[asit.kulkarni93]

What you'll like-
1. Faboulous design
2. Best in class handling
3. Comfortable seating position.
4. The power on paper and in real feels really different.
5. city traffic or corners performs best!
6. I love the stock horns

What you'll not like-
1. overpriced!
2. engines is fine upto 95km/hr beyond which it feels really strained.
3. wish it came with R15's Fi engine.
4. pillion seat is really uncomfortable. (issue sorted out on the new bikes)

I was tired of the activa and its niggles. It was a 2002 golden coloured activa from the first lot of activas delivered in Mumbai. Finally when dad was in india after the confusion between the R15, Fz(16 and s) and the Fazer. we zeroed on the Fazer.
It was selected because-
1. It was a yamaha (Dad was given a RX135 5-speed when we were in mumbai by his office for inspecting the institute so he loved them)
2. The red on Fazer looked really good (i was given strict instructions from grandpa that you arent buying a black bike. only RED. Red fz16 was too dull. I always wanted a black Fz16. The white and red Fz-s i have always disliked cause of the colour combo it looked like some bike being prepared for valentines day celebrations)
3. The Fazer looks good, handles well, decent FE.
4. The main thing power was adequate. As this was my first bike i really did not want a really powerful bike like the 220 which did not inspire confidence in me due to its poor handling.
5. The pillion seat was still better than R15 v2.o :P

So finally we bought the lava red Yamaha Fazer from Phadke Yamaha , Kothrud, Pune on 23rd march 2012. This bike helped me enter the world of biking and would always have a special place in my heart. I thank my parents for believing in me and helping me start building up my passion. A big thanks to my friends who helped me in arranging the papers for reg, till the delivery and of course the party :P

Today the bike stand at 16k kms. The fuel efficiency figures are as follows-
city- 40km/l
city(redlining)-35km/l
highways(cruising)-45km/l
highways(spirited driving mostly in 3 digits)-39km/l

Issues faced so far( i dont have prices for some services.etc. as i shifted my house and during the shifting lost my bill receipt file)-

1.Since day one i felt the accelerator was hard. For the first 3 services i did tell the SA's but they said its normal. Finally one day i went and showed this issue to an SA at monarch and showed him how free was my friends fz. Finally they told me to change the accelerator cable it costed about Rs.180 (not sure) but since then the accelerator is very good. this was done at 6k kms.

2. There was some squeaking noise coming from the rear part of the bike. I showed it to a mechanic he said your suspension is gone. I showed it Monarch Yamaha they said your main stand is damaged so that is making noise. I was not satisfied with their answers and day by day the sound was increasing finally got to know that the swing arm bush needs to be greased. Gave it to Phadke Yamaha. I went to collect the bike and they said it was done. Whereas it was in the same position as i left it. I checked and the sound was still there i stormed the SA and he said ride for some 50kms and it will vanish. The sound never vanished finally took it to monarch and asked them to do the job. They did it really well. But again after a month the issue cropped up and i wrote to Yamaha India about Phadke's shoddy job and Monarchs inability in finding out the problem.
Finally Monarch Yamaha called me and they did the greasing again. The bikes completely fine now. This was done at 10k,11.5k kms.

3.The clutch had developed an issue where in the free play was nil. It had become very difficult to use it in the start stop traffic so tried all setting juggad and even changed the cable but did not help. Took it suvarnrekha Yamaha karvenagar and they changed the clutch plates. The price was around 800 INR. My bike was used by 2/3 of my friends almost everyday for a month and got to know that they did a lot of half clutch riding. finally this was done at 14k kms.

Apart from these 3 issues there no problems with the bike. And apart from the swing arm bush issue the other two did not really sadden me as its a machine and wear and tear is bound to happen.so in total i spent about 1.3k in sorting those issues out.

Mods and Upgrades-
1. Installed HID's with projectors and angel eyes.
2. Ngk iridium spark plugs with spitfire cables.
3. after 16k kms and 23 punctures on the rear Tyre finally got Dunlop tuff grip 140/70-17.
4. engine oil-shell synthetic oil. will be going in for Motul this time.

