Fazer Owners Club - Unofficial
Bikes, Hints'n'Tips => FZS600 Fazer => Topic started by: Tommyk on 12 April 2015, 05:55:09 pm
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Got me fork conversion done bar a few tweaks and adjustments
A before ,during , after pic
Was doubting if it was worth the time expense and heart ache during the build but after my first ride of the bike it was totally
Worth it it's like a totally different bike
Handles like a dream
Was previously handling like a nightmare
And looks awesome too
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looks great apart from the lights!
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Cheers Paul the lights were not thought about to much by the time I came to the
Lights time and money sort of dictated those
But still looks loads better than before
I'm well chuffed
I did it mainly due to the original suspension being awful to the point I didnt want ride the bike but now it rides great which was the goal
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yeah they do handle badly!
try a single round headlight?
or something similar to the s1000rr?
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Looking good, glad it worked out for you. :-)
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In what way was it handling so bad before?
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The only way I can explain is that it was like riding on a wet sponge horrible
Saying that I'm no expert on bike suspension but when I found this forum and the guide for the r1 conversion
It made sense so I did it . Now the bike that's spent a lot time unused and unloved is now my new favourite toy
Again I couldn't part with it nor could I ride it so conversion was the only way to go
And I'm so glad I did it now turns tight and feels planted beforehand it felt scary as f@@k wobly and wide every time and nose diving if I even looked at the front brake
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looks nice - i am interested in how people find the fazers handling, i have found it ok...
that said i have no other biking experience to compare it to and i have never looked into tuning the suspension but its on my to do list....
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The only thing I ever did to the 600 was change the front springs and the rear shock, it has embarrassed many a 1000 sports bike owner on the twisties including an R1 Fireblade and S1000RR. :)
Never handled so badly that it was unrideable
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Yep, it's not a bad handling bike. I recall a friend of a friend following me back from peebles way. He said to our mutual friend "that bloke on the fzs600 has the heart of a lion". Mind, he was a bit grumpy, as the 916 he was on had tried to spit him off on the a68 just south of the border - he smashed his screen with his helmet as he hung on - while he was trying to keep up.
It's a pretty good handling little bike...
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It's a pretty good handling little bike...
As I say "its not the bike it's the rider"
I've always thought that any bike is more than capable of doing what you want to do on it. I don't think any rider would be able to take a bike to its max.
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While there's a lot of truth in that - I think the 600 does make it easy for the rider. It's a very forgiving bike, and gives a good amount of feedback (with the right tyres) - it flatters a decent rider, and makes them look another stage better.
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it flatters a decent rider, and makes them look another stage better.
I've never minded looking better than I am :rollin
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While there's a lot of truth in that - I think the 600 does make it easy for the rider. It's a very forgiving bike, and gives a good amount of feedback (with the right tyres) - it flatters a decent rider, and makes them look another stage better.
Much as the Thou boys blag about their machines, in anything but a straight line, they will lose to a similarly skilled rider on a 6. The 6s handle better, turn faster, and are more responsive on the twisties. The Thous have power and 20mph more. And that's it, really.
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The Thous have power and 20mph more. And that's it, really.
And also leaves you with less money in your wallet lol
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And smelling of wee.
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A well set up 1000 is extremely flickable, but it takes more work than the 600 to get it that way. The big advantages of the well set up 600 is its weight (20Kgs lighter than the 1000) and the narrower front tyre, as this makes it quicker turn in, you can brake later into corners and get on the power sooner out of corners which is why it will beat most 1000s on the really twisty bits, but you really need to use the gearbox to the max.
As Richfzs say the 600 can be a very forgiving bike when things go wrong :)
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And smelling of wee.
Oi! Tinkle-tinkle... The Thou is a heavy old beast compared to the 6 granted, but they don't come with a zimmer frame as standard y'know!
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This is why i keep telling people to change the oil in the forks from 10w to 15w, it made a very positive difference in my opinion,and firms up the handling so it's much more stable.
I've never considered the 600 to be that bad at handling at all, in fact i've found it better than a lot of bikes i've ridden.
I'd say the VMAX was probably the most hard work for me, it was like trying to steer a rocket.
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And smelling of wee.
Oi! Tinkle-tinkle... The Thou is a heavy old beast compared to the 6 granted, but they don't come with a zimmer frame as standard y'know!
I have the fold up one which fits in the top box :lol :lol :lol
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Well known fact, thou owners smell of wee. For a long time, the thou section was titled "Wee corner".
