Multiple q's from a newbie

Hi everyone, sorry to be a pain but can't find the answers I'm looking for by searching.

When I test rode the 2004 FZ6 the seat got quite hot, I only did about half an hours riding. Is this normal? I was only wearing kevlar jeans but the heat was nearly high enough for it to hurt (well at least be quite uncomfortable). The pillion seat was stone cold though, but I guessed this was because of the cooling fan. it's not a huge issue as I normally wear over trousers anyway, but I'm buying from a dealer and will get them to look into it if this isn't normal (has a 3 month warranty).

Also I've looked at the owner's manual and see that you need to take the tank off to get at the battery. Does this take long, or is it particularly fiddly? I only do a 4 mile commute so definitely in the winter I will need to fit some of those charging leads that you can leave on the battery (and tuck the other end away somewhere).

cheers guys

are you in the uk?

I've never had heat issues even in traffic. The only time I felt it get a bit hot was was when my rectifier broke (which is under the tank near the seat, and I may have imagined that)

The exhaust is under there, but it's behind a plastic tray, so I don't expect that much heat to get through it. My bike also has an aftermarket exhaust with no cat, which may also help.

^+1 to Greg's response.

Another question; Does the bike you test drove have an aftermarket exhaust?

As for the battery; it is a bit more difficult to get to than an Under-Seat option. However, once you do it a few times it will only take 5 to 10 minutes to get to. I have added an SAE extension pigtail to nearly every FZ6 I have owned, makes charging infinitely easier.

on the naked bike you undo 2 bolts, and the tank is on a hinge, it's pretty easy to get to. Most battery optimisers come with a cable you can run to the battery to make it even easier to plug in.

That said with a decent battery I wouldn't expect too many problems, it should easily be able to last 2 or 3 months without losing charge (assuming no silly alarms). Depends on how long you plan on storing it for.

I think you are the first member who has complained about the heat generating from the seat. Is it your imagination?

Getting access to the battery isn't too bad, yes, you must lift the tank off, at least the front two bolts and part of the front fairing. Removing and replacing the battery is a major PIA.

Thanks everyone. Yes I'm in the UK, and it has stock exhausts. I'm not that worried about the heat, but I told the dealer about it and obviously he said "it's normal" but I wanted a second opinion. I'm paranoid about everything now because the last bike I bought was a POS and ended up losing a grand on it because the guy I bought it off lied through his teeth and ****ed me over.

Re: the battery, I have a good optimiser/trickle charger but the set of cables that you leave attached don't work, only found recently as haven't used them before.

VEGASRIDER said:

Getting access to the battery isn't too bad, yes, you must lift the tank off, at least the front two bolts and part of the front fairing. Removing and replacing the battery is a major PIA.

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At least on a naked bike I found it quite easy. Last time my rectifier broke I went through a stage of removing the battery each day, charging it overnight, and fitting it before riding to work in the morning.

Plymothian said:

Thanks everyone. Yes I'm in the UK, and it has stock exhausts. I'm not that worried about the heat, but I told the dealer about it and obviously he said "it's normal" but I wanted a second opinion. I'm paranoid about everything now because the last bike I bought was a POS and ended up losing a grand on it because the guy I bought it off lied through his teeth and ****ed me over.

Re: the battery, I have a good optimiser/trickle charger but the set of cables that you leave attached don't work, only found recently as haven't used them before.

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Are they a proper dealer? Will they offer any kind of warranty?

The FZ6 has been a pretty trouble free bike for me so far.

Problems I have had in the 3.5 years of ownership:
- Leaking fork seals
- Broken generator + rectifier (probably one caused the other)
- Rear indicators are susceptible to rusting inside.
- Rear lighting unit stopped working when the bike had been in heavy rain (twice)
- Temporary TPS issue which seemed to resolve itself.

Might sound like a lot, but I think it's been a pretty decent workhorse, and I use it every day rain or shine. The generator issue was the biggest thing, but quite unusual.

greg said:

At least on a naked bike I found it quite easy. Last time my rectifier broke I went through a stage of removing the battery each day, charging it overnight, and fitting it before riding to work in the morning.



Are they a proper dealer? Will they offer any kind of warranty?

The FZ6 has been a pretty trouble free bike for me so far.

Problems I have had in the 3.5 years of ownership:
- Leaking fork seals
- Broken generator + rectifier (probably one caused the other)
- Rear indicators are susceptible to rusting inside.
- Rear lighting unit stopped working when the bike had been in heavy rain (twice)
- Temporary TPS issue which seemed to resolve itself.

Might sound like a lot, but I think it's been a pretty decent workhorse, and I use it every day rain or shine. The generator issue was the biggest thing, but quite unusual.

Click to expand...

Yes they are a reputable dealer. May not be an issue and probably normal, just wanted to check. I have to wait another 4 days before I pick it up, and it's going to be a very long 4 days

There was a TPS recall on the 2004-2005 FZ6, make sure your bike was fixed, and if not, it should be covered under warranty.

If the bike is running rich (poor mpg's), the Catilytic converter is going to run very hot as its now trying to burn all that extra fuel the engine didnt burn.
So - there may be a reasonable explanation.
If the heat from the CAT is substantialy hotter than the header pipes, plugs, wires, tune, air filter and even the compression and valve adjustment cohld be suspect.
How does the exhaist smell, are the exhaust tips black? These are all things to consider if its not running smooth.

Picking up tomorrow, will make sure I check all of your suggestions before the 3 month warranty is up!

Cheers guys

There should be a metallic heat shield between the under-tail exhaust and the underside of the the section that the seat snaps down to. If not then someone has removed it and it would indeed cause extra heat to reach the seat!

All good - picked bike up today and it runs like a dream. Bonus: they put a new MOT on it, the rear tyre was borderline so they put a new one on for free. Don't notice the seat hot anymore (when wearing over trousers) so must have just been because I was wearing cheap kevlar jeans before.

Pic attached!

Very nice, unmolested FZ6! Congrats! :thumbup:

My seat gets noticeably warm, but not to an uncomfortable level unless it's the dead of summer and already wicked hot and humid. I did try jamming some thin insulation with a foil backing under the seat, but that didn't change much.

Look on the bright side, though. Warm rear end during the cold winter months!

My bike has very hot exhaust emanating from right calf area when riding and the bike gets to higher rpms. Also from the seat from where the pipes are. The previous owner had a m4 exhaust on it and sold it before I bought it so he put the stock back on. Is there anything I need to look for that he may not had put back on or possibly not the right way? Any help would be appreciated. I know it is generally gonna get hot but it is VERY hot when it gets some miles on. Wife rides on back and says she feels the same burning coming off right foot and under seat so much she has to move her foot around because if it.


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