Yamaha FZ-S Road Tested


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Since long i was thinking that we at TAI discuss so much about SUVs, Hatches, Sedans. We have numerous test drive reports of the same too. Thanks to Rajeev, we lately got into discussions about commercial vehicles. But where are the bikes? We have only three or four Ownership reviews of bikes, so to make bring in some action on 2 wheels, i decided to road test some bikes and post my experiences here. Now i had to decide the bike. Since this was going to be my debut bike test on TAI, i thought it should be a big one and i could think of nothing else but YAMAHA.

Went to the nearest Yamaha showroom and picked up FZ-S for my test.
Yamaha is one of the company which has been putting Indians on 2 wheels from the days of 1980s.
Some of their older models like RX100 are still the favourite among college guys. One of the finest bike of that time. With time Yamaha lost its appeal among the new buyers and Bajaj and Hero Honda took over the bike market.
But Yamaha came back with a bang with 2 of its finest bikes R15 and FZ16. After the success of FZ16 the company then launched the sports edition of this bike and then came FZ-S and this is the bike i tested.

FZ-S or FZ-Sports comes with the same engine as that of the FZ-16. This is the 153cc engine is able to generate a power of 14Bhp which will never let you lose the race. If you are a fan of thump notes, then you will be disappointed, because FZ-S has a engine which is silent and sound a smooth note when revved hard.

The riding position is equally sporty. The handle bar is long one which is placed a bit lower. You will never complain of backaches even after long rides. The front telescopic forks take care of it and mono cross rear suspension is able to filter most of the road bumps making the ride more comfortable for the pillion too.

Coming to the transmission, the FZ-S comes with a 1down 4 up gearbox with a toe shift gear lever. The perfect gear ratios make it a traffic friendly bike. Highway cruising too is smooth though i cannot comment on how this bike performs on a longer drive since the strech on which i rode was limited to a few kilometers.

Now the coming to the aspect which makes FZ-S different from its brother FZ16. Looks. FZ-S comes in two tone colours which make it a lot more sportier than the latter.The massive fuel tank adds to the muscular look. Over it you find an alloy fuel tank cap. The new visor above the instrument cluster which to me is can be used to put small objects though Yamaha has put it to add some attitude to the face. The instrument cluster is all digital. Tachometer, speedometer, fuelmeter are put together in the most compact manner, out of which the fuel meter is too dificult to read during the daytime. Move your eyes down and you have a silencer which unlike others looks really cool.
FZ-S sports black alloys which have 5 thin spokes. The wheel is jacketed with 140/60 MRF rubber. They will never leave you short of grip and give an extra confidence while cornering some of really dangerous twists and turns. The taillamp is nonclear lens type. Though it has no styled shape, but still without it the design would have been surely looked incomplete.

Overall this bike is a complete headturner. A perfect bike for those who dont want just showoff but a mean and powerful heart too. A great blend of style, power and ride quality.

Specifications


Engine type Air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve
Displacement 153.0cc
Bore & Stroke 58.0 × 57.9mm
Compression ratio 9.5:1
Maximum output 14PS / 7500 rpm
Maximum torque 14 N.m / 6000 rpm
Starting method Electric start/Kick start (optional)
Lubrication type Electric start/Kick start (optional)
Fuel Supply BS26
Clutch type Multiplate wet type
Ignition type C.D.I. with 3 dimension digital
Primary/secondary reduction ratio 3.409 / 2.857
Transmission type Return type 5-speed
Gear ratio 1st=2.714 2nd=1.789 3rd=1.318 4th=1.045 5th=0.875 Cylinder layout Single Cylinder


Dimensions


Overall Length × Width × Height 1,970mm × 770mm × 1,085mm
Seat height 790mm
Wheelbase 1,335mm
Minimum ground clearance 160mm
Kerb weight 135 kg
Fuel tank volume 12 liters
Engine oil volume 1.2 liters
 

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Hey good report Akash , but where are the pictures? No TD report is complete without pictures. This bike has always been my favorite from Yamaha but the only thing which tells me to keep away from this bike is A.S.S! I hardly find any Authorized service stations in Chennai for Yamaha! And what is the top-speed and FE which the company claims? The actual FE will mostly be -5kmpl from what the company claims for bikes.


