New 2008 FZ6 Owner - Some Questions (RPM, Clutch, Maintenance)

[Zealot]

Heya folks, really glad to be here and moreso than that I'm excited to get out riding this new bike of mine come spring. I picked up a 2008 FZ6 with only 11,000KM on it from an older rider who seems to have taken really good care of it as far as I can tell. There's a tinted windscreen, HID headlights, frame sliders, aftermarket exhaust (two brothers) and a little 12V phone outlet in the fairings. A little test ride to the end of my block and back (not insured, so I've gotta be careful) was fun as hell! I do however, seeing as the bike is a number of years old and has been used a bit in the past, have a couple of questions.

Firstly, the idle RPM. It sounds good and matches a million other videos with the kind of characteristic "wubwubwubwub" sound it does. Refer to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McKzF9Zga1g if you're not exactly sure what I'm talking about. I had to make sure the bike was properly winterized recently, so I let it idle for a bit in my garage to get fuel stabilizer through it - and it sounded perfect, but I noticed that a possible reason for that 'wub' sound seems to be that my RPM's sit right where they should be, but the needle keeps blipping up the tiniest bit and then back rapidly. It's only a tiny amount, but it's there - and I feel like it should be 100% stable. As the bike warms up to operating temperature, there's points where the 'wub' sound seems to vanish, then comes back. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Edit: Related video outlining my exact problem on an -almost- identical bike engine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUsMO0KM-9w

(Might help someone troubleshoot in the future, if they're having the same issue - working on solving it bit by bit)

Second, the clutch. I'm coming from a Honda CBR 250R (great little bike by the way, if you know anyone interested in learning to ride) where the clutch is really light, and in the case of the FZ6 it's really heavy and only seems to grab around the farthest point out - and that's hard to control because I'm barely able to get my finger tips around it. It'll take some getting used to of course, but I'm interested in knowing if levers made much of a difference for you. I'm looking at a decent pair of adjustable levers, but they're expensive and I'd like to make sure I'm not wasting my money.

Third, general maintenance. I can do a lot of the very basic stuff myself, but I was thinking it might be wise to take the bike to a local dealership and have them service it and ensure it's in perfect riding form. I'm hoping to have this bike for a number of years, so I want it to last through preventative maintenance. While I can do things such as reduce throttle free play (which I'm pretty certain could use a touch up at this point), I'd like someone with more knowledge than me to take a look at the bike in a more detailed manner and see what's what. Would this be advisable, not knowing how the bike has held up over the years?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ChanceCoats123]

First off, welcome to the forums!

The engine idle will move around a bit, and that's fine. As long as it's not making big jumps, then you have nothing to be worried about. Maybe the bike needs a throttle body synchronization (there are threads here to help) if you really think it's that bad.

The clutch on the FZ6 is one of the first things pointed out by most riders. It can be a hard pull and a finicky if you're not used to it. But it can also be very smooth if the cable is well lubricated, maintained and adjusted. I bought a cheap set of adjustable knock offs and they feel more comfortable for me (closer to the bars and more fitting of my hand). Your results may vary.

Finally, with only 11000km's, there really isn't much that could go wrong (knock on wood). You're well below the maintenance interval for basically everything. If you're worried, change the oil, flush the coolant, lube the chain, and bleed new fluid into the brakes. Those are basically the only things you need to do prior to your big maintenance intervals.

 

[Zealot]

Great! Thanks for the information!

I think it'd probably be for the best that I ride the bike around for a little while to get a better feel for it. Everything seems good, and I might just be a little nit picky right now since I've got nothing better to do at this time of year (such as ride the damn thing). I'm going to look into some of the basic maintenance stuff and see what I can pull of myself, and I'm glad to hear that I'm not at any major maintenance points yet - that's part of why I was so excited to get the bike. It only cost me $4300 too, which was an amazing deal!

 

[ChanceCoats123]

If you look around, you should be able to find a maintenance handbook pdf and it should have all of the maintenance intervals in there. The biggest one you really have to be wary of as a buyer is the valve check at 26k miles. Since you're well below that, you shouldn't have missed much, if any required service.

 

[FinalImpact]

Question? Is the bike from the states or released to Canada? The reason i ask is its not like a US 2008... More of a blend of both. I can go in to detail, let me know if you want more.

In the US an 07 bike would have an o2 sensor just past the header on the right. With this, these bikes will adapt to change better than those without the sensor. That said the lope isnt too typical from throwing cans on it. Did you notice, does it have an add on fuel controller?

Lube the clutch cable with engine oil and thread in the thumb screw a turn or so. Once it pulls easy you get used to it.
But ya, as Chance called out, all fluids and perhaps a tune up.
Enjoy the new ride!

 

[ShoopCE]

Welcome Zealot!

