Naked Touring: finished conversion.

Some photos of my naked/streetfighter 2009 FZ6N conversion, followed by a write-up (with as many part numbers and links as I could find) for those interested in duplicating my results.

From this, the day I bought it:



To this:



And finally, to this:

Headlight and Turn Signals

The headlight assembly is just a generic 7-inch round unit purchased from speedmotoco on eBay. Almost any single or dual-round assembly will work, but quality and output can vary a great deal. Look for a unit with a steel bucket and a glass lense. Most of the cheaper lamps use plastic for both; plastic buckets can become brittle from heat, and plastic lenses fog over time. The lamp I bought came with a high/low H4 60/55W bulb, which I swapped for a super blue TrickTape bulb I had leftover from another bike years ago.

Replacing the factory lamps with a single light will result in simultaneous high and low beam filament illumination any time the brights are turned on. This reduces bulb life and may even cause damage to surrounding parts from excessive heat. Splicing in this universal headlamp conversion relay results in correct, separate illumination of the high and low beam filaments. PM Motogiro for pricing and instructions. The kit was easy to install, but the relay and extra wiring is a challenge to conceal without the shelter of a fairing. More on that later.

I purchased the universal headlight brackets from Fly N Cycle on eBay. Again, there are many brackets that will work for this application, so long as they fit a 43mm fork. I went with these in particular because they were six inches long (a decision I now regret), of very sturdy construction, and included rubber mounts. Rubber boots between the forks and brackets, and thick rubber washers between the brackets and the headlight bucket, have resulted in absolutely zero headlight vibration.

Depending on the exact width of your headlight assembly, you may need additional spacers between the brackets and bucket to keep everything square. I found some thick aluminum washers from an old Suzuki to add about 1/2-inch to each side of the headlight. I lined them with clear rubber hose (avoid steel to aluminum contact when possible) and spray-painted them gloss black.



I originally mounted aftermarket LED front turn-signals because I couldn't find a way to mount the originals to the new headlight brackets. Not wanting to lose my running lights, however, I found that by sawing off most of the rubber stalks, I could bolt the original signals flush to the new brackets.





I tried a couple different windscreens and finally settled on the National Cycle F16 in dark tint, part number N2526. I usually see these listed between $80 and $120 for new units, but I scored a never-used screen from a rider on eBay for just $20 (plus $15 shipping). I actually don't mind the windblast of riding without a windshield, but I wanted something to help conceal exposed wiring and protect the meter assembly.

Handlebar and Controls



I decided to stick with the factory FZ6 bar. To make space for my 12V accessory outlet (purchased from andy14nq on eBay) and the mount for my Garmin 60Cx (part number 010-10454-00, click [ame=http://www.amazon.com/GARMIN-010-10454-00-Handlebar-GPSMAP-Series/dp/B000196C2A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353817846&sr=8-1]HERE[/ame]), I replaced the original, HUGE handlebar clamp with the two smaller, individual clamps from the pre-2007 model FZ6. The Yamaha part number for these clamps is 4H7-23441-01-35 (click [ame=http://www.powersportsplus.com/parts/detail/yamaha/YP-4H7-23441-01-35.html]HERE[/ame]), but there are probably many universal clamps that will work just the same. The 07-09 style flange bolts will not fit these individual clamps; you'll need Yamaha part numbers 91317-08030-00 (bolts) and 90338-06004-00 (plugs) OR a set of four M8-1.25 x 30mm socket cap screws from your local hardware store.

Changing clamps decreases mass on the handlebar assembly, which increases vibration. I really wanted to try a liquid Bar Snake, but they are currently out of production. Instead, I went with very small lead shot, which has become very difficult to find (around here, at least). Not wanting to empty a bunch of my own shotgun shells, I finally found some not at my local gun shops, not at my local sporting goods stores, and not at any local firing ranges or shooting clubs, but at a small scuba-diving shop. They sell small packs of lead shot for use as diving ballast. A four-pound pack cost almost $15!

To install the shot, I first removed the bar from the bike and plugged one end (just behind the bar-end threads) with silicone caulk. Then I caulked the open mounting holes for the controls. Once cured, from the open end I spooned in a little shot, followed by a little sand, then tapped the bar with a mallet to settle everything together. I repeated this until the bar was full; I probably used about 20 parts shot to every single part sand, but the sand fills the gaps and helps keep the loose shot from vibrating into dust over time. Plus, pouring sand is much easier than mixing the shot with caulk or urethane. Just make sure it is very dry before you put it in the bar! I baked mine at 400 degrees for thirty minutes before installation.

Once full, I plugged the other end of the bar with caulk and set it upright to cure. There is still vibration in the grips, but no more than before I removed the original clamp. Good enough for me.

I tried bar-end mirrors first, but found they were difficult to install in the threaded ends of the OEM bar. They don't provide near the mass of the factory bar-end weights, either. To install conventional stalk-mounted mirrors, I purchased an FZ8 clutch perch (Yamaha part number 1B3-82911-00-00, click HERE), which, aside from its threaded mirror-mount, is identical to the FZ6 piece and thus a direct bolt-on. You could purchase an FZ8 master cylinder (2D1-W2587-00-00), which also includes a mirror-mount, or you can drill and tap your own mount from the existing material on the original FZ6 master cylinder. I started with a very small bit and worked my way up to an 11/32" (use 8.8mm or 8.9mm if you have metric bits), then used an M10 x 1.25mm tap to cut my threads. Use a right-hand tap for most aftermarket mirrors or a left-hand tap for factory (or direct-replacement) Yamaha mirrors.