Embrace your inner incontinence!
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Well known fact, thou owners smell of wee. For a long time, the thou section was titled "Wee corner".
It's because we can't help but piss ourselves laughing at the claims of 600 riders :rollin
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Well done, Tommy :)
Did you get the standard speedo working ok with the FZ1 sensor? Changing the rear shock over for the complete experience ;) ?
As an owner of two 600s and a 1000, I'd say the longer wheelbase of the 1000 is the most limiting factor. A 46 tooth rear sprocket and 40mm shorter 5SL R6 forks shortened my bike by about 25mm, pretty much handled as the 600 did.
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Thanks kebab the speedo was tricky wasn't working properly at first
Then a few combinations of sensor gap and washers later I think it's about right now
But still needs testing properly
To all you other foccers don't think I'm slating the fazer I've had mine for 6-7 years and I love it
Maybe my forks were low on oil maybe my springs were knackered who knows but I can tell you
All I love my fazer a bit more now than I did a couple of weeks ago
Plus there's the added pride of doing the conversion myself I love to tell people about it
R6 rear shock next when I got some more pocket money can't wait to do that
When she's finished which will probably be never I think I want a thou aswell
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When she's finished which will probably be never I think I want a thou aswell
Know the feeling, which is why I have both :)
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Which do you prefer and why ?
Never having ridden the thou Im in the dark all I know is
Sometimes I wish I had a little more grunt
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I used a 600 for a couple of weeks when my last thou was in for some work. I liked the 600, especially after having been lumbered with a GS500 for a while. I wasn't in a hurry to get the thou back exactly, as the 6 was a good bike, but I've been used to large capacity machines or looney bikes for most of my biking life, so always go back to them. You can't really go wrong with either imo. But I get some pretty long rides under my belt, so the thou is probably a bit better for that. I also like having to work to get the best out of it, again, it's what I'm used to. I'll be looking for a second bike when I've moved, but I wouldn't go for a Fazer 6 to sit with the thou. Too similar in too many ways, despite the lighter weight and revvy-er feel of the 6.
It all depends on what is the most important aspect of your riding. For town and shorter commutes, the 600 has to be a better choice. For tight, twisty B road stuff, same again. But if you want to load it up and do distance work, or on fast, open A road sweeping stuff, the thou is the better bet.
If you want more grunt, then the thou is certainly worth considering. If you'll only have one bike, I think it's the better choice. In fact, with a few mods, I still don't think anything newer really beats it by that much as a do-it-all bike. You have made your 600 handle a lot better - you can do this with the thou too.
But I wouldn't argue against either; they're both good bikes at the end of the day.
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Which do you prefer and why ?
Never having ridden the thou Im in the dark all I know is
Sometimes I wish I had a little more grunt
To be perfectly honest, I really don't know, I love the nimbleness and gearbox of the 600 and I love the power and speed of the 1000, but if I really really :'( :'( had to make a choice :'( :'( , it would probably be the 600 mainly because it is lighter.
I spent a lot of time sorting the 1000 and it now handles like the 600, but in the real twisties the 600 is definitly quicker.
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so if you going distance would you choose the thou for comfort?
And the 600 for a quickblast?
Don't mean to be a pain just want real feed back from someone who has both
And not the usual pub talker
Cheers
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so if you going distance would you choose the thou for comfort?
And the 600 for a quickblast?
Don't mean to be a pain just want real feed back from someone who has both
And not the usual pub talker
Cheers
I have used both for both, once did 800 miles two up on the 600 in 30hours when I missed the ferry from Roslare to France after riding from Cork (120 miles from Rosslare) and rerouted through the UK to Dover and down to Angers in France
Furthest I have ridden the 1000 in one day is 400 miles and 275 two up.
Downey (another one of the Foccers on here) and I did 120 miles in an hour on the 1000s coming back from the UGP last year :) did not do much for the fuel consumption. but great for the adrenaline
My wife likes going on both so which ever is closest to the garage door :lol
Unfortunately I cannot answer the question :)
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I had a Bandit 12, then FZS 600, then a FZS1000 and am now back on an FZS 600. Big engines spoil you, even if they bring a lot of extra weight to the party.
Logically, the 600 should be all you need as a road bike, providing you work it through the gearbox and keep her on the boil. It can after all do about twice the UK speed limit if properly caned.
