After eight years of ownership, I've only just started monitoring the fuel consumption on my Fazer and I've been quite surprised at how good it is. There's been the odd track day when it's done a tank in 80 miles, but also the odd long distance jaunt on the continent when I've seen over 200 miles on a tank, but even on my commute it's been getting over 46 to the gallon, and that's whanging it around, revving the nuts off it as well as 30 miles of motorway. Is there no end to the surprises this amazing bike keeps giving us?


I really need to buy another and keep it under a sheet for when mine finally gives up the ghost.

DON'T PANIC!

Ok, worst case scenario goes like this. Second gear, give it a handful, hit a bump, huge clattering sound from the gearbox. No drive in second.


That's what happened to me at 45000. I had the bike trailered back home, whipped the engine out and took the sump pan off. Second gear was missing a number of teeth. Now, about 10,000 miles earlier, I'd missed a gear on a track day and when it went back in, it made the most almighty bang and I'd always wondered what that did to the box. Turns out, it was probably knocking seven colours out of second gear. Having said that, it was always slipping out of second, and from what I hear Yamaha R1 gearboxes are also prone to this as well. Known problem.


I'll bet this isn't what you want hear .. . .


Anyway, stripping the whole thing down and replacing that one gear was way more expensive that getting a second hand engine unit, so that's what I did. Took a couple of days to swap the two units, but this replacement has never slipped out of gear and I'm up at 91,000 miles now. I see on eBay tonight, there's one for £330. Way cheaper than getting dealer to strip the engine.


I hope it's not as serious as this. I really do, but if it is, don't panic, it can be rectified.

PS. Did you know that Goldfren is actually an anagram of ' ohshitohshitohshiti'mgoingtofuckingdieaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhhh' ?

ROFLMAO!

I don't think that Goldwing's fairing is tall enough. How's about this. I measured the Fazer up, I reckon I could make it fit ..

I rebuilt the callipers last year and the genuine seals were 100 quid odd. Nearly shat mesen at the price. Makes me feel better having spent all that, sorry to say.

Nope, but you'll be pleased to know that you don't have to take the swing arm out to replace it, as the Yamaha people will tell you! Does that help? Probably not. I think they were about 20 odd quid when I had to replace mine.

+2 for that. A fortnight and it starts to get a bit unhappy. Datatool Evo. Lovely bike though. Clean as a whistle.

You've bought one of the greatest bikes ever made. Glad you've joined the club!

£2200? that's a good buy! Who needs the latest when you can get that. Such fantastic value for money.

You're right as usual Pitternator, it is about feel, but the ZZR does move the game on for me. Compared to the Fazer, it feels taught, stable, smooth and well . . . modern.


I finally took the plunge and bought a ZZR today and it has to be said, I did wonder what I've done when I lit up the rear tyre in the wet for the fourth time on the way back from the dealer, and I wasn't anywhere near full throttle.


Where can I use it, well, you know bikes, anywhere and nowhere, but buying bikes is more about usability, feel and experience for me too. The FZ1 doesn't have the right qualities compared to the FZS. The big Kwak, I think does. You want torque? Character? It's ossum, as the Americans would say. Only the Multistrada came close, and right now I don't have the money for one of those.


I didn't buy it just for the speed, although it certainly is a hoot from that point of view, but because until I find a next generation Fazer-like machine with the right qualities, for me it's the next best thing out there, and I like sports tourers. It's riding position is actually quite VFR, for instance. Having looked for a replacement for the FZS for the last couple of years and tried many many bikes, it's the only one that's really appealed.


Anyway, my Fazer is now too old for breakdown insurance on the continent and it's way past 90,000 miles old, so I had to get something for the big trip this year... and, as it happens, 5k can buy an early ZZR with 10,000 on the clock which is within a few hundred quid of what you'd pay for a decent FZ1 Fazer with the same miles, so what the heck. And the insurance is only an extra hundred quid a year. And I've still got the Fazer.


Hmm.

If I sound like someone trying to justify a purchase to himself, you'd be right. I have some very mixed feelings about it. I think I need some Foccer Forum therapy. Oh well, at worst, it's going to be a hell of a stop gap until the next bike!

Agree with everything said so far. As a road bike, it's without peer.


I'm halfway to buying a ZZR1400 at the moment (too much is never enough) but I can't help come back to the fact that the Fazer is the most practical bike for 95% of the riding I do. Which is why I've had the same bike for the last 8 years. Damnit, why didn't Yamaha just update the handling of the Gen 1 rather than botch the job with a titchy tank, rock hard seat and uninspiring engine. Roll on the Crossplane Fazer.


In the meantime, I rather suspect it's ZZR1400 and bar risers for me. And no, I'm not selling the Fazer, just in case.

You know what? That really works. I wasn't expecting it to. And a cracking bit of workmanship too. Brilliant.