YAMAHA FZS1000 FAZER (2000 - 2005) Review

Version: Gen 1

Year: 2002

I can't disagree more with the MCN review of the Gen 1 Fazer 1000. Did it have a few flaws from new ? Maybe. Show me a bike that hasn't. I've never found the power to be lacking. It has grunt from the word go. It still looks beautiful to me, even now after 13 years of ownership. I keep my bikes in mint condition and this one is no exception. People who say that their Fazer has suffered from flaking engine paint and corroded fasteners, are quite clearly not taking enough time to do routine cleaning. Buy a bolt from any of the main manufacturers out there, and leave it outside all winter without treating it, and see if it starts to corrode. I'll save you the bother. It will. Mine has no corrosion, tarnished alloy or flaking paint. The suspension is criticized for being too soft. I never really found a problem but did the R6 rear shock upgrade and have recently had the front forks serviced and reworked by Darren at MCT. This was mainly down to the bikes age and not because I could feel any problems. I actually like the fact that it's a carburated analog bike and not full of fancy electronics. I bought an XSR900 new back in 2016 with abs, tcs, rider modes, assist and slipper clutch, digital dash etc but still prefer the Fazer. I like a heavier bike as they always feel more planted to me. It's been great 'two up', handles motorway speeds with ease and always begs me to throw more at it through the twisties. It sounds gorgeous, looks gorgeous and I hope I never need to sell it. If you find a nice clean one with reasonable mileage, you won't be disappointed. I've had a fair few bikes over my 33 years of riding but prefer this above all others. There is nothing on the market that I would consider swapping her for. A real legend of a bike and very underrated. Bad points: It isn't worth more 😂

Buying experience: Bought privately in 2009 with 9000 Miles on the clock for a shade less than 3 grand.

Year: 2003

No bells or whistles just an honest bike

Year: 2005

It's a fantastic all rounder that's so easy to ride fast or slow. The first generation detuned carburetted R1 engine is smooth and is a joy to ride around town, but becomes a different animal when let loose on the open road. The gearbox is a little notchy in the lower ratios, though I have never hit a false neutral. The headlights are impressive though set way too high from the factory. This needs sorting or you'll get a lot of drivers flashing you. The brakes are spot on for everyday riding on the road. I know some would upgrade for trackday action. Reviewers at the launch of this bike slated the suspension. I have no problems with it's soft nature and is more suited to our rough pothole roads. The biggest niggle are the mirrors. They are an absolute joke. They vibrate so much you can't see whats following. This is my second Fazer thou. The first one which I had for 5 years met a sticky end when it had a coming together with a Massey Ferguson. I would recommend this bike to anyone. Definitely consider one before parting with all that extra cash for a Ninja 1000SX. The Fazer is an awesome allrounder. It's lighter and has a centrestand as standard.

Year: 2001

Annual servicing cost: £100

Best all rounder 3,000 miles every May in Europe seen 165 on the clock with a givi top box superb

Buying experience: Private so. Long ago I've forgotten

Year: 2002

Annual servicing cost: £100

This bike is very forgiving and easy to ride, well mannered, and unthreatening under 5000 revs. So it's stable round town, but when you want to open it up, get it to 7000 and above it has the ponies to rip your arms off. Easy to maintain, chains last forever, cheap to run. If you only have one bike to commute, tour, and speed on, this is it. A legend.

Buying experience: Second hand, ebay. Mine was cheap as chips and has served me well.

Year: 2004

for the money there isn’t a bike that can do everything as well as the fzs1000 can.

Year: 2005

the fz1 is the bike I've always wanted but didn't know it existed until rode one if you only have one bike this should be it , it does it all and very well reliable require little maintenance , fast , handles like a sport bike , a cruiser and an ADV seriously ... no frills, no ABS , simple and nearly perfect

Year: 2003

Bike is a Wolf 🐺 in sheep 🐑 clothes. Bit of a rough ride in town as the revs need to be high. The bike has a dead spot between 3 and 4 thousand revs. But open her up above 8 000 revs and the Wolf comes out. The bike takes long to heat up so driving with choke on is required for quite a while. Bike sputters when cold.

