I dont think any other road user  has such an arrogant single minded pomposity as the cyclist...

 

Look them in the top of their ear (left or right) while talking to them. It will feel very strange, they will think you're a bit crazy, psycho, scary. Be nice, patient, answer questions shortly, honestly, while always looking in the top of their ear, instead of their eyes.      And try not to break unpleasant silence. When asked a question, answer with yes/no if possilbe and then shut up.

Just wanted to say, after 2nd year of owning a Fazer and reading this forum/site:
it is an excellent place. Loads of useful tips, advice, manuals, experience etc.

Been looking for similar forums for helping with my mate's Honda CBF600 and SWMBO's Peugeot 106, and couldn't find anything nearly as good. Only then did I fully realise how good FOC is. Cheers! 

Celeron 2.66Hz 1 GB ram onboard graphics intel 82865G
 
It wasn't anywhere near top spec when I bought it, it was cheap
It's used as my business pc so doesn't do much more than internet surfing .
It's been fine for years but is slowly getting slowly if you know what I mean.

Works OK:

http://antivirus.comodo.com/


I would suggest format, fresh XP SP3 (or Service Pack 2 at least), good antivirus and firewall.
Then install programs you need, Firefox and it should be OK.


Celeron, 1GB RAM - it could have some problems loading and processing pages with lots of flashy effects. But it should WORK OK. Perhaps 1GB RAM more could help, but it should be fine the way it is (for surfing at least). Just make sure it is virus and ad ware free and you don't run too many programs (especially "in the background") you don't need.

Perfect combination for me is:

Topbox hard (rear) - keeps stuff locked and 100% dry. Good for bulky but light things.

Soft side panniers (rear) - good for stuff that doesn't have to be locked while you take a leak. Moderately heavy/bulky stuff.

Soft tank top box - good for heavy stuff, doesn't affect balance. Can easily be dismounted and carried along at every stop, so OK for wallet, phone, passport etc, but you need to remember to carry it.


Last spring I travelled the North of Italy and at most stops I carried topbox and helmet with me when I had to leave bike.


Soft luggage is cheaper and harder to destroy. It can get torn, but you can saw/tape it. Hard boxes are almost useless if racks or boxes themselves get damaged.

I wouldn't risk it for a small saving of a filter cost, so change filter on every oil change. I also think HiFlo is good enough.


I am a bit curious:
Why 3k oil changes? I thought those 1000 cc engines are good enough for 4, or even 6 k mile changes?

Would Motul 7100 (full synth) and 5 k oil changes be simpler and cheaper?

so...the fazer 600 had them two little boxy lights.....then the 02/ 03 ones were the Foxeye? (there the ones with the front end the same as my Thou.) then the 04 turned into the FZ6? (which isn't referred to as the Foxeye)
 
I'm not interested in them but a friend is looking at getting one.

Exactly. The FZ6 was all the way with foxeyes, so is not referred to as foxeye.

Foxeye is used just to note a difference between old carbed fazers (FZS600 models). It is a big difference (better lights and a bigger fueltank). That's why foxeyes cost up to 600 euros more in my country (2001 boxeye vs 2002 foxeye in similar condition are like 2000 vs 2500 euros).

Thanks!

I have a feeling there will be a hell machine made soon.

DO NOT try to race with black fazers in Spain this summer!

I've just remembered something which has been kicking around the back of my mind since this discussion started.

In WWII the Americans had a project called "Yehudi" which involved putting lights on the front of aircraft to camouflage them. Now this may sound ridiculous, but what it meant is that rather that having a dark aeroplane which would show up against a lighter sky, by brightening the silhouette of the aeroplane, it could be made to "disappear" by removing the contrast between the plane and the sky.

As such, this gives a reason why Hi-Viz isn't suitable for all conditions, eg a bright sunny day where the light colour of the Hi-Viz would actually "fade" into the background instead of standing out, making the biker less visible.

Even in bright day light, Hi-Vis jackets catch my attention quickly.

Looking for a filter to install with Ivans Kit and saw Hiflo filters on ebay for approx £20, K&N and Piper £36 and BMC around £40.

Is this Hiflo a High Flow filter or direct replacement for standard ?

I could not find any info on filter regards spec but one link suggested that HiFlo also make K&N filters or it was the other way round.

I,m presuming its a paper version of K&N and not washable ,anyone ?????????

