Yamaha’s FZ was a good idea. The company got many things right including starting their engineering from the width of the rear tyre – which remains a startlingly popular and sticky Indian predilection. When it arrived, it had a plastic tank (cover) which was a new idea, styling that looked right (both for the time as well as its global design) and it also had the traditionally excellent Yamaha build quality as well. In short, the FZ was a promising motorcycle. Since then, it has done well too. It’s led Yamaha’s volumes back up the charts (though the scooters arguably have a vital role in this as well). It’s remained popular while the company lost its dynamic edge and embarked on an FZ-based adventure that involved mostly the fairing plastic, suffixes and stickers. Until now.
The FZ and FZ-S FI V2.0 bikes come on strong, with more aggression dialed into styling, led by a sharper looking, FZ-1 inspired headlight. The pseudo intakes under the beefy tank have been revised, and the bikes also get a smart new exhaust. The new FZ and FZ-S V2.0 bikes now come with updated digital instruments.
Overall, the FZ V2 update is limited in scope because the motorcycle has to enter a very well-defined playing field and in that sense the pricing and options latitude is limited. That said, I think the FZ V2 is better in every respect (road test pending) than the outgoing bike and that’s how updates are supposed to work. It retains all the high points of the old bike – easy to ride, easy to live with, good city manners, light clutch operation etc and improves in almost every critical area. Yamaha are pricing the FZ V2 at Rs 76,250 ex-showroom Delhi while the FZ-S (in the pics) is Rs 78,250 ex-Delhi. This makes the FZ V2 roughly Rs 5,000 more than the old bike. Fuel injection alone explains the price difference and there’s no question that the V2 is the better bike of the two.
The conventional saddle seen earlier has now been replaced by sportier
split seats, while the rear is now a lot more cutting edge with angular
tail panels, a revised tail-lamp and rear mudguard. The FZ V2.0 bikes
disappointingly come with lower displacement, down to 149cc from 153cc,
tuned in the interests of efficiency, the technology christened 'Blue
Core' by Yamaha. It's a four-stroke, air-cooled single, which now
includes fuel-injection as part of the package. Power is down a full bhp
on the original bike, 12.9bhp at 8000rpm, which is below the segment
par. Max torque is now 1.3kgm at 6000rpm. The gearbox is still a 5-speed unit that shifts in the 1-down, 4-up pattern.
The V2.0 FZ bikes continue with similar frame and chassis construction,
with kerb weight down a couple of precious kilos from the carbureted
bikes, to 132kg. The new FZ's, as before, include a fat set of
telescopic forks for front suspension, a rear monoshock with box section
steel swingarm and new compound tyres, including a thick radial at
rear. A front disc brake is at hand, along with a drum brake unit at the
rear. The updated Yamaha bikes are already on sale, the new FZ priced
at Rs 76,250, while the FZ-S is priced at Rs 78,250 (both prices,
ex-showroom, Delhi).
VEHICLE SUMMARY
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Name:
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FZ16
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Type:
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Naked
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Top Speed:
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132kph
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Fuel
Consumption:
City |
36.00
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Fuel
Consumption:
Highway |
47.00
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ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS |
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Displacement:
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153cc
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Engine:
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Maximum Power:
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14bhp@7500rpm
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Maximum Torque:
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13.6Nm@6000rpm
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Gears:
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5 Manual
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Clutch:
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Constant Wet Multi Plate
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Bore:
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58
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Stroke:
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57.9
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No. of Cylinders:
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1
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Valve Per Cylinder:
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4
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Chassis Type:
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Diamond
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Cooling Type:
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Air Cooling
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