Cowling/Screws/General Questions

[kiggaxwut]

Hey again folks. Feel like I'm posting too often but I've no other resource to turn to trying to get this bike running.

This weekend I've started putting the bodywork back onto the FZ6R. I've noticed I've a tab broken off on the bottom left of the front cowling piece that goes over the headlight. I was able to locate the part on a parts website but it doesn't appear that you can purchase the front cowling separate from the other plastic pieces - it seems to lump it all together. Any advice here?

http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/oemparts/a/yam/5004d46cf87002275461cb9b/cowling-1

The front cowling piece looks to be number 4: Body, Front Upper 1 SMX. Is there no other option in purchasing just this piece other than eBay? I mean, if I can secure it well enough without the one screw on the broken tab I would do so if it means I don't have to fork out hundreds of bucks for a simple missing tab. That brings me to my second question.

On the front cowling as well as the accompanying vent/body pieces, there are metal tabs that go over each screw hole. None of the bolts/screws I have seem to fit through these metal tabs as the back has a kind of lip that prevents the threads from ccatching. My bike came with all of the screws in a bag so I'm playing a guessing game here. Nothing seems to fit except these tapered black plastic screws - at the bottom of the screw it is just kind of pointy, and the threads begin a little above the bottom. So basically the pointy bit goes in, and then the threads can lock and screw. It doesn't seem secure to me that all of these plastics are secured with just plastic screws. Are these actually the correct fairing screws? Some googling shows that these may be the tapping screws that look similar to the one that fits.

I have been searching high and low for some resource to help me get these fairings on. It doesn't seem like it should be that complicated but I'm having some trouble. If anyone has some input on the metal tabs, what screws I can get at a home depot, what you have on your bike, etc., I would be really grateful.

Lastly - is a gasoline smell on the dipstick normal? How much gas should I be smelling when my bike idles in my garage? I've gone through a 52-point inspection on the bike from the dealer and they didn't mention any of these things.. I'm just paranoid.

 

[BIG O]

Hey again folks. Feel like I'm posting too often but I've no other resource to turn to trying to get this bike running.

This weekend I've started putting the bodywork back onto the FZ6R. I've noticed I've a tab broken off on the bottom left of the front cowling piece that goes over the headlight. I was able to locate the part on a parts website but it doesn't appear that you can purchase the front cowling separate from the other plastic pieces - it seems to lump it all together. Any advice here?

http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/oemparts/a/yam/5004d46cf87002275461cb9b/cowling-1

The front cowling piece looks to be number 4: Body, Front Upper 1 SMX. Is there no other option in purchasing just this piece other than eBay? I mean, if I can secure it well enough without the one screw on the broken tab I would do so if it means I don't have to fork out hundreds of bucks for a simple missing tab. That brings me to my second question.

On the front cowling as well as the accompanying vent/body pieces, there are metal tabs that go over each screw hole. None of the bolts/screws I have seem to fit through these metal tabs as the back has a kind of lip that prevents the threads from ccatching. My bike came with all of the screws in a bag so I'm playing a guessing game here. Nothing seems to fit except these tapered black plastic screws - at the bottom of the screw it is just kind of pointy, and the threads begin a little above the bottom. So basically the pointy bit goes in, and then the threads can lock and screw. It doesn't seem secure to me that all of these plastics are secured with just plastic screws. Are these actually the correct fairing screws? Some googling shows that these may be the tapping screws that look similar to the one that fits.

I have been searching high and low for some resource to help me get these fairings on. It doesn't seem like it should be that complicated but I'm having some trouble. If anyone has some input on the metal tabs, what screws I can get at a home depot, what you have on your bike, etc., I would be really grateful.

Lastly - is a gasoline smell on the dipstick normal? How much gas should I be smelling when my bike idles in my garage? I've gone through a 52-point inspection on the bike from the dealer and they didn't mention any of these things.. I'm just paranoid.

I just happen to have all of my panels at the moment.