Also having watched my carb rubbers deteriorate the past 3 years just checked depth of one of the cracks @ 3.67mm which was a bit scary, still a couple of mm left but not worth the effort of porting .

Just trying to say that the crazing/cracking of boots is not something to get paranoid about but dont ignore it for too long.

Hiflo are good quality filters. However, they are (probably, not 100% sure) replacement for stock, OEM Yamaha filters. That means they are paper. Not reusable, washable and not that much of a HIGH FLOW. More like ordinary paper one.

K&N and BMC are similar quality, high flow, reusable (wash, dry, re-oil).


Carb rubbers. I wouldn't sweat it. Just wait until they are bust, then (have them) replace(d).

Cheers

P.S. Hope more experienced foccers will correct this if I said something really stupid. 

Does anyone know if being a Biker was or is llikely to be recognised as a religion, I remember there is some right if a certain number of people declared this in the last census. If so, perhaps we could all claim in the name of religious persecution and get loads of cash for being upset by the very thought of the state inflicting their anti biking views on us. 

Yes, officer. Speed limit does conflict with my religious beliefs. Yes. Peace be with you officer. 

Right
Ranty time!
Prologue. I ride with my headlights on ALL the time, day, night, spring summer autumn winter, always have , always will, ok?
1. Had three serious impacts with other vehicles in 27 years of riding. None of them my fault, due to other peoples stupidity.
All happened when I was a DR wearing hi-viz with the company logo etc.
2. Nearly got written off by some twat coming round a corner on the wrong side of the road about 20 years ago. Hi-viz would have been pointless
seeing as how it was a blind bend. It was my Dad.
3. Saw a crash 3 weeks ago not 50 yards from my house when one guy turned right across the path of an oncoming vehicle in broad daylight.
Neither car was wearing Hi-viz. Could this be a contributing factor?
4. Ever seen a Ford Capri trying to get on a bus? A big orange and white double decker bus? No? Cant get more Hi-viz than that.
5. Imagine the manufacturers of hi-viz stuff in France rubbing their hands with glee as they double the price of everything!!
6. Last mishap I had involved some silly bint reversing into me in her Toyota Avensis. Poor lass was mortified because;
a. Her husband was a biker.
b. She admitted she didnt even look, because she didnt ' think' anyone was behind her.
7. Russell.
Russell got knocked of his bike a number of years ago on the A6 in Stockport by a woman pulling out of a side street.
Madam would not admit liability even though it was clearly her fault.
Why?
Because he was on a motorbike and she was in a car and motorbikes are supposed to give way to cars.
The judge was not amused and shreded her licence on the spot
8. Was once asked when I was a courier by some silly sod who had just got out of a big flash car at the company I was collecting from
how long it would take me to get to Birmingham from Manchester. When I said it didnt take long on the M6, matey boy said;
Oh, I didnt know motorbikes were allowed on the motorway!
Very observant
Bottom line is, you could be riding around inside the planet Venus, but the morons will still get you, simply because they just dont look!!
Sorry about the big rant, but it gets on my tits that we are to blame for other peoples shit driving,
and I will consider hi-viz clothing, maybe, the moment that all drivers are forced to put their FUCKING HEADLIGHTS ON at night
instead driving around with 2 glow worms in dirty jam jars to illuminate their way.
Even when its pissing down.........
Double standards or what?
..............9.........10.

Your experience is very small to be statistically accurate. If you flip a coin ten times and get 7 tails, it doesn't mean that the head side is heavier, just means you haven't flipped it enough times. Do you really believe that hi-vis jacket is not more visible? Come on?

I know that when riding in the night and mist, I see Hi-vis jackets a lot (A LOT) sooner than my lights actually illuminate the wearer. If I see a cyclists blinking read light at 200 meters, my dip lights illuminate him at 150 meters and hi-vis jacket is lit the first at some 300 - 400 meters no problem. Also in day light, I see a cyclist with hi-vis jacket - it somehow sticks out from the rest of the vehicles.

There is no doubt hi-vis is safer. It is just a matter of whether it should be obligatory. Because once you go that line, that state is too concerned about safety, that would mean:
- no motorcycle riding at all
- no playing football because you could get injured and miss work, just yoga and jogging
- no loud music because it damages ears
- no smoking in pubs... or is that already enforced in the EU?

etc. Making idiots out of people!

See, even the spell checker doesn't recognize "hi-viz"! 

I heard a biker had an eye operation and it worked very good for him. 3, or 4 k euros it cost him though. Said it was one of the best investments he made.