 five spoke wheels, db screen, stubby pipe, Scott oiler and a 12v/usb socket. The bike came with a r6 shock that was vastly improved by devisyam tweeking the settings.


From the above list the most important mod for me is the gel seat, on a standard seat my ass was dying after 50 miles now I can knock up 400 no problem.


I've had faster bikes but every time I've questioned the gen 1 it's response has been spot on. Touring, scratching, poodling to the shops it's done it all.


Performance wise the bikes more than capable and in the right hands (not mine) can suprize many power rangers on there latest rocket ships.

[hightower]

Not a thou, but I bonded straight away. Which is crazy as the more I look at the bike the more I realise I was palmed off a bit with it. I've had to do various things myself, spending quite a lot of money on it, and that has probably held me close to the bike.


As a matter of fact, I pulled up at work this morning and headed to the door. I turned back and there it sat. I'm sure if it could it would have winked at me. And in that moment, I couldn't picture myself riding any other bike.

[bludclot]

craig


it takes me three months or so before i feel at one with new bike, the fazer was no exception.


your broken ankle incident will have changed you for sure. i've not been the same rider (or person in fact) since writing off a zx-9r at some speed a few years back. it may be that it's broken your enthusiasm for biking, if that's the case then some acceptance and moving on is in order. i couldn't wait to jump back on a bike after my big off but a low speed off on a roundabout a few years before that had me seriously thinking that i would never ride again. i guess different incidents affect us in different ways.


the fazer is a great bike but not for everyone. i bought mine from a man that said he just couldn't bond with it and wanted to go back to a ducati. i thought he was nuts, he thought i was nuts.


i had the same clutch rattle as you describe. welding my captive springs to the clutch basket fixed mine. no amount of carb balancing was going to fix it....


good luck.

[ogri48]

I think the thing that stops some people bonding  with a bike like the fazer straight away, is that it's just too good! Most bikes have got summat that whilst it's annoying, uncomfortable, irritating...whatever..it gives it a bit if character, you have to do whatever you have to do or alter whatever you have to alter to get around the problem and that's a bonding experience.
The fazers do everything, every time. You don't have to do anything to compensate for anything, and it's ease of riding even helps you jump the talent queue a bit. Compared to most things in life that takes a bit of getting used to....

[Exupnut]

I bonded with my bike today ... Provided u know where the fluids go and can grab the handles ok i dont see any problems... She does swallow a lot of fluids though and despite the large rear end and new fangled Honda lines i soon felt at one with her.

[dazza]

 

[Rexr]

I took it pretty steady getting use to the different riding position on the Fazer, compared to other bikes I've owned where u feel like ur sitting on them....the fazer feels like ur sitting in it, which felt odd to me, it took me around 2 weeks to settle then I set about tweaking the suspension for me and my riding style which is bang on now, all in all it's taken best part of a month to gel with the bike, and have done some 1500 miles in that time......the runs I was doing were 200 - 280 mile rides (which is normal for my m8's and myself on the weekends) I think the more time u spend riding it, the quicker u'll settle in.......I wouldn't change it for anything at the moment it's a great bike and does everything it says on the tin....

[noggythenog]

Ha ha ya foccin bunch o foccin foccers

[Hedgetrimmer]

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[noggythenog]

 

[slimwilly]

Stop wasteing blank screens




do you know they probably cut down half the rainforst to make it

[CraigL]

Many thanks for the replies fellow foccers 

I think I can take a little from all the replies, maybe not so much from Exupnut as that might be taking Bike - Rider Bonding a little to far  There are quite a few positive points to take on board and think about. This evening I have balanced the carbs and the bike does seem a lot smother, hopefully have a proper run out tomorrow evening and see how she behaves.

Ogri, I think your right. The Fazer seems to do every thing very well, my 2 previous bikes - a Bandit and the GSX seemed agricutural and a little prehistoric compared to the Fazer but maybe that's what people love about them - I loved my GSX (not Exupnut style love  ) but it was just so lazy to ride - anything above 20mph and you could pretty much leave it in top gear - I would like another, maybe as a second bike but my current situation means I can only have one bike.

I think some longer ride outs are in order to give the old girl a chance and see how we get on, and if all goes well then try and make the Fazer my own, an adjustment here and a tweek there to suit me and my riding style, maybe even one of devisyam r6 shock conversions.

Once again, many thanks for all your replies.

Craig