2014 STG Yamaha FZ-09 Project Bike Giveaway

The FZ-09 has an exposed engine cover and being a naked bike, installing an engine cover protector is a good idea. We've been carrying and supporting the Woodcraft for a very long time and stand behind the quality of their products. The covers from Woodcraft are nice that they are a simple install and go directly over the OEM cover.

We decided to go with the Woodcraft Stator Cover protector for the FZ-09, as it bolts over the top of the left side engine cover and protects it in its most vulnerable area. One of the nice options with this cover is that it has a replaceable skid pad that is manufactured out of aluminum. This means that in the event of a crash, this will be the contact point and will grind down before the protector itself or your engine cover.

The FZ-09 has an exposed engine cover and being a naked bike, installing a cover protector is a good idea. We've always had a great relationship with Woodcraft and they make a super high quality product.

We decided to go with the Woodcraft Clutch Cover protector for the FZ-09, as it bolts over the top of the clutch cover and protects it in its most vulnerable area.

The FZ-09 didn't need to have the brakes changed just yet, as we only put a couple hundred miles on it last summer but we wanted to have the bike perfect for our buddy Alf. An easy choice and a go to for us when it comes to a street riding application is Carbone Lorraine Brake Pads, they've been producing a high quality sintered metal pads for a long time.

We decided to go with the Carbon Lorraine XBK5 front brake pad for the FZ-09, as it is one of our best sellers and most popular brake pad for street riding. The XBK5 is appropriate for the street and will also hold up to higher temperatures to take it out on the occasional track day session

Installing new rear brake pads on any motorcycle can be a tedious project, but luckily not one that needs to be completed often. We ended up selling this motorcycle to a previous employee, Alf and wanted to make sure it was updated before he picked it up. An easy choice and a go to for us when it comes to a street riding application is Carbone Lorraine Brake Pads, they've been producing a high quality sintered metal pads for a long time.

We decided to go with the Carbon Lorraine RX3 rear brake pad for the FZ-09, as it is an affordable pad but perfect for this motorcycle. The rear brake isn't used very often, but when you need it, you want it to perform as it should and the RX3 will do the trick.

It was exciting being able to announce the 5 finalists for this project but it is time to announce the actual winner of this amazing motorcycle. With a completely random draw and the help of our Angry Elf, Matthew B. from Foster City, California has been chosen as the winner.

Congratulations Matthew, you’ve just won yourself a phenomenal street bike and I am going to miss riding it!

It’s going to be sad to see this bike go as I really enjoyed riding the FZ-09 and seeing the project progress over the year. One lucky winner is going to ride away on this bike next week, but first we’re announcing the Final Five Finalists, which are as follows:

• Gus C. of Mastic Beach, NY
• Junelka E. of New York, NY
• Matthew B. of Foster City, CA
• Dean W. of Morningside, Australia
• Joao O. of Wellesley Hills, MA

Good luck to all the finalists and stay tuned for the winner to be announced next week!

CRG has been manufacturing motorcycle levers for a long time and is definitely the leader in the market. The RC2 levers are relatively new to the CRG lineup and are CNC machined from quality billet aluminum. These levers are anodized in three different color options, have 6 adjustable positions and are available in a standard or short length. I would say that installing new levers has to be one of the most popular aftermarket modifications you can do to your motorcycle and the process is easy but time consuming. It is very important that you take your time during the installation and make sure your controls are in the right position for your riding style.

The CRG RC2 lever has great style and makes riding much more comfortable with the adjustability. A nice feature of the new RC2 lever is the replaceable derlin lever tip, making the potential life of the lever much longer with the ability to change the tip in the event of a crash.

Driven Racing is a leader in after market performance parts and has been manufacturing handle bar options for a number of years. In addition to the Carbon Fiber Superbike Handlebars we’ve installed on the FZ-09, they produce a range of handle bars for off road applications and dirt bikes. For more of a Sportbike application, they have a range of clip-ons, replacement bars and riser clip-ons. The installation of the handlebar is relatively simple, but does take some concentration, measuring and then measuring again to make sure your controls are in the right location.

With this project, I also decided to install the D-Axis Bar Ends in the blue trim to accent the D-Axis grips and California mirrors. The bar ends complete the fit and finish of the carbon bars and ties everything together. The blue anodized finish on the Driven items goes well with the Spiegler brake lines and makes the blue on the wheels pop a bit.

Driven Racing is a leader in after market performance parts and recently added anodized mirrors to their available products. These mirrors can be mounted to any standard bar, are sold individually and can be mounted on either the right or left side. The California Mirrors are beautifully styled, have several color options and have great visibility. Installation was quick and simple as they are designed to be mounted in place of the stock mirrors and only a few standard tools are required.

