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What a surprise, I know Rossi would have a Ferrari ride if a 3rd car was allowed in F1. Keven Cameron has said that Ducati doesn't have its racing chassis as well sorted as Yamaha so maybe Rossi will change that!

I agree, the 15W50 has higher rotation friction and doesn't transfer heat from the piston rings to the cylinder walls as well as a lighter oil. As there is no knock sensor, if the pistons run hotter then the engine is more likely to run hot from high combustion temperatures. It's like having too...

I looked in my FZ1 MY06-09 shop manual and could not find any mention of a serial data port to allow connection for SAE 1850 or CAN BUS. The literature for the 5650 motorbike tester you have says it is for Yamaha so there must be a connector somewhere. Hope someone knows as now I'm curious too.

My '08's temp varies a lot - 160F downhill on a cold winter day and 205 uphill having fun in summer. Keeping in a lower gear, say 3rd at 5000 rpm, will drop the temp on winding mountain roads even if the engine can pull 5th. The FZ1's oil is cooled by a water heat exchanger next to the oil...

You could have a sticking cam chain tensioner if the noise is worse or only happens after starting with the engine already hot from riding. This will get better with some more miles. The other possibility if the noise is worse just after cold starting is "cold carbon knock" of what car techs...

Hi & welcome, I've ridden my US '08 FZ1 for several hunderd miles on a summer day and it really covers ground. The seat is surprisingly comfortable even after several hours. There is a lot of wind noise with the small stock screen above 60 mph so I use fitted earplugs. The best thing is the fuel...

I'm envious. Snow and ice on the side streets here, but next week in 50s F so FZ1 gets to run but not up any canyons.

Just wanted to add my observations on an '08 clutch. If I start out with the engine cold it will go from neutral into first even at fast idle with very soft "clunk" or none at all. At normal temps after riding several miles it really "clunks" after waiting at a light in neutral with hand off...

If I remember right there were some new R1s & FZ1s that had grease contamination on the clutch discs that dealers fixed under warranty. A dealer tech once told me the main reason for clutch sticking was bikes sitting in storage too long before sale. I haven't had a problem with my '08 that was...

I too notice steady highway speeds in 6th give the best mileage and tank range. When the "F" odometer comes on I try to refuel in the next 20 miles but have never come close to the theoretical 4.75 US gallons the tank holds. If non ethanol gas is avalible it helps mileage too. I don't find a...

I worked at a small airport after high school and your free gas is probably wing tank drainings to remove water so watch what settles out. The LL is low lead but still high enough to leave an ash deposit so I would dilute it by 1/2 with car rot-gut regular.

Aviation gas for piston engines has a different octane rating system. It comes in different grades with UL 82 being the safest for FZ1s with or without cat converters. UL 82 is unleaded and about 90 equivalent car octane. I wouldn't use the leaded fuels even without a cat because it leaves some...

Jan 2010 Cycle World has a similar tech question and they say keep the air box to prevent a low thru mid rpm flat spot with carbs. This wasn't an FZ1 but boxes are always designed to help noise levels and stop negative intake pulses from messing with fuel delivery. I might try proven mods to the...

Hi, I looked at the link for the PIAA bulbs and they are offering H4 and H3 halogen types. Quality should be good as this manufacturer has a good rep. I would stay away from bulbs whose main attraction is a different color to look cool at import shows. The real problem with motorcycle...

Thought I'd add some more thoughts. This engine has done almost 90k miles and, guessing without factory specs, should still have 120+ psi on all cylinders. Its important all cylinders check within 10 - 15 psi of each other even if the range is low. Slightly tight valves won't change compression...

Tommy, sometimes the piston rings stick and a small amount of oil added down the cylinder's sparkplug hole unsticks them. I would do this with the engine cold and use a very thin lubricating oil like marvel mystery oil or even sewing machine oil. Only use about 1/2 teaspoon or 2 cc. Sparkplug...

Thanks Steve, I almost failed organic chem 101 but this product may be on to something. The parent company of Star Tron markets in like 100+ countries so this additive might be available outside the US. I going to try some in my car and the FZ1. BTW, Shell's new ads for nitrogen content in their...

From what I know about engines both intake air temp and humidity effect the performance. Low humidity and high temp really kill power and makes the engine likely to ping & knock. The main use I have for this display is to see if the engine feel warmer than myself and to practice pushing buttons...

Chevron used to say their gas was good for one year in storage. With the 10% ethanol and other reformulated stuff here in the US who knows. I try to ride all year but would be very worried about old gas losing volatility and octane if it set for several months. Do a web search on PRI-G additive...

When looking at synthetic oil for an FZ1, it must have the motorcycle MA, MA1 or MA2 rating. This is an industry friction test for wet clutches. Amsoil claim that wet clutch discs don't varnish up from heat with their bike synthetic. I put my trust in service products like Yamaha, Castrol and...