Paul Mc

I've got a hammer and a selection of crowbars - fairly sure that I can make it fit... (will probably need to modify the exhaust mounts 'though )

Bit late for a reply, but: ditto on the mudguard extender. the 600 is made to a budget, alloy could be better so keep it clean and protect it from the elements as much as possible. be careful what you use to clean the bike - yamaha recommend some autoglym products, fs365 is supposed to hold grime at bay... scottoiler would be a good move too, that oil keeps the salt at bay a little too...

Possibly not getting enough fuel through the line when on reserve (or you're turning the tap the wrong way!) - could be blocked filter over the reserve part of the fuel tap - order a gasket (for where tap meets tank) and take it off, clean the mesh filters on the fuel tap (sitting inside the tank? - might actually be filtered in the fuel tap itself?) and replace the tap using the fresh gasket to get a good seal.... Just a thought. Paul (If it runs fine when on normal fuel tap position, forget about messing with carbs/air filter etc - look at the tap). Could also be water in the fuel, only getting into the carb on reserve as lower in the tank?

Could be the starter motor, could be the fuel pump not priming the system too. Check the fuses and connector boxes associated with those gubbins. Can check the alternator when the bike is running, should be about 13.8-14.2V across the battery terminals when the engine is running if the alternator is okay. Could also be the starter solenoid itself, have a look on the FOC-U website for better advice. Paul

TPS is the throttle position sensor, some electronic gubbins that the bike uses to know whether you've twisted the throttle or not, adn to what degree. Makes the bike harder to ride (but that's only my opinion!). Hope that you get her sorted. Paul

Sounds like a fueling problem - is there an issue with the fuel pump? Probably a sensor fault on fuel pressure - have you checked out the fuel system? Although that is a guess, assuming missing and not actually firing rather than a true mis-fire (true misfire usually HT leads, occasionally CDi ignition box, but the bike should still run badly all the time, not only after 20mins riding....)... Go to www.foc-uk.co.uk great bunch of folks there, do a search and browse around, am sure you'll find the answer there. Paul Mc (Polipoos on the FOC-U)

Have a look on the Fazers Owners Club website, apparently there is an issue with the front sprockets.... www.foc-u.co.uk Paul

http://p196.ezboard.com/ffazerownersfrm3.s...icID=3229.topic Have a look on the FOC-U board, might be more help. Paul

I've not noticed a whine on my bike, but I wear ear plugs most of the time. Paul

Hi. I had the exact same problem with my 2003 Foxeye fazer a few months ago. According to the manual, charge etc were okay assumed battery was fine but it wasn't. When you thumb the starter, the voltage drops immediately (as the battery is actually no chuffin' good, even though it measures full voltage and the alternator is still slapping out >14V when running) so simply not enough volts to get it started. I even had mine on a battery optimiser since I bought the bike (from new in '03), optimiser was registering full charge after 10 minutes, but that was not true. New battery cured it. (£45 delivered off ebay, if memory serves) Paul, Swindon - 2003 Silver Fazer 600, just passed the 3000 mile mark.... (! - Summer rides only)

My guess is the tickover is way too high, screw it completely in and then out a turn or so, try again. (Had the same thing with my AG100 (DT100) a while ago). Paul (Swindon)

Check the coolant for the presence of oil - would confirm head gasket (which it sounds like). Also possible white smoke out the exhaust (steam) if the engine can run long enough to get hot.... Paul

It's either the fuel tap, or the vacuum hose itself (perished etc) or badly fitting vacuum line, or attached to wrong part of carb. Fuel tap kit can be purchased, but check the hose first - cheapest (free!) to check - suck on the end that should attach to the carbs, if fuel flows then the tap is fine.... Paul

Scott, try running her on 'prime' - this shouldn't be affected by either a poor vacuum hose connection, nor if the black hoses under the tank are nipped/kinked/full of emulsion-type stuff that would stop them from letting air into the tank as the fuel goes out (to avoid a vacuum in the tank that will hold back the fuel). One thing as well, be sure that the in-line filter isn't some tiny ornate job - might restrict the flow itself! I tend to use larger ones for cars, then certain that enough fuel shall flow. If she's okay on prime, then it's the vacuum pipe connection/black hoses/fuel tap itself, and not the carbs.... (The "okay for several miles" suggests vacuum building up in the tank - unless you're riding at -2°C, in which case it'd be carb icing!) Paul

Please confirm what you did to clean the carbs - how extensive a clean was it? If you've cleaned the carbs - which had muck in them - and then re-attached the tank without banging on an in-line filter, then it could have dirt in them again (even if the fuel tank was cleaned).... Sounds like fuel starvation - check that the vacuum hose is connected well enough. Does the fuel tap have a 'prime' position? Have you made sure that the rubber hoses out of the bottom of the tank aren't nipped/caught on the frame etc? Paul (Swindon) (Where are you?)

