View the centre's website here: Westend Outdoor Centre

[size=1.45em]See more pictures here[/size]


[size=1.45em]Pricing[/size]

Gone up for 2010 (£270 per night for £250) hence places work out at be £27 each for the three nights in a luxuriously appointed bunk bed.

[size=1.45em]Note: spaces have all booked up quickly this year - please don't let this put you off coming - see the sections on camping and dossing down [/size]

Normally those who subsequently cannot make it will get their deposit/money back, dependent upon the timing i.e once I have committed to the food spend which is usually around a week prior then refunds will only be made if your place can be passed on.  Otherwise the shortfall has to be covered by those who have attended.  As last year you have plenty of time to book the time off; that said I appreciate "stuff" happens and can't be avoided - be assured I will try me very best to refund you if this happens.

Food/beer will be around £35-£40 per head - the non meat eaters and tee-totalers get a corresponding reduction on the cost. 

This has always been a three night event.  If you want to stay for less then fine, but again I've booked for three nights so you pay for three nights.  Last year (2010) people not staying Sunday did get a discount but only because there was a surcharge this year.  I had considered a system whereby those wanting only two nights paid more per night but less in total than those staying for three but it depends on numbers but its too much hassle for me.

Popping over for one night only? Normally anyone who turns up on the Sunday (or other night but there is unlikely to be any spare bunks on the Fri and Sat) and takes a vacated bunk chucks some money in the kitty.

Saturday Entertainment

Of the musical variety.................will look to book the band again for the Saturday night - Les has offered to bring along his band but Steve says they are shit

Payment

You can pay me cheque, Paypal or Bank Transfer (preferred)

send email to 2011@springmeet.co.uk and I will forward the details

Please DO NOT use the Yuku PM feature!

Beverages

Sufficient quantities of alcoholic and non-alcholic are provided

Food

There will be the usual (excellent local butchers) BBQ fayre for the Friday and Saturday nights together with the usual snacks etc

For Sunday night this time will go for the  steak pie, peas, mash, gravy option.

There will be full cooked breakfast on the Sat and Sun mornings.


Camping (NOT FREE)

There are quite large grounds attached to the centre which can be used for camping

The following rates apply:
£5 per person per night, or £10 per tent per night
(payable to me to subsequently pay the proprietor).  On top of the camping fees campers will have to pay the food/beer/entertainment charge.

I have a family type tent (will sleep six) and another Vango tent (sleeps two realistically) which I can erect for anyone who wants to camp but doesn't fancy lugging a tent with them?

Dossing Down Inside (also NOT FREE)

There are two first floor lounge areas in the bunkhouse (one which lends itself perfectly as a overflow sleeping area). There are no beds but I can provide (free of charge - as I am a Lancastrian not a Yorkshireman) a limited number of air beds.

I have cleared this with the proprietor, however, as he is a proper Yorkshireman, there will be a £5 per person per night charge


This is an alternative to camping at similar cost but all you need to bring is a sleeping bag. This option will be limited to a maximum of ten people (due to space and I only have five airbeds and only two of them currently work - this should be resolved for 2011 and I can look at getting some more or even borrowing some camp beds).

Bookings/Bunk Allocation
1 - Moffmeister (paid in full)
2 - Stualdino (deposit paid £15)
3 - Looney Tunes & Mrs Looney
5 - MurphySG (deposit paid £9)
6 - Imagine Beer Slag
7 - Chrisbiker (paid in full)
8 - Billy600
9 - Krisdookie & Fluffs (deposit paid £9)
11 - Matty
12 - Marchride
13 - Eddie & Val (deposit paid £67)
15 - aroughcircle
16 - Neilly71 (deposit paid £30)
17 - Mrs & Mrs Scragmeister
19 - Master Scragmeister
20 - Nakedadder (deposit paid £50)
21 - Hobbsy (deposit paid £50)
22 - Fazerboy + The Undertaker (deposit paid £50)
24 - Sheldon22
25 - Bigmac +1 (deposit paid £60)
27 - Lastinspace (deposit paid £60)
28 - Frosty Fingers
29 - Bigralphie (deposit paid £12)
30 - Colin (deposit paid £30)

Campers
31 - Oldgit (deposit paid £25)
32 - Alex Watson (deposit paid £25)
33 - Streethawk

Reserves

Richy
Hamos

Mongolian Wok - all you can eat Buffet

1pm onwards in Bedford


3a The Broadway
Bedford
Bedfordshire
England
MK40 2TJ

Not the most exciting of tests  :rolleyes

Attached Files

  yamaha_88026_2010_fz1fazer_eur_logo_001_cmyk copy.jpg (Size: 25.46 KB / Downloads: 3)

Originally posted by MikeGTX, alias Falcon 269
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For anyone who's looking to replace the bearings on their Fazer 1000, the following is a list of the bearing types and sizes you'll need.

While you can get most of these from bearing factors all over the UK, I strongly recommend you contact Marc at BikeBearings UK (http://www.bikebearings.co.uk/) as this chart would not have been possible without a great deal of research and cooperation on his part. His prices are very competitive and he deserves our trade, I believe. 