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £200

If you're not completely abusive with the throttle, this bike is close to a perfect all-rounder. Treat it with respect & it'll do wonders. The only negative I could find after one summer is that it will struggle to start sometimes when it's cold. Not a big deal but make sure you keep your battery healthy & add a bit of throttle with the choke if needed. I live in Iceland so that might not be an issue in warmer climates.

Buying experience: Bought privately from an owner who took great care of it. The bike looked like it just came from a show room, with 15000 miles on the clock. The price was relatively high for this year/model, but I won't share it because I live in Iceland & prices here aren't comparable with most of the world. All in all, I got what I paid for & more.

Year: 2003

Wouldn't trade for anything else.

Year: 2005

You will be hard pressed to find a bike in this price range which has 'everything' you're looking for from an all rounder. It's fast, comfortable, reliable and easy to ride. Bits corrode if you ride it through winter and the stock wheel paint is awful. I had the wheels power coated and now they're awesome. You may want to upgrade that suspension and have the carbs 'Ivanised' to get the best from this glorious beast. It has no fancy gadgetry so there's not a lot to go wrong. You could service and maintain this bike easily yourself. I would expect it to do very high miles if looked after. The EXUP valve is annoying to maintain and can seize.

Buying experience: I bought my bike with a full service history (which I intended to keep up), datatagged from new and HPI clear. The bike had 20k miles when I bought it and I've done nearly 13k miles. I've spend £1200 with a Yamaha main dealer this year having the wheels powder coated, new tyres, wheel bearings, fork seals, seat upholstered, new pads all around and a service. I'm confident that when I sell my bike the next owner will be getting a decent machine and a future classic.

Year: 2003

Annual servicing cost: £80

I love my Fazer 1000 - it has superb acceleration and I've recently done a Europe trip on it with my fiancée, so the bike was fully loaded with panniers and a top box and a pillion and it performed extremely well going through France, around the Alps into Italy and back through Switzerland. There are bits and pieces that tend to corrode over time - my radiator was badly shot as I'm pretty sure the stock radiator guard does nothing to protect the rad, the stock suspension is rubbish and feels like a broken mattress, so I've gone for the HyperPro kit on mine. Being mechanically minded I just love the fact this bike is so easy to work on. Everything is easy to get to and DIY servicing is a doddle.

Year: 2001

Annual servicing cost: £200

Best features - quick acceleration - smooth delivery - grate handling - lights are good at night - very predictable Worst features - seat could be a 2 pice rather than one.

Buying experience: Swapped a Honda cbf 600cc and £200 and the Honda needed work from a dealer.

Year: 2002

Had one of these back in 2003. Then went to GSXR1000K3 and now just sold a BMW K1600GTL to buy this a second time round. Done track days, IOM and Nurburgring trips on the previous. Will change to drag bars and otherwise just enjoy it.

Buying experience: Was happy to pay the dealer price for a 11,000 mile bike with full service history.

Year: 2002

Do a rear shock conversion/replacement, new valves and springs on the front forks, drop forks through the yolks by 10mm, 2 up on the back & 1 down on the front sprockets and get it fully Ivanised (pref by the Falcon) and this bike is 5 out of 5.

Version: faired

Year: 2003

Annual servicing cost: £100

awesome machine, comfortable, quick, reliable

Buying experience: bought privately from evil bay, did have to replace a few parts on purchase but did get a cracking price.

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £65

Absolutely superb. If I had known how good it was going to be I would have bought 2

Buying experience: Bought new from Infinity in Purley Easter 2005. Paid £5,500 on the road. Treated very well by the sales staff. Service dept let them down, as usual

Version: When I got the bike I thought it was kind of goofy feeling but the power it had was unreal so I knew it had potential so I changed its looks and now I'm happy with it!