Was there muck in the carbs? Did you put in an in-line filter on the petrol line? Is the fuel tap the vacuum type, with a thin hose onto the top of the carb as well as the main hose into the carbs? Is the air filter clean? Does it misfire or back fire (or just not fire?) Paul

Tim, Sounds most like a fuel problem from your description - enough to cover the pilot jets and allow tickover, but not enough in the carbs for the main jets to keep the machine running. (hence the first question - dumb perhaps but the simplest possibility...) Check the colour of the plugs, they should confirm lean/rich/okay running first of all - will help decide what to do next: (The airbox is in the way? That'll be fun then) I'd look at all the fuel routes first - has the R6 got a fuel pump (probably?): check fuel filters, confirm actual fuel height in the carb, check for air leaks (is this where you tell me the 2001 R6 is injection?!) etc. Also check the air filter for damage/blocking (unlikely). (Please confirm if carbs and fuel pump on your bike?) But the oil light is an interesting issue - sounds like an earthing issue/bad connection, as you've already checked the fuse box check the connections onto the CDi, and any connector blocks are connected well. - may have been caused by the bumping, or may be related? I'd charge up the battery to be sure - it shouldn't be needed at full charge, but that may make a difference (have you checked the voltage across the battery terminals?). Actually, do those items above in reverse order, start with the battery and move onto CDi connection checks.... If it doesn't help or yields more questions, get back to the board? Paul (Swindon)

Do you have any fuel in the tank? Where are you? Paul

Timing? The piston upstroke that should force spent exhaust air out the exhaust valve may be getting sent back through the carb instead, into the airbox? Really could do with (a lot) more information - any other issues (is the bike running okay?!!!) etc, how long, since when, what was done since to try to fix etc.... Have you checked the valve timing and valve clearances - if inlet valve not closing completely, could have exhaust air pushed through on the exhaust stroke.....? Pressure in the airbox - from the engine itself (should have a vent into airbox from bottom end, may be pressurised (shouldn't be)....).... More info please? Is bike a California model, with extra bits for the scavenging of unspent fuel - if so, this may be normal....? Paul

"dry manifolds" - do you mean that the rubbers (between carb and engine, or between air filter housing and carb) are old/dry and cracked? If they are still seated correctly, that shouldn't be an issue - they should still seat/seal correctly. One 'test' for leaking manifolds is to spray a can of WD40 (do you have similar material in the states - or plusgas/easystart instead?) around the area - if air leask in, then the engine should run a little higher revs as the material is drawn in through the cracked manifolds... Another thing to look at is the actual colour of the plugs in the affected cylinders, determine if they are running lean, determine if fuel is reaching the cylinder when the cylinder refuses to kick in (should be damp/smell of fuel etc) and such like - definately do all the non-invasive checks that you can before deciding that it's a head gasket or similar (before you start to pull the engine apart!). Paul

Hi. If you're satisfied that the carbs are clean and not blocked (have you checked that the vacuum pistons move freely in the 'affected' carbs?) and the mixture is correct (no leaks on the manifolds etc) then there's either a problem with compression or spark. As you've checked spark, then compression is last - a possible issue with 1) rings or 2) valves. Rings are easy to check - you've done a compression test with your finger/thumb - I'm assuming that you've gotten all the cylinders roughly the same? In the affected cylinder, test the compression and then pour a small amount of engine oil into the cylinder, give it a few moments and repeat the test: if compression increases (she may spit out a little of the oil) then the rings are an issue (the oil bridges the gap, increasing compression). A proper compression tester would be a good idea here instead of the 'digital' test... If there is no increase in pressure, go to valves - check the clearances on all cylinders, with particular attention to the exhaust valves on the affected cylinders. The timing can be confirmed as being okay at the same time (as you need to set TDC when checking the valves). If the rings are okay, valves okay but compression is down, could be head gasket - if that's the case, get back to us. IF the compression is fine and the timing correct then it's spark (coils, HT leads etc) or fuel (or CDi, but that would normally affect all/half the cylinders). Paul

Could be a bad connection on the alternator - although if you're getting 14.1V at full throttle, that implies that the alternator is running fine. Check the earths associated with the alternator and battery, and check for any dodgy connections that will drain the battery (again, loose earths or frayed/nipped wires anywhere that parts move against one another (esp headlamp/headstock area).... With the engine running the voltage across the terminals should read about 13.8 to 14.2V (so long as it's a 12V system!). With engine off, should be about 12.6V. Clicking is probably not enough juice in the battery to run the starter motor - may be a sticking solenoid (rap it with a screwdriver?) and may be reg/rect as you say, but you'll need someone with a manual to give you details of the test required to confirm it. Paul

Hi. I've a 2003 FZS600 (Foxeye) - low miles, no camchain rattle. Wouldn't expect a bike like this to need a chain before 35-40K miles (there are probably instructions on measuring the chain stretch in the manual) unless it's had a bit of a hard life (but that's only a guess, don't assume it's been raced/wheelied - could be a 'faulty' tensioner blade or sticking tensioner (I'd clean it myself to be sure).... Where are you? Paul (Swindon)

They should do, so long as they have some kind of dampening set-up (or the needles will ossicilate too much and be un-readable). Need to balance the outer pairs first (balance 1 and 2 together, using teh balance screw between the two (accessible from the top), then balance 3 and 4 - reading is not overly important, but they must be as close as possible (in pairs) - you're not aiming for a particular psi etc, just the same reading on each pair of gauges. Once the outer two pairs are balanced, then you balance the pairs using the balance screw in between carbs 2 and 3. Job done. Not particularly clear, but should become clearer when you look at the carbs on the bike. Bike should be warmed up/taken for a short run before balancing. Need to keep fuel going to the carbs during the procedure, and need the tank off to access the vacuum spigots and balance screws.... Paul

Question: what is the best/easiest method of correcting this. Take the carbs out and strip and clean them. If you need more details on how to do it, get back to us. (which model/year of 1100 is it?) Paul