Marc's website lists all the necessary bearings in specific kits for front, rear and the rear sprocket carrier. He also offers taper roller bearing sets for the steering head.

I hope you find this useful and that it saves you time and expense buying replacement bearings at inflated Yamaha dealer prices.

Cheers

Mike


Front Wheel Bearings & Seals BikeBearings UK kit YA004
2 x 60/22 2RS sealed race ball bearings
2 x 28mm x 44mm x 7mm seals

Rear Wheel Bearings & Seal BikeBearings UK kit YA001
1 x Koyo or INA sealed needle bearing ref bkm354220-1UU
1 x 60/28 2RS sealed race ball bearing
1 x 35mm x 52mm x 8mm seal

Sprocket Carrier Bearing & Seal BikeBearings UK kit YA002
1 x Koyo 62/28 2RS sealed race ball bearing
1 x 40mm x 58mm x 7mm seal

Tapered Steering Head Bearings BikeBearings UK kit YA003
1 x Koyo 32005JR taper roller bearing - internal diameter 25mm
1 x Koyo 32006JRRS taper roller bearing with bonded seal - internal diameter 30mm

Suspension linkage bearings, collars & seals no kit name.
They're not listed but Marc knows which ones are required. Get in touch and tell him what you need.
2 x 93317-31771-00 BEARING (HMK1720C/2A)
4 x 93317-21746-00 BEARING (HMK 1715C/2A)

He can't, though, help you with the oil seals and spacer bushes. You will need genuine Yamaha parts. That said, you can re-use the seals if they're in reasonable condition and you remove them carefully.
Part numbers are:
8 x 93109-17071-00 OIL SEAL
1 x 90387-102R4-00 COLLAR (ie spacer bush)
1 x 90387-127W0-00 COLLAR
2 x 90387-126Y1-00 COLLAR

Inner Ring/Collar (this is the collar that goes on the left hand side) INNER RING
1 x 28x35x32mm


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If not using bikebearings.co.uk

When it comes to buying the bearings and seals, try to opt for European make rather than Japanese, as they are invariably higher quality.

RHP/SKF are a good bet for the bearings, and BSL (Bearing Service Ltd) are an excellent source in most decent size towns (and wolverhampton).

Try to haggle on the price, as you will probably be quoted full list and it's not uncommon for trade to get discounts of up to 70%

I have raised a new chain, as the FZ6 connection layout is slightly different to previous models.

Heres my account, and would suggest reading through other postings as well, as thats what I went by. Sorry, no photos but havent moved into digital age yet.

Tools / materials required
For the actual job.
1 to 1.5m of suitable wire. (Cost about 1.00)
(Black is least conspicuous or green if you wish to comply with colour of feed wire.)
1 x 8mm right angled female spade connector.
(About 50p from vehicle electrical outlet or scrap car/bike dealer for nothing.)
1 or 2 suitable wire connector for new connection. (Spade or bullet connectors, about 50p again.)
1 pair wire crimpers / cutters. (Pliers may suffice.)
1 length of wood or similar to support tank open. About 45 to 60cm or so.
New brighter headlight bulbs ? If youre considering upgrading bulbs nows a good time to do it.

For access to parts.
4mm hex key.
5mm hex key.
10mm spanner or socket.
Philips screw driver.

Preparation
Disconnect and remove both right and left fairing inners, as tank cannot be lifted with them in place.
2 bolts on outside of fairing each side, 1 either side of clocks, and tiny plastic screw under mirror stalks. (4mm hex key + Philips screw driver)
Unlock and remove seat to allow tank to be raised.
Disconnect 2 fuel tank front mounting bolts + raise tank. (5mm hex key)
Support with piece of wood propped against head stock.
Disconnect battery for safety purposes. (10mm socket or Phillips screw driver)
Switch of fuel supply. (I didnt bother with this bit though.)

Trace wiring loom from left handlebar control to where it meets with a multi connector.

This connector is located behind the headstock, just in front of battery box, with wires feeding to it through an opening in LHS of frame. (There is no connection box as on previous models.)
Pull 2 halves of multi connector apart for clarity.
You will see (I think) 11 wires from handlebar to connector and only 10 coming out the other side.
The spare GREEN feed wire is the one we want.

Connections
Cut or prise this wire free from connector.
Crimp new female insulated connector to green wire and male to new wire and connect together, possibly wrap in insulating tape or heat shrink to keep water out.
Run new wire through frame opening and follow main wiring loom around LHS of fairing, under the lights on towards RH headlight, securing in place with insulating tape or tie wraps as you see fit.

You will notice there are more multi wiring connectors on the inside of LH fairing.
I put a further bullet connector here so that, should I ever need to remove the fairing, I can disconnect all wires at one place without requiring access to the other connectors.

At the headlight.
Cut wire to appropriate length, allowing a little slack to man-handle it.
Crimp 8mm right angled spade connector to wire.
Remove light connector block from light and open flap on back to gain access.
Insert 8mm spade into the free space in connector and push in firmly.
Push connector onto headlight.
Tidy up any loose wire in the vicinity.

