May 24, 2010 09:54 AM
5041 Views
I've had the FZ for 5 months now and Im extremely satisfied with it. Its a joy to take it out. Its smooth, quiet yet has a distinctive beat and powerrful when you want it to be. As advertized, it has awesome mid range power and its where a city rider most needs it. Im not much of a weaver but Im guilty of doing it several times on this bike because it encourages you. The brakes are solid and its very surefooted. The fat tyres and the mono shocs ensure a superb ride quality. It also sits lower to the ground so you feel in control at all times. The headlights are great and the small bulb is handy on a foggy morning or during dusk when you don;t to want blind folks on the street.
Ive tried the Pulsar and the Apache as well. Every fool out there has a Honda so I didn;t even bother trying. I don;t want a Honda no matter how good it is. The pulsar just feels cheaply made..lot of rattling and the reputation is average. The apache's styling is nice but it felt heavy to me. The Apache is definitely powerful and has good top speeds but I rarely go speeding on the freeway. I just returned home after living overseas for over 14 yrs. I had a BMW earlier and I get the same " In control and in tune with the machine " feeling when I drive the FZ. You pay a premium for that and the Yamaha is a notch high on the price. on road, it costed me nearly 75K. You save 5-8 K with other bikes I think. The mileage is dismal..I use the brakes and clutch very efficiently I think but barely get 40. They promised it may go upto 45 or 47 but don;t expect anything beyond that. Ofcourse, its only 5 months old and had 2 services, so maybe it might get better but I don't expect anything over 45.
Some cons - this bike is not for a married guy with wife and kid(s). In fact this bike is not for a pillion rider..While the driver's seat and position is outstanding and the bike feels like a natural extension of your body , the pillion driver is bound to be uncomfortable on long drives. (ofcourse if your woman is size -5, it may be ok). The seat might be recustomized slightly based on your need but very little room to accommodate a large person there. Im somewhat old fashioned in a way and prefer a bike with a kick start, it somehow feels natural to me. But the powerstart is extremely useful when you are parked at odd angles/inclines or when you want to start-stop during long traffic stops. As someone mentioned, the mileage indicator is shitty and it would be definitely useful to have a battery indicator. The whole dash (small as I like it) is average and not very functional. Digital is good though and the shape of it etc is ok but Id expect some improvements there in future design changes. The power and pick up is awesome in the mid range where you most need it but this bike is not designed for high speeds. I pushed it to 85 so far and it handles well but is reluctant to go faster. Ofcourse, its still being "run-in" so I didn;t push it very much. But I believe the Apache is better on high speed jaunts on the freeway. Its a pity though because the FZ makes you want to go faster. The confidence it instills is great but oh well. They could definitely improve the BHP though. The bike feels slightly heavy actually, although its lighter than others in the same category. When I test drove the bike, I was annoyed with the gas tank because I kept smashing my balls on to it each time I braked. The front brake of the FZ is excellent and thats one of the reasons for the control. But a tight front brake was the problem and Im completely used to to the bike now so don't brake suddenly and even if I do, I automatically restrain myself from sliding forward. So if you are test driving it and Im sure u'll feel this too, dont worry too much abt it. I debated abt buying the bike for this reason very long and looked at some tank covers with cushions to soften the impact on the balls. Quite unnecessary. Its fine without it after 5 months.
Well, I can go on but I think I gave you the general idea. Its superstylish, a performer and a delight to drive. If your woman is even slightly overweight or if mileage is your thing or if you are a speed junkie on the highway - don;t get the FZ. But if you want a reliable performer that doesnt embarrass you in traffic jams, and if you can handle the " stare downs " you get from inferior men - get the FZ.. I'll take questions now.