And BTW are you trying to become the official Road test manager for bikes in TAI? You surely have the quality to do so.
 
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Aah. Pictures. Actually i agree with you. No td is complete without pictures, but somehow i couldnt manage to click pics thanks to the heavy rains. I took the tr of the bike and thought of clicking the pics after we get to some place with less traffic and good scenic beauty, but before i could reach the highway it suddenly started raining cats and dogs and i had to return back with me and my camera case being completely wet. Fortunately camera is safe. This is the reason you see no mention of topspeed in my report, since i could hardly ride it for a few km on highway. The test results are based on the city ride.
As far as the top speed is concerned, you can easily go to the 3digit figures. The highest i was able to get on the short highway strech was 105kmph. Though i feel it can get to 110kmph easily.
Company claims the fuel efficiency of 55-60kmpl, and most of the owners(who i know) are getting 50+.

And thanks for liking my report.
 
Thread Starter #5
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@RSM- Thanks buddy.
I will get more bike reviews in the coming days and hope to get a good response too.
 

AMG

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If it had to be Yamaha, it had to be R15.
Anyways, great writeup.
-----------Next Post-----------
If it had to be Yamaha, it had to be R15.
Anyways, great writeup.
 
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I was expecting this question since its a very obvious one. Even i wanted to td R15 but it was unavailable.
@AMG- Thanks for liking the report.
 
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nice review buddy plz add more details and pics. and imo FZ is sportiest bike for the price in India [thumbsup] (CBZ is also good too) but i love it from day it was launched and also has legendary yamaha tag.
 
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nice review buddy plz add more details and pics. and imo FZ is sportiest bike for the price in India [thumbsup] (CBZ is also good too) but i love it from day it was launched and also has legendary yamaha tag.
Do tell me what details you want.I will be happy to share them here.
 
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Hi Akash! Nice review. I currently own a Honda Unicorn (2006) and was thinking for going in for a change. The bikes I have in mind are:
1. Yamaha Fazer
2. Bajaj Avenger

As you have already TD FZ series (considering Fazer has the same engine) Can you give me an outlook on the power and performance of the engine. How FE is it? How is it better than the others (your views)?

Cause honestly, I feel Honda engine is just awesome and still fells new even after 40k Kms. So I am in a kind of dilemma!![confused]
 
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Hey Aeonix why not create a separate thread if you are in a dilemma? Our members here will help you out.

I too agree Honda engines are the best when it comes to refinement.
 
Thread Starter #12
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Thanks Aeonix.
FZ series has an engine which is a blend of power and performance, but when it comes to fuel efficiency, they face the heat. AFAI remember, yamaha claimed the fe of FZ to be 55-60kmpl, while the realtime figures are lesser that this. The average fuel economy of FZ is around 45-50kmpl.
Now regarding your query of comparison, i feel both Avenger and FZS/FAZER are good bikes. Avenger has genes of a cruiser bike while FZ is basically a city commuter. If your commuting is more of highways, then go for Avenger, but if your riding is confined to city and not much on highways, then definately FZS/FAZER will be a better choice.

Cheers,
Akash
 
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Thanks Akash!

I agree. Avenger is definitely a cruiser for the highways. I have noticed many a times these bikes are not that easy to maneuver in city traffic. Especially the turn radius I feel sucks! But it scores Big time on comfort and ride.
Fazer on the other hand is quite good for city traffic. I am looking at something which can easily wade through traffic. Cause knowing Bangalore's traffic the bike should be comfortable and quick, with good handling and braking. [:)]

Thanx once again dude!
 

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