FZ1 Fazer 2009 Owner's Review

Play this music video.
Then proceed to read the rest of my blog.

I want more wind. I want more noise. I don't want to play good cop anymore. I want to be the bad guy.

I don't want to always have to be in control. I want to let go out when I get mad.


From my previous uber-luxurious James-Bond Honda STX1300A Pan European, I went out and gotten myself a 2009 Yamaha FZ1 Fazer.






















Hey, ladies and gentlemen, my ah lians and ah bengs, meet HellBoy, the name of my new Fazer.


















My Yamaha FZ1 Fazer, 2009.
The 2009 edition means red with a black-tiped tail; black usd forks; copper coloured rims and crank cover.


What's it like to ride a Fazer FZ1?



Ride experience and ride position.

Flying a broomstick

Riding the FZ1, you feel like riding a wizard's broomstick flying through the air.
An adult and angry wizard version; not pussy Harry Porter version.

Ride position is forward-biased, like many current sports bikes. Gives you plenty of confidence when making your corners.

Surprisingly, the ride is pretty comfortable for daily commuting in traffic and fast riding. Yet to test out on a tour yet, but the tiny stock windshield is still good when clocks say over 130.


Always ready to pick a fight

I don't care who you are. The bike turns any stiff-upper-lip into a hooligan.
From the moment you fire up the engine, the noise, the angry growl. Before you even ride the bike out of the carpark, the bike makes you feel like it wants to go out and pick a fight.


Boom Boom Room

Honda really doesn't get this. Honda makes quiet bikes. I like Honda bikes. But a bike without noise sounds like what? A bicycle?

And Hellboy makes lot of noise. From two source.

The obvious one is the dust-bin short stubby black side exhaust.

The other is the large airbox that sits right on top of the fuel tank. Any fast rider knows that you can't hear your own exhaust when going fast. But the FZ1's airbox is strategically placed. So near the rider's ears. Even nearer when you prone down to go fast. And hidden in the quiet air behind the windshield. So you get to hear every change in tone and pitch as the bike growls and dance as the revs climbs and falls. Music to my ears.

FZ1 is such a vocal bike. It's a Japanese Ducati without the overpriced, doggey reliability and unexplainable mysterious rattling parts. If FZ1 was a car, it would sound something like a Ferrari F430 Modena and a Subaru WRX.


















Such a small bike, but such a big exhaust and a big airbox--the front half of the fuel tank with the Yamaha logo.



Engine

The FZ1's engine is a screamer. Exciting but needs to be constantly worked.


The FZ1's 1,000cc engine is the same as that of the sportsbike Yamaha R1. Tune differently for more practical riding.

The FZ1 engine is a rev climber. Like a mad rabbit, always eager to climb up and down the rev tacho.

If I were to give a one sentence description of the FZ1, it would be:
"It feels like a 800cc sportsbike."

An equivalent 1,000 cc Honda will feel more powerful, with lumps of more torque.
So one can go faster on the Honda with less effort. On the FZ1, you got to work the engine, you got to constantly be in the right gear to stay with the Honda.

Don't get me wrong. The FZ1 is still torquey. Less torquey than a Honda 1K but more torquey than a Honda 600. So you can get around town perfectly on revs as low as 2K.

But the high reving nature of the FZ1 invites you to just want to rev the tits off the engine, thrash the bike like a punching bag and tear down the road like a mad man, everytime.
















Hellboy says, I want to blast the hell out of you.


The always never-ending linear rev tempts you, "Go rev me hard, boy. I bet you will give up before I do." And the bastard is right. There's not enough road.

The FZ1 is not a bike for those who is looking for a bike to doodle around.


Gear Transmission System

The gear and clutch are light. But they are not buttery smooth like Honda. On such a high reving bike, you can't just slam the clutch plates together and hope for a smooth gear change. In the split second that you open and close the clutch, the revs would have fallen by thousands of rev.

It takes time to learn to able to change rev smoothly on this bike, even when riding sanely. So it is also not the most pillion friendly bike.