Future plans
1. get a good air filter and an upjet
2. A real good FFE
3. Would be changing the sprockets in september. mostly would be increasing the rear sprocket. confused between R15 v1's (42) and v2's (47)?? please help
4. might sound stupid but i always want to have The R15 engine on my bike and remap it to 22bhp :P

Overall this bike taught me that power isnt everything. You also should be capable enough to handle it. It has made me capable enough to handle all sort of terrains and speeds. Not even once has it left me stranded anyhwere. That is why i love the japs for their superb reliablity.
She always has been a special part of my life and always would be.
pics, riding experience and observations with dunlops to follow!

I have removed the front number plate and added a sticker. will post the updated pics ones click them

Rear Tyre upgrade
Somewhere in October 2012 i was going for dinner when i realized the bike wasn't pulling up. I had to downshift to the first gear and it felt really heavy. I stopped on the Z-bridge and checked and found the rear tyre had less air. i filled air at the kalmadi petrol pump and continued after reaching FC road found the bike was performing horrible and my friend said rear tyre is punctured. At 10.30pm the search for a tyre shop started. The rear tyre was totally flat by the time we found a tyrewala infront of modern college. He took the bike and started finding out the punctures. As it was dark couldnt see anything. There were 3 punctures and he found 10. I got to know the next day that his munna had a big nail kind of thing in his ring. My tyre was screwed. From that day till the day i changed my tires i had 25 punctures. Last 8 were all leaks.

So on 21st august when all were busy getting rakhees tied i was at lokmanya auto getting new tires for my bike. After a lot of research and calls to various tyre dealers i went ahead with Dunlop tuff grip 140/70-17. The increase in height is noticeable even when riding. The handling doesn't get much affected. Its too early to comment on the cornering abilities as i haven't tried yet because i am waiting for the first 500kms to get over. The main difference i found was with a heavy pillion the main stand used to hit all the speed breakers in my society. But after getting the dunlops this has completely stopped.

Overall i am happy with my decision and thanks to Xbhp and all the Hvk forum members on Facebook who helped me finalize on the dunlops.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Motorbikes. Thanks for sharing!

[asit.kulkarni93]

Riding Experience


City- Before my mom shifted back to India i used to stay in Lokmanya nagar. My college is in Warje that meant a travel of approximately 25-30 kms/ day. (inclusive of college, tutions and rest of it the time pass with friends ). In the city the bike is fun to ride. The low end torque is really helpful in bumper to bumper traffic. The fairing and the RVM's were a pain during the initial days. But with time i got used to it now and they really dont bother me much. I love the RVM's. Their position is really helpful in getting a clear and distinct rear view. In my friends Pulsar220 i still haven't found a suitable position for the RVM. Every position i keep it half of the view is blocked by the elbows. He himself is annoyed with the RVM's.
The handling is a bliss. The handle doesn't feel heavy in-spite of having a heavy pillion. The braking i always felt was inadequate but every time i had to use them in a emergency they left me with a smile. So they are adequate considering the bikes power. The rear Tyre never loses grip and is full time kissing the road. In spite of having so many punctures the rear tyre never lost its traction. But the MRF zappers are really not good for Indian driving conditions as they are real puncture magnets. Overall this is probably the only fast and comfortable sports commuter i have used till date.

Highways- The bike is no devil nor monster on the highway. Neither can you ride it all day long in 3 digit speeds. The bike is good till 90-95 Km/h. Occasionally touching 3 digit speeds is not a problem. It is good for cruising. If ridden sedately at 5k RPM i manage to touch speeds of about 80-85 Km/h in the fifth gear which is really good for touring. It is at times difficult to keep up with the average highway speeds when overtaking. The punch after downshifting is something i sorely miss on this after riding my friends Pulsar200 ns to Mahabaleshwar. The other thing i love about my bike is its high speed stability. The bike is rock solid in 3 digit speeds. With an appropriate tarmac and air pressure it is fun to ride on the highway. The handling is again helpful when managing with trucks on the highway. I love the dual headlamps and the added projectors with HID's are really helpful when riding at night. Usually cars give my space after i flash my lights Unlike on the activa and other bikes where have to change my lane.
The comfort is a big plus point on the highways just for the rider and not for the pillion. Avoid touring with the old Fz/Fazers the same one as i have. The pillion seat is too small. My Dad always complains about it when sitting behind. He always prefers the activa over my bike when it comes to comfort. The new ones have a longer seat but cant comment as i haven't ridden the new one with a pillion.

