Lots of goodies for the FZ1 folks!

NCBirdman

NCBirdman

Member
Visit site
Hey everyone,
Thanks for having me in the Forum! I'm a pretty active FZ1 member. I've had my 2012 for over 8 years now and have done a few things to it you can see here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM1U9I2fOqzXYHj4V3tKcV392B_y1E3Cy

I made a few install videos here and there and do a quick overview of mods I did before I was using my YT channel to make videos.

I'm also admin of 2 FZ1 Facebook groups:
"Yamaha FZ1" https://www.facebook.com/groups/61991878157/?ref=share
"FZ1 Forum 998cc.org" https://www.facebook.com/groups/fz1forum/?ref=share

Please check out the YouTube channel, like, SUBSCRIBE, share and all that. I appreciate it. Come on over to the Facebook groups and check them out too, request membership and answer a few questions we've got a good group of folks and have regular discussions about all things FZ1!

THANK YOU for reading my 1st post in here! I hope the videos and groups help you on your journey to enjoy your FZ1 and the road ahead.

Sincerely,
Shawn Martin
a.k.a NCBirdman20220505_120520.jpg
 
NCBirdman said:
Hey everyone,
Thanks for having me in the Forum! I'm a pretty active FZ1 member. I've had my 2012 for over 8 years now and have done a few things to it you can see here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM1U9I2fOqzXYHj4V3tKcV392B_y1E3Cy

I made a few install videos here and there and do a quick overview of mods I did before I was using my YT channel to make videos.

I'm also admin of 2 FZ1 Facebook groups:
"Yamaha FZ1" https://www.facebook.com/groups/61991878157/?ref=share
"FZ1 Forum 998cc.org" https://www.facebook.com/groups/fz1forum/?ref=share

Please check out the YouTube channel, like, SUBSCRIBE, share and all that. I appreciate it. Come on over to the Facebook groups and check them out too, request membership and answer a few questions we've got a good group of folks and have regular discussions about all things FZ1!

THANK YOU for reading my 1st post in here! I hope the videos and groups help you on your journey to enjoy your FZ1 and the road ahead.

Sincerely,
Shawn Martin
a.k.a NCBirdmanView attachment 27744
Click to expand...
Hi Shawn. I am following you on YouTube. I really appreciate your effort and thoroughness when making uploads. Thank you for that 🙏🙂
I wanted to ask you , if you feel any difference on your bike, after you've done the AIS block modification?
Best regards .
 
Brute1972 said:
Hi Shawn. I am following you on YouTube. I really appreciate your effort and thoroughness when making uploads. Thank you for that 🙏🙂
I wanted to ask you , if you feel any difference on your bike, after you've done the AIS block modification?
Best regards .
Click to expand...

I didn't notice any difference I didn't even have to adjust my idle. Multiple pages for this mod say there is no affect on the bike, and many say blocking off the AIS or just plugging the air hose from the air box to the AIS have the same result. I like the openness on the valve cover with the AIS blocked off better for spark plug and coil access so might as well go all in! Thanks for the feedback I try to make sense if it all and record what helps. Sorry if I missed anything!

Shawn
 
NCBirdman said:
Thank you!
Click to expand...

I've learned so much from folks like yourself and wouldn't have attempted even a quarter of the projects I've done without a "how to" video to guide me! Sure, I've gotten in waaaay over my head a few times (Forester XT timing belt, I'm looking at you!) but that pales in comparison to what I've learned and projects I've successfully completed. So, thank you!
 
Doc Samson said:
I've learned so much from folks like yourself and wouldn't have attempted even a quarter of the projects I've done without a "how to" video to guide me! Sure, I've gotten in waaaay over my head a few times (Forester XT timing belt, I'm looking at you!) but that pales in comparison to what I've learned and projects I've successfully completed. So, thank you!
Click to expand...
Agreed! I've watched so many horribly cut videos with content missing and steps left out so I try really hard to capture everything! I did head gaskets on a 1993 Subaru Legacy Wagon and a heater core on a 2000 Ram, I think those are the biggest jobs I've done. I leave clutches and transmissions to a reputable local shop, not even gonna try! Lol. Thanks for the feedback I appreciate any comments!!
 