My trick to you for having a smooth gear transition, is think of the phrase "Quicky Action!". Quick left hand (clutch), quick right hand (throttle), quick left foot (gear).
All combined and done in an instance. Don't think.
Once you start to think, the bike is not going to be smooth.

Lazy hands need not apply for this bike.


















When I collected Hellboy, odometer is all zero.
Tacho let you climb all the way to 12k. I have never reached there yet.




A Horizontable Bike

Like other bikes with high quality and powerful brake system, you can stop the FZ1 with a mere two fingers. More importantly, the bike gives you great feel when comes to braking. This feel come from the workings of a variet of factors: from the way the brake bites, the firm front fork setup without any weak legs, to the front-biased ride position.

FZ1's suspension is firm but not hard. Comfortable enough for normal street riding but not bouncy when you go fast. A tad firmer than a Hornet900's, but definitely more comfortable than a sportsbike's.

This bike is a highly "Horizontable" bike. I mean this bike makes you want to corner the bike so hard that you feel like you want to lie the bike down on it's side. A horizontal position. Maybe this feel is a result of the higher foot pegs that subconsciously, makes you feel safe to lean the bike low.

Let me explain the naughtier origin of the term "horizontable".
I have a guy friend called Philip. He looks every bit like a gentleman, and apparently, is considered very charming by the opposite sex.
We all have our interest and passion. Bikes catches my attention when they pass me by and triggers my imagination, comments and opinions.
For Philip, when he meets a new girl, instintively, he classifies them whether this girl is "horzontable" or not.
What is horzontable, I asked him? Oh, he answers cheekily, what position do you adopt when you have sex?
So he will say, you know Elaine Liam? I say yeah. And he would add, "By the way, she is very horizontable."


Friends with Petrol Kiosk

When I was riding my STX, the fuel cashier girls always remember me. Why?
Because these girls have never encountered a bike that pays as much as a car at the fuel pump (sometimes SGD $50).

Their usual line is, "Wah, so much ah!" Or "Are you sure you got the right pump number?" In comparison, the honda cubs need only $5.

I thought I could do away with this kind of attention with the FZ1, with it's normal 18-litre tank.
But I can't.


Their usual line becomes, "Wah, see you again ah. Yesterday you just come."

In theory, the FZ1 has a 18-litre tank. It's fuel economy is decent for a litre bike (16++km/litre, singpore riding). But it can barely hit 200km and the fuel reserve light turns on.


Windshield


The stock windshield is a tiny piece of plastic. But don't be fooled. It's aerodynamics has been perfectly worked out. It is surprisingly effective in both upright and prone down riding position.

Of course, no semi-windshield can give you no wind blast. For that, you need a GoldWing or a Pan. On the stock FZ1 windshield, the lowest edge of the jetstream is nose level at upright riding. So no direct wind blast to body. There is secondary wind coming down from dispersed jetstream from the helmet level to cool your body.

Basically, it is very effective. So don't be a hurry to change to aftermarket windshield. Give the stock windshield a chance first.


Yamaha Panniers


















As you can see, I equipped my bike with Yamaha hard side panniers. Want to know more about them?

They cost SGD $1,700 for both box and brackets and install, from Yamaha Hong Leong. Most other FZ1s go with H&B panniers. I went with the Yamaha panniers because I think they look better with the FZ1. They are the same as those found on Yamaha FJRs.

I think it looks great on the FZ1. It also comes with a very cool LED brake taillight, and a diamond white light shining on the rear number plate.

It is 100% waterproof. But the space inside is smaller than the STX1300. In the STX1300, in each of it's panniers, I can keep one full-sized helmet and a complete rain suit/riding jacket. In the Yamaha panniers, I can keep only one full-sized helmet and not enough room for the rain suit/riding jacket. Not a problem when riding alone. But more a hassle if you ride two-up.


Vice

I sold my previous bike, the STX1300A Pan European, called Vice, to Loois Motor. I am glad that within a week, Vice already has found a new owner.


































May Vice be happy and well taken care of by his new owner.

Parting Words

Be thankful for everything.
The journey is the reward.