At this point refit / reconnect the battery and check everything works OK. WHICH IT WILL.
Both lights should now work on dipped beam, and the RH one will go out in preference for the other filament on full beam.
If theres any problem, check all connections, otherwise start to put everything back together.

Reassembly
Tighten up any other connections in the vicinity of battery and connectors that may have been loosened to gain access.
Turn petrol back on.
Lower petrol tank + secure.
THEN refit fairing inners.
Refit the rubber boots that go around mirror stalks.
Notice that there are rubber knobs on the rear of these gaiters which locate into holes in fairing.
Take a few seconds to locate these correctly for a good fit.
Refit seat.
Start bike to ensure no other issues. (See footnote)

AND THATS ABOUT IT !
EASY, EH ?


Now the points where I had a bit of hassle.

The multi connector located at the rear of the headstock is poked into a very tight space through an opening in the main frame on the LHS.

Unfortunately, on my bike, the wiring loom had very little slack in it and due to other cables routing through the same opening there wasnt sufficient space to pull the whole connector through this opening in order to reach the wire that you want. 

So, if yours is the same, here you have 2 options.
1. Simply cut the GREEN wire at the most accessible point + make connection there.
(In retrospect, although not ideal, this is perhaps the easiest option.) 
2. Continue to rummage around until you are able to free the connector.
(The choice I took + was somewhat more fiddly.) 

The reason I persevered was simply that I was not confident enough to go cutting wires until I was 100% convinced that it was not already connected to something else !!
However I can now confirm that it IS the GREEN wire which you require, however it is up to you to determine where it is safe to cut.

In order to gain enough free space to get at the multi connector I ended up removing the battery, and loosening the battery tray and various other bits and bobs in the vicinity so I could get my fat hands far enough in to wiggle the connector free.
None of this was difficult but it was pretty fiddly and frustrating given that I expected this to be a very quick job. Hence I refer you back to option 1 above !

Once you have the connector free proceed as in the main text above.
NB - The only difficult bit was getting TO the connector.
Once I had that free, it was extremely easy.


Problem starting bike ?
If the bike wont start, do not immediately assume you have mucked up something major in the ignition, immobiliser or alarm. Remember to check that the kill switch hasn’t been knocked by accident !!
This will be obvious to experienced bikers but somebody else WILL forget, AS I DID !!!   

Good luck and dont be put off by my lengthy description.
I may have just been unlucky !

Cheers.
Rich.

NB. This is purely an account of my experience, and I obviously accept no liability for any mistakes, accidents, or other consequences however caused, of anyone choosing to follow a similar process.
You do so at your own risk.

*****

I've had a look at this in more detail and can confirm that the connection plug is in a right bitch of a place.

One thing you new guy's will have to be careful of is cutting wires its a sure way of defaulting your warranty.

RD's idea of an intermediate connection is a good idea for isolation for fairing removal and MOT's.

The connection in the plug is reversed from the old style ones, to marry up the plug correctly you should use a male connector. With the right fitments you would only have to push in the new extra connector into the block job done.

*****

This is my account of what happened today.........

I lifted tank, and decided I was gonna go the whole hog of removing stuff to get to connector, so removed battery, hoping to take battery box out, realised that the air box was holding battery box in, removed top of air box, but still the battery box lugs were underneath this, since the battery box was of flimsy plastic, I pushed the lugs out but to no avail - the battery box looked like it was staying where it was !!  ...... a bit more thinking.... the electrical device in front of the battery box (starter soleniod??) if only I could move that me thinks, then I'd have access, realised this was held in by a plastic lug on one side and a very inaccessable screw on the other. So I pushed the plastic lug out, then pulled this device up at about a 45 degree angle, then pulling the flimsy battery box forward, I had access to the connector, and pulled it out.... at last !! I had access, then it was the easy matter of locating the green wire pulling the spade out and soldering a length of wire onto it.

I refitted everything and fired bike up, and checked ALL the switches thank god, everything is working.......

Tomorrow I will do the easy task of fitting the wire to the headlight.

Will report back tomorrow if it works.

I guess since the bike was designed to work with two lights as the wiring is all there, then the battery, alternator and related electrical items will be up to powering two headlights??? I do short journeys to work so I am fitting an inline fuse, I may disconnect the headlight for the short journey to prevent a flat battery. - and just use the two lights for long journeys.

..................finished off this morning with the wiring, included a inline fuse but I only had a 7.5amp fuse and I see from the handbook the headlight fuse should be 20amp - so it may blow, anyone know the amps/volts/watts equation?

The lights work correctly ie turn ignition on, no lights, fire bike up and both lights come on just as bike fires   

*****

got answer from google..

For example 12 watts/12 volts = 1 amp

so for one headlight at 55watts = a 4.5amp fuse at minimum so 7.5 is about right.

for headlight and main beam it works out at 10amps so the handbook at 20amps seems right too.

*****
MOST IMPORTANT!!!!!

Remember that the lights dont come on until the engine is running!!!!!!! Before you double check and triple check the wiring loom.
*****

I just completed this mod and can also confirm that it was the thick lighter green cable for me (there is another thinner darker green cable which shouldn't be touched). I didn't bother removing the battery etc. as it seemed like an awful lot of hassle. I just removed the tape from around the wires that originate from the LHS handlebar right by where they disappear into the LHS of the frame. This exposed the 11 wires as described in other posts. I then cut the green with my fingers crossed, completed the rest of the work and hey presto. Looks great. Will report if I have any battery problems.



