You will love this Yamaha for its mileage

The Yamaha FZ-S Version 2 addresses the bike's biggest flaw, fuel efficiency; the new one is more frugal and will thus appeal more to mileage conscious buyers, says Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com

When Yamaha launched the FZ in 2008, it instantly became a hit for its muscular looks, peppy performance and excellent dynamics. Yamaha did not make any major change to the bike in the past few years but kept on giving it new colour schemes and special editions.

With competition getting intense in the 150cc segment, Yamaha has finally launched the Version 2.0 of the popular FZ motorcycle. Are the changes skin deep or is the new FZ as good as the original?

Please click NEXT to continue reading

Yamaha has revised the styling of the FZ but the bike is unmistakably an FZ. The muscular tank gets minor design changes while the headlight is new at the front.

New split seats, grab rails, exhaust and tyre hugger make a big difference in the design of the bike.

A new number plate holder, new graphics and pin stripes on the wheels give its appearance a lot of attention to detail. The turn indicators have also got a clear lens treatment while the overall result is a bike which looks quite fresh and as appealing as it always has.

Please click NEXT to continue reading

Gone is the old and small console of the FZ for a new and more modern unit which is all digital with a large clear to read screen.

Sadly though, the new console doesn't have any extra feature except an Eco mode on the right.

There is no clock either which would have been a good add-on considering the competition has it. There is only one trip meter like before.

Quality of switch gear is excellent.

Please click NEXT to continue reading

Usually with an update, the output figures go northwards, not with the Yamaha FZ though as the company has decided to reduce output. You read that right, the FZ V2 has 4cc, 1 Nm and 0.9 PS less than the Version 1 which is also on sale simultaneously.

Peak power is 13.1 PS at 8000 RPM, being produced 500 RPM later than before while peak torque has been reduced to 12.6 Nm.

Clearly, all this has been done in the interest of fuel economy. The big news though is the addition of fuel injection, making the FZ the cheapest bike in the country to get FI as standard.

Yamaha claims performance is better than before.

Please click NEXT to continue reading

The Yamaha FZ V2 feels much more refined than before; the engine is simply butter smooth.

Throttle response is instant too although the bike isn't much fast, taking 20.5 seconds to do the 0-100 km/hr run.

Low and mid-range is where the motor is the strongest and that gives it excellent ride-ability in city conditions. However, when you want to make overtaking moves on the highway, a downshift is in order to get going quickly.

Mileage has improved and the FZ gets Blue Core technology which is Yamaha speak for efficient systems to boost economy.

The FZ V2 returns 51 km/l which is impressive considering this bike was the least frugal in the 150cc segment earlier.

Please click NEXT to continue reading

Where the Yamaha FZ has always excelled is dynamics, the new motorcycle is even better with slight shorter dimensions.

The weight has gone down by 3 kgs and that makes the FZ even more eager to turn-in. The balance is fantastic and the way this bike maintains its speed through corners is simply excellent.

The suspension is on the stiffer side but the damping has improved and thus ride quality is very good too. The ultra wide 140 mm rear tyre is a boon as it gives terrific grip.

Yamaha has also improved the tyres to make it less prone to punctures.

Please click NEXT to continue reading

The Yamaha FZ has always been a very potent machine but the changes now make it even better. While it still isn't the performance king in the segment, it now boasts of improved mileage which was the only chink in the old bike's armour.

Priced at Rs 91,900 (on-road price in Mumbai), the FZ-S V2 doesn't come cheap but for the price you pay, you get a high quality, ultra smooth, dynamically rich 150cc motorcycle.