Disappointed

[citygers]

after wanting a Fazer for so many years but never finding the right bike at the right price , i finally found one in may last year .
I loved the 250 mile ride home but after owning a bit longer i dont really like the bike , the seat is a pain when out a good ride , theres a shudder at times when decelerating or light braking and the i hate the clutch on the bike , i cant afford to change it as i spent my savings buying it and on top of that it dropped it at very slow speed when i hit a diesel spill and took a chunk out the fairing , sorry all you fazer lovers but it just not the bike for me

 

[erburtt]

The problems you outline can all be addressed.

The seat is a pretty common complaint, I used an airhawk seat pad and it allowed me to ride all day no issues. There are also a number of aftermarket seats on the market, and they come up for sale used fairly frequently.

The shudder you feel isn't normal, at least in my experience. A good brake servicing (disassemble, clean, new seals, new pads if needed, assembled with proper brake pad grease, then fresh fluid) should take care of that, I ran stainless lines when I had mine and really liked them, firmed up the lever and gave a lot of power.

The clutch cable could use some lubing, there have been instances of frayed ones here too, so investigate and replace if needed. I lubed mine every ~1000 km or so and it was always pretty easy to pull, just adjust the free play in the lever to get the friction point where you want it. There's also an option for elongating the clutch lever arm thingy at the actual clutch, this increases the length of the friction zone, something some people prefer. I found it took a little bit to learn the clutch, but once I did my shifts were super fast.

Some general maintenance and cleaning can really make a loose crappy bike feel new and tight again, clean and lube (or replace) chain and sprockets, check torque on stuff, etc. etc.

 

[Fawlty]

Give it more time. You may end up loving it. I have the Shad seat and it is great. The shudder could be a warped disc. There will be more advice to follow from better qualified people than me.

 

[citygers]

thanks for the reply , the brakes have been stripped and rebuilt , fluid changes and disks checked just after i bought the bike and its made no difference , thanks for the tips with the seat and the cables are lubed regularly as is my chain etc i have a pretty rigorous maintenance routine as my bikes are my pride and joy , i cant get used to the clutch at all , i never thought i would ever find this a problem ,

 

[FinalImpact]

The clutch should easily pull with one finger and do so smoothly all the way. If it has been lubed properly and remains stiff or notchy, replace the cable.

As for the seat. Does your build fit the bike or is the issue your arse is sore from the vibrations in the seat? Two very different issues. One is easily fixed, the other requires a new bike!

Also the stock bars are not so kind to most of us as it creates wrist pain as the sweep angle is to much and makes for a bad fit. FZ1 or FZ6R bars come to mind...

28,000 mi (45km) on original cable and it is very smooth and easy to pull even for steep hill takes off. Plenty of control if it works as intended....


If the cable is bad replace it. If your butt hurts from vibrations, there is an inexpensive fix for that. As for the brakes, have someone else look them. Im hard the brakes and the rotors are fine. Not warped....

Good luck...

 

[bricksrheavy]

Regarding the seat, I wear bicycle shorts on longer rides - they have extra padding in the seating area and make a world of difference for a small cost.

 

[dbldutch02]

Like you I thought I'd made a terrible mistake after buying the fazer. The clutch IS difficult, and the seat DOES take some getting used to. I reduced the sweep on the bars (with a scaffold pole, I too was out of budget),which made a world of difference. It changes your seating position, and unloads your shoulders, which helps with both clutch control and buttock ache. It does still take miles under the wheels to fully get the hang of it though.

The judder you're getting isn't right, but I'm sure that can be sorted, there's nothing complicated on the bike.

Don't despair, I spent some time looking to upgrade last year and couldn't find anything with the Fazer's all round ability, running costs, power/weight ratio, or looks.

By the by, I've spent a few weeks touring up your way, doing the lochs and highlands, some awesome riding to be had, and you have it on your doorstep, lucky sod!

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Re the clutch pull. Read this thread: http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-...30-clutch-lever-hard-pull-fix.html#post630325

I'm very anal about maintainance and lubing the clutch cable often. I found this when I noticed some binding when lubing it.
Once replaced, the very short pull is not quite as short and the pull is MUCH easier. Best $35.00 you'll spend:



As for the seat, Spencers, can re-do your seat for about $100 and does EXCELLENT WORK.

As for the brakes, as posted above there's something wrong with them, period. If you can't find out the issue, you can find someone who can.

As for falling from oil in the road, sucks, but ANY BIKE may go down..It's certainly NOT the bikes fault...


IMO, with 42 years RIDING on the street, the FZ is a great all around bike and dam near bullet proof.. Sold my FJR, G0ldwing, KLR and kept this one as it's my absolute favorite...

Whatever you do, good luck... And it shouldn't be hard to sell that bike...There's not many about, I believe mines the only one in my county...