*****

Having done this on my FZ6 - I was asked to do it for someone else so I took pictures this time.

Wired up the headlight first with the right angled connector, notice the in line fuse. (wiring to be tidied up later)


removed fairing pieces to enable tank to be lifted, removed battery...




next :- see the electrical component in front of battery box, one side its bolted on (no access to bolt) the other side is held in place with a plastic lug remove this (where finger is pointed)



next swing this electrical component up and try to wiggle connector out from below (NOT EASY) here, the wiring of connector is just appearing....


wiggle connector out (NOT EASY)


having got the damn thing out, split the connector like so.


Now look at the pins, both have four on one side and six on the other, but there's an odd pin in the middle, pull this one out, it will be the thicker green wire



solder the wire running to your headlight, the rubber sleeve has been replaced over the connector (which is why it is now hidden)


Finally tuck everything away, wire here just needs tucking away now....


NB, by removing the battery, it gives a bit more room cos then the battery box can be pushed in somewhat, and swinging the electrical component to one side, there's just enough access to locate the connecter.

be warned, it aint easy.


Phil.


Originally contributed by RD, The Bean Machine, Thanos, deefer 666, whapper, Bluecray 3/2004-6/2007

Shamelessly pinched from FZ6-forum.com by Nooj, 9/2008

Fault Code: 12
Diagnostic Code: --
Symptom: No normal signals are received from the crankshaft position sensor.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open or short circuit in wiring harness.
Defective crankshaft position sensor.
Malfunction in pickup rotor.
Malfunction in ECU.
Improperly installed sensor.

Fault Code: 13
Diagnostic Code: 03
Symptom: Intake air pressure sensor-open or short circuit detected.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open or short circuit in wiring sub lead.
Open or short circuit in wiring harness.
Defective intake air pressure sensor.
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault Code: 14
Diagnostic Code: 03
Symptom: Faulty intake air pressure sensor pipe system
Probable cause of malfunction:
detected hose
clogged hose
Intake air pressure sensor hose is detached, clogged,
kinked, or pinched.
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault Code: 15
Diagnostic Code: 01
Symptom: Throttle position sensor-open or short circuit detected.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open or short circuit in wiring sub lead.
Open or short circuit in wiring harness.
Defective throttle position sensor.
Malfunction in ECU.
Improperly installed throttle position sensor.

Fault Code: 16
Diagnostic Code: 01
Symptom: A stuck throttle position sensor is detected.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Stuck throttle position sensor.
Malfunction in ECU. 01

Fault Code: 19
Diagnostic Code: 20
Symptom: Open circuit in the input line of ECU No4 terminal is detected when the start switch is pressed.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open circuit in wiring harness (ECU coupler).
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault Code: 21
Diagnostic Code: 06
Symptom: Coolant temperature sensor-open or short circuit detected.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open or short circuit in wiring harness.
Defective coolant temperature sensor.
Malfunction in ECU.
Improperly installed sensor.

Fault Code: 22
Diagnostic Code: 05
Symptom: Intake air temperature sensor-open or short circuit detected.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open or short circuit in wiring harness.
Defective intake temperature sensor.
Malfunction in ECU.
Improperly installed sensor.

Fault Code: 30
Diagnostic Code: 08
Symptom: The motorcycle has overturned.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Overturned.
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault Code: 33
Diagnostic Code: 30
Symptom: Open circuit is detected in the primary lead of the ignition coil (# 1, #4).
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open circuit in wiring harness.
Malfunction in ignition coil.
Malfunction in ECU.
Malfunction in a component of ignition cut-off circuit system.

Fault Code: 34
Diagnostic Code: 31
Symptom: Open circuit is detected in the primary lead of the ignition coil (# 2, #3).
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open circuit in wiring harness.
Malfunction in ignition coil.
Malfunction in ECU.
Malfunction in a component of ignition cut-off circuit system.

Fault Code: 41
Diagnostic Code: 08
Symptom: Lean angle cut-off switch-open or short circuit detected.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open or short circuit in wiring harness.
Defective lean angle cut-off switch.
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault Code: 42
Diagnostic Code: 07, 21
Symptom: No normal signals are received from the speed sensor; or, an open or
short circuit is detected in the neutral switch.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open or short circuit in wiring harness.
Defective speed sensor.
Malfunction in vehicle speed sensor detected unit.
Defective neutral switch.
Malfunction in the engine side of the neutral switch.
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault Code: 43
Diagnostic Code: 09
Symptom: Supply power to the injector and fuel pump is not normal
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open circuit in wiring harness. (red/blue line or blue/yellow line)
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault Code: 44
Diagnostic Code: 60
Symptom: An error is detected while reading or writing on EEPROM.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Malfunction in ECU. (The CO adjustment value is not properly written on or read from the internal memory).