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £200

It's takes alot to maintainin it

Just bought an FZS1000, first un-faired bike, had to downscale my bike budget and coming from a 2003 R1, I didn't want anything too lacking in grunt, plus the seat and grabrails will hopefully tempt my partner to come out with me now and again. Not put many miles on it yet so still adjusting to the riding position (comfortable and abnormally high bars for me) but I am getting the hango of it. Had a "spirited" ride out with my mate on his 954 - we're pretty quick together and we were both surprised how quick I could still go round the twisties, it really is easy to ride fast and keep the pace up. Obviously a 1000cc bike is going to be fast enough, but how easy this is to ride at pace was a wonderful surprise. I don't really think the reviews do the bike justice. I have had the usual mix of the Sport bikes like Fireblades, Aprilias, ZX9Rs, VFRs and so on and won't rule out another Sportsbike for the track and short rides when and if I have more cash, but for a one-bike person, this should be considered by everyone. I have dropped the front end 10mm, jacked the rear up to max preload and adjusted damping to suit - and with some cash thrown at the forks and shock and a jet kit, there is surely going to be a storming bike unleashed, that you can ride for several hours at a time and you can also bimble to work through traffic without your wrists getting a caning. Great value bike for the cash, highly recommended.

I have had my 2005 Fazer for almost five years now. I was looking for a machine in this class after selling a BMW1150GS. (At the risk of upsetting all the BMW fans out there I'll say that, although it was the most comfortable and most efficient bike I have owned, it was sooo BORING!! Sorry, just didn't do it for me.) The choices at the time we machines such as the Suzuki Bandit, which was a little too old school, and the Honda Hornet 900. The Fazer seemed to be the best overall package as the motor at 145BHP had more stomp than the others, it had the suspension lifted from the Thunderace, brakes from the R1 and it had a modern look. I found mine in the MCN classifieds and purchased it as an 18 month old machine with only 1100 miles on it. It was if it had just come out of the crate. So what's it like to own - great! It's a fast and easy bike to ride. The engine is smooth and picks up really well from almost any revs. It's actually a little more modified than the 'detuned R1 engine' label tends to suggest. Amongst other subtle modifications is a heavier flywheel which makes the engine more tractable from low RPM. The carbs are also smaller which give better mid-range. I have not ridden an R1 so can't comment on how much stomp the motor has lost at the top end of the rev range but, take my word for it, it's fast enough! The suspension often comes in for criticism as being too soft and past its best by 10,000 miles. I have increased the pre-load at both ends a little and set the bike up for me. The result is a bike that handles very well and is still comfortable. With 7,000 miles now showing the suspension shows no signs of fading yet. (Yes, I know I have only put 6,000 miles on it but I am lucky enough to own more than one bike. As and when the suspension shows signs of fading I'll upgrade it because I intend to keep this bike long term. There's probably no need to comment on the brakes - R1 stuff so enough said. The riding position is day long comfortable and the controls are light and easy. The switchgear is standard Yamaha fare so no problems there. I usually get around 150 miles to the tank in general use with 170+ on a run. Starting is a first time affair as long as you never use full choke. Even in the coldest weather on half choke is needed or the bike coughs and dies. A lot of the time there is no need to use the choke at all. I have had it checked and no, the bike is not running rich. My machine is also fitted with a Scorpion end can which sounds fantastic; even with the baffles still in. The OE Metzler tyres were not to my liking and have been changed to my preferred choice - Bridgestone BT023's. A big improvement! The half fairing is very effective, particularly with a slightly taller screen. I have a double bubble on mine and cruising at three figure speeds is no problem. The build quality looks good although to be honest it hasn't really been tested as this machine is used mainly in the dry; year round but only on dry roads. There are no stone chips on the paintwork and even the paint on the engine, so often a weak spot, is immaculate. The only mark is on the tail fairing where is caught it a few times with my boot getting on and off the bike. (Well, I am only 5'9") The only let down with this bike so far has been my local Yamaha dealer but I won't go into details. Perhaps I have been spoilt having dealt almost exclusively with Honda dealers in recent years. However, I now use Woking Yamaha for my servicing and they boys down there are top guys. So, there you have it; a good all round machine. When I purchased mine they were still a little under rated so they were a bit of a bargain. You don't see too many for sale and I think that's because, when you own one, you tend to hang onto it when you realize what a good bike this is. How's that for a recommendation? I have seen the described as 'The thinking man's sportsbike' and whilst I don't fully agree with that it's not completely untrue either. Buy one and enjoy.

