Used FZ1 "Look-Fors"

[Derky19]

Hey, folks, I'm a new member intending to buy a used FZ1, probably an early one as budget allows. What kinds of things should I look for to determine the state of the bike. Is high mileage a negative? Are certain parts prone to cracking? Is there a test to determine if the forks are true? Stuff like that. Talk to me.

 

[va_rider]

ok... a few things here...

"high mileage" on a Gen 1 = 80,000+... it's no strange thing to see these bikes go over 100,000 miles if properly maintained.

On the 2001-2002, a different rubber was used on the intake boots (from the carbs to the head) these boots are prone to cracking, but the rubber is very thick.. so just because it's cracked, doesn't mean that it's leaking... take a can of WD-40 with you to look at the bike... if the boots are cracked, spray the boots with WD while the bike is running... if they're cracked all of the way through (very rare) the idle will stumble when sprayed...

put the bike on the center stand, spin the front wheel, then the rear... make sure that they roll freely and that the bearings are good.

Check the chain for proper adjustment and cleanliness... not big deal, chains are cheap(ish) but.. if the chain was neglected, you can bet that the rest of the bike wasn't taken care of that great...

Check tire pressure... as above, if tire pressure isn't somewhere close to where it should be, the bike probably wasn't maintained well.

check brake fluid front and rear... if it's black, the person hasn't kept up with maintenance...

a lot of the above applies to all bikes, but mileage is a big difference on a FZ... if I was looking for a early 2000's supersport bike, with 30,000 miles on it... I might walk away... but on a FZ... 30,000 ain't much.

Pay attention to the gearing... it'll tell you what kind of riding the previous owner did... stock gearing on the Gen 1 (2001-2005) is 16/44 ... if it's 16/42, the owner probably did a lot of highway and wanted to keep the RPM's down... if it's 15/47, the owner probably liked to ride a bit hard, lots of twisties, and perhaps some wheelies... on that note... don't worry about if the bike has had a ton of wheelies over it's life.... the fork seals will take a good beating, and the transmission and clutch will as well.... if the bike has 20k or so on the odometer, it might be a good idea to pull the engine cover, ditch the stock clutch springs, and put in some good aftermarket springs... the stock springs are somewhat weak, and usually need to be replaced around 20-30k.

good luck in looking... hope you find a great one!!