Overall i am really happy with its balanced performance in the city and on the highways. The lack in the acceleration would be sorted out once i increase the size of the rear sprockets. I really am not bothered about the top end as indian driving conditions are not suitable for high speeds.


Updated pic with the removed number plate and added the stickers!

[asit.kulkarni93]

Hello all,
The sprockets on my bike need to be replaced. The chain is making a lot of noise. The setting is kept at extreme. I asked the service center and they suggested i replace the sprockets. I thought of under gearing my bike which would result in better acceleration. I really am not satisfied with the acceleration of this bike. I stumbled upon something from xbhp where they mentioned that R15 sprockets are a direct fit on my Fazer, But upon enquiring with the SVC they said it can not be done. I have the following queries-
1. Did anyone try this? If yes, How was the change observed in the bikes performance. I really am not bothered about the bikes top speed it should be about 110 and i would be happy.
2. Are there any other bike's sprockets i should consider?
3. My mechanic was talking about getting some holes done on the R15 sprockets. I really did not underdstand that part. Can anyone please clarify?
Thanks

[Positron]

I like how this Fazer looks. I ride a 600cc Fazer (FZS600) and I always liked the look of the Fazers front-end. The wide double headlamps gives it a lot more road presence than any other current 600cc bikes.

Can you share how much did the new lamps with angel eyes cost you? And I wonder if they fit into other models?

[asit.kulkarni93]

Originally Posted by Positron

I like how this Fazer looks. I ride a 600cc Fazer (FZS600) and I always liked the look of the Fazers front-end. The wide double headlamps gives it a lot more road presence than any other current 600cc bikes.

Can you share how much did the new lamps with angel eyes cost you? And I wonder if they fit into other models?

Hey thanks!
The whole set up includes projectors, angel eyes, Blackening the reflectors and installation. The total cost was ~4k INR. Actually my friend had bought these projectors for his Dad's Chevrolet Tavera but was unable to fit them. I was anyway going to change my headlamps so he asked if i wanted to buy the projectors he had. These can be fit into R15 also. If you need them for your bike PM me i will ask my mechanic.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

Hello all,
The sprockets on my bike need to be replaced. The chain is making a lot of noise.

It's an open chain. Do you clean and lube it periodically? If not, look up the related threads on xBHP.

Cheers,
Vikram

[asit.kulkarni93]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

It's an open chain. Do you clean and lube it periodically? If not, look up the related threads on xBHP. Cheers, Vikram

Yes it is an open chain. I clean and lube it every 500kms in dry conditions and During rains 350-400kms. Anyway I have changed the sprockets and chain just yesterday. I did think of under gearing it but my mechanic was unable to do it. So replaced with stock itself.
Cheers!

[asit.kulkarni93]

I have this small querry-
I recently have purchased a Race Concepts FFE from my friend. I had installed it for 2 days but reverted back to stock as i did not have time to tune the carb. In those 2 days my mechanic asked me to change the air filter. I thought of doing all this in December once my exams are over. I have to decide on the air filter now as my biking group is buying it together. We would be getting a good discount
Now i have the FFE and the Pulsar 180 jets. I am really confused between simota and K&n air filter? which one would be good? any other suggestion would be help too. Thanks

[bblost]

Thanks for sharing. The bike looks very nice and nice review.

[Swapnil_Alto]

Hello Sir,
How's the Fazer doing? Your Fazer looks lovely in this shade. And the projectors are enhancing it's look. I too happen to own a Yamaha Fazer, bought it last year, in the month of May. I tried searching for threads related to Yamaha Fazer but was unable to find much. Yours was the only proper review I could get hold of. The bike vibrates in an interval of 58-65km/hr when I ride in low RPMs. I tried showing it to the workshop guys but they said it was doing fine. Did you ever feel the same? Would love to hear some tips from you for maintaining this beast.

