Yamaha FZS1000 Fazer Buyers' Guide

Do not ask what it is your Fazer can do for you; instead ask what it can’t. It is a very poor bike for slippery green lanes. Everything else: touring, commuting, Sunday morning rides with your mates’ sports bikes, stunting, track days, blasting, bumbling, two-up schmoozing and traffic light drag racing? Check, check, check, check, check, check, check and double check.

At the heart of this multi-tasking miracle is a detuned R1 engine, fed fuel in silky, responsive style by (in the case of pre-2006 bikes) four of those old carburetor things. With the grip at the stop, it makes a mockery of its NU15 insurance rating.

As is the way of things, the introduction of the new FZ1 bikes has knocked older versions’ values. But in some ways the earlier bike is better. Look at the power, revs, torque ratios and you’ll realise how different the two models are in action, the newer bike being a more frenetic deal.

When launched in 2000, the FZS1000 Fazer was a brawny great face-slapper. Although the R1 engine didn’t match the donor bike’s outright power, with 120 real back wheel gee-gees it was still one very fast motorbike. Claimed to be ‘retuned’, in reality it was simply restricted by the size of the airbox, mimicking the sports bike until power tailed off just before 10,000rpm.

An Exup valve helps give this bike an outstandingly porky midrange, driving hard anywhere from 3000rpm. This, allied to a very natural road-riding position, makes it extremely easy and relaxing to ride. But don’t be fooled by the smooth coat, because the Fazer can show claws if you crank the throttle.

Only when riding hard will you find the Fazer’s limitations. Relaxed handling can translate to slow steering, and a comfortable rear end becomes ‘bouncy’ when pushed hard. These issues can be addressed and for most of the time the Fazer accomplishes everything asked in a slick and composed manner.

An effective fairing and soft, wide saddle mean the Fazer switches easily between bonkers street missile and swift tourer. Some say the Fazer’s all-round ability means it’s a bike that’s good at everything, but master of none. Cobblers; the Fazer is king of a thing called ‘whoosh’. Try one and see.

Bikes from 2001, with around 30,000 miles up start from around £2300 – with a vast number around in the £2500-£3000 range. The cheapest we could find was £1395, with 172,500 miles otc! Values owe little to ‘book’ and dealers are selling ostensibly the same bike at £1000 variances, so view widely. From late 2003-on Fazers had black frames (though this doesn’t apply to all thanks to imports and late registrations) and some 2004 bikes have black engines. Late, mint bikes start at around the four grand mark.

Yamaha FZS1000Fazer

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 998cc, inline-four, DOHC, 20v

Power: 125bhp @ 9700rpm

Torque: 72lb/ft @ 7600rpm

Seat Height: 820mm (32 in)

Wheelbase: 1450mm

Dry Weight: 208kg (458lbs)

For: Huge power spread and exceptional comfort.

Against: Big and soft for pure sports work

Yamaha FZ-1

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 998cc, inline-four, DOHC, 20v

Power: 131bhp @ 11,500rpm

Torque: 68lb/ft @ 9250rpm

Seat Height: 815mm (32 in)

Wheelbase: 1460mm

Dry Weight: 194kg (426lbs)

For: Lighter, with futuristic looks and more nimble handling – feels fast.

Against: Bottom end fuel glitch and neck-strain.

Yamaha FZ-1 Fazer

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 998cc, inline-four, DOHC, 20v

Power: 131bhp @ 11,500rpm

Torque: 68lb/ft @ 9250rpm

Seat Height: 815mm (32 in)

Wheelbase: 1450mm

Dry Weight: 198kg (436lbs)

For: Comfortable, fast and fun

Against: Bottom end fuel glitch and less midrange

Owning Tips

Maintenance

One boon of Yamaha’s 20-valve engines is that the valve clearances only need checking at 24,000-mile intervals. This means most scheduled services are well within the scope of a careful home mechanic. ‘It’s not a particularly high-tech engine by today’s standards,’ says Steve Jago of Webbs Yamaha Centre. ‘It’s all easy to get at.’

When the bike was launched, services were scheduled every 4000 miles, but this has subsequently been changed to every 6000. At an official dealer expect to pay around £220 for this and £320 at 12,000 miles. The 24,000-miler, with 20 valves to check, costs near £440

‘Yamaha recommend changing the oil filter every other service, but for an extra tenner, we prefer to renew the filter with every oil change,’ says Jago. Regular carb-balancing keeps everything smooth-running and a clean air filter will keep fuel consumption (around 38mpg) reasonable.

If Exup valves and cables are not kept lubed (get the copper grease out every service) they seize. The cable from servo to valve also needs regular lubrication – if it needs replacing it’s a whopping £88/pair.

On a more day-to-day basis, the chain needs careful attention. If too loose it can drag on the centre stand; too tight and the gearbox output bearing can be stressed and damaged. Because of the soft rear shock, and the bike sinking with the rider’s weight, tension (40-50mm) is best checked with the rider in the saddle and a little extra slack allowed for two-up tourers.

The Fazer’s finish is by no means poor, but neither is it rust proof and fastener quality isn’t the highest. Thus, it’s a bike that needs regular cleaning if you want its value to hold up.

