Yamaha FZS600 Fazer (1998-2004)

I had 3 a 98/01/03 I loved each one. The exhausts are quite poor and if you are keeping it for a while put a stainless system on it. The engine is great grunty for a 600 & tunable and compared with the Hornet like a 750 but the hornet handles better. The earlier models have weak headlights and the rear brakes on all models need goodridge hose or similiar as they have a lot of travel and not as strong/progresive as it should be. Handling is great with good tyres and uprated springs shock but as stock is a touch remote soft. I put yam xjr1300 bars on and made a huge diff. Keep the battery in good nick with an optimate as they are expensive as are plugs. The bike takes to touring quite well I did lands end to john o groats on mine and got a lot more than 130miles out of the tank altough the later one has a bigger tank. My advice BUY ONE. The Hornet is a better handling bike but has no tank range and no torque.

I purchased my fazer after my 750 being written off thanks to someone pulling out on me :(. The one thing that annoyed me when riding the fazer was the small handle bars, it took ages for me to get used to them. I return on average 52mpg and around 45mpg at the very worst on sprinted rides. The handling is sublime, its easy to throw into corners and the r1 brakes upfront stop the fazer in no time. The gearbox i find is very clunky (this is a feature of the fazers i believe) and somewhat annoying. Low down torque isnt very good (then again i came from a 750) however wind it up and its like a pullman. Basic suspension means its not very good for pillioning. The bike is very comfortable on long journeys. The fazer is also very easy to maintain, the tanks held in place by two nuts and its very easy to access. One thing to watch out for is rotting exhaust header bolts and the rear caliper seizing.

I have a 1999 FZS600. I bought it with 25,000 miles, on the advice a friend who is long term fazer fan. I was reluctant mainly due to the fact it's so ugly... however 3 months and 5,000 miles later i can now understand the appeal due the fact the engine is an absolute gem. The handling leaves a little to be desired although i think with a little work on the front forks this could be improved. Other niggles include the head lights which are pathetic and the switch gear which is nackered. MPG isn't the best but tank range is good (up to 140 miles). Being an older bike, a trip counter is about the extent of the gizmos on board although truthfully this is quite nice. All things said for £1500 this bike is an absolute bargain and seems to have stood the test of time better than many of it's rivals (bandits, gsf's). Cheers, ride safe)

This my 1st review, since i purchased the fazer in 03. I have the 2000 model with the square head lights that has the the thundercat engine. Puchased this when it had 1500 miles on it and it has clocked 92,000 miles. Its my 1st proper bike. i cummute 80 miles a day and the bike is used througout the year including the winters. So lets start. Looks: They say the 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. Some people say the new BMW's look beautiful, some say they are plain ugly. The fazer looks weird from certain angles & chunky from certian. So its a matter of perpective. Engine: We all know that the detuned thundercat engine, is on of the best out there, so will not go into much detail. On the M25, i traffic, 1 can do 30 miles in 6th gear & there is no bucking from the engine as its smooth. Once you open the throttle, the power comes on smooth nothing like the sports bike, where u can have ur head taken off. The engine revs nicely taking the bike onto 135 miles without any problem. Between 5500 to 6500 rpm, there seems to be a bit of vibration from the engine but if your out of that zone, the engine is smooth. Full Consumption: i get about 50 mpg but this is steady at 50 to 60 mph. Comfort: Its got that upright right position which is so important when u do long distance and u don't end up with a bad back or hurting knees on the other side of the trip. Its ideal!! Equipment: Its a very nicely laid out dash, with the RPM meter as the main dial, speedo, you have a clock, trip meter and its easy to read. Nothing fancy just nice & basic. Tyres: i have the bridgestone touring, & get 20,000 miles out of it on the rear. i know some of you won't believe this, but thats to my driving, style. no hard take offs, no hard braking [only when required], steady driving at 50 to 60 mph. Realibility: My bike still has everything orginal on the engine, including the clutch plates. Its recommened that servicing is done every 6000 miles, but i get it done once a year ie 20,000 miles. The engine does not seem to mind this. It has never failed me till date. I have changed the rear brake caliper as its seized, but this was at 80,000 miles, i have changed the sproket and chain 3 times, that was partly due to my carelessness. Other changes are front and rear brake pads, spark plugs and oil filters, which are general maintance. it has some rusted bolts and a bit here and there, but thats acceptable consider the age and usage i have done. The thing you should care for is the downpipe as the quality is very poor. the bolts holding them to the manifold rust and one of them has broken so had to order new one at 45 GBP including the gaskets. Verdict: If you want a bike thats very very reliable, cheap [as there are so many] to run, maintain, have fun, commute, have a track day, keep up with the sports bike and have a good back and knees this is the bike you want. But make sure its got the thundercat engine. When i decide to buy another one, it will be the YAMAHA FZS600S, its the best every all rounder. its a shame that Yamaha had to kill it.

