We called out the Fazer 1000 as an ‘hmmm’ bike, back in January. But feedback from you says you like it. So here is some info on the bike as a used buy.
As mentioned on CB-Net in Jan, when it was launched back in 2001, the Fazer 1000 was being touted as an alternative to a sports bike.
In reality, the only similar thing to a sportsbike the machine had was price – a whopping £8100 – nearly £1900 dearer than the Bandit 1200! At the time an R1 was only a grand dearer. What was Yamaha thinking?
Not clearly, as a year later and Yamaha finally took the hint: the British public saw it as a Bandit/naked litre bike competitor (albeit a much higher spec one) and they saw sense to lower the price to a ‘mere’ £7234. At this price, it made more sense and the bike began to attract a good following. It was still pricier than the likes of the Suzuki Bandit, but it was more modern and higher-spec. It also offered a few more creature comforts than the Honda Hornet 900. It was never really an alternative to a sports bike – the Fazer was always a bit too softly suspended to be that.
Prices are variable: this was a bike that was often used for various things – commuting, touring, scratching… therefore you will get high-milers in bad condition, bikes with luggage/heated grips and tuned-up hot-rods.
Rough ones will start around a grand… but a good one should sit around £2k, with the early models with low miles going for around £2500-£3000…Whether you get one tooled-up for touring or sorted for scratching is up to you!
BRAKES: Not quite as good as on the R1. Why? Smaller master cylinder, different pad compound. Blue-Spot/Sumitomo calipers also suffer from neglect. Regular cleaning and stripping ensures better performance, as do softer pads and braided hoses.
SUSPENSION: The front is way too soft and the rear shocks lose their damping qualities and feel tired after as little as 6-8000 miles. Spend money here: either go for a spring suited to your weight or re-valve/service the shock. Many two-up Fazer owners think rear suspension work is vital. At the front owners drop the front forks through the yokes between 5-10mm to quicken up steering and also go for new fork springs and different fork oil to change the front’s traditionally soggy characteristics.
MOTOR: This is probably one of the finest carburated motors ever. You’ve got a rear-wheel figure of around 120bhp. With a top-end of around 160mph, the big Fazer is easily tuneable to around 130-140bhp without any reliability problems. The engine does have a smaller radiator than the R1, which means that in very hot conditions the fan can be on for prolonged periods.
CLUTCH: The beefy R1 clutch didn’t come with the original donor motor, which means that even mildly-tuned Fazers can burn clutches out quickly.
OIL CONSUMPTION: Like older Yamaha motors, consumption can be an issue – but not a problem. This is
EXUP VALVES: Typically, these will stick if neglected and not cleaned.
EXHAUSTS: A number of early 2001-2002 machines had poor-quality header pipes, which led to premature ‘blueing’ of the downpipes. Yamaha replaced them under warranty, but only on the owner’s request.
BUILD QUALITY: Engine paint can flake and many owners had engine re-painted under warranty. Paint is also known to flake off the frame rails too. Wheel paint is also soft and we’ve mentioned the pipes!
Yamaha FZS1000 Fazer (2001-2005)
Colours: Red, black, silver, yellow, blue, yellow/black, red/black
Price new: £8100 (2001)
Comments: R1 engine and brakes meets a tubular chassis, Thunderace swingarm and soft but adjustable suspension.
Yamaha FZ1 (2006-on)
Colours: Yellow, silver
Price new: £7199
Yamaha FZ1 Fazer 1000 (2006-on)
Colours: Silver, blue, black, red
Price new: £7600
Websites: www.foc-u.co.uk/
