[Pferdestarke]

After driving cars for 17 years and covering 3 lakh plus kms behind windscreens in cocooned cabins, I felt there's something missing in my motoring life.

One day, my regular commuter car broke down and I had to borrow my cousin's Himalayan to reach work place. That one ride made me realize that I've been missing fresh air, freedom and a lot more things a motorcycle has to offer!

Instantaneously decided to treat myself with a motorcycle but which one to choose remained a big question until few forum members, friends and fellow enthusiasts helped me choose the right category based on my preferences.

Being my first super bike, I prepared a five point check list to make the choosing a bit easy:

1. Upfront investment under 500 grand [Hardly any options if I go with brand new route]

2. Reliability [read Japanese 4]

3. Should be relatively pocket friendly to maintain

4. Should be a beginner friendly one [not very stringent about this]

5. Should be powered by a 3 / 4 cylinder engine

Initially thought of getting a cruiser [Harley / Kawasaki Vulcan] but after discussing with few friends and based on inputs from forum members my focus got shifted towards super sports category but finding a clean one with in my budget seemed next to impossible. Also a super sports means aggressive riding posture which would be not-so-beginner friendly in my opinion.

Decided to go with a naked sports bike. Considered Triumph Street Triple 675, Z900, CB1000R, FZ 1. Of this lot, FZ 1 stands out being a raw machine without any electronic aids, puts out most number of horses, proven reliability of the power house, great dynamics and easy on the pocket when it comes to regular maintenance.

After finalizing on the model, started searching for a clean bike across various platforms, came across a few ones which appeared deceptively reasonable but thanks to my friend Ishan who did a lot of digging pertaining to bike history and found out they were all duds / illegal ones.

We both decided to skip online platforms / dealers and started looking for a clean bike from known contacts. We got a couple of bikes in the mean time but the deals didn't happen for some other reasons.

On 11th March 2024, Ishan called me up and he sounded as excited as I would be! He got a friend from Pune who is looking to sell his 2014 FZ 1 with hardly 8000 kms on the odometer. The bike is bone stock, not even an exhaust swap and the history was totally clean and legit. He asked for pics and other details and shared them with me as he received.

The very first glimpse of the bike as shared by the seller

I took the owner's number at 11 PM and planned to call him the next morning but I couldn't handle my emotions and made a call to him anyway. He was patient with all my queries and quoted his price. Owing to my stoked state of mind I couldn't negotiate much and finalized the deal right away without even taking a look at the bike in flesh.

Transferred full amount in a couple of days, took about a month's time to transfer the ownership due to issues with my address proof. I would like to mention about Soham Shree Services, Pune who helped me with the RTO work. I found them to be honest, prompt and easy to work with.

Pre-pickup inspection and repairs at Slip Stream Performance Pune:

I planned to visit Pune on April 4th and got in touch with Mr. Kunal Bhaskaran of Slip Stream Performance. Discussed about the services I need and requested him to pick up the bike for a thorough inspection. He is gem of a person and his entire team did a great job. They came up with their inspection report in 3 hours and recommended two fixes before I lay my hands on it. The front forks seals have gone bad, leaking oil so replaced them. The brake fluid looked bad with moisture levels >4%. So asked them to bleed the brakes and replace fluid along with chain slack adjustment.

They were courteous enough to keep me updated with pictures of the work progress. The quality of work, level of care and precision are simply superb. I highly recommend their workshop for all the superbike owners in and around Pune.

Front fork overhaul work

Brake bleeding and brake fluid refilling

Notice the moisture level >4%

Now, bringing it home:

Initially, I thought of riding the bike all the way from Pune to Vijayawada [850kms] but since I'm new to a super bike and bad stretches of road on the route, I decided to get it transported. Got in touch with few renowned transport services but none felt very assuring about the safety. Then I came across this person called Vivek. He runs a motorcycle transport business across country and he is the logistics provider for Powerdrift. He's got a fleet of 4-5 dedicated mini trucks built to house motorcycle of various sizes even big beasts like Goldwing, HD tourers. Though his price seemed a bit on higher side, the way his team handle bikes, the assurance given was good enough to spend the premium.

Washed, polished and waiting for pick up

Vivek's crew loaded the bike carefully and secured it with tie-down straps

On 4th April, I took a flight to Pune and reached Vivek's home by 10PM. We started at 11 PM and reached Zaheerabad by 8AM the next morning. I asked the truck driver to unload the bike at Zaheerabad, swung my leg over the beast and fired her up with a wide grin! Took me 40-60 minutes to get accustomed to the controls, throttle response and braking capabilities.