This my 1st review, since i purchased the fazer in 03. I have the 2000 model with the square head lights that has the the thundercat engine. Puchased this when it had 1500 miles on it and it has clocked 92,000 miles. Its my 1st proper bike. i cummute 80 miles a day and the bike is used througout the year including the winters. So lets start. Looks: They say the 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. Some people say the new BMW's look beautiful, some say they are plain ugly. The fazer looks weird from certain angles & chunky from certian. So its a matter of perpective. Engine: We all know that the detuned thundercat engine, is on of the best out there, so will not go into much detail. On the M25, i traffic, 1 can do 30 miles in 6th gear & there is no bucking from the engine as its smooth. Once you open the throttle, the power comes on smooth nothing like the sports bike, where u can have ur head taken off. The engine revs nicely taking the bike onto 135 miles without any problem. Between 5500 to 6500 rpm, there seems to be a bit of vibration from the engine but if your out of that zone, the engine is smooth. Full Consumption: i get about 50 mpg but this is steady at 50 to 60 mph. Comfort: Its got that upright right position which is so important when u do long distance and u don't end up with a bad back or hurting knees on the other side of the trip. Its ideal!! Equipment: Its a very nicely laid out dash, with the RPM meter as the main dial, speedo, you have a clock, trip meter and its easy to read. Nothing fancy just nice & basic. Tyres: i have the bridgestone touring, & get 20,000 miles out of it on the rear. i know some of you won't believe this, but thats to my driving, style. no hard take offs, no hard braking [only when required], steady driving at 50 to 60 mph. Realibility: My bike still has everything orginal on the engine, including the clutch plates. Its recommened that servicing is done every 6000 miles, but i get it done once a year ie 20,000 miles. The engine does not seem to mind this. It has never failed me till date. I have changed the rear brake caliper as its seized, but this was at 80,000 miles, i have changed the sproket and chain 3 times, that was partly due to my carelessness. Other changes are front and rear brake pads, spark plugs and oil filters, which are general maintance. it has some rusted bolts and a bit here and there, but thats acceptable consider the age and usage i have done. The thing you should care for is the downpipe as the quality is very poor. the bolts holding them to the manifold rust and one of them has broken so had to order new one at 45 GBP including the gaskets. Verdict: If you want a bike thats very very reliable, cheap [as there are so many] to run, maintain, have fun, commute, have a track day, keep up with the sports bike and have a good back and knees this is the bike you want. But make sure its got the thundercat engine. When i decide to buy another one, it will be the YAMAHA FZS600S, its the best every all rounder. its a shame that Yamaha had to kill it.

This is my second review (first in Aug 2009 whilst new to riding and the bike). After over 2 years all year round riding the bike has been top class. Never let me down and always a joy to ride. The second powerband brought massive grin to face and never ever struggled to keep up with any other bike. Would totally recommend this to and newby or anyone who only ride as a single. Now managed to get Missis onboard and needed a bit more comfort for 2. After looking around and test riding came up with new bike - Fazer 1000.

I've had an 01 Fazer for a month or so and done just over 1000 miles. Returned to biking after a 14 year absence (BMW R45 previously - sloooow!). I'm extremely impressed with the Fazer. It's got a fantastic engine which doesn't have to have the nuts revved off it to make quick progress. Very comfortable over distance. The fairing keeps the wind off the helmet but I can feel a slight buffeting on the shoulders (5' 9''). This is only really noticeable at 90+ mph. I haven't yet found the bike's handling limits - still working on it, but it corners well. Fuel consumption regularly 48+ MPG. I get 200 + miles on a tank. Loads of room under the seat. Not used any oil so far. Back brake is rubbish but it's on the original hoses so may want changing. I spent weeks weighing up options and I have to say this is one great bike. I would certainly recommend it. I picked mine up for £1250 with 17000 miles on clock and in very good condition. For that you can't go wrong.

I have a 2003 FZS 600 Fazer 'Fox Eye' - read the owners reviews! day to day riders are the ones who know, comments bulging with enthusiasm and positive feedback. 1998 originals still run today (2010), a testament to Yamaha build quality and Fazer durability. Forget the Honda's, Kawasaki's or Suzuki's, believe me! the FZS 600 Fazer is a speedy, easy handler, with the most comfortable riding position, extremely competitive low cost insurance cover makes for a tantalizing first-time bike option and a realistic long term all rounder. Spares and accessories are widely available, even on the oldest models, the Fazer legacy continues on, the new 2010 Fazer 800 seems retrospective, in style, with a modern twist, though perhaps a little pricey. Kindest Regards Grendel 1

Hi, got my y2k fazer from a friend as as an instructor it made more sense than a vfr 750. 18 months later the vfr has gone and I use the better fazer for all my riding. Engine wise it is superb for a mere 600. with brakes from an R1 it stops very quickly. Even with me at 6 foot and around 20 stones the bike pulls and handles superbly. The Mrs prefers this to the other bike in the garage (ZZR 1100) and so do I to be honest. only down sides I've had so far is the rear shock going and the poor headlight which i conveted to both on when on low beam. Perfect as an instuctor bike or commuter. Oh and I have had over 200 miles to a tank of petrol on numerous occasions. so no idea how the mcn testers ride but.....

Hi I bought the fazer to get me around while waiting for parts for my aprilia.I purchased it from an elderly chap a few miles up the road from me 3075 miles on the clock 2 owners from new on a 1998 plate.They are about if your lucky it rides like new and the engine is sooo sweet handlings very good but the front end definately needs stiffining up just a couple of cosmetic blemishes but I am over the moon with it.So I really dont give a toss if I gotta wait another 6 weeks for my aprilia parts Im having a great time regards Robbie