i fancy an addition to the stable...........tell me all about the

[sadlonelygit]

FZ1!
decided that i need more grunt than the fazer can give me, but still need the dual purpose nature of a sports tourer.
so realistically, what can be done to the motor and how much will it give/cost, and what can be done suspension wise (if needed).
i rode one a few years back and was grinding the crap out of the pegs within 5 minutes, so any advice re mods appreciated.

[stevierst]

I've had both the gen 1, and gen 2.

To be honest, a well sorted gen 1 is just as capable as a gen 2, and imho a better road bike.

The gen 2 is a flawed machine in my eyes, it's neither a comfy tourer, nor a slim sports bike.
Had mine for 2 years and did almost every mod you can do which wasn't cheap!. It was very quick, and handled well, but poor fuel consumption/tank range, bottom end power was rubbish(it's got the wrong engine!!!), and wasn't that comfy either. Not the best at being a sports/tourer !
If your after a do it all bike that's rapid, stick to the gen 1, ivanise it, r6 shock, ignition advancer etc...... If your after a comfy sports bike, get a sub 2001 R1 and fit flat bars. You need do nothing else to it.

The gen 2 is a bit of an oddball machine that doesn't really fit in any one particular box, but that in itself is appealing in a strange sort of way. I ground the hero blobs off mine on roundabouts, hit some silly high numbers on the speedo, and put 12k miles on it in 2 years.

See if you can borrow one off a generous foc-er for a week and see if you can live with it for how you ride.

[noggythenog]

SLG...you'd be welcome to try mine for a day....if you got insured on it properly and insured me on your bike.....trouble is im in the arse end of nowhere...nice roads though.

I just cant learn to love my fz1 that's all....but hey beggers cant be choosers and at 33 year old having something with 140 odd BHP I shalnt complain too much.....I've kinda just admitted defeat and im lumped with it so ill just enjoy it for what it is because it doesn't owe me anything and I can continue tweaking away each year.

I've got Gilles and my centre stand is removed..i can get good lean angles with the tiny gilles pegs plus I jacked it up with Devilsyams jack up plates which were very reasonably priced.....obviously I've focced about with mine by putting on large Renthal bars which I like and I've got a Nitron track rear and uprated (far too stiff) front springs.

A Power commander is second hand circa £170 for a PC3 or £250 for a PC5....maps are free, K&N £50, trimmed flies are cheap enough, lars airbox mod is free as is blocking off the AIS...then there's an iVANS FCE..cant remember how much they are.

Talking to slim he doesn't rate the standard shock so I think youd be looking to replace that....ive never tried a standard one.....im getting a reconditioned R1 shock for mine now off Brooker now, complete with adaptor to fit the FZ1.....my Nitron looks a bit tired so ill either flog that as is or send it off for a Nitron service and then flog it if the R1 shock is decent.

Stevie makes some good points but if you don't really want an old R1 then I suppose you could still do the same with a newer model although the one thing id say about the FZ1 is that they are mighty cheap second hand options and I imagine similar year R1's would be far pricier.

The seats are really not touring comfy.....would a similar model R1 seat be comfy though....doubt it.

on the road I would agree that a decent Gen 1 and a decent FZ1 are pretty equal....although the Gen 1 would probably require the R1 front end to be equal......yours has an R1 front I believe so youd get a good comparison.

In a nutshell.......no they don't really make sense in many ways.....but they are something a bit different and wouldn't it be boring if we all rode the same things.

[Grayo]

I just cant learn to love my fz1 that's all....but hey beggers cant be choosers and at 33 year old having something with 140 odd BHP I shalnt complain too much.....I've kinda just admitted defeat and im lumped with it so ill just enjoy it for what it is because it doesn't owe me anything and I can continue tweaking away each year.

Don't think you really sold the Gen 2 there Noggy. 

[noggythenog]

I just cant learn to love my fz1 that's all....but hey beggers cant be choosers and at 33 year old having something with 140 odd BHP I shalnt complain too much.....I've kinda just admitted defeat and im lumped with it so ill just enjoy it for what it is because it doesn't owe me anything and I can continue tweaking away each year.

Don't think you really sold the Gen 2 there Noggy. 

Uncle Slim will be telling me off soon .............they aren't a bad bike, very quick.....the party piece for me is the top end rush at full chat it really is something and perhaps SLG that is what you would enjoy on the track...figures wise I reckon it would be a bit quicker....but for me on the road it is a little bit of a wasted trick because ok it is nice when hooning and getting that rush but the rest of the time it ends up lacking a little character and that's ideally what I would like more of.

SLG....put me outta my misery will ya......£2500 lowest deal and it is yours in all its glory with a brand new PC5 and ill even throw in another petrol tank in black....use it and abuse it on the track and keep the Gen 1 for the road

[sadlonelygit]

just to be clear, it'll be 60% road and 40% track, as i have no intention of pensioning off my venerable gen 1.................i have plans for her!!!!!

[slimwilly]

They are a great bike,,do to them what you want,,rear shock,,a must,,,one tooth down on the front, they are too high geared.

Refresh the forks,,they work really well, all the usual adjustments can be made,

With the power commander , a good map you will find loads of power low down,good pulling power all the way up,,,drop 2 gears and rev it,,way hey ,,hold on,, I think the 0 to 60 and 0 to 130 will compare to sports bikes,, the sports bikes win higher up the speedo though.

I think the big let down is the sports bike saddle,,seat,,i have bought a Yamaha gel luxury seat,,====worse,,like a board,,and if you get hot your gell collects it,and then burns your arse,,i had made a over seat cover,crude but it works real real well,veryu comfy.

[devilsyam]

Sargent seat sorts the bum dept

Fun bike but I'd still take a gen 1 if touring

[stevierst]

And as for the R1 with high bars not being as comfy? Had 2 of them now, and over 7 years of ownership ('98 4XV, and currently a 2001 5JJ). I've toured, commuted, and done long rideouts in relative comfort.
Even the standard saddle can cope with 150 mile day, about the same as the fz1. Pegs are a little higher, but if my 36" inside leg can fit comfortably, anyone's can!
And at £1700-£3500 for a carb'd bike or early fi (later bikes not as good on the road) well within fz1 money
It's just another option worth considering.