FZ-07 Question

[Mide24]

Hi Guys,

I’m hoping to get some insight’s on the 07 here and hope the one I get to look at this weekend will come home with me. My previous FZ6 served me well and I loved it, but had to sell it.

I’d like to get your take on the one I’m going to look at:

2015 FZ-07, 16000 miles, one owner with a couple of goodies (slip on, seat, side luggage) in good shape with maintenance done by the seller. He’s asking $5200 but he said he has wiggle room. What do you guys think? Mileage high? Any known issues I should look at? Anything particular to pay attention to? 
 

I’d appreciate any help and pointers you guys can give

[mjh937]

I have a 2015 with over 29,000 miles that I bought new.  It has given me no problems at all.  As long as the maintenance has been done the engines are pretty much bulletproof.  

Kbb.com shows a typical listing price of $5310 but I would try to get him down under $5000.  I would also have a mechanic look it over unless you are comfortable with what to look for as far as any damage from a drop, etc.  Good luck and keep us updated on how it goes. 

[mjh937]

@Mide24, I just looked at the photos online and it looks like a very clean bike.  The M4 is probably the loudest exhaust you can get for our bike so some make sure you hear it in person before you make a decision. 

[Mide24]

Thanks guys,

I’m not a trained mechanic but I know my way around a little, I’m just trying to find out if there are any major issues or problems known to other owners.

@mjh937 he sent me a video of it and I watched some online, not necessarily my cup of tea, but I could live with it for now. I’m more the “keep it stock” kind of guy and if I get this one, I may have a couple of items for sale. 
Overall, the bike seems in good condition and well taken care of. Saturday will show if it really Is and if I can join the club. I will keep you guys posted.

 

[Eastern Kayaker]

Check the condition of the following:

brakes and brake fluid, chain and sprockets, tires,  check when coolant was last changed, see if spark plugs were replaced,  verify when was last oil and oil filter change, if any electrical accessories were added check if properly done.

 

[Mide24]

Thank you Eastern,

Already on my to-do list. I'm sure he hasn't changed the coolant or brake fluid (seems to be a common thing these days...no one really cares about that anymore ). Easy things for me to fix and I just realized that the valves aren't done for a few more miles, makes me very happy, considering I bought my FZ6 right when the big service was due.

[cornerslider]

If you end up changing the spark plugs, pay the extra $3.50 per plug, and get the NGK "iridium" plugs. They last three times as long. After you change them once, you will understand why...... It LOOKS sooo easy to change them- you can SEE them right there, but it is PITA to change plugs on this bike- period. Other than that, 16K is nothing on this bike. I'd try for just under $5,000. Everything else is pretty easy to deal with. If it's the OEM chain & sprockets on the bike, they are most likely due for replacement. Brake fluid is easy, but check the rubber brake lines for cracking/weathering. Most people neglect the brake system entirely. If memory serves me right, I don't even think this bike is even due for a first valve check/adjustment until like 22K??? Good luck on Saturday. Post pics if it comes home with you -

[shinyribs]

I agree with the folks above that 16k is not bad mileage. I'm approaching 25k miles and I run the poop out of my bikes. That's not a brag or a flex. I but my bikes to be toys and I don't care if they break. If I break it, I fix it. I'm super critical about maintenance, though. I get every oil change analyzed and wear metals always comes back squeaky clean on this bike. 

 

 

The only thing even remotely considered an issue would be the fork bushings since it's one of the earlier models. Apparently Yamaha had a run of bushing that didn't fit exactly as they should and they'd wear quick. There's lots of talk about it on the forum somewhere. If you search up something along the lines of " fork bushings wrong size" you should be able to find plenty of reading material, better than me trying to explain it. 

[mjh937]

Here is the thread that @shinyribswas talking about.  I do not know how extensive the issue was.

 

[Mide24]

Great, thanks for all the advice guys. Unless the bike turns out to be complete poop, I will buy it Saturday.

@cornerslider I totally agree with you there, I don't know why everyone neglects one of the most important parts on the bike. I was already planning on replacing the factory rubber with ss lines. I had a feeling about the spark plugs, i remember there was one on my FZ6 that was just a joy to replace

I will keep you updated.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Mide24

[Mide24]

Hi guys, good news, I just picked up my, new to me, FZ-07. Guy delivered it for $4800. Bike is in excellent shape and the seller took really good care of it. It has a M4 slip on, which sounds ok but it’s not for me and that means, I have a couple of things for sale. 
I’ll post them later.

Only got to rid her for a couple of miles, but I’m already in love with it. The handling, power and ergonomics are excellent and way better than my FZ6 was. Couldn’t be happier with the purchase.
 

[Mide24]

Unfortunately I don't have enough posts to post in the for sale category yet. 

M4 and Corbin seat available. Message me if you're interested. I'm willing to trade the M4 for OEM.

[Eastern Kayaker]

You may know this already, but if the M4 exhaust system has been on the bike for a while, you may need to replace the 2 exhaust header gaskets when putting on the replacement OEM exhaust system. The old gaskets may be too worn or fall apart when taking off the existing exhaust system. The gaskets provide a good seal at the headers to prevent any exhaust leaks. The 2 gaskets sell for under $10.

 

[Mide24]

Thanks for the heads-up eastern, I wasn’t aware of it but I usually replace the gaskets anyways. I rather spend a few $$ and only have to do it once.

[Mide24]

On 6/26/2021 at 12:23 PM, Eastern Kayaker said:

You may know this already, but if the M4 exhaust system has been on the bike for a while, you may need to replace the 2 exhaust header gaskets when putting on the replacement OEM exhaust system. The old gaskets may be too worn or fall apart when taking off the existing exhaust system. The gaskets provide a good seal at the headers to prevent any exhaust leaks. The 2 gaskets sell for under $10.

 

Question on this @Eastern Kayaker how hard is it to loosen the bolts/nuts? Any problems with them breaking off? Should they be warm or would you suggest cold engine?

[Eastern Kayaker]

I still have my stock exhaust on, so no first hand knowledge. There are many exhaust install videos on YouTube where you can get some good tips. In all the install videos I’ve seen, no one had any issues removing the header bolts on a cold exhaust. One person mentioned a difficult bolt or 2 on the foot peg assembly, which required them to use their foot to step on the end of the ratchet to break the bolt loose (or use a breaker bar). Someone also mentioned they use 2 small dabs of grease to hold the new exhaust gaskets in place during the install process. The grease on the gaskets will burn off after riding the bike a short time.  Check the Revzilla website for exhaust removal and install instructions (under Product Details, Resources tab) for the FZ-07 Akrapovic exhaust systems. I know you are looking to install the OEM exhaust when you get one. However, it should be a good place to start to see what is involved for the exhaust removal and install process.

[Mide24]

Thanks for the tips, that’s helpful. I’ll report back when I found a stock exhaust and got to put it on.