Odo reading before starting the ride from Zaheerabad

Being my very first ride on a superbike, I felt very excited but was soon let down by the summer heat. Reached Hyderabad in 1.5 hours and the city greeted me with scorching heat and heavy traffic congestion. At a point, I stopped riding, wrapped the tank with a wet T-shirt to let it cool down a bit. Due to an unprecedented heat wave, I had to take multiple breaks, sipped about 6 liters of water + juice and reached home by 6 PM with roasted thighs.

[Pferdestarke]

About the bike itself:

FZ 1 is a naked sports bike manufactured by Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. Japan and sold as CBU import in India. The bike got discontinued in 2015 and has been replaced by MT-10.


Engine:

998cc DOHC inline 4 liquid cooled block.

Basically this is a 2004-2006 R 1 engine with a tad bit lower compression ratio, altered camshaft profiles to give it a milder tune and switched to a heavier flywheel to give it 40% more inertia for improved mid-range and a bit tamed throttle response.

On paper, the power house puts out peak power of 150 hp @ 11,000 rpm and peak torque of 107 NM @ 8000 rpm.

Chassis:

Diamond shaped cast aluminium die-cast frame with engine as the stressed member. With 25 degrees head angle, this frame has a forward weight bias and short wheel base well suited to it's intended usage.

Suspension:

FZ1 has its damping split between its chunky Kayaba 43 mm fork legs. The left fork leg controls compression while the right deals with rebound damping and both have spring preload adjustability. According to Yamaha, this separation of the damping means the forks’ internals can be simplified, giving better damping qualities.

Rear damping is taken care of by a single link-actuated Kayaba monoshock with adjustable spring preload.

Braking:

Front - Dual 320 mm floating discs; forged monoblock 4-piston Sumitomo calipers

Rear - 245 mm disc with single-piston pin-slide Nissin caliper

Electronics & Safety aids:

This is a raw mechanical machine. There's no ABS, no TCS, no electronic aids at all. Only electronic stuff you'd find is an immobilizer.

Riding position:

Being a naked bike, the riding position is a bit upright and very comfortable for long rides when compared to a super sports. The seat is not too soft not too firm, comfy enough for long rides. Handle bar is wide enough for the rider to assume a comfortable posture and feels confident at high speeds.

What's it like to ride?

• The bike is an absolute bliss to ride even for a novice like me. Engine refinement is top notch, typical Japanese stuff!
  
• Seat comfort and riding posture are spot on, good for long rides.
  
• Feels heavy from the standstill and low speeds but feels agile as the speeds climb up.
  
• Bottom end performance is somewhat less exciting for a superbike (don't read it as slow, the bike is capable of doing around 140kmph speeds in 1st gear) but mid and high end performance is electrifying.
  
• The bike begs you to push and post 6k revvs, the bike becomes a monster sort of thing! It just flings itself wildly.
  
• Stopping power is phenomenal and confidence inspiring even without ABS thanks to engine braking.
  
• Being new to the territory of super bikes, I'm taking it slow. I will keep posting my observations and experiences down the time.

What I didn't like:

• Jerky throttle response [not an issue while on the run]
  
• Heat while riding at slow speeds. This motorcycle hates stop-go traffic.
  
• Violent clunk when shifting from N to 1st gear

None of these are deal breakers for me. For the amount of fun this machine offers I'm willing to trade certain comforts.

[Pferdestarke]

Accessories:

1. Puig tinted windscreen

2. Puig bellypan [yet to install]

3. RD-Moto frame sliders

4. Motofusion swingarm spools

5. Ordered front and rear axle sliders from USA and yet to receive them

Mods / Upgrades:

1. Swing arm spools:

Ordered a paddock stand as soon as I got the bike as it is needed for chain and rear wheel maintenance tasks. Ordered Motofusion spools and installed them.






2. Generator Rotor:

The OEM generator rotor from Yamaha [referred to as grenade for the potential damage it can cause] comes with magnets stuck to the inner surface with an epoxy resin which unfortunately gave up in some bikes resulting in grinding of loose magnets which can reach the crank case and damage the engine. Yamaha recognized this and had silently released an updated part in which the magnets are covered by a metal sleeve.

Being a critical component, as a step of preventive maintenance, I swapped the grenade rotor with updated OEM part. The part costs 33,000 and I did the swapping myself at home.