Owner's Feedback on ST1300/STX1300 Pan European

People have sent me PM (private mails) and emails asking me questions about ST1300/STX1300 Pan European since nothing beats asking the owner versus reading bike magazine reviews.

The questions so far touched on the Pan's:
- Size
- Weight
- Handling
- Power
- Reliability


I will share with you some of the common concerns about the Pan. It would help to de-mystify the Pan, correct some myths and maybe add some of my personal bits of observation.

Reader beware. Rest of this article is rather technical and does not contain any pictures.
Go brew yourselve a nice cup of coffee and then start reading.


Size and Weight

Someone sent me this question:

"How tall are you?

---

Hi endless, I have been reading yur blog for the past yeat and i must say i enjoyed it very much. Therefore i was rather surprised when i found out you have swapped your beloved "Frost" for the STX 1300. I was also an ex owner of a Fazer1000 before i loved its power, especially on the Malaysia's North South Highway. I was also thinking of getting an STX in the future but i worry the bike may be too heavy and tall for me. I am only about 1.7m and weigh less than 65kg. Do you mind telling me your height and also whether the STX is a shit to push around? Sorry for not asking in the forum but i very paiseh. Maybe yu can mention this little detail in your blog so that others may have the courage to try the STX."

A very good question. And my response was:

I am like you, but even smaller and thinner.
I am 1.7 m and I weigh a featherly 56kg!

The ST13, once on the move on it's own power, even at half-clutch first gear, is really amazingly agile. Go see the youtube.com ST1300 Police training videoes. If you close your eyes, you would feel like u r riding a Honda Super4.

Pushing the ST13 around when parking into and out of a lot needs a bit of getting used to from a Fazer. Yes, the ST13 initially feels solid and heavy. But it is all a matter of adjustment and getting used to it. Give yourself one month and you will have no trouble afterall.

The trick is really to keep the bike upright when pushing the bike around. Once the bike is upright, it's weight magically disappears and it is a doodle to push around. Second trick is to use your body weight and legs to assist you rather than use your arms.

So you see all the uncles, ah peks and ah gongs riding ST1100, if they can handle even the heavier ST1100, so can you handle the lighter ST1300!

Go Loois Motor and see Meng Tong the chief mechanic. He is even smaller than me. And he wheels my ST13 around like a scrambler in the workshop.



Next question:
How about when you are riding the ST1300? Does it feel heavy? Do you need to be tall to ride it? Do you need to be a big and strong fella like the ang mohs to ride it?

You don't need to be tall and strong to ride the ST1300.

The ST1300 comes with an adjustable seat that can go to three height positions, even at my height, I used the middle setting. At this setting, I half tip-toed with both feet or I can flat foot with one foot on the ground.


Once the bike starts moving, the ST1300 feels surprisingly nimble. I could do tighter U-turns on the ST1300 than on my Fazer1000. I could do one lane wide U-turns on the ST1300. BMWs, FJRs, sports bikes take that!



Does it take a lot of effort to make the ST1300 corner or lean over? Is the ST1300 very slow to lean over?

This is THE strength of the ST1300, to me. It is amazingly agile, nimble and flickable. It takes little effort to flick the ST1300 to its side.

I especially like the ST1300's riding position. The ST1300 has a modern sports bike upfront position, but with higher bars and broader foamier seat. You sit closer to the front wheel. So you have better feel and greater confidence of the bike. Therefore, the ST1300 has a short, but broad fuel tank. In contrast, you sit further back on the FJR and Fazer1000.

The ST1300's sitting position encourages you to adopt a MotoGP stance when turning agressively. Your head low over the brake-reservoir and half your bum sliding out.

When I first got the ST1300, I found myself doing some of my usual corners at +10kmh faster with little effort, than when going hard on my Fazer1000. This shows you how well the ST1300 can corner.

Perhaps, one slight disadvantage of the ST1300 is that it needs to lean over more, hence has lesser ground clearance compared to other lighter bikes.

Many touring bikes make the riders prefer to ride long straight roads. The ST1300 is one bike that makes you actually prefer to ride twisty roads than straight roads! This cornering-fun factor is definitely not found in ST1100. What a different animal the ST1300 is from its predecessor!