Bought mine new in 04 and now covered over 65,000 miles ...in all weathers. Smooth engine lacks a bit of guts low down but flies once wound up. Finish not very good, especially the silver paint on the engine. Tank range is fantastic since first major service at 24,000 (200 - 240 miles, normal commuting). Handling is quite fun but rear shock died ages ago. I can't really fault the bike, but for some reason I can't say its been my favourite. Lacks a bit of character yet probably the best all-rounder you can buy.

i had a fazer 600 both old and new versions.the fazer thou is a brilliant bike for what it does, bought it from cmc last september and have not been disappointed.would reccomend.

The FZS1000 is not always given the credit it deserves. I purchased my '05 model a an 18-month old bike with a thousand miles on it and looking like it just came out of the crate. The previous owner was also good enough to have spent a good few pounds on various items out of the Yamaha accessory catalogue. My views on build quality are probaly not as relevant as some as I do not ride through the worst of the winter (I DO ride in the winter but not in the wet. Been there, done that, don't need it anymore LOL) but as a now almost five year old bike it remains immaculate. Although I do look after my bikes. I have read adverse comments on the suspension but have had no problems with mine and was able to set the bike up for brisk riding with my 13.5 stone frame. I suspect that the suspension on these machines may wear out earlier than on some other machines being budget items. When that happens I will be quite happy to throw a few quid at refurbishment (As I am currently doing with my 38,000 mile VFR800) and may even upgrade to a decent rear shock and springs as the rest of the bike is well worth it. The engine is a peach. Lots of pull in any gear and smooth. The riding position is neutral and day-long comfortable. I have fitted a double-bubble screen as the original is tiny. Fuel consumption is reasonable with 180 mile to the tank possible. Maybe I'll even leave the VFR at home next year and take the Fazer touring. For those looking for the practicalities in life strapping luggage to the bike is easy with pleanty of flat surfaces and anchor points for straps etc. I have a Givi rack and box for mine, which is great kit and does not upset the handling of the machine. I like the bike because it offers good performance and handling in an easy package. On the road it keeps up with most things. To be honest, if you need to go any faster you should really be on a track as the perfomance envelope exceeds anything useable on the road unless you are they type that takes your brain out before putting your helmet on. With a combination of (modified) early R1 engine, excellent brakes and a good chassis I look at the Fazer as the thinking man's sportsbike. And in those terms it really is a very good machine indeed.

Owned a late Gen 1 on a 2006 plate for a few months comming from a 955i Tiger, this bike is very fast and handles like a dream if you ride on your own, Two up it wallows and bucks, if yor fat like mee ha. so a standard rear suspension up grade is needed ( most owners do automaticly) Why on a £8000 bike when launched.I still love it to bit's it reminds me of my 1980 350 LC only twice as fast. (God I'm getting Old)

had this bike now for 2yrs and it great for touring ,commuting.Done 8000 miles with her and loved every minite of her.Most miles to a tank 190 or 100 only weakness to me is seat is not very comfy after 50 miles .Tyre choice will change this bike greatly as ive used quite a few,bridgestone deffinatley the way forward she can be a bit of a hooligan and lot of fun Have bought a new honda so dont know what to do with her,keep or sell

I bought mine new in 2006 . The bike wasn't really available anymore then ,so i got mine very cheap (9250 euro). I ride about 25.000 km a year and had no problems till now. After I mounted bridgestones BT016´s the handling is great . Offcourse in fast bends there is still flexibility in the frame , but I got used to that. Only bad point I have is bad cold start (at very low temp.)

I purchased the bike new in jan 2005. Standard the bike was slightly slow steering, The engine was a little peaky. Overall it is the best bike i have owned. Comfy, handles well, Brakes fantastic. To improve i have fitted an akrapovic silencer, Had the carbs set up with an ivans kit, raised the back end with jack up kit, fitted a kit to lower the bars (gytr) and a wp rear shock. i would highly recommend this bike to anyone who wants top performance and comfort. I still own it, which says a lot!

My dealer gave me one of these as a coutesy bike whilst my ER6F is in for a service (Normally they give a CB500 which is agricultural). Its a bit big physically for me but is so stable and comfy. Riding around town is a joy it is so flexible, well balanced and easy whilst motorway driving was also good at legal speeds in the wet. I can't comment on the performance vs any other 1000 but it was a real shock to find how much better than the ER a bike can be - I definitely need to test ride a few more before my next purchase.