Could you possibly post some pics of the areas you need help with?

Also, if there is a gasoline smell on the dipstick/in the oil you definitely need an oil and filter change for starters.

After that we'll see.

So, shoot me some pics and hopefully I can help you out.

Mike

 

[kiggaxwut]

Hey man, I appreciate it! After a few more beers and some experiments I actually got the majority of the body pieces on! I had those tappet screws all over the place, I just didn't know what to look for. The only issues at the moment fairing wise is certain pieces aren't sitting flush like I want them to, specifically around the cockpit paneling area. I was surprised at how exact all of the plastic pieces fit in to each other. I'll take a pic of the problem areas I am having when I get home tonight. I still need to order a replacement panel before the right side is complete - left side is looking good though!

As for the oil/gas, I actually changed the oil and filter when I purchased the bike. I haven't rode as I'm waiting until October for my MSF, but the dealership I took it to get it inspected claimed they did a short test ride. It's odd as when I pull the dipstick, the end near the handle you twist is actually glistening with what I assume is gasoline. After a wipe off on a rag and retesting the oil level, the smell isn't as prominent but is still there. Not sure if that makes sense. Again, the service center didn't mention any of this. I also smell gas when idling the bike in the garage; coming from small Japanese cars I'm not sure if this amount of smell is normal. Would appreciate any tips on the gas/oil!

 

[BIG O]

Hey man, I appreciate it! After a few more beers and some experiments I actually got the majority of the body pieces on! I had those tappet screws all over the place, I just didn't know what to look for. The only issues at the moment fairing wise is certain pieces aren't sitting flush like I want them to, specifically around the cockpit paneling area. I was surprised at how exact all of the plastic pieces fit in to each other. I'll take a pic of the problem areas I am having when I get home tonight. I still need to order a replacement panel before the right side is complete - left side is looking good though!

As for the oil/gas, I actually changed the oil and filter when I purchased the bike. I haven't rode as I'm waiting until October for my MSF, but the dealership I took it to get it inspected claimed they did a short test ride. It's odd as when I pull the dipstick, the end near the handle you twist is actually glistening with what I assume is gasoline. After a wipe off on a rag and retesting the oil level, the smell isn't as prominent but is still there. Not sure if that makes sense. Again, the service center didn't mention any of this. I also smell gas when idling the bike in the garage; coming from small Japanese cars I'm not sure if this amount of smell is normal. Would appreciate any tips on the gas/oil!

Glad to hear you got most of the panels and screws sorted out. If you need anymore help post up a pic.

As for the gas on the end of the dipstick, that sounds very odd. If you have that much gas in freshly changed oil then you must have a major fueling issue somewhere.

Does the bike have stock exhaust?

Aftermarket? If so, did the PO install any kind of fuel management module (Power Commander)?

Upon startup, does the bike smoke at all? If so, what color smoke?

Blue typically means burning oil. Grey/black usually means burning excess fuel (running rich).

You'd get a better idea as to if your bike is running lean or rich if you could pull the spark plugs and have a look at them.

You'll have to pull the fuel tank and airbox to get at them. Not too difficult to do but don't know how mechanically inclined you are.

Post up.

 

[kiggaxwut]

Thanks again for responding. Had to deal with the hurricane this weekend and damn I'm horrible at checking this forum so no pics atm.

There isn't any smoke upon startup/idle, even when it gets to normal running temperature. The exhaust is stock; however, there is a slight rust spot on the bottom of the catalytic converter which allows a bit of condensation to pool under the bike once up in temp. Think this could be the idle gas smell issue?

Another thing that has me thinking is I've been starting the bike up, letting it idle, etc., but never actually getting out on the road and riding. Would multiple start ups like this cause the gas smell? Would it be possible the dipstick issue might be caused by this as well? I've been thinking of getting a battery tender since I'm not riding it right now but wasn't sure if it would be necessary. Sometimes I love to start the bike and idle it and sit on it for a few minutes. I'm a dork like that.