Tyres

‘With a powerful all-rounder like the Fazer, tyre choice comes down to how you use it,’ says Owen Phillips of Cambrian Tyres. ‘For general road use – commuting, touring etc – I’d recommend the Bridgestone 021, or Continental Road Attack, which are especially good in poor weather. The Michelin Pilot Road is another good choice for sporty all-round use. For very hard riding, you might want to look at sports tyres like the Pirelli Diablo, Conti’ Sports Attack and Dunlop Qualifier, but you’ll pay a price in wear and get little back in return.’

Reliability

‘Keep them tidy and serviced,’ says Steve Jago, ‘and they’re very reliable bikes. If not kept clean, collector boxes can corrode and if left standing for a long time, the Exup valve can stick and will need freeing off.’

Some owners complain of heavy vibes, caused by a rough patch at around 3500rpm. This can be irritating, but does not herald anything more serious and can be tuned out with some dyno work.

The Fazer is the wheelie bike of the century, and many owners like to indulge. If the bike’s regularly ‘clutched-up’ in second it will eventually start to slip. Headrace bearings can also come in for a hammering when back-wheel gear changes are missed and the front slams to earth.

Resources

There is a tremendous amount of useful information to be found at owners club websites. www.yamahafz1oa.com and www.fazer1000.yuku.com being among the best.

Modifications

By far the most common criticism of the Fazer is levelled at the squishy rear shock. They rarely fail, as such, and many riders find that adding damping and preload is enough to sort the bounciness. However, solo riders over 15st benefit from fitting upgraded springs and having the shock oil/gas changed at the same time. K-Tech will do this for around £170 including the spring and will revalve and respring the forks for around £320.

A replacement rear shock is also a popular modification. An adjustable Ohlins, ‘piggyback’ unit costs £638, a more simple Ohlins £407. A basic (but better than stock) Hagon shock costs £255.

At the front, people seem pretty happy with the forks, but many owners drop them through the yokes by 5-10mm in order to sharpen the steering. This marginally effects ground clearance, but is widely regarded as a worthwhile trade-off. Replacement fork springs are also popular among the sporty set.

Dedicated touring types go for higher screens, but that, and various handlebar set-ups, are about as far as owners think comfort enhancements need to go.

Tuning

‘A few minor modifications bring it up to just over 130bhp,’ says Mark Brewin of tuners BSD. ‘A quality end-can, plus an airbox modification and some re-jetting is all that’s needed.’

Using the savvy gained from race-tuning the R1 it is possible to go much further with normal aspiration, or owners can get into turbos, nitrous etc, taking the bike to over 250bhp. But you’ll be looking at about £3500 to have a turbo fitted and there will be some serious chassis work needed to cope.

Down-gearing the Fazer turns it into a bit more of a hooligan tool, but won’t make for more relaxing tours or help motorway fuel consumption.

The Expert

Mike Greatorex lives between Spain and the UK and is tech guru on the UK owners club website.

‘My Fazer is a 2002 model with 28,000 miles up and does everything I want from a bike. It’s had the suspension upgraded, the motor breathed upon and there’s no way it’s ever being sold. I’ve helped tune a lot of owners’ club bikes – nearly 500 in the past five years – and so get to meet a lot of Fazer owners.

‘The bikes’ overall reliability and finish is good, but like most it needs to be cared for through the winter. Engine paint is prone to flaking on early silver engines if not protected from salt. The engine goes for ages – I know of several 100,000-milers.

‘Performance mods? I recommend getting the carbs fitted with an Ivan’s Performance jet kit.

‘Suitably tweaked in the suspension and engine department, the Fazer will give a good account of itself on track days. You can ride it across Europe two-up with luggage, or take it solo to the Pyrenees and hoon to your heart’s content when you get there. Among the owners who’ve had their “Gen 1” Fazers longest, most agree that it’s one of the best all-rounders of all time.’

Buying

What is it?

On a proven, recall-free model like this the bike’s origins (parallel/official) are of little practical concern once out of warranty. Though they will affect resale value by up to 15 per cent. As various colour tweaks were introduced to different markets at different times, bikes can be difficult to date without checking original paperwork.

Engine/gearbox

Engines’ top-end’s can produce a rustling sound, but this is normal and not a problem. Though if there’s significant noise from the bike, have a listen to the exhaust, as a worn Exup valve can cause a rattle. Some Fazers can use oil at up to a litre per 1000 miles, others barely use a drop. So look out for exhaust smoke.

Test ride the bike to check it doesn’t jump out of second gear under load, especially if the bike has a lot of miles up.

If an end-can has been fitted, find out whether the fuelling has been modified to suit and if it’s a noisy one, where is the original for MoT time? Consider the cost of getting the fuelling sorted (about £100), or/and buying a legal can.

General Condition

‘Most Fazers,’ says expert Mike Greatorex, ‘are owned by mature riders, who care for their bikes. The scruffy ones tend to have been part-exchanged and I think buying privately gives a better chance to assess the owner’s enthusiasm for the bike, how he’s used it and how well it’s been looked after.’

Selling

Who’s buying?

Often someone who taking a step back from sports bikes, or moving up from a Fazer 600.

The ad’

Prices vary greatly from ‘book’, so it’s hard to set a standard. Prices shift fast as new models appear in the showrooms, so do some up-to-the-minute research on the ‘net. Unless you price very low, a fast sale will be tough to find.

The presentation

It’s worth a good scrub and polish, as much of the tarnishing will only be surface-deep. If you’ve got a bit of a rotter, consider replacing nasty fasteners with smart, new hex-heads.