I would tell you one less commonly known trait of the ST1300. Honda designed the ST1300 so eager to corner that it sacrificed some straight-line stability at high speeds.

At high speeds say >180kmh, the ST1300 starts to feel a little nervous and you need to concentrate a bit on going straight. Just understand that the bike is designed to turn with the minimal effort. The problem is that at high speeds, the bike still wants to tip over. So you would find going straight and fast on a slower steering bike more relaxing, assuring and planted (FJR?). It is not anything wrong with the ST1300 (or FJR). It is just a double-edge sword thing.

This side effect can be made more pronounced if an unsuspecting Pan rider tries to ride at >200kmh with a fully raised windshield! The Pan is one of the few bike that has a windshield (at its highest position) that can deflect windblast completely above the rider's head, like the Goldwing. To do that, the Pan's windshield got to be really tall. BTW, the Pan's windshield has a greater adjustable range compared to FJR. Just see how tall the front fairing of the Pan, compared to FJR.




Brakes

I read many times in bike magazines that the bike editors dislike the ST1300's linked brakes and claiming they can stop better themselves if they handle the front and rear brakes manually themselves.

The ST1300's linked brakes mean that the front and rear brakes are actuated even when you squeeze only the front brakes. It is just that the bike moderate the brake distribution effort itself.

And if you know me, I am really picky on a bike's brake.
I believe in the saying that, "The quickest bike is the bike that can stop faster."
You can have all the horsepower in the world, but if your bikes can't stop quickly, you would be reluctant to appy the horsepower isn't it? I am sure the Suzuki Hayabusa owners understand what I mean


Picky as I am on a bike's brake, so it is a surprise that I am now a fan of the ST1300's linked brakes.

The linked brakes is really great and effective in halting the ST1300. Much more effective than you can do it yourself if you separate the front and rear brakes. More than once, I thank the linked brakes for stopping the ST1300 quickly without any drama. Yes, the feel is different from that of a sportsbike. But you can still feel the bike.

The linked brakes is really bringing the advantage of a car to a bike. In cars such as Evolution, WRX and F1 cars, you just need to stamp on one brake pedal and the car stops. You don't need to have two brake pedals. So why can't we have that on a bike?

Yes, we can. So you find it on Honda's ST1300, BlackBird and VFR.
Don't believe the bike journalists on this one.


Power

This is an interesting one. Because, this seems to be the one that most people use to decide between the Pan and the FJR.

Do you know that sometimes an engine can "feel" powerful yet it doesn't make you go faster?
In contrast, there are engines that don't "feel" fast, but you just get shocked at the high readings when you look down at the speedometer. The ST1300 is like that. I will explain in a moment.

The ST1300 has a V-4 engine layout. The commonly known advantage of a V-4 layout is lower CG compard to inline layout. This, coupled with Honda's mass centralisation design philosophy, sharp steering rake, a short wheelbase, little trail, make the ST1300 so eager to steer. The disadvantage of V-4 layout is higher cost of production => higher price tag.

Another lesser known thing is that I suspect that Honda designed the ST1300's 4 cylinder engine fire and feel like a twin.

Why would Honda make a 4-cylinder fire like a two-cylinder engine?

The rider can go faster on such a engine.

Have you ridden a twin before? It feels so unintimidating when you turn the throttle whether going straight or when exiting the corner. But on any 1,000cc inline-4 bike, the pull of the engine is so constant and so fierce, that psychologically, it makes the rider slower to apply the power of the engine. There is also real science behind it that explains why a two-cylinder engine can allow the tyre to grip the tarmac better than a 4-cylinder engine. But I don't fully get it so I can't explain that here. Anyhow, just know that the RCV V-5 fires like a twin! And I believe so does the ST1300.

Another characteristic of the ST1300's engine is that it is a flat-torque engine. There is horsepower and there is torque. You don't understand the difference, you just go and wiki yourself.