Fault Code: 46
Diagnostic Code: --
Symptom: Power supply to the FI system is not normal.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Malfunction in "CHARGING SYSTEM".

Fault code: 50
Diagnostic Code: --
Symptom: Faulty ECU memory. When this malfunction is detected, the code
number might not appear on the meter.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Malfunction in ECU. (The program and data are not
properly written on or read from the internal memory.)

Fault code: Er-1
Diagnostic Code: --
Symptom: No signals are received from the ECU.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Open or short circuit in wiring sub lead.
Malfunction in meter.
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault code: Er-2
Diagnostic Code: --
Symptom: No signals are received from the ECU within the specified duration.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Improper connection in wiring sub lead.
Malfunction in meter.
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault code: Er-3
Diagnostic Code: --
Symptom: Data from the ECU cannot be received correctly.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Improper connection in wiring sub lead.
Malfunction in meter.
Malfunction in ECU.

Fault code: Er-4
Diagnostic Code: --
Symptom: Non-registered data has been received from the meter.
Probable cause of malfunction:
Improper connection in wiring sub lead.
Malfunction in meter.
Malfunction in ECU.

Quarter past 3 GMT.

www.bridgestone-eu.com

Bridgestone UK tyre and fitment advice for FZS600 and FZS1000 owners

I've recently been contacted by a couple of visitors to the Fazer Owners
Club site. They had been reading the threads concerning tyres and had become
confused about which Bridgestone tyres were best for whatever purpose, and
also what the difference is between the BT-020U and the BT-020NT for the
FZS1000. So I thought I'd send you the full details on Bridgestone UK's
tyres for Fazers, along with a couple of other bits of information your
visitors may find useful.

As you probably know, there is more rubbish talked about tyres than anyother motorcycle product - I've lost count of the amount of riders I've spoken to who know more about what makes a bike handle than our development riders, some of whom are former GP riders! Some of the threads that I've
read on various sites over the years have left me amazed - some of the claims that owners have made for Brand-X tyres in comparison to Brand-Y tyres go completely against all in-house and independent testing that I have the results of. So I thought I'd try and clear a way through the clutter and
give you the definitive, official Bridgestone UK line on our motorcycle rubber for Fazers. If you abide by this information you will have no handling problems, if you listen to the bloke down the pub who thinks he knows better, you will have problems. Trust me when I say that if the information the bloke down the pub gives you differs from this information,
he does not understand tyres and how they work.

Choose the correct tyre:

I'll start with the one thing that many riders overlook - just because a tyre is available in the sizes to fit your bike it doesn't necessarily mean that it will suit your bike...not all tyres are suitable for all bikes. For details on this see my comment below about the BT-010 and the FZS1000. The
BT010 is the UK's, if not the world's, most popular sports tyre, and if we don't approve it's fitment on the FZS1000 there must be a good reason. The same goes for other tyres in our range - the BT-012SS fast road/track day tyre is too "full-on" for the FSZ1000, the new BT-012 gives more than enough
grip for this bike, even for track day use. None of the major tyre manufacturers approve the fitting of their entire range of tyres for every bike, and this stands to reason - why should we expect an extreme-performance tyre to offer its best when fitted to a bike that was developed for general all-round riding? It's more important to choose the tyre that best suits your needs and the bike's purpose. E.g. If you're going
on a European jaunt the BT-020 sports touring tyre would be a better choice than the BT-010 or BT-012 sports tyres. If you use your bike for transport as well as fun the BT-020 would again be the best choice. But if all you use your bike for is fun and the occasional track day you should probably choose the BT-010 or BT-012.

Grip:

Don't worry about the grip available from your tyres. This may not be something you're used to hearing, but grip isn't omething you should beworrying about - let us do that for you. The grip level available from the latest sports touring tyres, such as our BT-020, is comparable with full-on
sports tyres of just five years ago. So don't worry about grip, we've already got that sorted, concentrate more on what type of tyre suits your purposes, and for that information see above. And don't focus too much on the compound - there's a lot more to how a tyre grips the road than just the compound.

If your tyre slips, don't automatically blame the tyre. Think about where it happened - was the road surface contaminated, was it on a greasy roundabout,was the road surface worn out? If the road surface is not contaminated
modern tyres give plenty of warning before they slide and if you've ignored those warning signs you can't really blame the tyres.

Running tyres in:

Running tyres in takes approximately 100 miles and involves more than simply scrubbing-in the tread surface of the tyre. When tyres come out of the mould they have a smooth surface and to obtain optimum grip levels this smooth
surface needs to have it's entire surface scrubbed-in and the best way to achieve this is not to rub the surface with emery paper, but to go for a ride. The first few miles should be spent riding upright so that you have a broad band in the centre that has been scrubbed-in. You can then start
increasing your angle of lean while always keeping a portion of the scrubbed-in area in contact with road. Scrubbing-in can be achieved by an experienced rider in as few as 10 miles, but this does not mean that your tyres will be fully run-in. Running tyres in also involves seating the tyre on the wheel, and this is not achieved simply by fitting the tyre to the
wheel. Running-in also allows all of the components of the tyre to seat in against one another - by overheating a new tyre you can cause lasting damage that means the tyre may not achieve its optimum mileage. While running-in new tyres you should not subject them to hard acceleration or braking
forces.

