Honey... Review on Yamaha Fazer

//This review contains more of the technical side and pls dont dare read it, if you don't have any technical inclination...//

Yamaha's midweight Fazer combines a honey of a motor and an innovative frame with budget-basket brakes and suspension to produce an unexpectedly competent streetbike.

The first Fazer was a budget street bike using the ThunderCat motor in a tubular steel frame with very basic cycle parts; this all-new version uses appropriate technology to produce a capable middleweight that's more than the sum of its parts.

Motive power comes from the current R6 motor, tuned for more mid-range with milder camshafts, longer inlet tracts and Yamaha's group type fuel injection that uses fewer sensors (five, not seven) and more compact electronics to save space and money.A progressive twist-grip helps to make the power delivery less jerky at small throttle openings.

It works, too; despite its racetrack breeding, this motor will pull, growling ferociously, from 2200rpm in the lower gears. It'll tolerate full throttle anywhere above 5000 and, although there's no obvious step in the power band, from 7500 it pulls with serious authority up to its peak of 72kW at 12 000rpm.The Fazer accelerates strongly up to 210km/h; after that you need supple back muscles and a long straight to reach its max of 228km/h at 12 180rpm ? which shows that once again Yamaha has the gearing spot-on.

The rear brake, in the modern idiom, is far less powerful and barely held the bike on a steep hill. It's also spongy, mainly due to the length of the lever ? while you lose feedback it also means you are unlikely to lock up the back wheel no matter how unfeeling the hoof with which you thump it.

The bike had a tendency to shimmy at more than 160km/h, shaking its head in a straight line. This disappeared when I lay on the tank for the top-end runs and I realised that it's caused by the slipstream buffeting the rider's shoulders, which in turn shakes the steering through the high, wide handlebars.

The compliant suspension costs the Fazer a little in precise steering on fast sweeps so you have to brake a little early and turn in neatly to get the bike settled; then it'll hold its line as well as most street bikes.The steering is as light as the rest of the controls with lots of leverage from the wide bars; the bike responds best to gentle, accurate input from the rider.

When I first threw a leg over the test Fazer I thought: ''This saddle's too hard for comfort ? this is not going to be fun.'' But, firm as the padding is, its contours are right and the geometry of the seating position is such that it's comfortable for long rides.

Yamaha's middleweight Fazer combines a honey of a motor and an innovative frame with budget brakes and suspension to produce an unexpectedly competent do-anything street bike. Its 35° steering lock, upright seat position and smooth throttle response make it a superb commuter, its comfort and ergonomics, especially for the pillion, ensure passable touring ability and there's enough of the fazer in its genes to hold your attention when you twist its tail.

Fazer may not be a big hit in the market, but its power is surely a JOT!