The ST1300's flat-torque engine delivers more or less constant torque throughout the rpm range. So the bike gets pulled along at the same rate on the same gear even as the rev goes up. This results in the rider "feeling" not much pull, and the bike doesn't feel fast.

The other effect of flat-torque engine is such engines are very willing and easy to rev. So the ST1300 is surprisingly likes to rev. You can easily make use of the full rpm range of the ST1300 (max hp at 8k rpm) and hence it's full 113 hp. I personally observed that for any road bike, 100 hp is all you need to go fast on the road.

Honda likes to designed engines with flat torque. This is why the CBR1000/CBR600 feel more friendly and less threatening than the non-flat torque engines of Kawasakis ZX-10/ ZX-6.

Non-flat torque engines have a lump or mountain shape in their torque curve. The Fazer1000 has such type of torque curve. Maybe the FJR too. As the rev climb, you start to climb up the torque curve. This is called "volumatric efficiency" meaning the bike starts to get more and more efficient. The rider starts to feel the "pull" of the bike.

The result of engines with a torque curve is that the rider has a greater sensation of the bike is going fast compared to flat torque engines. The engine thus make the bike feel more "sporty". The disadvantages is that this "greater pull" sensation requires the rider to be more daring and to have bigger balls in applying the throttle to go fast, as compared to the rider on a flat torque engine who doesn't get intimdated by such a sensation.


Given that the ST1300 has a flat-torque engine that mimicks a twin-engine, a windshield that is very good at deflecting windblast, shaft-driven meaning more weight and less responsiveness than a chain-driven engine, the net result is that riding on the ST1300, the rider seldom feels like he is going fast whether he is going straight or doing a corner until very high speeds (>180kmh).

This could be why the FJR is described to feel more sporty than the ST1300.

Note that so far, I used the phrase the rider feels. In reality, the ST1300 is going really very very fast. I get shocked at seeing how fast ST1300 rider rides on the road.

Therefore, I am also not surprised when the Bike Magazine described that the ST1300 rider actually goes faster than the FJR rider most of the time for the same rider input.

When I first got the ST1300, I find the speedometer registering 110-120kmh even though I really felt I was riding slower than on my Fazer1000 when it was doing 90kmh. So honestly, I was a bit disappointed when I first got the ST1300 because I couldn't feel it's sportiness. It is after I lowered the windshield by 5 cm (to let in more breeze) and after riding the bike more, that now I can appreciate the ST1300's sportiness. Contact me for the windshield-lowering brace if you are a Pan owner.



Gear Box

The Pan has 5 gears. The gearing makes the ST1300 accelerate well from 50kmh to 200kmh.
In this zone, it would not out accelerate modern sportsbike, but probably could dust or keep pace with most other bikes.

Some people wished the Pan have a higher 6th gear. I don't think so. I think it's gear ratios are fine. If I am asked to change something, maybe I would add a lower first gear to make it 6 gears. The Pan's first gear is rather tall. So it is not great at racing out of the gates from standstill. Honda might have intentionally not made the first gear short as tourers don't need such fast first gear acceleration and it would just add more effort to shift through the gears to get to the tallest gear, given the ST13's strong long-end torque.

The ST13's gearbox is easy and light to shift. The gears do not pop out and you don't miss gears. It is also easy to find neutral on the Pan.

I find the hydraulic clutch needs a bit of effort to depress though (like the BlackBird). I also suspect the Pan has a twin plate clutch design, perhaps to cope with the 1,300 cc torque.



Reliability

The Pan is really a very sophisticated bike. V-4 engine. Windshields that raise and lower at the press of a button. Computer readings that can read anything from outside temperature to on-the-fly fuel consumption to distance countdown to empty tank (I have a story on this). Counter-balancer shaft-driven and whatever bells and whistles.

It didn't help that for its first 3-4 years of production, there were recalls on Pan to fix some design issues. They were mostly small like heat shield, oil plug. But still.

I must say so far, my Pan has been most reliable. Fires up everytime no matter how I rev the tits out of it. And I have done the long trip to Thailand and back and it never crossed my mind throughout the trip that my Pan would give me any problems.