Is a good bike, at just about everything, but I found that it doesn't excite. It will do all roles more than adiquately, but if you are looking for a little thrill in your riding, I would suggest looking else where.

had mine just on 2 yrs now added mtc red dual oval,red renths,red bolts,g/shifter,levers,new grips/tech 7 d/bub red irrid screenabout to cut the arse off,ride on diablo's never had any probs with them,had one prob with bike after servic had oil light flash on any feed back for this welcome,best ride to prove bike was long w/end in wicklow two up excellent solo mind blowin,sum up totally super allround motor

Having riden an xjr1300 for 6 years, It was time for a change. What a move it was.... The Fazers power and road handling. comfort and clear instrument panel is real good. Its ashame to get off it. No regrets. Very light to move about too. 10/10. Just have a go on 1

Bought new in 2003 for the bargain price of 6K, but they were silly money when they first came out. Done over 22k with no problems very reliable. It's still an excellent road bike, I don't know what I'd replace it with. The quality of componets and the finish is better than my mates BM Boxer cup, nearly VFR standard but more fun with that R1 engine! Will tour all day in comfort, reasonable on fuel unless you really cane it and it isn't bad two up. Only minor points are poor ground clearance on track days but if you do loads of those you would buy an R1 in the first place!

This is probably the best bike I have ever owned. It does not set the pulse racing when I take the dust sheets off as my old Ri did but it just does everything so well. Loaded to the gunnels for camping at Brands Euro touring, scratching, you name it. Only gripe is some poor quality chrome bits and I need to fit a hugger to keep all the crud off the rear shock.Otherwise it is nigh on perfect for what I want. Comfy an all !!!

The bike rides well, it tours well, it goes round corners well, it does everything well, but some how Yamaha for got to put the soul in it. It is very competant at every thing, but you can get bored of it very quickly.

Having ridden a bandit 1200 for three years I thought its time for a change, having been in nearly every dealer in the country (slight exageration) not sure what to purchase between sv 1000/ xjr1300/ cb 1300/ zrx 1200 or fazer 1000 however managing to get a test ride on sv 1000 only (why are some dealers not interested in you test riding bikes unless you part with your cash first) I decided on the fazer 1000 I have got to say what a superb motorcycle. handling / brakes/performance/ looks/and finish. I LOVE IT.  Strengths: Brakes, performance, handling, looks. Weaknesses: Sorry can't find one.

Didn't initially feel that much quicker but learnt to use more revs and now it flies. Lot more front end feel too, even though 600 was on BT020 and 1000 is still on Metzlers - looking forward to even more confidence! Strengths: Engine, brakes, stability, a Q-bike(?), service same as 600. Weaknesses: Wind protection, me & my sportsbike aspirations.

After saying goodbye to my rather tired VTR Firestorm and more importantly the gorgeous sounding blue flame cans I'd treated myself to I had a tear in my eye and trepidation as to whether I'd really made the right choice with the Fazer. I've only been riding 3 years so hadn't really ridden that many bikes long term, although had spent many a Saturday afternoon in dealerships appearing interested in order to get a test ride but I had never got round to trying the Fazer, although had read good things about it. I'm not an experienced enough rider to say whether the suspension is good or not, whether the handling is sharp or not soI can only speak as I find. While I will always miss the Firestorm the Fazer is an absolutely stonking bike to ride. It's fast enough to pull your arms out of their sockets when you grab a handful of throttle, it stops on a dime if you're brave enough, it will corner far more competently than I can, it's comfortable, smooth and not bad looking to boot. Strengths: Comfort, Brakes, Engine. Weaknesses: Me.

I have found the standard tyres to be crap in the dry (metzeler) ,will replace with bridgestone next. The power is just endless. Strengths: Comfort, practicality. Weaknesses: The fairing offers little wind protection, and the seat is a little high.

At 5'8" it's some times tip toes at stops, it goes as fast as I wanna go and gets there real quick... added loads of extras to it and will get stickier tyes when need changing again. Strengths: Reliability, power all through box and likes to play and I think it looks great as well. Weaknesses: None so far and have owned it 3 years.