One final point: Contrary to popular opinion BRIDGESTONE DOES NOT USE RELEASING AGENT ON ITS MOTORCYCLE TYRES. New tyres feel slippery because they are very smooth when they come out of the mould - see above. Riders who
crash on new tyres often try to blame releasing agent for the accident, but if we don't use releasing agent how can this be? Actually, very few people crash on new tyres, most riders are conscientious when running-in their new tyres, but the vast majority of those who do crash on new tyres usually
admit to leaning their bike over at low speeds - junctions and slow roundabouts are the most popular places. Think about it: when travelling at low speed and leaning over there is very little force acting upon a tyre to help it grip the road. Add in a brand new, smooth tread surface and you have a recipe for a sudden slide.

Mixing tyres:

There is absolutely no point in mixing tyres on the same bike. e.g. BT-010 front with BT-020 rear.

In the case of FZS600 owners, many did it because the 110/70ZR17 BT-020 was not available until early 2003 and if they wanted to use a BT-020 sports touring tyre on the rear they had no other choice. The problem with fitting this mixed pair on this particular bike is that stability is not as good as
with a matched pair of BT-010s or BT-020s. And this just highlights the possible pitfalls when fitting mixed tyres on any bike - if one type of tyre is designed as a smooth handling, totally neutral sports touring tyre and the other is designed as a rapid steering, ultra responsive tyre, why should we expect them to work together? If a bike doesn't handle when fitting mixed tyres it's not going to be the tyre's fault.

But the main reason why riders fit mixed tyres is to supposedly benefit from having a grippier tyre on the front while getting sensible mileage from the rear tyre. Well...we kinda know this. We are, after all, the biggest tyre manufacturer in the world and we really do know what we're doing. We know that the demands placed on a front tyre are different to the requirements of the rear tyre, and that is why the compound of our front tyres is different to the compounds of our rear tyres. So the front BT-020 compound is different to the rear BT-020 compound and the front BT-010 compound is different to the rear BT-010 compound, etc., etc., all the way through our various ranges of tyres. Now that you have this information you can see that it's pointless mixing tyres, Bridgestone is already giving you what you want when you fit a matched pair of our tyres.

Punctures:

Bridgestone approves the repair of it's motorcycle tyres in conjunction with BS159f, which precludes the repair of punctures in Z-rated radial tyres. Punctures are unfortunate and it doesn't help when the vast majority happen in the more expensive rear tyre. This is usually because the puncturing
object, which was lying in the road, is kicked up by the front tyre into the path of the rear tyre. I know that it upsets a few riders that Bridgestone doesn't approve the repair of our tyres, but we have valid reasons for this. As soon as an object penetrates the tyre a steady progression of road
contaminants starts to enter the hole. By road contaminants I mean diesel, oil, chemicals dropped by farm vehicle and trucks...all of the bad stuff that can seriously effect the construction of the tyre. If, as is likely, these contaminants settle between the tread strip and the carcass, a process
called delamination can start. Delamination is the separation of the tread strip from the carcass and the first visible sign is a bulge in the tread. If this bulge is not noticed the delamination process will continue until a catastrophic failure occurs. Unless you're very skilled or very lucky this usually involves crashing the bike as the tyre disintegrates.

If you notice during your regular tyre checks that the tyre has a penetrating object and you decide to have it repaired, do you know how long the object has been in the tyre? If the delamination process has started, plugging the tyre will not prevent it continuing.

If you get a puncture and the tyre gradually deflates as you are riding, the chances are that the tyre is ruined beyond repair by the time the bikes poor handling alerts you to the situation. An under inflated tyre runs very hot and this can lead to invisible internal damage. If the tyre deflates fast
enough so that by the time you bring the bike to a standstill the tyre is flat, the sidewalls will have come under such strain that the heat generated will have ruined the tyre.

But just because Bridgestone doesn't approve the repair of our Z-rated tyres, it does not prevent you having your tyre repaired by your local fitter. If you are satisfied that the repair that they make will be good enough then that is up to you. But I have to make it clear that if the tyre has been repaired, Bridgestone will not guarantee any further claim you may make on the tyre and neither will we guarantee the quality of the repair.

Personally speaking I would never repair any motorcycle tyre...my life is worth more than the cost of a new tyre.

Bridgestone Approved Fitments

FZS600 Fazer
Our official approvals are:
110/70ZR17 BT-010
160/60ZR17 BT-010
Recommended pressures 36psi front and 40psi rear whether solo or with
passenger.
or
110/70ZR17 BT-020
160/60ZR17 BT-020
Recommended pressures 36psi front and 40psi rear whether solo or with
passenger.
or
110/70ZR17 BT57
160/60ZR17 BT57G
Recommended pressures 34psi front and 36psi rear whether solo or with
passenger.

The BT57 is the original equipment (OE) tyre and the G-specification
indicates that the rear tyre was specifically developed for the FZS600.
They're great tyres but I feel that their performance has been surpassed by the BT-010 and BT-020. The BT-010 is the more sporting option, but since the start of 2003 when the front BT-020 became available, the BT-020 sort touring pairing is becoming more popular...possibly reflecting why most people buy their 600 Fazers.