The Driven California Mirrors drastically improve the look of the front end of the FZ-09. These mirrors give the bike a much sleeker look and appearance with maintaining full visibility while riding.

GB Racing has been producing a variety of engine covers and protectors since 2002 and is one of the few companies to be accredited by the FIM for their products. The decision to install the engine cover kit on the FZ-09 from GB Racing was easy as the products are top notch and the quality is second to none. The covers can be purchased individually or as a set, like we did with this project and comes with easy to use instructions. I was able to complete the entire installation with the instructions in a relatively short amount of time, using standard tools you would have in your garage.

The GB Racing Engine Cover set is a necessary addition and is vital in protecting your motorcycle in the event of a tip over. The kit for the FZ-09 includes the clutch, ignition, stator and water pump cover and is relatively inexpensive compared to replacing each part individually. This kit also has a nice, finished look that isn’t too flashy while adding function.

For my first project I decided to install a M4 Exhaust System. The M4 Yamaha FZ-09 Slip On Exhaust is an interesting project as it requires cutting off the CAT from the stock header and reusing the header. This took a little more effort to install than your typical slip on but it leaves you with a strong sense of accomplishment. I kinda felt like Jesse James working on a custom chopper while I was cutting and grinding. The end result is more horsepower and torque, a solid exhaust note (this system comes with an options dB killer) and a more aggressive look as compared to the stock canister.

This slip on sells for $379.80 which is a considerable savings over a full system, it does however require more work to install than the full system. End of the day I was impressed with how well the slip on fit the stock header and would recommend this for sure.

It has been about ten years since I rode a motorcycle on the street with any frequency. I like this Yamaha FZ-09 so much I ride it every chance I get (don't worry I live less than 1 mile from the shop so it won't see that many miles). My Son Max absolutely loves this bike so I picked him up at school on it. Let's just say the reaction from the kids was pretty darn cool, so much so I decided to pick him up again the following day (kid's spoiled) and put a GoPro on the bike to capture their enthusiasm.

The way a motorcycle can move people is amazing, you wouldn't get a reaction like that if you pulled up in an $8,000.00 car. I can honestly say my life is better because of that choice I made a long time ago to ride. Over the years I have met a ton of cool people and made some great friends as a direct result of riding. The majority of people who ride are good folks, the kind you want to hang out with or just take a minute and listen to them tell the story of the latest ride. All of this makes me wonder why we don't see more people riding, those who choose not to have no idea what they are missing! - Van

Graves Exhaust and Yamaha bikes just go together. Graves Exhaust Systems are a true premium product and the Graves Motorsports Yamaha FZ-09 2014 Full Exhaust System is everything you would expect and then some. Stainless steel headers with super clean welds and Graves New Diamond Shaped Carbon can design deliver a finished product so beautiful you just might choose to put it on your coffee table for display is what you find when you tear open the box.

The install for this system was very straight forward using the instructions supplied from Graves. The finished product fit perfectly, sounded great (sorry for the weird sound in the video) and looked sweet on the bike. Comparing this to the M4 Slip On for the FZ-09 I installed is tough as they are very different. The Graves Full System requires less effort, skill and tools to install, but the price is higher as it is a complete system. Have narrowed it down to this and the M4 Slip On? Let your mechanical skill and budget make the choice. If you are only shopping full systems buy this you will love it!

LSL Frame Sliders are built to absorb and dissipate impact. Designed and manufactured in Germany they use a machined billet aluminum mounting base with an aluminum and plastic "Crash Pad". The plastic insert flexes under impact to manage energy and reduce the forces on the frame and mounting brackets.

Installing the Yamaha FZ-09 2014 LSL Frame Slider Kit is a simple project that requires the use of basic hand tools most riders would have in their tool box. The crash pads are available in several different colors to compliment the color of your bike. Starting at $103.41 this is a great option to protect your investment and add a little color to the bike.

Stainless Steel Brake Lines are one of the best mods you can make to a street bike. The stock rubber brake lines expand under pressure reducing braking force and create spongy, poor feedback at the brake lever. After putting a couple hundred miles on the STG FZ the area I felt needed the most attention was the brakes. To be honest it has been ten years or so since I have ridden a motorcycle with stock brake lines and I forgot what a difference replacing them with stainless steel braided brake lines makes. Replacing the front line kit the power and feel gain in the brakes made this bike even more fun to ride!

Installing the Spiegler Yamaha FZ-09 2014 Front Brake Line Kit is a simple project that requires the use of basic hand tools and a little know how which this video provides. With the Spiegler Lines we offer custom color combinations at no extra charge and free colored banjo bolts to match the fittings. Replacing the stock brake lines not only improves performance it also adds a little more style and color to the bike.