Sold my car as it only rains 15 days a year in San Diego. Had a Harley Sportster for 4 years and grew to hate it as an uncomfortable swine. The FZ1 is the bomb! Rode it to Phoenix from San Diego and back a few days later - what a blast. Cruise all day at the ton, or more if you dare. Strengths: Very strong with high build quality. Easy to ride slow or fast - tour or commute. Good tank range. Excellent wind protection with Yamaha touring screen. Weaknesses: The motor urges you to ride faster than you need.

Massive power for an all-rounder. Comfortable with good wind protection with d/b screen. Suspension needs to be set up for best results. Good net-based owners groups.

Excellant 2-up bike could do with a better screen.

The Fazer thou is a fantastic bike I had a Thundercat before this but the Fazer was just right from the day I picked it up, got used to it right away, easy to ride fast, comfy for touring, good fuel consumption, handles well. The only thing I miss is the bungee cord hooks other than that a great bike. I'm glad I bought one wish I had got it sooner.

Bike is used primarily for commuting and is faultless for the most part. Does get a little hot in California sunshine and toasts my lower leg and left foot in particular. Brakes are truly fab. Sensitive throttle and imho not enough flywheel weight. Makes mid-range a little flat (but could be California jetting). Handling is sublime although forks dive too much under braking (plan to revalve). Engine is very fast. All in all a truly great bike (would be better with a big twin in same chassis though).

LIKE THE LOOKS, HANDLES SUPERBLY FOR A BIG UN. ONLY PROBLEM IS YOU DON'T REALISE HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING WHEN YOU WIND IT ON! FRONT END CAN GET A BIT FLIGHTY WHEN ACCELERATING SO I MAY FIT A DAMPER. NOT HAPPY WITH TYRES BUT IT IS TAKING AGES TO WEAR THEM OUT.

Vibration on Pegs.

A lots of power and torque. Very comfy ('till 160 kmh). Excellent brakes. Suprisingly (in positive) flickable (I had TCat before). A bit too soft at higher speeds (over 180 kmh) through long curves. No tank-slaping :) Altogether: it cost a bit more than GSF/ZXR/CB variation, but it's definitely worth it.

Very nice, fast bike. Easy to ride, quite aggressive and a bit snatchy. Wheelies, stoppies.....FUN!!

Easy to ride, Handles great, Looks good, Fast.

Fanatastic, just done the south of France 2 up. Little light on the front end, maybe to much weight on the back. Anybody advise on a solution. (apart from losing some pounds) Would like a can, will wait and see what comes avaliable.

Dealer down in France is great, does lots for free, repairs done almost instantly, very clean professional place, so I seriously recommend them. Won't buy the Dunlops again, even if they have loads of grip. They are wearing too fast, and are more suited to those who like to get down on their knees a lot. I don't pray but I get close. I prefer the BT 010s that I had on my Thundercat , but then they might be different on this heavier bike. Probably better to go for the BT 020s though (?). I am 6'2" so the screen is obviously crap at more then 85-90mph, and there is no way I am buying that ugly higher version. Brit powerspec engine is great all around (obviously) but the power comes on relatively high. Those who like to thrash take note, ie power is tres fort. Otherwise, the engine has loads of drive in any gear. Brakes are great (obviously), and the suspension is good for the moment (but then I don't know anything about suspension). The chain is stretching fairly quickly, not something I am used to, but then what do you expect with a bike like this, right? Is it normal that after a longish ride my hands buzz? Black looks fantastic, but gets dirty very easily, tail piece bodywork already scratched (sniff). The front fairing seems to be separating from the inner plastic at one point, but a trip to the dealers should sort it out, I hope. What else? Oh yeah, loads of wheelie potential, apparently. And my butt says not to forget that the seat is really uncomfortable after 150 miles. Not enough/too much padding? I really like my bike, though.

Brilliant bike to ride easy to wheelie but downside is still looks in my mind.

This will really piss off you Euro types, I paid $8000 US or about 5700 quid and yearly insurance runs me $780 or 490 quid for comprehensive coverage. The best is this is my first bike. I'm taking it very slow and staying on the back roads. I dont plan on becoming a statistic. Anyway, its a great bike and I highly recommend it! Cheers.