Decided on new mods

I ordered the following parts and these are my next mods:

1) CBR1100xx Clipons. The only ones that fit the FZ with no steering clearance issues. These should change the sitting position quite a bit. There is a picture comparing the stock bars with the clipons...the difference is obvious. The picture belongs to TheHun member of SBN forum.

2) Motrax mobile phone alert. This is a quite cheap mod. A red light comes on to let you know your phone is ringing. No wires no nothing. I will report on how long it can live without problems. I suspect placing it where water and humidity can get to them the least will help

3) Thinking of painting fenders blue along with the bellypan. These pics show my different options


4) SS brakelines are not made for this specific ABS model (FZ6-SA) so anyone with this bike thinking about this upgrade can forget about it, unless you are willing to pay to have them custom made for you. Although, many people will argue that custom made ones are sure to fail in a year or two.

Perhaps paint some parts?

I have this obsession lately....I feel the urge to paint the radiator covers mate black (similar to the frame). As I can't stop thinking about it, I'll probably do it in the next few days. If I do I'll make sure I post some pics.

Fender Eliminator / Tail tidy

So, I always wanted to do this mod but I always seemed to forget about it...IMO, the best option out there is FAZR6's FE kit. Tried by thousands of FZ6ers in the US. Made by an FZ6 rider especially for this bike. It's hard to get if you don't live in the US or Canada though. They don't ship to the EU, too bad.

http://sbnstore.inmcolo.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=20

Since I live in Cyprus, the available options were more expensive and fewer. I opted for the Evotech-Performance Tail Tidy. Great quality, small and nice to the eye. It uses the factory turn signals if you want, so additional signals' purchase is not necessary. Instructions are good, all parts needed for installation is provided with the kit. However, the price was really high. It was GBP £52 shipped. Here are some before and after pics.

HOW TO:

Firstly, remove your seat. You will have to remove the left side pod too. After the seat is off the bike, remove the bolt holding the left side fender (the gear lever side). Then pull it out as indicated in user manual.

After you have removed the side panel, you will need to disconnect a few connectors. The turn signals (right and left), and the number plate light. They are : black terminal and grey terminal (those are the indicators) and the 2 bullet connectors.

Cut the zip cable ties that hold the disconnected wires beneath the muffler. There should be 2 of them. Also remove the plastic piece covering the wires. That's quite easy. Then remove the bolts on the underside of the plastic exhaust shroud (one on each side). Now the factory fender should be removed.

If you ordered a new set of indicators, fit them on the new fender eliminator (FE). If not, fit the factory ones to the FE. If the factory ones give you a hard time, spread some soap liquid on their ends. This should make it easier.

Now, you should follow all the steps backwards but with the new fender instead of the old one and you are done.

HID Lights

HID stands for High Intensity Discharge. These lights are much brighter that conventional halogen bulbs. To convert to HID I needed to buy 2 ballasts and 2 Xenon bulbs. Actually the H4 is a dual fillament halogen, so I needed to pay more to get a Bi-Xenon bulb for that side. Waiting for the order to arrive so I can go on with the installation.

Most people that completed this mod on the FZ6 say that while the H7 (low beam side) works well with HID bulbs, the high beam side does not reflect lighting well. The light is not focused on the road ahead, so the extra light is not usable. A xenon bulb disperses light in a different way than a halogen bulb, and the housing/reflector of the FZ is designed for the halogen bulb pattern. There are 2 ways of getting around this problem. Modify the position and slope of the Xenon bulb in the housing to find the best reflection possible, or install some projectors (known as retrofit). The second option is undoubtedly the way to go, but it is expensive, time consuming and needs skills.

I'll see how I can get around the problem and post an update when I am done.

NOTE: Some people advise on getting higher wattage halogen bulbs because it's a cheaper mod. I suggest you don't, it may overload the motorcycle's electrical system, causing a lot of damage. Use bulbs of up to 55W only.

UPDATE (28 May 2008):
Installed the first kit to replace the H4 hallogen bulb. The left side of the inner fairing was already full of wires, so installation was a but irritating. I am sure that the installation of the kit for the right headlight (H7) will be a breeze though. Plenty of space there to attach the ballast and relay. Connecting the kit itself was a 5 minute task. Lift the tank, red wire to battery positive, black wire to battery negative. Connect all connectors and you are done.

Went out for a ride and tested the headlight. I am very pleased with the difference. Low beam of the H4 is not as focused as the hallogen and the light is a bit scattered, but the light is still more and usefull. No glare was blinding oncoming traffic.

Here are some pics after the installation. The other headlight (the low beam side) is disconnected so the pics show the lighting from the Bi-Xenon only. BTW the color temp of the bulb is 4300k

Dual Headlight mod - HOW TO

This mod is really easy, even for people with very limited experience. To begin, you will need:

1) some additional wire to connect bulb to bike's current wiring

2)a terminal connector to connect the wire's end to the H4 bulb. If you are not which size the connector has, just ask one or two connector for a H4 bulb from any cars' electrician. He'll know (radioShack calls them Female quick disconnect .250"). You will only need one of them. If you can't find a female, a male will still do but it is not preferred. A female will allow the switch in the fairing to close after mod, the male will not.

3)Many cable zip ties (I opted for black ones)

4)Thin wire loom

5)black electrician's tape


So,

step 1: Solder the connector to the one end of the wire. If you don't solder the wire may be easier to break loose.

step 2: Tape the wire with black electricians tape all the way. Just leave enough room at the ends to help recognising the color of the wire.

step 3: Splice the wire loom on the left hand handlebar(clutch side). Find the green wire with the orange dots. Cut its insulation. Cutting the wire is not needed.

step4: Run the taped wire from the buld to the handlebar, following the excisting wires. This will make the mod harder to spot. Use cable ties to secure the wire in place.

step5: Connect the new wire with the green wire. After connecting, place plenty of electricians tape to make sure the connection stays properly insulated in the future.

step 6: Place new, black wire loom above spliced. Zip tie to secure.


Mod is done. Make sure you:

1)Check it works before tidying up

2)If you own a faired FZ6 be carefull when placing back the inner fairings. Do not scratch the outers, many people (including me) have done this....

3)Euro spec bikes will need to connect the wire to the left side headlight. The US bike will connect to the right side headlight. The rest of the proceedure is the same for both bikes.

4) These pictures (owned by WTVa) may be usefull to you before you start. http://community.webshots.com/album/169586128FWwiZU

Let's do a mod

I have been reading about the dual headlight mod but I hesitated for a long time. Now I decided to do the mod.

I can tell you... This mod is tested from hundreds of people all over the world. No problems caused to battery life or headlight housing. It is easy and perfectly safe. And you improve the night visibility too! The only drawback that I've heard of (and don't even know if it's true) is that Yamaha warranty is void after any tampering with the electrical system. That includes this mod, heated grips, alarms (other than the ones fitted by Yamaha dealers) etc etc

The H4 bulb of the FZ6 has a dual fillament. That means that the same bulb has two levels which work for low or high beam separately. I think there is a way to have both filaments lit at the same time but is NOT advisable. It would draw more current than the current the bike was designed for. Some people will say it's safe but I wouldn't bet on it.

Here's a video showing how this mod should work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CiN29m8pu0

Lower fairing / Belly pan

I've recently found a bargain on ebay and I couldn't just pass. I had to have it! :D I ordered the belly pan and I am waiting fot it to show on my doorstep. It will need painting and I will have to make some mounting brackets, but it's all in the name of fun :D

Will post "how to" as soon as I get around any problems.