Stainless Steel Brake Lines are our most recommended and best selling brake lines here at STG. They offer top level quality, are D.O.T. Certified, made here in the US and look awesome. Replacing the rear brake line will improve the performance and feel of the rear brake just as the front line kit did, but in the end it is a bit of a cosmetic upgrade. I think the translucent lines installed on this bike look amazing against the black swingarm, the color really pops. If you are doing the front kit adding the rear balances the color and gives the bike that custom look we all look for!

Installing the Spiegler Yamaha FZ-09 2014 Rear Brake Line Kit is a snap, especially if you have already installed the front line kit. Remember with the Spiegler Lines we offer custom color combinations at no extra charge and free colored banjo bolts to match the fittings.

Woodcraft Frame Sliders are the Number 1 selling frame slider here at STG. They are designed to protect your motorcycle from damage during a tip over or a crash. Woodcraft's experienced R&D Team designed a slider that sticks out just far enough to protect but not so far that it can be torn off while sliding down the road. In the end each Woodcraft Frame Slider Kit is model specific to deliver that ideal length for maximum protection.

Installing the Woodcraft Yamaha FZ-09 Frame Sliders is a project most riders can handle without issue. They mount up in minutes so you are back on the road quick. We like the design and believe in the people behind the brand.

Graves Motorsports runs the Factory Yamaha AMA race program and is one of the premier performance part manufacturers for sport bikes here in the United States. Racing has proven to be the place to develop and test performance parts over the years and Graves has the perfect test environment as they own and operate the team. From rearsets to exhaust systems Graves has a complete catalog that features parts for most common sport bikes.

Installing the Graves Yamaha FZ-09 Smog Block Off Plates is a project that requires a bit of time and experience. Installing the plates is needed after replacing the stock exhaust system, if you plan to use a fuel controller with an auto tune feature or if you are going to have the bike mapped on a dyno. After modifying the exhaust is is common to get popping and cracking on decel when the AIS System is still in place, when the plates are installed the AIS System will be removed reducing or eliminating this problem. Additionally when the AIS System injects air into the exhaust port the Air:Fuel Ratio is thrown off which prevents a auto tune feature from working or a dyno tuner from being able to create an accurate map.

Graves Motorsports has a full line of fender eliminator kits offering fitment for most common sport bikes. Installation is something that most riders can handle with the use of standard hand tools and a little time. The end result is a clean, race look that gets rid of the absolutely horrible stock rear fender. All Graves Motorsports Yamaha fender eliminator kits are fabricated from black anodized aluminum for long term reliability and great looks.

Installing the Graves Motorsports Yamaha FZ-09 Fender Eliminator Kit will typically take less than one hour and require the use of standard hand tools. It allows for the use of the stock rear turn signals for maximum visibility if you prefer to keep them in place. The instructions include pictures and are very well written which helps deliver a beautiful finished product.

Graves Motorsports has a full line of frame sliders just as with the fender eliminators. Installation is a breeze, especially with a naked bike like the FZ-09. This frame slider kit includes and excellent set of directions with pictures that can help even the most novice of wrenches get professional results. The Graves Frame Sliders look great and will help save your bike in a tip over or a crash. I feel frame sliders are even more important on a naked bike like the FZ-09 when there is no bodywork to help protect the engine cases.

The Graves Motorsports Yamaha FZ-09 Frame Sliders install in mere minutes with nothing more than standard hand tools. If your looking for a set of frame sliders for your FZ-09 and you prefer a conventional design like this we recommend the Grave for sure.

Driven Racing has a large and rapidly growing line of performance parts that offer fresh designs in a huge range of colors. I decided to go with the D-Axis Grips with the blue trim to accent the Driven California Mirrors we will be installing after the bars and grips. There are several different ways to install grips, we recommend using grip glue to get the best long term results and performance. It drives me crazy when the grips are lose on the bars and the best way to make sure that does not happen is to use glue.

Driven D-Axis Grips look amazing and offer excellent feel. The grip itself is a Krayton Gel design with 2-plys for maximum comfort. I found this grip to be just a bit thicker than the stock grips which is something I really like. They have a diamond pattern that offers solid traction making it even easier to be light on the bars.

Wow is the FZ-09 an amazing Street Bike. After the first ride back from the dealer I was hooked. Great ergonomics, tons of power and way more comfortable than my race bikes! This bike build is a project I really look forward to and I hope you all enjoy watching the progress. My intention is to hand off one amazing street machine to the winner!

The 2014 Yamaha FZ-09 is an excellent street bike in stock form, hard to find fault really. That said just like you I am a true motorcycle enthusiast who loves to wrench on the bikes. Keep both eyes on this page from now until the FZ-09 leaves Van's Shop in August when the Winner takes his bike to watch the transformation from stock as a stove to super cash street machine.