Sorry to hear of the death of the great Chris Vincent. I was born in Sparkhill,Birmingham only a stones throw away from the B.S.A. factory and when we were kids we used to go down there and see if we could get up the wooden hill which was part of the test track on our bikes or go down it the wrong way on our soap box carts,of course this was only when the place was shut after work hours when the bike testers weren't going round,as I got older and more interested in bikes I'd sometimes  wag off school and spend hours watching them testing the latest models and was always disappointed if it was a day of bantam testing or C15's when I wanted to see the rockets and goldies etc,of course I wouldn't have known what the models were at the time but soon got to know them and sometimes Chris Vincent would be there with his outfit,to be fair he never took any notice of me and would often tell us to bugger off and stop gawking and hanging about. I'd just mooch off somewhere where he couldn't see me and wait till he went round and I found a great place by the cricket pavilion to watch him and I remember actually being frightened by the sound and speed with which he came passed,but I would always watch him from there after that.The strangest thing was he never had a passenger in with him when he was there,just himself.I think he's still the only person to have won a sidecar TT race on a british bike in 1962 a B.S.A. of course ! When I started to go to Mallory with my older brother I would go into the paddock and hope he recognised me from those early days but he never did,I always wanted him to win though I felt like I knew him,silly ay? R.I.P. Chris

Hi, i'm Jason from the Netherlands and proud owner of my 2003 fz1. It's called Yamaha fzs 1000 fazer over here. This is my second bike and also my second fazer. My first bike was the fzs 600. I bought the 1000 with a broken oil/waterpump so it had some work but today was the first time i could really put it to the test. I knew the 600 was a pretty fast bike but holy shit... this is something else. Altough it's far from finished i can't wait to take it out again. It needs some fresh paint and i have the ivans jet kit to be fitted.
I'm 37 by the way and live in the north of the Netherlands near Assen.

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I was hoping to get the foot pegs and hanger/heel plate assembly powder coated. However the hanger is rubber mounted and would melt in the oven. Anyone have a suggestion for removing them undamaged, as although they are available, they’re foccing expensive.

[size=1.35em]What is it?[/size]

The FZ600 Fazer was released in 1998 and was best in class and by 2003 had sold over 80k units. The bike is beloved bike and is considered by many owners one of the best all-round motorcycles, giving current bikes a run for their money. With the Fazer, Yamaha got the basics right and that’s what makes it such a great bike. The tank range is long, the seat comfortable, the fairing effective, the brakes sharp and the motor strong in the mid-range and extremely reliable. The suspension may be a bit baggy, but if that’s the Fazer’s only real fault 22 years after it was launched then that’s not bad going. The only fly in the ointment is for London riders this bike isnt Euro3 compliant, but for £175 they can take it to Riverbank motorcycles (the only emission testing center in London) to get the bike registered as ulez compliant.[size=1.35em]

Specification:[/size]

• Engine: 599cc, DOHC liquid-cooled inline four
  
• Power: 95bhp @ 11,500rpm
  
• Torque: 61.2ftlb @ 9500rpm
  
• Weight: 200Kg (dry)
  
• Seat Height 815mm/32”
  
• Wheelbase: 1460
  
• Tank size: 18 liters
  
• Tyres: 110/60-ZR17 and 160/60-ZR17
  

• While the early Mk1's have their charm, they are not without their issues. Most notably the woefully inadequate front headlight. Now that LED bulbs are legal its recommended that owners should replace the stock bulbs asap
  

• TBC
  

• Just like the other Fazer models, the sub-frame and headlight won't survive if any part of the front gets a hard enough side impact. And by that I mean the sub-frame (that the headlight & whole front fairing mounts to) gets tweaked so things don't line up perfectly anymore. And some or all of the headlight mounts get snapped off. So like I and other owners do, find and buy some spares - levers, mirrors, indicators, infill panels, a sub-frame, a headlamp 
  
• The handlebars if hit hard enough and at the right/wrong angle will bend in a drop.
  

• TBC
  

• There are loads of choices out there, but most owners fit after-market stainless headers & link pipes due to the cheap black painted OEM system rotting away in the UK climate.
  