Regards,
Swapnil

[asit.kulkarni93]

Originally Posted by Swapnil_Alto

Hello Sir,

How's the Fazer doing? Your Fazer looks lovely in this shade. And the projectors are enhancing it's look. I too happen to own a Yamaha Fazer, bought it last year, in the month of May. I tried searching for threads related to Yamaha Fazer but was unable to find much. Yours was the only proper review I could get hold of. The bike vibrates in an interval of 58-65km/hr when I ride in low RPMs. I tried showing it to the workshop guys but they said it was doing fine. Did you ever feel the same? Would love to hear some tips from you for maintaining this beast.



Regards,

Swapnil

Hello Swapnil,

Don't call me sir, I am a student.
Thanks for the compliment. The only reason why I have a Fazer is because it looks better than the fz16 in red. I actually wanted a black fZ-16 which my family didn't allow.

The projectors were removed an year ago as they started giving me a lot of problems. Something or the other kept conking off and travelling 20kms just to get it repaired didn't make sense. As the headlamps were spray painted To black, I had to go in for another headlamp. Fortunately I found a Fazer which was involved in an accident with its headlamp intact. I got it for half the price and have had no issues since then.

The bike has done about 26k kms now. In December 2014 I got hold of a used block-piston and head, got the block over bored to 62.5mm and fit in the Apache rtr180's piston. The head was just polished then. After completing the run In, I got a simota air filter and a bigger carb(29mm). The main jet is still 115 though(from the Honda unicorn).
Plan to get a customised free flow exhaust by the next weekend. Once the exhaust is installed I can get a high lift camshaft installed too. The stock cam was grinded by my mechanic similar to a high lift cam he has with him for the fz16. So now the exhaust and camshaft are awaiting installation.
All the work was carried out at my mechs place in pune. I was not looking at any big difference in performance just wanted to learn about these things.

Do you feel those vibes only in the 5th gear?
I haven't faced any issues related to vibrations on my bike. And that is even after running it on a bigger bore. Try getting your carb cleaned once. Do find a competent mech outside, yamaha service centres are best for the initial 6 services. These bikes are not very complicated like the R15 with fuel injection, so any mechanic can actually work on them.

Asit

[Swapnil_Alto]

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

Do you feel those vibes only in the 5th gear?
I haven't faced any issues related to vibrations on my bike. And that is even after running it on a bigger bore. Try getting your carb cleaned once. Do find a competent mech outside, yamaha service centres are best for the initial 6 services.

Thanks a lot for replying soon. Yes, I mostly feel those vibes in the 5th gear. Can you tell me the gear shifting proportions? I still have 2 servicings left. Should I tell the Yamaha guys to clean the carb when I go for the next service?

[asit.kulkarni93]

Originally Posted by Swapnil_Alto

Thanks a lot for replying soon. Yes, I mostly feel those vibes in the 5th gear. Can you tell me the gear shifting proportions? I still have 2 servicings left. Should I tell the Yamaha guys to clean the carb when I go for the next service?

Whenever riding sedately I upshift at 4k rpm. It gives me enough torque to pull in any gear and improves fuel efficiency. No get the carb cleaned from outside, no need to get these things done at service centre.

[GKR9900]

Hello there,
Nice looking Fazer you have there. Gotta say, even after all these years she still is one of the best looking motorcycles in India. Although I'm more of a car guy than a motorcycle guy, (My Fazer has run less than 10,000kms in 4 years as against my Vento who ran 20,000 kms in 2 years) I was hoping to upgrade her in the looks department and would love to know your thoughts on the same.

Now I'm a total noob when it comes to motorcycles, so kindly excuse my ignorance in advance.

1)Projectors! I just can't get them out of my head. Just looks fab and is very useful as well. I can see from your post that there had been issues associated with them. Can you please elaborate? Are there any measures which can prevent issues from cropping up further down the line? Also, can the stock battery handle the projectors well?

2)Now this might break the barrier for being overtly stupid, so fasten your seatbelts!! Can we put on wider tyres? I mean, it isn't too complicated for cars, as long as they are within limits, but how bad an idea is it to contemplate putting on 150s on a Fazer? Will they fit? If they do, what would the adequate size be? 150/60 R17? I don't think there's much space left to increase the width on front tyres, otherwise I would've tried that too. Maybe I could try increasing the tyre thickness there. How is that 140/70 R17 you were using? Would love to hear your views on this. Feel free to blast me with umpteen number of tyre size combinations if required !