Yamaha FZ

. Here, we explain the design, performance, fuel efficiency, ride quality, and more of the new Yamaha FZ-S FI Version 4.0 Deluxe.

It all started with the FZ-16 that was introduced in India back in 2008. It was the bike all the young guns wanted. Fast forward to 2019 and here you have the FZ-S V3 which, as the insightful lot of you might have guessed right, is the third generation of the FZ-16. How much has changed over the years? Is it still…the ‘Lord of the Streets’?

While the Apache was touted to follow the bloodline of its racing pedigree and the innovation that TVS was famous for, the FZ was acclaimed as the ‘Lord of the Streets’, offering refinement, quality and handling from the Japanese two-wheeler giant.

For the better part of the last three decades, Suzuki and Yamaha have been locked in a fierce battle. 100cc two-strokes had been around for a while, but the launch of Shogun in 1993 took the fight to the next level. The Suzuki had a 10cc advantage over the Yamaha RX100, was more powerful and the oozed sex appeal like no other bike. And yet it failed. 23 years down the line, it is the same story. 

It is pouring like never before and we are not complaining at all. The dust has all settled down, the highways washed out of all the muck and oil and the green is everywhere. And that means highway time for us motorcyclists. Now that we know how the Yamaha FZ S 2.0 fares in the city, let us see how it does on the highway.  

It has been two weeks of commute to office on the FZ and each time I park it, walk off and turn back for a glance, it looks nice. The FZ has been carrying these looks for ever and I thought I would get bored of those by now! Also, after getting the chain slack fixed and the drum rubbers set right, the lag that I was cribbing about before has vanished, almost. While it still peeps out at lower revs, it can be ignored and at higher revs, it is almost non-existent.  

The FZ-S 25 is Yamaha India’s take on the world of entry-level quarter-litre motorcycles. The BS4 variant was known for its no non-sense design and performance approach. These aspects along with good comfort level and decent pricing made it a great choice for buyers who wanted to upgrade from a 150cc motorcycle. But now we are in 2021 and also in the world of BS6, so a few things have been changed on the FZ-S 25 to make it cleaner, more enticing and also more aspirational.

11 months and 7000kms later, it’s time to bid adieu to one of the most favourite long-terms I ever had, the Yamaha FZ 25. The last one year has been great fun with this quarter-litre Yamaha. We did a 3500kms long-distance ride down south, spent a full gruelling day at the track and it was also my preferred companion for every day commute. 

In the last few reports, we talked about the experience in city and in touring with the FZ25. In both conditions, the FZ25 performed well and managed to impress us in a few aspects. We decided to take it to the track to check out its racing pedigree because it’s a Yamaha after all.