• For a start the suspension is firm but harsh and poorly controlled. So new owners will need to set up the suspension for their weight and riding style.
  

• Owners need to regularly check the front sprocket washer and nut as these have a habit of coming loose. Here is a link to a comprehensive post by Gnasher explaining why you should use Loctite 270 - https://foc-u.co.uk/index.php?topic=2700...#msg326411
  

• The brakes are the same fantastic blue spot calipers as found on a lot of Yamaha motorcycles. The popular mod is to replace the old hoses with braided.
  

• Renthals are popular
  

• If, like me, you have medium sized hands you may want to install a span-adjustable lever. The FZ1 has the same useless cable-based clutch that the FZS had, which has clutch biting point foibles.
  

• The MK2 has same ones as fitted to the FZS1000.
  

• Always inspect the suspension linkages as they are prone to seizing and, by now, the suspension units themselves will probably be needed a rebuild or refresh, so look for any weeps and check their damping by bouncing the bike up and down.
  
• Front forks - tbc
  

• If you are planning on checking the valve clearances yourself (need to confirm mileage intervals) a service manual such as those from Haynes & Clymer is always recommended.
  

• minor every (tbc) major every (TBC), valve clearance every (tbc).
  

• This is relatively easy on the both the Mk1/Mk2
  

• Given the age of the bike it is worthwhile going through all of the electrical connector blocks on the bike checking for corrosion and making repairs where necessary. An electrical contact cleaner spray can be used to de-grease and clean both the inside & outside of the blocks, the outside of the blocks should be treated sparingly with a product that will repel water and prevent corrosion such as dielectric grease or ACF50. Particular attention should be given to both the larger connectors below left hand-side subframe where the regulator/rectifier resides.
  

• Sloiw return to idle can be caused by a few things, most fo which are common (sticking throttle cable, sticking slides etc). But a not so common faul is a partially or fully blocked breather - https://foc-u.co.uk/index.php?topic=27419.0
  

• Headlight bulb mod, both side on - link
  
• Boxeye to Foxeye conversion - link
  
• Replace stock headers - link and link
  

• Replace stock headers - link
  

• Info on fitting an A2 restrictor kit - link
  

hey fellow fazer fans. i’m Mark and found this place from a fz1 youtube video so i checked it out and had to join up. im a life long yamaha guy that came from my dad who used to have yds3 250 rd’s including a very cool v4 rd500 so i was a big 2 stroke fan and i had rd’s tzr’s for my first bikes and now i own a fzs600 and a 09 fz1 with a few street fighter mods and a 16t/48t front/rear sprocket ratio that gives the low to midrange torque you were missing at the expense of 7mph top speed and it’s a much quicker bike to ride than before. it’s a work in progress but it’s pretty close to how i want it and i can’t wait for the summer to enjoy it lol

I'm 16 and got my 99 FZS 600 (gold) from my dad after it sat for 12 years. Just here looking for advice as I'd like to get it ready and restricted to be A2 compliant when I'm 19 (I'm 17 on the 21st of Feb) which is in 2 years. I'm doing mechanics at college so am quite proficient with tools and my knowledge for my age so don't worry about it. Have had the bike in pieces last summer getting it to run and this year hope to get it running perfectly so I can move on to other aspects. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Suitable for Gen 1 FZS1000. Expandable tank bag, with map pocket,carry handle and shoulder strap. £80 posted to mainland UK.

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I took the side panels off a month or so ago whilst I did a bit of tinkering.
Went to refit them and noticed that both of the top rubbers are missing.
Looking at the exploded diagram on Fowler’s website it shows the rubbers at the bottom but the top is shown as being attached to the air box cover not the frame.
Does anyone know if the top rubbers are the same as the bottom?

Titanium Akrapovic slip-on. Very good condition. Cash on collection only from NE23 near Cramlington, Northumberland. £125

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Hi AllFirst DIY service due on my new (to me) 2003 FZS600. Would appreciate any links to decent online parts suppliers for filters, plugs and oil.  Any tips and advice gratefully receivedThanksMike J