I believe its engine will be most reliable, just as Honda has designed and delivered a very reliable ST1100. But with more parts such as electric motors on the windshield, I would expect an very edged ST1300 would have parts that need replacement, nothing more due to usual wear-and-tear.


Parting Shots

Thanks for sending me questions as we help to share information with everyone who comes here to read about motorcycling. So keep the emails and PMS coming. Keep your questions, comments and even articles coming. You are most welcomed

Yamaha Fazer1000 versus FZ1 Comparison Review

The Fazer is considered by many to be one of the best and affordable all-rounder bike.
The Fazer1000 (above in silver) was the previous model and the FZ1 (above in red) is the current model.

This comparison may especially be of interest to you if you are thinking of buying either a used Fazer1000, or a FZ1 (new or used).

Newer of course better lah! This is no brainer what.
You can save your Fazer comparison test report liao.

Wait, wait, wait. Newer doesn't always necessarily mean better.
Son, life is not so simple understand?!

You know the meaning of trade-off?
It means that if you are good in one thing, you may have to compromise on some other aspect.
Don't understand?
Let me think think...Ah, I give you example and you will understand.

It is like girls, you know.
Girls who are thin, usually have no big breasts.
Girls who are good looking, usually need to spend more time and money, of theirs and yours, to maintain their looks.
Girls who are rich (because of their own career), have little time for you.
And girls who are rich (because of her parents' money) and beautiful, don't marry you.

U understand liao?

So comparing the old Fazer (Fazer1000) versus the new Fazer (FZ1) is like this.
There is no perfect bike out there, just like there is no perfect girls out there.
You pick the one that is most suited to you.

Overall Conclusion

The types of condition that I test-rode the two different Fazers for an hour were through slow traffic and fast, through twisty trunk roads.

I will begin by telling you my overall conclusion first.

If you like to do lots of long distance touring that requires riding through the NorthSouth Highway, the previous Fazer1000 is a more comfortable touring bike. If you like to play road corners going in fast and low, and like to do once-in-a-blue-moon track riding, then the FZ1 is a more sporty bike.

Power Characteristics

I hear Ah Tan, the Mr-Know-It-All starts to say:

Of course the newer FZ1 more powerful lah, it's got more horsepower what.
The Fazer1000 makes less horsepower.

Yes, on paper it is like this.
If it all comes down to the more-horsepower-wins, then don't need so many engineers and scientists in MotorGP and Formula F1 liao. Just build the bike and car with the most horsepower wins.

But it is like this, you see. It is not so simple.
Especially for road riding, away-from-track riding.

A large factor depends on how much and when the torque is delivered.
Other factors include the gear ratios, gear box and clutch swift.
And also the brake system to control the power.

The Fazer1000 is a slightly more "torquey" bike. Meaning that it delivers higher torque at a lower rpm, than the FZ1. For instance, to get the same speed on the FZ1, you need 1,000 more rpm than the Fazer1000. The Fazer1000 builds up a mountain of torque from 5,000 to 8,000 rpm. Because of the strong mid-range torque of Fazer1000, it is a bike that you can just stick to one gear and you rarely need to change gear.

But the FZ1 can rev to a higher rpm. It is also much more willing to rev than the Fazer1000.
The FZ1 engine behaves like a sports bike engine. It is very willing to rev high, rev low and you can pull its rev across the rev range (10,000 rpm) like a big rubber band. So it is a very fun sporty engine. And to overtake, you play with the slick light gearbox to drop 1-2 gears.

The Fazer1000 is carburetted-fueled whereas the FZ1 is electronically fuel-injected.
Because of this, you need slightly longer time to crank up the Fazer1000 from cold.
But with carbs, it is almost fail-proof, and good for riding into uncharted territories.
The fuel injected FZ1 gives more instantaneous response at low rev.
The FZ1 I rode is of 2006 model and I found it's infamous snatch at about 4,000-5,000 rpm which many bike magazines complained about.

You can find it when at that rpm, you roll off your throttle, pause a while, and then turn it back on. The bike response by pausing a while...and then just as you thought when is the power going to come back on again, it gives a slight tug forward.