I went with universal, 10-inch Emgo mirrors (part number 2029610, click HERE). They're junk and I'm looking for replacements. They have a wide range of adjustment and the stalks are heavy steel, but the mirrors themselves are hollow plastic. Any speed above idle causes severe vibration and almost zero visibility.

I replaced the stock rubber brake lines with braided steel lines from Rennsport Auto Parts. Email them with the length of the lines you need, your choice of fittings, and your desired color(s), and they will usually build and ship them that day, at a fraction of the cost of more popular manufacturers like Galfer, etc. All three of my bikes and my truck use Rennsport brake lines.

For the gauges, I mounted an FZ1N meter cover (Yamaha part number 2D1-83559-00-00, click HERE) and used this member-made speedometer bracket. PM LeaN69 for pricing and availability. His bracket is finely finished, but could benefit from sturdier construction and a better mounting system. Wind and road imperfections bounce the speedo assembly at speed, though use of a windscreen helps.

Wiring

Careful cutting and/or packaging of the factory wiring harness is necessary when removing the huge OEM fairing. The way several grounds splice into one another from various locations and how the speedo shares certain wires with the lighting made me nervous to do too much cutting, so I was left with lots of extra wiring. This is what I ended up with at first, trying to stuff what I could loose under the tank:



Before anyone asks, YES, that is wire mesh over the airbox inlet. I have to build these for every vehicle in the household; check out the air filter from my old Triumph Daytona a few winters ago:



Anyway, the tank barely fit back in place with the wires arranged this way, plus you could actually see some of them through the gaps between the frame and tank. This was before I had installed the harnesses for the 12V outlet and Gerbing's gear, too. I installed a small bracket leftover from an old Suzuki inside the headlight bucket, thinking I could loop some of the harness into the shell and out from under the tank:



This didn't work, either. Once the lamp was pressed into the bucket, there was no space for the extra harness. I ended up re-routing the harness through the right-side frame port, binding it tightly in friction wrap and electrical tape, and zip-tying it to the original fairing mount holes on the front of the frame. The result isn't as clean as I would like, but it isn't too bad, especially with most of it concealed behind the dark windscreen.



The headlamp conversion relay is pressed into the space between the battery and steering head, and the large OEM connectors are still under the tank. The harness is zip-tied in place inside the right side of the frame, with just enough slack to turn the wheel lock to lock. Not securing it in place caused it to pull out, but not feed itself back in, and it kept getting pinned between the right fork and the outside of the frame.

I fed the Gerbing's harness along the inner left side of the frame, zip-tying it to existing harness along the way, and let a small piece hang from the port just below the seat. I wear a portable heat controller, and the outlet can be tied back up inside the frame during warmer months.

Luggage

I purchased a set of Givi E21 side cases, a PL360 side case mount kit, and a PL351K adapter kit from 2nd-gear on eBay. The $45 PL351K kit takes the place of Givi's FZ351 top case mount kit ($150+), on which I decided to pass. I have a Givi top case left from an old Honda Nighthawk that I may use with this Yamaha at some point, but because I never travel with a passenger, I will probably build my own plate-style mount to strap to the pillion seat.



I'm open to any questions, comments, or suggestions.

Looks great! You did a really nice job with the conversion and your write up!!

Very well done!! :thumbup:

GTPAddict said:

Looks great! You did a really nice job with the conversion and your write up!!

Click to expand...

Thanks. Something about this forum messes with my links, though. It doesn't display all the ones I included correctly (even though the code is correct), and it adds links that I did not include.

I used to take at least one, and somtimes multiple, cross-country trip every year, but since I moved to Georgia in 2005, I've let work and school consume all of my time. I'm hoping to get out a little more this coming spring and summer with my newly set-up FZ. I'm way overdue for a little adventure.

Triple said:

Something about this forum messes with my links, though. It doesn't display all the ones I included correctly (even though the code is correct), and it adds links that I did not include.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it does do funky things with certain links. You can typically fix it though.
If you click "edit" on your post (or when you put together original post, click "preview", it will show you the actual code it's putting in.

The links usually look like this:


At this point you can replace the some_site with what it should be and / or "Site Name" with what it should be.

P.S. Love your bike! :thumbup:

looks like a ducati monster from the front. i like it! the round set up looks better than those funky front lights.

Erci said:

Yeah, it does do funky things with certain links. You can typically fix it though. If you click "edit" on your post (or when you put together original post, click "preview", it will show you the actual code it's putting in.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I've tried that a few times and the code is all correct. I dunno. :don'tknow:

SweaterDude said:

looks like a ducati monster from the front. i like it! the round set up looks better than those funky front lights.

Click to expand...

Had I gone with shorter headlight brackets or an OEM set-up from another bike (like an SV650), I think the outcome would have looked a little more factory. With these brackets, the light is way out there...

I *almost* regret not going with a Buell set-up instead. Properly done, those conversions look like the bikes actually came that way.

This bike is now for sale.

Click here: 2009 FZ6N Touring - north GA