Yamaha FZS600 Fazer – Specs, Buying Advice & Faults

2001 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer 5DM model in black

Gear shift pedal on a 2001 Yamaha Fazer

Useless Info

Released in 1998, the Yamaha FZS600 Fazer was manufactured by Yamaha up until July 2003 (although new bikes were registered up till January 2004) and was developed by Yamaha to compete against the Suzuki GSF600 Bandit.
Yamaha developed the bike after realising that the 600 Bandit had greatly reduced sales for the XJ600 Diversion which had previously been one of the top sellers in the budget middleweight commuter class.

Although on the surface the Fazer seemed a bit of a ‘parts bin special’ (similar to the awful 86 to 88 FZ600, made using parts from other bikes), in reality it was a well developed bike that used the exact same 4 piston, monobloc Blue-Spot calipers from their flagship YZF-R1 superbike and the engine from the YZF600 Thundercat.
The engine was slightly detuned using smaller carbs to get a claimed 95bhp (the Bandit 600 at the time was 78bhp) and increase low to mid range power which led to the bike being able to go from 0 to 100mph in 7.8 seconds (which is actually faster than some modern twin cylinder middleweights like the MT07!).
Yamaha also added extra features not found on other middleweight commuter bikes like a stylish half fairing, centre stand, large underseat storage area (big enough to store a U lock) and a comfortable dual seat.

The Fazer 600 became one of the best selling motorcycles in the UK and Europe for 5 years running and proved popular with commuters, weekend riders and couriers.
The 600 Fazer even had it’s own short lived race series in France and other European countries called the Coupe Fazer (Fazer Cup).

In 2001 Yamaha released a larger version of the bike (the FZS1000 Fazer).
There was also a 400cc version of the Fazer released in Japan to meet the strict tiered licensing system over there.

Although popular right up till the end, manufacturing stopped in July 2003 when Yamaha realised the bike could not pass the European emissions laws coming into force in 2004 (Euro 2) as the Mikuni carbs would not meet the exhaust emissions standards.
Yamaha replaced the 600 Fazer with the cast frame, fuel-injected FZ6 Fazer in 2004.

Buying Advice

Overall, the FZS600 Fazer was a good and reliable bike and it’s not uncommon to see bikes with over 100,000 miles on the clock.
However, the bike was used by many all season/weather commuters and couriers who didn’t religiously maintain the bike and/or left it outside all year. Although the Fazer was capable enough to withstand most abuse, these types of bikes will all have the usual stuck/seized nuts and bolts, flaking paint and corroded surfaces.

As with any bike of this age the Fazer can suffer from the usual wear/tear and corrosion so always check the common parts like rear shocks (does it feel overly bouncy or rock hard?), fork stanchions (corrosion, pitting and leaking seals), exhaust downpipes (rust, also look for weld repairs) and dirty carbs (does the bike rev and go back to idle cleanly, are there any sign of fuel leaking from them etc).

There are also some specific problems Fazer owners have encountered which should be checked:

• Front sprocket nut failure –On the 1998 to 1999 (5DM) Fazer, the front sprocket nut was too thin and prone to working loose (this was a common problem on some Yamaha models at the time), so check behind the front sprocket cover for oil leaks, that the nut is the larger 12mm nut and that the locking washer has been fitted correctly.
  Also check the sprocket hasn’t been welded to the shaft as this was a common way used to solve the issue of the sprocket coming loose!
• Rattling clutch basket –Higher mileage bikes suffered from noisy (rattling) clutch baskets on idle (the sound should stop if the clutch lever is pulled in). Although not a major issue, if the vibration is too bad or the clutch basket is notched it will make gear changes clunky.
• Worn carb to engine (intake manifold) rubbers – This is a common issue with the Fazer as they wear and split over time leading to rough running. This is probably one of the parts that is best to buy new as 2nd hand ones are usually knackered or won’t have much life in them anyway.
  However, the manifold joints are easily available and fairly cheap on sites like Amazon.
• Exhaust downpipe rot –The original (pre 2002) exhaust headers and collector box were mild steel so you are unlikely to find a bike that hasn’t had them replaced. The later (post 2002, 5RT model) had stainless steel downpipes but the welds were mild steel which was prone to rust and rot from road salt.
• Exhaust stud nut corrosion –The stud nuts were prone to rotting making it a very difficult job to remove them. Also, the aluminium engine casing they’re mounted in can become brittle with age around this area so removing them can cause major damage to the cylinder head casing!
• Rear shock and linkage bearings –The original shock absorber wasn’t very good, it was very soft and prone to being worn out after 20,000 miles. Also, because they were situated in the road spray area from the rear wheel, the shock linkage was prone to seizing if not regularly greased.
• Fork stanchion pitting –Common on most bikes of this age, always check the fork stanchions for rust, corrosion and pitting, especially in the area of travel.
• Regulator/rectifier failure –A common issue on Yamaha’s of this age as the reg/rec was prone to overheating and failing.

  Note: A common sign the reg/rec has failed is the battery will be flat when you go to start the bike as a failed reg/rec will stop the bike from charging the battery when running.
  Ideally, you should check the reg/rec with a volt meter connected to the battery terminals, if the reg/rec is healthy the volts should increase as the revs increase (up to approx 14.5 volts), if the volts go down as the revs increase (especially if they go below 12 volts) it may indicate a problem with the reg/rec.
  A simple test to check if the reg/rec is working properly is to rev the motorbike with the headlight on, if it’s not working, the lights should get dimmer as the revs increase (this isn’t a foolproof method of testing though!).

• Brake caliper corrosion and seizing –The rear calipers were prone to seizing, especially the bleed nipples (there were 2 on the rear caliper) due to it being mounted under the swing arm which meant it was prone to getting sprayed with road grime.
  The front calipers, although good can also seize as road grime can build up behind the dust seals.

  Note: A simple test is to put the bike on the centre stand, put a weight on the pillion seat to raise the front wheel and spin it, apply the front brake and spin again, the wheel should spin freely, if it doesn’t or you can hear the brake pads rubbing excessively it may indicate a problem with the calipers.

• Lumpy feeling steering head bearings –This is a common problem on many bikes (not just Yamaha’s and Fazers). The original loose ball bearings in the steering head wear quickly and develop a distinct notch in the dead centre position.
  If they’ve been replaced already, upgrading to tapered roller bearings is standard practice during replacements.
• Petrol tank deforming and rusting –Although the tank didn’t seem to rust badly, check for leaks as, probably due to age, the tank can develop small holes due to rust which causes the petrol to leak out.
  The 1998 to 1999 Fazer also had a problem with the petrol tank deforming due to a blocked or kinked air inlet line from the tank. If the vent got blocked, the fuel pump created a powerful internal vacuum that can actually cause the metal sides of the fuel tank to implode/deform inward.

  Note: On 1998 to 1999 models, always pull the breather hoses down from below the right-hand footpeg after lowering the tank to ensure they haven’t kinked

Luckily, Yamaha sold LOADS of these bikes so there are plenty of spares around in breakers.

Happy biking 🙂

FZS600 Fazer radiator mounted on the bike

Back brake (right/off side) pedal on a 2001 Fazer 600