As per my notes in the "Mixing tyres" section, do not be tempted to fit a BT-010/BT-020 rear pairing because stability is not as good as with a correctly matched pair.

FZS1000 Fazer

This is the bike that's causing most confusion at the moment, and that confusion surrounds the BT-020 tyre. Firstly I'll give you all of ourapproved options for the bike then I'll explain more about them.
120/70ZR17 BT-012
180/55ZR17 BT-012
Recommended road pressures for the BT-012 are 36psi front and rear.
or
120/70ZR17 BT-020U
180/55ZR17 BT-020NT (U)
Recommended road pressures for this pair are 36psi front and 42psi rear for general riding, which includes solo commuting, motorway work, pillion and/or luggage. For most solo uses these pressures are absolutely fine, but if you're off to have some sporty solo Sunday fun you can reduce them to 35psi
front and 36psi rear.

When we were developing our original equipment (OE) tyres for the FZS1000 we quickly discovered that a steel belt rear tyre construction was the only one that offered the high-speed stability we were looking for - at that time all of our tyres used a Kevlar belt construction. The steel belt rear tyre that we developed for the FZS1000 became known as the BT-020U (same designation for front and rear tyres). Because of the performance advantages the rear BT-020U gave us, we decided to test the tyre on a wide variety of bikes that had "standard" BT-020 approval. In every case the BT-020U outperformed the "standard" tyre. Because of this we took the decision to stop production of the "standard" BT-020 and to make the BT-020U the new "standard" tyre. At the same time a decision was taken to use the new steel belt construction in four other rear BT-020 sizes so that owners of bikes like R1150RS, GSF600 Bandit and VFR750 could also benefit from the performance gains - all of these sizes now carry the suffix letter U to indicate that they are constructed with our new steel belt. Because we now had a range of five
BT-020U steel belt rear tyres we decided to re-name them BT-020NT (New Technology), and this is where the confusion arises. The BT-020U rear and BT-020NT rear are the same tyre - BT-020NT appears on the label and BT-020R Radial U appears on the sidewall. The BT-020NT is the tyre that everyone is currently asking for because it has recently appeared in MCN and the monthly magazines, gaining rave reviews from every journalist who attended the launch on the roads of Sardinia. I know, I know...with a little more forethought we could have made it a little easier to understand, but when we initially developed the BT-020U for the FZS1000 we could never have guessed that it would perform so well on such a wide range of other bikes.

The NT name only applies to the rear tyres, the range of BT-020 front tyres remain unchanged. So the front tyre for the FZS1000 is still called the BT-020U and it differs from the "standard" front BT-020 by being 4mm narrower and having a slightly sharper crown radius that enables the tyre
(and so the bike) steer and turn more nimbly.

You will notice that the BT-010 is not approved for use on the FZS1000 and there's a very good reason for this. The BT-010 uses a Kevlar construction and does not give us the high-speed stability we are looking for. I am not saying that the BT-010 gives poor stability when fitted on the FZS1000, it's
just that it doesn't give the high level of stability we require. The BT-012 that is approved for the FZS1000 uses a steel belt construction and so gives the stability we require. The BT-012 is our new performance sport road tyre and was launched at the same time as the BT-020NT earlier this year. It runs alongside the BT-010 in our line-up, but is not interchangeable with the BT-010. And neither is it to be confused with the BT-012SS fast road/track day tyre that was launched in 2002. Anyone looking for a high performance
tyre for the FZS1000 and who would normally choose the BT-010 should go for the BT-012. The BT-012 builds on the performance of the BT-010 by having increased high-speed stability in straights and corners as well as having a lighter and quicker steering response.

FZS600 2004

How's this for advance notice? We have a new set of special OE-specification
BT-020 tyres for the new FZS600, the details are:
120/70ZR17 BT-020GG
180/55ZR17 BT-020GG
The GG suffix shows that they are specific to this bike. It's unclear yet whether the UK bikes will arrive on Bridgestones, but we will be carrying these tyres as options for owners who know and trust our tyres.

Thanks for allowing me to take up your time.

Bryn Phillips

Bridgestone Motorcycle Technical


In response to a question about track day tyres asked by tracktime1000

Quote:
Hi Chalky, how's the website going?

Although we've not approved them for road use (simply because they're a bit too full-on for most on-road Fazer owners) I would recommend fast road/track day BT-012SS tyres. Several owners are using them and we've also supplied some to a couple of fast Fazer-riding journalists for their opinion. They'll work just as well on road and track and they've been developed to work across a wide range of weather conditions - so you don't have to fear the cold and wet, unlike some other track day tyres! Their construction design means that you won't have any stability issues and you'll notice how planted the front end feels in corners - it really is the most secure front tyre you'll ever experience (until we make a better one).

Cheers

Bryn


Re: Bridgestone Tyres - The Official Line. PART2 #1 [-]

And theres more.......

Quote:
Bridgestone UK tyre and fitment advice for FZS600 and FZS1000 owners.