Generator housing





OEM updated rotor

3. Exhaust:

The stock exhaust is heavy, sounds dead mute at idle and low revvs but puts out a sporty note after 3.5-4k revvs. I feel this motorcycle deserves a better sounding one. Ordered a LeoVince LV One Evo slip-on muffler from Germany and got it carried by a friend. Planning to get it installed during the next service.








Stay tuned for more updates.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Jhinchak]

Congratulations on your choice. The bike looks amazing and well maintained too. The FZ1 is definitely a classic motorcycle having many fans.

Please share more details of Mr. vivek who transported your bike, will be use full in my future rides.

[Rahulkool]

Congratulations on the new bike! The FZ1 is an impressive machine with a powerful engine that demands a lot of restraint. I remember riding a fellow member's FZ1 on the highway and being completely blown away by its performance. Despite lacking modern riding aids like ABS, its brakes were excellent. The first time I rode it, I kept trying to upshift from 6th gear because it felt like I was only in 3rd, thanks to its incredible pull even at low speeds

One of the great things about the FZ1 is its understated look, you can park it anywhere without drawing much attention, as many people will mistake it for an FZ16. It also handles exceptionally well, making it easy to ride even in the city, though the heat can be a bit much. Enjoy your rides!

[yogisays0909]

Originally Posted by Pferdestarke

What I didn't like:

• Jerky throttle response [not an issue while on the run]
  
• Heat while riding at slow speeds. This motorcycle hates stop-go traffic.
  
• Violent clunk when shifting from N to 1st gear

2. Generator Rotor:

The OEM generator rotor from Yamaha [referred to as grenade for the potential damage it can cause] comes with magnets stuck to the inner surface with an epoxy resin which unfortunately gave up in some bikes resulting in grinding of loose magnets which can reach the crank case and damage the engine. Yamaha recognized this and had silently released an updated part in which the magnets are covered by a metal sleeve.

First of all many many congratulations on the FZ1, its a crazy machine.

Trying multi qoute reply for the first time, so pls pardon me.

With regards to the jerky throttle, its pretty common on these big bikes and you have to live with it, but yes a proper throttle body cleaning and balancing done by a super experienced tuner helps. Also a Power commander with some preset maps from DJ's website also helps.

Regarding the magnet rotor, i hope you have got the one with sealed magnets and not the one with exposed ones.

Parts are easliy available on order from Yamaha directly, or if you need help to get from Japan directly, let me know as the prices from Japan are lower than compared to US.

Last but not the least, ride safe.

[Roshith]

Congratulations on the Fz. Its one of the most " usable" SBK's out there. Like you mentioned no driving aids but is one hell of a brute.

Mine is a 2013 and have had her for 6 plus years now and is a keeper in my stable. Like you i have also replaced the grenade rotor for complete peace of mind. Other than periodic service nothing much done till now. Have also added a Yoshimura Slip -on.

Another part that is prone to failure in the FZ is the starter motor relay that sits under the seat . Will be good to have one as standby .

All the best and ride safe .

[krishnaprasadgg]

@Pferdestarke Congrats again on being able to own this beauty of a machine! And hey! We have matching paint jobs on our bikes now

FZ1 is such an underrated bike, I haven't ridden one to date, but a few friends who used to own them and a few ownership threads posted online are enough to show how "daily-able" (if that's even a word) it is, and when it needs to be it can plaster the biggest grin on your face behind that helmet.

While being a slightly tweaked version of the R1 it has also inherited all the shortcomings too, like the magnet rotor, which you fixed preemptively! It'll be a good idea to stock a Starter motor repair kit, better brake pads, steel braided lines, Li batteries(Shido is back in stock, buy one now and your starter motor will be grateful for the years of life you added to it) and Starter motor relay.

Well if you are in the mood to splurge a Brembo RCS19 MC(Corsacorta if you are feeling more generous).

I love that you already have a proper slip-on acquired. Please, post video clips of before and after! I can't get enough of exhaust comparison videos.

Cheers to many many more years and joyous miles of ownership with the FZ1, it's awesome to see yet another oldtimer getting rescued and being pampered the way it should be.

Cheers
Krishna

[VijayAnand1]

PS, congratulations. Those are some unrestricted clean PS' inside that four banger and
a simple bike that can pass all the prying eyes -- master of camouflage and will easily pass for a FZ150. Only when the the wrist is twisted is when people will realize how wrong they were.