So...

The FZ1 went a touch over 13k this past week. I've owned it since this past June and it had about 8.5k when I took it home. Other than cleaning it, swapping out all the fluids, and new tires, I really had not done much to it so figured now would be a good time to lift the tank and see what's what. I had plugs and a new air filter ready to go and figured, since I'm right there, I might as well pull the AIS unit. The bike had a nasty (in a good way!) pop and crackle when decelerating but it was cartoonishly over the top.

The first revelation I had was that, regardless of fairings, doing these three things on my CBR was a lot easier. You could reach everything from the top after lifting the tank. Anyway, after unhooking the radiator and doing a whole lot of pulling, pushing, bending, and wiggling. It went relatively smoothly for the most part and after getting everything buttoned up, I went for a test ride. After the bike warmed up, I did a few spirited (but not crazy) pulls on some empty straight stretches near the house and noticed a more immediate throttle response which was nice! I pulled over after a few minutes just to look over everything and make sure I hadn't lost any parts I might have inadvertently forget to tighten. All was well except the idle suddenly started fluctuating 2-300 rpms and it sounded like it was wanting to cut out. I blipped the throttle and it revved with no hesitation but went back to sounding really lumpy at idle. I tried to not freak out (that's my immediate reaction for this type of stuff), hopped on and decided to ride a little further to see if it sorted itself out, thinking maybe the ECU was adjusting??? 10 miles later, I pulled over again and, dang it, the same thing happens. I had just gotten off the interstate where I did a couple of very strong pulls at extra-legal speeds and the bike performed exceptionally well, so I wasn't sure wtf was going on, until...

I remembered that the old air filter was quite dirty and I'd just put a freer flowing K&N filter in, as well as removed the AIS, all of which led to the bike needing it's idle adjusted upward by about 300 rpm. 🤦‍♂️ Made that happen and she was purring like a kitten! I do miss the pop and crackle but I'm sure no one in the neighborhood does!

Ended up having a nice ride on a warm winter day!

Oh, and I have a question about the plugs I pulled:

1678060350972.jpeg

To my inexpert eye, they all seem to be in decent shape but that rust/corrosion from #1 is a bit disconcerting. I'm thinking that water got to it at some point and sat in there, but it still came out smoothly and then new one went in the same. Anything I should be wary of?
 
Doc Samson said:
So...

The FZ1 went a touch over 13k this past week. I've owned it since this past June and it had about 8.5k when I took it home. Other than cleaning it, swapping out all the fluids, and new tires, I really had not done much to it so figured now would be a good time to lift the tank and see what's what. I had plugs and a new air filter ready to go and figured, since I'm right there, I might as well pull the AIS unit. The bike had a nasty (in a good way!) pop and crackle when decelerating but it was cartoonishly over the top.

The first revelation I had was that, regardless of fairings, doing these three things on my CBR was a lot easier. You could reach everything from the top after lifting the tank. Anyway, after unhooking the radiator and doing a whole lot of pulling, pushing, bending, and wiggling. It went relatively smoothly for the most part and after getting everything buttoned up, I went for a test ride. After the bike warmed up, I did a few spirited (but not crazy) pulls on some empty straight stretches near the house and noticed a more immediate throttle response which was nice! I pulled over after a few minutes just to look over everything and make sure I hadn't lost any parts I might have inadvertently forget to tighten. All was well except the idle suddenly started fluctuating 2-300 rpms and it sounded like it was wanting to cut out. I blipped the throttle and it revved with no hesitation but went back to sounding really lumpy at idle. I tried to not freak out (that's my immediate reaction for this type of stuff), hopped on and decided to ride a little further to see if it sorted itself out, thinking maybe the ECU was adjusting??? 10 miles later, I pulled over again and, dang it, the same thing happens. I had just gotten off the interstate where I did a couple of very strong pulls at extra-legal speeds and the bike performed exceptionally well, so I wasn't sure wtf was going on, until...