Since the initial piece written by Bryn, tyres and technology has moved on, but your FZS600's and FZS 1000's have remained the same. Apart from the odd aftermarket silencer, or two no doubt.

So, instead of completely re-writing what Bryn has said, I will simply add to it and advise you of the latest rubber on offer from Bridgestone, and of course which of the tyres listed below, the new ones replace.
Firstly, I'll start with the latest fitments.

FZS600

FZS 600 Fazer RJ 02 2 110/70 ZR 17 (54W) tl BT 021 F 160/60 ZR 17 (69W) tl BT 021 R 2,5/2,9
FZS 600 Fazer RJ 02 2 110/70 ZR 17 (54W) tl BT 014 F 160/60 ZR 17 (69W) tl BT 014 R 2,5/2,9


The BT-014 is the replacement for the BT-010 and the BT-012 and was introduced into the range in 2004. So this is a fast road tyre with the odd track day.
The BT-021 is the replacement for the BT-020 and the rear now has dual compound technology and tests have shown a 15% increase in durability over the BT-020. I could ramble on all day about this product, but instead please allow me to direct you to www.battlax.co.uk where you will find lots of information.

FZS1000

FZS 1000 RN 06 / RN 14 1 120/70 ZR 17 (58W) tl BT 020 F U 180/55 ZR 17 (73W) tl BT 020 R U 2,5/2,9
FZS 1000 RN 06 / RN 14 2 120/70 ZR 17 (58W) tl BT 021 180/55 ZR 17 (73W) tl BT 021 2,5/2,5
FZS 1000 RN 06 / RN 14 2 120/70 ZR 17 (58W) tl BT 002 F Street 180/55 ZR 17 (73W) tl BT 002 R Street 2,5/2,9
FZS 1000 RN 06 / RN 14 2 120/70 ZR 17 (58W) tl BT 014 F 180/55 ZR 17 (73W) tl BT 014 R 2,5/2,9

You will notice there are a few more fitments here. Firstly you will se the new BT-021 and the BT-014 is already approved. See FZS600 above for more info on these tyres.

We have also approved the BT-002RS, too. This tyre replaces the BT-012SS and is probably more track based than the BT-012SS. It is of course road legal, but the number of tread grooves it has are right on the parameters of the law. The law states that the land/sea ratio for road legal tyres is (slick ) 96%/4% (tread). The BT-002RS is 93%/7%. It works extremely well in the dry, but you can suffer a touch in the wet, its not dangerous and does work reasonably well, but if you're used to something like the BT-020 or indeed the new BT-021 then the more experienced rider is likely to notice the difference.

BT-010/BT-012 - replaced by the BT-014
BT57/BT-020 - replaced by the BT-021
BT-012SS - replaced by the BT-002RS

All of what has been previously mentioned regarding the mixing of tyre, punctures, other tyre fitments etc still stands.

Bryn has pretty much cleared up all other issues in the initial copy so I trust this helps you and your members understand the new breed of tyre.


Kind Regards,

Gary Hartshorne
Motorsport, Sales and Technical

Original Contributor - ʎʞןɐɥɔ 8/2003 - 5/2007

Some good sites for up-to-date, in-depth news on this stuff:

General

www.motorcyclenews.com/home
www.eurosport.com/home/pa...ml10.shtml

MotoGP

motograndprix.tiscali.com...?menu=news

WSB

www.worldsbk.com/

BSB

www.britishsuperbike.com/
timings site for 2008 season

Crash.net used to be a pain in the butt with pop-ups, but all good now 

www.crash.net/news_archiv...ikes&cid=0

www.crash.net/rss.htm

www.superbikeplanet.com  -the only problem is that it doesn't write anything about BSB because the site is american.
They speak about MotoGP,WSBK and AMA Superbike, but they are quicker than others to publish news.

Original contributors:
harcol(d), Sticks UK, aroyuki, 3/2004-8/2006

harcol(d) Original question, 29/03/2004:

I nearly always use the BBC website for my news and sport information, but it's truly crap on bike-sport.

Apart from the "official" sites for each series, has anybody got some good sites for up-to-date, in-depth news on this stuff?

****

Sticks UK, 29/03/2004
i get along ok with the below :

General

www.motorcyclenews.com/home
www.eurosport.com/home/pa...ml10.shtml

MotoGP

motograndprix.tiscali.com...?menu=news

WSB

www.worldsbk.com/

BSB

www.britishsuperbike.com/
timings site for 2008 season

****
Sticks UK, 26/01/2006

Crash.net

used to be a pain in the butt with pop-ups, but all good now 

www.crash.net/news_archiv...ikes&cid=0

****
ʎʞןɐɥɔ, 26/05/2006
If anyone fancies picking out the interesting feeds from here I'll add them to the front page for easy access.

www.crash.net/rss.htm

****
aroyuki, 26/08/2006

I always follow
www.superbikeplanet.com
the only problem is that it doesn't write anything about BSB because the site is american.
They speak about MotoGP,WSBK and AMA Superbike, but they are quicker than others to publish news.

Just read the intro: "the place where riders learn they've been sacked"