5th August 2016

The Yamaha FZ-10 strips off almost all the fairings of a superbike and pushes its sitting position slightly more upright. Compared to its sibling R1 superbike, the bike has a lower power band which is easily rideable. It is sandwiched between a tourer bike and a hardcore sport one.

The design of the FZ-10 was a reminder that it is not necessary for all performance bikes to look like it has participated in a MotoGP championship. The FZ is much more practical compared to its counterparts. However, for any experienced rider, the “upright” seating position makes the bike extremely rideable.

Specifications

The crème of the Yamaha FZ-10 is its technology and tuning, along with the prior mentioned upright riding position. The suspension can be adjusted by the user and traction control has three intervention levels. The rider can switch it off if he or she wants to do so. Throttle response also comes in three settings. Yamaha calls this the “D-Mode”. The electronic throttle has the ability to modulate how quickly the engine could respond to twist.

Choose “STD” or standard and the system will smooth out all the rough edges. Choose A and it will be linear. For sharpness, choose B. The system blends wirth assist and slipper clutch to result in extremely smooth riding. Shifting is done with minimal effort if the rider leaves the decisions on technology.

Compared to other sportbikes, the Yamaha FZ-10 is amazingly light at 463 pounds. The fuel capacity is of 4.5 gallons. Yamaha claims that the consumption is 30 MPG. This provides a decent range. All this makes perfect sense until the rider unlocks the complete 81.9lb-ft torque generating 9,000 RPM. Purists would call this specs low on the engine carrying bike of 14 grand.

Longer rides

The FZ-10 driveline pushes power slightly lower and push handlebars a tad higher. This enables the rider to stay on the saddle for longer periods of time. The appearance of a fighter jet is exchanged for a knight in armor. The enphasis is clearly on torque and agility, and also value. However, it is to be noted that the word “value” in this context does not equal cheap. It is priced starting at $13,000. It also must be noted that most superbikes cost above $16,000. No wonder many superbike enthusiasts consider this Yamaha model as a bargain.

The Yamaha FZ-10 is a modified version of the R1. The list of modifications include engine cam profiles, connecting rods, compression and cylinder shape were differed from the configuration of the R1. The air-box is larger and compensates for ram air absence. The dual fuel injectors of the R1 are no more. A single unit is instead placed there which reputedly offers about 25 percent more fuel at lower speeds. The crankshaft was also made heavier and compression moved from the 13.1 to the 12.1 for the mitigation of heat. The muffler was also a little tightened so that the back pressure is increased.