As for spark plugs - looks like I have another project for the weekend. I'll take them out and inspect them and let you know my findings (if I remember!). Any recommendations when I pull the tank and have a look at the inside? Any fuel sensors/wiring I should inspect that might be causing problems?

 

[tdnathens]

(kiggaxwut); What you see on your dipstick is water. This is caused by letting the bike idle and not taking it out and riding until it is fully up to operating temperature. Depending on the weather it takes 30 to 40 minutes to reach normal operating temperature. Once operating temperature stabilizes it take another 25 to 30 minutes to vaporize the water caused by condensation. Just because the t/stat has opened doesn't mean the bike is at operating temperature. If you have been setting on the bike and letting it idle,looking at the plugs will tell you nothing. You are doing more harm than good by letting it set and idle. If you can't ride until October let it idle a minute or two and get a friend ride it for an hour or so to remove the water you have let condense in the crankcase. The same thing is happening in your exhaust system. It needs to get hot enough to boil the water out of your muffler. You have purchased a great bike, enjoy it. Just don't let it set and idle too much.
Tom;

 

[yellowraptor]

Hey,

Im working on my 09 FZ6R trying to put on fz8 headlight and XJ6n fairings. The bike I have doesnt have any fairings or even bolts and nuts for putting them on. I Basically have an LED bar fixed in the front to the bare headlight bracket. I need to find screws, bolts and pins to fix the fairings and headlight on the bike. Is there a screw kit or something that will work for this project? I was looking at bolt and screw kits here.

https://www.dhgate.com/wholesale/search.do?act=search&sus=&searchkey=YAMAHA+SCREW&catalog=#Homesearch201403

and here

https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=yamaha+screw+kit

Im unable to figure out which kit will have everything I need.
Please suggest a solution.

 

[kiggaxwut]

(kiggaxwut); What you see on your dipstick is water. This is caused by letting the bike idle and not taking it out and riding until it is fully up to operating temperature. Depending on the weather it takes 30 to 40 minutes to reach normal operating temperature. Once operating temperature stabilizes it take another 25 to 30 minutes to vaporize the water caused by condensation. Just because the t/stat has opened doesn't mean the bike is at operating temperature. If you have been setting on the bike and letting it idle,looking at the plugs will tell you nothing. You are doing more harm than good by letting it set and idle. If you can't ride until October let it idle a minute or two and get a friend ride it for an hour or so to remove the water you have let condense in the crankcase. The same thing is happening in your exhaust system. It needs to get hot enough to boil the water out of your muffler. You have purchased a great bike, enjoy it. Just don't let it set and idle too much.
Tom;

Tom - updating the thread for others who may have the same issue. Thanks for the input - this does seem to be exactly what the case was. Since this post I have gotten the bike back in full running condition and it runs like a top.

 

[kiggaxwut]

Hey,

Im working on my 09 FZ6R trying to put on fz8 headlight and XJ6n fairings. The bike I have doesnt have any fairings or even bolts and nuts for putting them on. I Basically have an LED bar fixed in the front to the bare headlight bracket. I need to find screws, bolts and pins to fix the fairings and headlight on the bike. Is there a screw kit or something that will work for this project? I was looking at bolt and screw kits here.

https://www.dhgate.com/wholesale/search.do?act=search&sus=&searchkey=YAMAHA+SCREW&catalog=#Homesearch201403

and here

https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=yamaha+screw+kit

Im unable to figure out which kit will have everything I need.
Please suggest a solution.

Yellowraptor - if you don't have the OEM screws/bolts that you need you can either purchase them from a parts retailer piece by piece (partzilla, bikebandit.com, etc.) - or you can purchase one of those kits you linked. Essentially you will want a kit made for Japanese motorcycles as many of the larger manufacturers will use the same size on various models. They will typically include the fairing bolts you need for your bike in various sizes. It might not have all of what you need, so you might need to order from both places. Good luck!