Good advice in the preceding posts.

You might want to take a good look at the tires too. They might be the originals and even if the rubber isn't dry rotted or cracking they will be harder, less grabby than a fresh pair.

Regarding the manual, take a look at this site.

My Yamaha Prompt - Owners Manual

I would have directed you to Boneman's FZ6 site.

http://www.bonemanfz6.com

But it looks like they've taken it off the server. He had a great list of resources like the manuals and descriptions of the mods he'd done. I got a copy of the service manual from his site. It's a large file - it might be posted somewhere on here.

Good luck & welcome again!

 

[Zealot]

Question? Is the bike from the states or released to Canada? The reason i ask is its not like a US 2008... More of a blend of both. I can go in to detail, let me know if you want more.

In the US an 07 bike would have an o2 sensor just past the header on the right. With this, these bikes will adapt to change better than those without the sensor. That said the lope isnt too typical from throwing cans on it. Did you notice, does it have an add on fuel controller?

Lube the clutch cable with engine oil and thread in the thumb screw a turn or so. Once it pulls easy you get used to it.
But ya, as Chance called out, all fluids and perhaps a tune up.
Enjoy the new ride!

I'm not exactly sure. I'm going to assume it's a Canadian release, since according to the used vehicle package, there's been three other owners (one being a dealership) and they've all been in North Bay. You're saying the placement (or lack thereof) of an O2 sensor can help me determine that? I'm going to check underneath the tank and see what I can find - but if it has a sensor, you're saying that's good? I'd certainly like more detail if you're willing to share it!

Edit: According to a picture you posted over here, http://www.600riders.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1339&pictureid=8870 , that little plug on the right side of the exhaust is the O2 sensor? I've got it.

There isn't any aftermarket controllers as far as I know; I haven't seen one, nor has the seller mentioned one. It was however, a consideration I had for the future depending on how I feel about the bike in the future. I'm going to try to perform some maintenance on the clutch cable and the fluids, and see what happens!

 

[Zealot]

Welcome Zealot!

Good advice in the preceding posts.

You might want to take a good look at the tires too. They might be the originals and even if the rubber isn't dry rotted or cracking they will be harder, less grabby than a fresh pair.

Regarding the manual, take a look at this site.

My Yamaha Prompt - Owners Manual

I would have directed you to Boneman's FZ6 site.

http://www.bonemanfz6.com

But it looks like they've taken it off the server. He had a great list of resources like the manuals and descriptions of the mods he'd done. I got a copy of the service manual from his site. It's a large file - it might be posted somewhere on here.

Good luck & welcome again!

I'll take a peek at the tires and see how they're doing. They look pretty fresh, but I'll know for sure once I read some of the details printed on the side and go from there.

This bike in particular has a little tag on the keys that mentions it had some servicing done in 2013, although I can't read what as it's faded. Thanks for the link to the owners manuals and stuff - it's a damn shame that Boneman's website appears to be down, and I can't find a cached one on Google anywhere.

 

[FinalImpact]

I'm not exactly sure. I'm going to assume it's a Canadian release, since according to the used vehicle package, there's been three other owners (one being a dealership) and they've all been in North Bay. You're saying the placement (or lack thereof) of an O2 sensor can help me determine that? I'm going to check underneath the tank and see what I can find - but if it has a sensor, you're saying that's good? I'd certainly like more detail if you're willing to share it!

Edit: According to a picture you posted over here, http://www.600riders.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1339&pictureid=8870 , that little plug on the right side of the exhaust is the O2 sensor? I've got it.

There isn't any aftermarket controllers as far as I know; I haven't seen one, nor has the seller mentioned one. It was however, a consideration I had for the future depending on how I feel about the bike in the future. I'm going to try to perform some maintenance on the clutch cable and the fluids, and see what happens!

VERY INTERESTING!!! So, it has an O2 Sensor eh? Most of us here would think that bike is an 06 production date based upon the tail section construction and front forks. But forks can be changed from minor damage. NOT that I'm saying yours has been changed, I just don't know the details of Canadian release. Point being, if it has an O2 sensor, it will adapt to change. That said, if the battery was disconnected/replaced, riding it for 15 miles it will relearn proper fueling.

That said, I tend to tinker and have made "adjustments" to my bike which also make it lope. Its factor of tweaking the ECU to add fuel. As life permits, ride it some more. If the battery was recently replaced it may change how it idles. If it doesn't smooth out, look me up.

FWIW: A bike produced in 2008 in the US would have improved front braking with 2 each, 4 piston calipers and the forks would be black and have a different figure. Also the passenger rear sets unbolt, they have an O2 sensor, pre-cats in the header and a larger main CAT in the mid pipe. The gauge cluster is nice layout and well it would look more like these....

Black is 2008, blue is 2007 (US VIN).

