headhunter

Is your battery in good order? (Does the engine catch on first press of the starter? Is the bike left unused for long periods, and if so do you ensure you make use of a trickle-charger?) Sounds like bike is suckin all available juice from the battery to the starter motor, and that's why the clocks are resetting. If your battery is as old as your 2002 bike, it's time for a replacement anyway as they have a limited shelf-life (even if kept on a trickle-charger).

Nope. Not necessary (and just reinstating the original cause of the problem). The odd polish-up with autosol or the like keeps everything peachy. Stripped down my forks 2 years ago, didn't relaquer, and have never had any worries since!

Glad it helped. You'll find that most of the engine casing covers are also alloy, so the black paint can be stripped back and polished up just like the forks. (Nice to know if your scuff one of them, or your bike is just showing it's age!). I can try and get a few pics uploaded if anyone is interested?

Yamaha in their wisdom only gave the front forks of the old Fazers a thin laquer protective coating which, after a few years getting bashed by stone-chips and wet weather, usually end up looking mottled and ugly with patches of white. It's not true corrosion as such because the forks themselves aren't degrading, just the laquer. The good news is that if you are prepared to put in a bit of time and effort, you don't have to 'fork' out (groan) on replacement parts. The laquer can be stripped back, and the alloy beneath polished to perfection. You can (with care) do this in situ without removing the forks (albeit removal makes the process a hell of a lot easier). Instead, remove the front mudguard, unbolt the front brake calipers and (supporting their weight with bungee rope) tie them back out of the way. Cover up the front wheel and surrounding body-parts, as it's now time to get busy with Nitromoors (paint stripper) on the laquer! Sounds scarier than it actually is, but has no adverse effects on the forks themselves. It does take time, but can be helped along with fine gauge wire-wool and very fine sandpaper. Next step is to load fresh wire-wool with Autosol, and use this to rub away at the exposed alloy, while periodically cleaning & buffing down the forks with clean cloths. Common sense should prevail, and you'll soon get the hang of achieving best results. The end product is well worth the effort! Two nights hard graft turned the shabby forks of my otherwise immaculate year 2000 Fazer into a mirror finish, which are easily kept pristine through the usual motorbike cleaning regime. On the topic of common sense, anyone carrying this process out should take the usual precautions when working with paint stripper - well ventilated area, avoid skin contact . . .blah, blah, blah! Hope this posting helps?