I remembered that the old air filter was quite dirty and I'd just put a freer flowing K&N filter in, as well as removed the AIS, all of which led to the bike needing it's idle adjusted upward by about 300 rpm. 🤦‍♂️ Made that happen and she was purring like a kitten! I do miss the pop and crackle but I'm sure no one in the neighborhood does!

Ended up having a nice ride on a warm winter day!

Oh, and I have a question about the plugs I pulled:

View attachment 27774

To my inexpert eye, they all seem to be in decent shape but that rust/corrosion from #1 is a bit disconcerting. I'm thinking that water got to it at some point and sat in there, but it still came out smoothly and then new one went in the same. Anything I should be wary of?
Click to expand...
Glad it all worked out I've heard the idle will change mine didn't but I don't have a slip on and then added AIS block offa, so maybe mine just didn't adjust as much.

The rust on the plug is a sure sign of a coil getting water intrusion, which might be the reason for your odd intermittent low idle as well. Try using a temperature gun on the pipes after warming it up and see if the location of the #1 rusty plug is cooler than the rest. I'm surprised if you see rust on the spark plug that there's no rust on the coil though, usually about halfway up the coil there is a seam that has rust leaking from it. These bikes are notorious for getting coil damage from water intrusion because of rain or washing the bike with a hose or pressure washer. You can eliminate the issue by sealing the coils with dielectric grease on the o-ring areas or using an engine rtv sealant. If the coil is already gone bad better get a new one then seal all of them when you replace the 1.

I bet getting to the plugs and coils is way nicer without the AIS in the way!

Shawn
 
NCBirdman said:
Glad it all worked out I've heard the idle will change mine didn't but I don't have a slip on and then added AIS block offa, so maybe mine just didn't adjust as much.

The rust on the plug is a sure sign of a coil getting water intrusion, which might be the reason for your odd intermittent low idle as well. Try using a temperature gun on the pipes after warming it up and see if the location of the #1 rusty plug is cooler than the rest. I'm surprised if you see rust on the spark plug that there's no rust on the coil though, usually about halfway up the coil there is a seam that has rust leaking from it. These bikes are notorious for getting coil damage from water intrusion because of rain or washing the bike with a hose or pressure washer. You can eliminate the issue by sealing the coils with dielectric grease on the o-ring areas or using an engine rtv sealant. If the coil is already gone bad better get a new one then seal all of them when you replace the 1.

I bet getting to the plugs and coils is way nicer without the AIS in the way!

Shawn
Click to expand...

Thanks! It went a lot easier when I realized I could manhandle the rad around a bit!

There was a little rust on the coil but not much. I did put some dielectric grease on the o-ring and typically don't "wash" my bikes, prefer to "spray and wipe" with a cleaner for that very reason. I'll follow up with the temp gun this evening! 👍
 
NCBirdman said:
Hey everyone,
Thanks for having me in the Forum! I'm a pretty active FZ1 member. I've had my 2012 for over 8 years now and have done a few things to it you can see here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM1U9I2fOqzXYHj4V3tKcV392B_y1E3Cy

I made a few install videos here and there and do a quick overview of mods I did before I was using my YT channel to make videos.

I'm also admin of 2 FZ1 Facebook groups:
"Yamaha FZ1" https://www.facebook.com/groups/61991878157/?ref=share
"FZ1 Forum 998cc.org" https://www.facebook.com/groups/fz1forum/?ref=share

Please check out the YouTube channel, like, SUBSCRIBE, share and all that. I appreciate it. Come on over to the Facebook groups and check them out too, request membership and answer a few questions we've got a good group of folks and have regular discussions about all things FZ1!

THANK YOU for reading my 1st post in here! I hope the videos and groups help you on your journey to enjoy your FZ1 and the road ahead.

Sincerely,
Shawn Martin
a.k.a NCBirdmanView attachment 27744
Click to expand...
Hello, I have been trying to join the Yamaha Fz1 FB group and jerp getting declined bc I don’t have enough time as a FB member(4months). Anyway you can make an exception?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top