The 1000 with its 45+ extra ponies doesn't need anywhere near the same enthusiasm & effort to get it moving at warp speed, and that extra grunt is very, very addictive. But it's heavier, taller & has a longer wheelbase. It adds up to slower handling & a slightly higher Centre-Of-Gravity which at 5'8" I occasionally struggled with.
I find myself gunning the 600 to get to 80mph, whereas I found myself cruising on the 1000 at around the same speed, then deciding to gun it. When I fitted a 46t rear sprocket on the 1000 I found myself accidently speeding almost everywhere... if you have little self-control you could amass point very easily on the bigger bike.
If you add a passenger and luggage the 600 becomes less attractive, whereas the 1000 shrugs it off.
The 1000 guzzles 25% more fuel but gives 50% more power, but the running costs are not hugely different eg I could get nearly 6k from a ST rear tyre.
I'm currently trying to resist the lure of another 1000 but both bikes make great machines as long-termers
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Think maybe stick with the 6 then I already have two bikes don't think swmbo would be to happy if I came home
With a third bike and anyways still got lots of mods to do to the 6
Thou on the back burner for now
Anyway who can tell me how to properly adjust my new usd's
Or show me link on it would be most grateful
I thought I was buying 5 jj's but then discovered they were 4 xv's that's eBay for you
Cheers
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The way speed limits are endorsed more and more strictly (unmarked cars with cameras, cameras, sensors etc) I'd be happy with a nice FZS400, if they were more widely available.
1000 is heavier, costs more (fuel, maintenance, tyres) and if you are really tired of changing gears on a 600 (with almost 100 bhp), then you could look into a nice scooter and retirement. :)
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Strangely enough I found the Fazer 400s my sons had were lovely bikes to ride and for some strange reason was a good bit lighter than the 600 even though they looked almost identical to the 98-99 model 600s with better lights.
It is a shame that all the carb Fazers were discontinued because all of them were good all rounders even the 400. The 400 was even more nimble then the 600 because of the less weight and with the 600 intake rubbers fitted would top 120mph easier
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Yup. 200 kg is a magic line for me - bikes lighter than that feel much more nimble - for both riding and pushing up hills. :)
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Slaninar: Fortunately I don't live in mainland UK, the traffic branch of the police force here are diminishing and they don't even have the budget for speed cameras. I can also do trackdays locally and if necessary get my excess road kicks via a short ferry trip to the Isle of Man. I realise that the UK has become a surveillance state, but not everywhere is as bad.
Your extra weight comment is correct, but where is your evidence that the 1000 costs more for maintenance or even tyres? Valve service intervals are the same - 24k miles. Furthermore, I never found my 1000 to chew up tyres faster than either of my 600s
The 600 makes nowhere near 100hp, it makes about 80 @ the rear wheel, which does not seem that excessive in the world of motorcycling.
Finally, I assume your scooter retirement comment refers to automatic transmission as opposed to being attracted towards smaller engined 2 wheelers ...as you appear to be :) Indeed, I believe there are 150cc bikes made in India if you really want a superlight version of a Fazer
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I've been very happy Suzuki GN125 owner. Stil take it for a ride sometimes. The thing I don't like on that motorcycle is the lack of power to run away when needed (traffic danger situations, not from cops).
The highest cost in running vehicles is tyres and fuel. 1000s are usually heavier (compared to similar 600cc) so they will run through tyres more quickly and use more fuel. Do you really want to tell me that Fazer 1000 doesn't use more fuel or tyres more than a 600?
500cc is the sweet spot IMO. 400 to 500.
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While there's a lot of truth in that - I think the 600 does make it easy for the rider. It's a very forgiving bike, and gives a good amount of feedback (with the right tyres) - it flatters a decent rider, and makes them look another stage better.
Much as the Thou boys blag about their machines, in anything but a straight line, they will lose to a similarly skilled rider on a 6. The 6s handle better, turn faster, and are more responsive on the twisties. The Thous have power and 20mph more. And that's it, really.
I'm assuming you mean both Fazers Christo?
In general it does depend on the road/track type - riding a 1000 is a completely different experience, it's about slamming up to the corner as fast as possible, braking as hard as possible, slamming it through the corner whilst minimising the time you're spending leant over and then getting it upright ASAP so you can open the throttle hard and use the engines power.
600s you can usually have a higher entry speed and you can stay leant over for longer, as you'll be able to get the throttle pretty much to the stop whilst leant over without an incoming highside!
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I've been very happy Suzuki GN125 owner. Stil take it for a ride sometimes. The thing I don't like on that motorcycle is the lack of power to run away when needed (traffic danger situations, not from cops).