Having said that, I must say that is is really more an imperfection than a factor that is so severe that should deter you from getting the FZ1 if you really like it. If I don't consciously find it, I can't notice it. When I found it, I could live with it. It's alright. It's not a big deal.

















The FZ1 (red) feels like a sportsbike without fairing.
When you ride the Fazer1000 (silver) fast, you feel like a traffic police.


Brake System Characteristics

Both bikes inherit brake systems from the R1 sports bike of their respective time. Actually, same also for the engines.

The Fazer1000 already has strong brakes. But I just love the FZ1 brake feel much more. Maybe because it needs even less effort to brake hard. Possibly the effect of a larger master cylinder rather than due to bigger discs.

Handling Characteristics

There goes Ah Tan again:

Of course the FZ1 easier to turn lah. Because it is lighter and got a shorter wheelbase what!

Dear Mr Tan, you are wrong again. It is not so simple.

The surprising thing is, when you ride the Fazer1000, you need less effort to turn it than the newer and more sporty FZ1.

How come like this?

This is because the Fazer1000 has wider handlebars. So with the principle of leverage in physics to assist you, it takes the rider very little effort to turn the front wheel of the Fazer1000. You don't really feel the weight difference of the bikes when riding on the road.

Then why make the FZ1 harder to turn?
You do need to exert slightly more effort to turn the handle bars of the FZ1. But the FZ1, I realised, is designed to be ridden and turned like a sport bike. That is, you wriggle your body side-to-side, or even slide your butt off the slippery seat to hang off, when attacking the corners fast. The same stance when you are like riding a sport bike.

Whereas on the Fazer1000, you ride it upright and turn the bike with your body pretty much upright. The same stance when you are like riding a ST1100 or BMW.

When you do your sport riding stance right on the FZ1, it gives a very rewarding feel when you rush through the corners. The bike feels more precise and stable when going through corners fast. And due to its shorter wheelbase, it is easier and faster to change its direction mid-corner compared to the Fazer1000.

For the suspension, the Fazer1000 has a rear suspension that is a tat too soft. I counter this problem by raising (hardening) my rear preload from one click from max. And it works fine since. The front suspension of Fazer1000 is fine.

For the FZ1, its suspension is harder than Fazer1000. It is a bit on the hard side, but it is not as hard and harsh like a true sports bike. Between the VFR and FZ1, I think the FZ1 has a harder suspension.


Comfort

This is the department that Fazer1000 wins hands-down.
Once you get onto the bike and sit down, its big cushy soft seat allows you to sink down and go 'Ahhhhhh, so comfortable'.

The FZ1 bike is harder and does not sink in.

In the Fazer1000, you ride it almost upright and you see the road ahead with your head level. The grip is at chest level, like a BMW bike. Your hands are on at a 'puppy-beg' position.

On the FZ1, your body is leaned forward. Your head has to tilt up somewhat. The lean is no so severe like a full-fledge sport bike and you wouldn't get hand aches or palm numbness. If you were not previously riding a leaned-forward bike, you might experience some neck-ache initially. But it should go away in due time as you get more used to the bike.

I find the leg positions for both bikes alright.

The ability of to take windblast of the rider for both bikes, depends very much on the type of windshields that you install. I think for bth bikes, the stock windshields should allow you to ride comfortably up to speeds of 130-150 kmh. For both bikes, there should be a greater variety of aftermarket windshields for you to choose from.

















That's it. To sum up:
You would want to take the silver Fazer1000 when you ride on the NorthSouth.
And you would want to take the red FZ1 when attacking the trunk roads.

















Thanks to AC_Devil64, the slim and bubbly lady owner of the nice looking red FZ1 for lending me to ride her lovely bike!

Parting Shots

Here are some pictures of this really low-passing, brewing angry storm clouds, off Kupkup in Malaysia.





In life, every now and then, and once-too-often, we tend to experienced storms.

But remember, the best thing is,

It can't rain forever.
And after each rain, there is a beautiful sunshine that awaits you.

Picture is courtesy of BornFree.