Same blue 07 here...

I have an album on this site with several photos. Look through and tell us what different on yours. Bike P O R N...

 

[FinalImpact]

EDIT: bike in video is not OP's bike! :spank::spank:

PS - I am not the expert on this, but most of the bikes we encounter having the black frame and engine are 07 and up versions.

06 and prio....
The key cosmetic differences being:
Engine color silver
Frame color silver
Swing arm
Tails section with rear sets welded like yours
Forks/front brakes like yours
Gauge cluster and fairing if so equipped.

Do some reading and verify the VIN. It just seems different than I expected. PS - mine does not have OEM forks, those are old R6 parts....

Look at this, tho its mostly EU stuff IIRC.. --> Yamaha Sport Touring Yamaha Design Cafe English: S2: Evolution of the FZ6 series - Page 1


Off topic but check this out - EU as it has ABS....
Naked.. .. ..

 

[payneib]

PS - I am not the expert on this, but most of the bikes we encounter having the black frame and engine are 07 and up versions.

06 and prio....
The key cosmetic differences being:
Engine color silver
Frame color silver
Swing arm
Tails section with rear sets welded like yours
Forks/front brakes like yours
Gauge cluster and fairing if so equipped.

You're right for 04-05 but the 06 is the first revision. It's mechanically the same as the 05, same round clock, same square swingarm, but the engine and frame are both powder coated black.

 

[Zealot]

VERY INTERESTING!!! So, it has an O2 Sensor eh? Most of us here would think that bike is an 06 production date based upon the tail section construction and front forks. But forks can be changed from minor damage. NOT that I'm saying yours has been changed, I just don't know the details of Canadian release. Point being, if it has an O2 sensor, it will adapt to change. That said, if the battery was disconnected/replaced, riding it for 15 miles it will relearn proper fueling.

FWIW: A bike produced in 2008 in the US would have improved front braking with 2 each, 4 piston calipers and the forks would be black and have a different figure. Also the passenger rear sets unbolt, they have an O2 sensor, pre-cats in the header and a larger main CAT in the mid pipe. The gauge cluster is nice layout and well it would look more like these....

I've got the 2008 Raven colour variant with updated cluster, brakes, fueling, etc. Little Yamaha information sticker along the frame confirms that it's an 08 model too.

So, the battery being out for a little bit will mess up the fuel mapping then? That would be the likely cause for my little idle worries assuming what you're telling me is correct. I took the battery out to save it from the cold and hooked it up to a maintaner until I was able to get some more time to finish winterizing the bike, and after a few days put it back in so that I could run it and get the fuel stabilizer through well enough. Haven't ridden it at all past the first day I got it!

Here's a picture of my bike actually, mid winterization and pre tacky tank pad removal (Previous owner's name started with S, or was maybe a fan of Superman... Who knows - it's off!). O2 sensor and it's not throttle restricted either (checked for both)!

 

[FinalImpact]

So the utube vid wasn't your bike! LOL

WELL - that helps A lot!! Assumptions lead to a couple of useless posts on my part. I'll edit and remove pic. Thought that was yours....

Ya, battery may be part of it. Fuel controllers mostly just fit under the seat. But someone may have stashed one under the tank. They're not too large. Once miles are put on it and IF it STILL varies a bit, throw some plugs in it, check the plug caps for being loose on the wires (they spin = bad), and do TB sync. You might have to back out screw one to get your idle steady. Also, check for exhaust leaks.

OK - here's to winter being OVER! :thumbup:

 

[Zealot]

So the utube vid wasn't your bike! LOL

WELL - that helps A lot!! Assumptions lead to a couple of useless posts on my part. I'll edit and remove pic. Thought that was yours....

Ya, battery may be part of it. Fuel controllers mostly just fit under the seat. But someone may have stashed one under the tank. They're not too large. Once miles are put on it and IF it STILL varies a bit, throw some plugs in it, check the plug caps for being loose on the wires (they spin = bad), and do TB sync. You might have to back out screw one to get your idle steady. Also, check for exhaust leaks.

OK - here's to winter being OVER! :thumbup:

No, I'm surprised you even came to that conclusion haha! Everything in that video points to somebody not me, and the wrong country! I was a little bit confused about some of what you'd said in regards to the bike, so figured it'd be best if I clarified a little bit with a picture. I'll take a second peek around for another fuel controller, but I'm rather certain there isn't one (it'd be something I think would be mentioned along with all the other mods to the bike). I'll look into the other things you've mentioned checking (Here goes a lot of reading). Can't wait until February/March rolls around and the temperatures even out a bit to allow me another chance to ride.

Here's my bike in particular, in a nice video made by the previous owner to tease me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYb2gk8RWZw&feature=youtu.be (If you see anything that doesn't check out, I'm all ears!)