The grenade, generator coil, timing chain tensioner are some of few parts that go bust on this series pretty sinisterly. Inspecting them on a timely basis can help you know more about her and a fuss free ownership.

Looking forward to more of your updates and ownership experience.

Congratulations once again, ride safe and ride long.

Cheers!
VJ

[Pferdestarke]

Originally Posted by Jhinchak

Congratulations on your choice. The bike looks amazing and well maintained too.

Thank you. Yes, the bike has hardly completed run-in I'd say and the previous owner took good care of it.

Originally Posted by Jhinchak

Please share more details of Mr. vivek who transported your bike, will be use full in my future rides.

Sure, it can be of help to other members too.

Vivek (Super Bike Transport) +91-9767721720

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

I remember riding a fellow member's FZ1 on the highway and being completely blown away by its performance.

Thanks Rahul. Yes, outright performance is what made me choose this over other options considered.

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

One of the great things about the FZ1 is its understated look, you can park it anywhere without drawing much attention, as many people will mistake it for an FZ16.

Yes, during a recent weekend ride, a couple of guys asked me what mods did I do to the bike to make it look like this. I smiled and responded with the throttle!

Originally Posted by yogisays0909

First of all many many congratulations on the FZ1, its a crazy machine.

Thanks a lot sir!

Originally Posted by yogisays0909

With regards to the jerky throttle, a proper throttle body cleaning and balancing done by a super experienced tuner helps.

Yes sir, planning to get the throttle bodies cleaned and synced during the next service visit.

Originally Posted by yogisays0909

Regarding the magnet rotor, i hope you have got the one with sealed magnets and not the one with exposed ones.

I got the updated OEM part which has magnets hidden beneath a metal sleeve. Made sure that I ordered the updated part, thanks to 998cc forum.

Originally Posted by yogisays0909

Parts are easliy available on order from Yamaha directly, or if you need help to get from Japan directly

Except for consumables and fast moving parts, most others are procured on back order basis. I've recently ordered some hex bolts and gaskets from Webike Japan and found it very good.

Originally Posted by Roshith

Congratulations on the Fz. Its one of the most " usable" SBK's out there.

Thanks a lot buddy. It is indeed a very usable super bike of the lot. Your bike looks pristine!

Originally Posted by Roshith

Another part that is prone to failure in the FZ is the starter motor relay that sits under the seat

Thanks for the heads up! I will order one right away.

[Pferdestarke]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Congrats again on being able to own this beauty of a machine! And hey! We have matching paint jobs on our bikes now

Thanks a ton buddy! Yes, our bikes look like cousins from Japan now

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

It'll be a good idea to stock a Starter motor repair kit, better brake pads, steel braided lines, Li batteries(Shido is back in stock, buy one now and your starter motor will be grateful for the years of life you added to it) and Starter motor relay.

If not for your continuous support and guidance, I wouldn't be able to take care of this bike and I seriously mean it. I will get in touch with you shortly with the next bag of questions!

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Well if you are in the mood to splurge a Brembo RCS19 MC(Corsacorta if you are feeling more generous).

Bro! Mere idea of purchasing it is gonna hurt my eyes.

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

I love that you already have a proper slip-on acquired. Please, post video clips of before and after!

I'm trying to retain the EXUP valve and install the slip on hence it's taking longer than usual.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

The grenade, generator coil, timing chain tensioner are some of few parts that go bust on this series pretty sinisterly. Inspecting them on a timely basis can help you know more about her and a fuss free ownership.

Thanks a lot sir! Shall make a note of these points.

[autoseeker]

You have a truly classical beauty there! Wishing you all the best buddy! Hope you will be able to cherish time spent with her on many memorable rides ahead. I am also dreaming of picking up a beauty like her with good luck on my side.

[AtheK]

Congratulation on the bike. 8000 Kms is pretty low run and definitely a rare find. The bike looks smashing and good choice of mods.

Do try to post the exhaust note sometime, would be nice to hear how it sounds with LV.

Wishing you safe and happy riding!!

[Pferdestarke]

Originally Posted by autoseeker

You have a truly classical beauty there!I am also dreaming of picking up a beauty like her with good luck on my side.

Thank you autoseeker. If you really wish to get one for yourself, DM me. I can help you find a clean one.

Originally Posted by AtheK

Congratulation on the bike. 8000 Kms is pretty low run and definitely a rare find. The bike looks smashing and good choice of mods.

Thanks a lot for your kind words buddy. Regarding exhaust, I will post a video once the installation is done.