The highest cost in running vehicles is tyres and fuel. 1000s are usually heavier (compared to similar 600cc) so they will run through tyres more quickly and use more fuel. Do you really want to tell me that Fazer 1000 doesn't use more fuel or tyres more than a 600?
500cc is the sweet spot IMO. 400 to 500.
Not Fazers, but I've got a ZX-9R, my best mate has a ZX-6R. Assuming we ride the same roads (we're about similar abilities), we use almost identical amounts of fuel. On long motorway runs though my 9 is actually better - tends to get about 53mpg sitting at 80-90 where as Tom's 6 gets around 50! I would imagine I might use tyres slightly faster, but in my ownership of 1000s and 600s I've not noticed a massive difference to be honest?
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Not Fazers, but I've got a ZX-9R, my best mate has a ZX-6R. Assuming we ride the same roads (we're about similar abilities), we use almost identical amounts of fuel. On long motorway runs though my 9 is actually better - tends to get about 53mpg sitting at 80-90 where as Tom's 6 gets around 50! I would imagine I might use tyres slightly faster, but in my ownership of 1000s and 600s I've not noticed a massive difference to be honest?
I am sure 1000 is more fuel economic on the motorway, no doubt about that. Tested. However, after a year of riding, which bike will cost more for fuel and tyres: 600, or the 1000. From all I know, 1000 will use both more fuel and more tyres for the same mileage/riding style. Unless you ride motorways over 50% of your entire riding.
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Slaninar: Two posts above your original, in relation to fuel consumption, I stated:
The 1000 guzzles 25% more fuel but gives 50% more power
Regarding tyres, I'd say the difference in wear is not that significant: I've managed to get 6k out of a rear BT023 on the 1000 and am not sure if I'll get much more with the same tyre type fitted to my current 600. Perhaps its riding style (mild fear & subliminal restraint on the 1000 versus feeling confident enough to push the 600 on a bit more) but Joe Rock's post makes me think I'm not alone here.
However, Tommy asked for owners who had experiences of owning both Fazers and not just pub talkers :) So for me, I've loved both bikes, but loved the 1000 just a bit more
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I've had the fzs600 and currently have a fzs1000. I can't coment on tyres as I've never worn any out. Mpg the 600 did almost 60mpg the 1000 does slightly above 50mpg I like the extra size and weight of the 1000 and the torque alowing less gear changes I ride steady (slow) anyway so the perceived handling / performance difference doesn't matter to me. But I do like the 1000.
Andy
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I always forget I did actually own an FZS 600 for a while :lol
To be honest as others have said, the 600 handles a bit better as stock (the 1000 shock is crap - although less so for me than most as I'm lighter than most and its at least easy to sort). The 1000 obviously packs a fair bigger engine punch.
Personally, I think for every circumstance (bar commuting - and I mean if that was ALL you did on it) I'd take the 1000 - for me at least the extra weight is more than mitigated by the extra power, and I also found it more comfortable (one and two up) than the 600.
The 600 I didn't have for long - whilst a very capable bike having owned larger bikes for a couple of years before I got very bored with the engines performance
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Has anyone tried fitting a thou engine to thier 6?
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Or just buy an R1 and fit a Renthal conversion. Best of both worlds, and a Hell of a lot easier to do. 8)
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Fair point, well made :rollin
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Just had a similar dilemma on deciding which Fazer to get, in the end I got a Gen 1 thou, I too have got used to 'big' capacity bikes over the years, with the exception of a 95 CBR600 which was awesome....too awesome in fact I had to sell it before I lost my licence!. But what is nice about a big cc bike is the grunt ! overtaking cars without having to rev the tits off it is a big + point.......my mate always says ' A good big un beats a good little un' . As for the thou being more expensive to run...who cares, mine's only used in the summer these days, whatever you ride enjoy it :lol
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Just logged on first time in ages seen this post up the order and thought I would share feelings on the fork conversion after having it done for a while
Well worth it not as difficult as I thought it would be to do. people were saying they didn't
Think the forks were that bad in the first place
I still think it has made a massive difference to the handling not being a riding God myself
I can only explain by saying that the bike
Just feels way more stable than before
Which has made me feel more confident
And in turn improved my riding ability
I seem to be more in control maybe that's
All in my mind but that's the effect of it for me
Well worth it in my opinion
And the main thing is I'm enjoying my bike
More than ever
Which is the most important thing !!!!
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Be careful when riding near hedges ;)