Real world rides, real world riders

Tested: Yamaha's 2011 FZ8 and FAZER8 - Best of both worlds?

Those already impressive numbers get even more significant when you add in the 80,000 examples of the one-litre FZ1/Fazer built in the past decade, with 52,000 alone sold since the debut back in 2006 of the current models powered by a de-tuned version of the old 20-valve R1 Superbike motor.

So the debut of the two latest members of this best-selling four-cylinder range, the naked FZ8 and half-faired Fazer8 really does deserve attention.

200 miles out of Marseille on a route leading through the hills down to the twisty coast roads of France’s Provence region was the ideal first-impression building steps for these seriously significant motorcycles. First of the 779cc bikes to hit the showrooms early in June will be the naked FZ8, selling for £7799 and available in either blue, white or black. A month later comes the Fazer8 based on the same identical platform and available in white or a different shade of blue, whose more protective half-fairing is why it costs £8799.

Another £400 or so buys you the ABS versions of each of these bikes, with the FZ8 ABS available early in August, and the Fazer8 ABS one month later on. You may have noticed it too but it’s notable that these are premium prices for a sector that’s traditionally been very price conscious, as evidenced by the 12% higher price tag for the FZ8 than the current class leader, the aggressively-styled Kawasaki Z750. OK, it looks straight from the pages of a manga comic book may not be to everyone’s taste, but the Z750 has still led this volume segment of the motorcycle market ever since its launch in 2004, challenged only by the 675cc Triumph Street Triple, and consistently outselling its four-cylinder 600cc Japanese rivals thanks to extra cubes, a bigger build that’s more accommodating for taller riders, and especially a low price that offers more bike for the buck.

So now Yamaha aims to address this with the development of the FZ8 duo, which company insiders say began in 2007 with the No.1 precept that the engine should be ‘bigger than 750cc’ – supposedly to offer more torque and better rideability. Bragging rights in terms of engine capacity had nothing to do with this, of course – but anyway, to create this Yamaha’s engineers took the 2006-model R1’s short-stroke 20-valve slant-block motor also found in the FZ1, with its cylinders inclined forward at a 40° angle, and sleeved it down 9mm to deliver 68x53.6mm dimensions aimed at producing a torquey middleweight package. Engine response is aided by a 12:1 compression ratio, half a point higher than the FZ1’s, coupled with a new, lighter, crankshaft for quicker pickup via reduced inertia. An equally new, less heavy clutch delivers a similar benefit, as well as making the bike easier to ride in traffic thanks to a lighter operation, matched to the same six-speed gearbox as the FZ1.

But that was only Stage 1, though, because next they junked the five-valves-per-cylinder head, replacing it with an all-new 16-valve one with softer cam profiles and each pair of valves set at a total 26° included angle. These are now fed by smaller 35mm Mikuni throttle bodies, versus the 45mm ones on the FZ1, again aimed at promoting improved rideability via better lowdown pickup. They’re each fitted with a single injector per cylinder and dual throttle butterflies, the lower of which are operated by the rider via the twistgrip, the secondary upper ones by an electric stepper motor digitally controlled by the Nippondenso ECU, via the TPS/throttle position sensors on each cylinder. This is aimed at refining throttle response and delivering a smoother pickup via added progressivity, without sacrificing acceleration. Nice for wet roads, as I had plenty of time to discover.

But there’s more – for these throttle bodies carry differential length intake trumpets, with the inner pair 150mm long, against 125mm of those on the outer two cylinders. This tuning trick is universally found on the World Supersport grid, and for the same reason – to provide the best of both worlds in optimising midrange torque without unduly sacrificing top end performance. Yamaha’s claimed engine output of 106.2bhp at 10,000rpm, and 60ft-lb of torque at 8000rpm, is delivered with the help of an all-new 4-2-1 stainless steel exhaust with a honeycomb-type catalytic converter, an oxygen sensor, but no EXUP valve – the differential-length intakes compensate for that, and both cost and weigh less – ending in a horrific-looking design holocaust of a silencer. This shapeless, low-slung, black glob of metal is quite out of context with the rest of the bikes’ perky, pleasing styling penned by Yamaha’s Amsterdam-based GK Design partners, and doesn’t just look awful, but marks easily, too.

That GK Design styling gives a fresh family look to what beneath it all is the FZ1 frame, with some detail changes. So the gravity diecast aluminium chassis and 624mm long swingarm come straight off the FZ8’s one-litre big brother – and in contrasting with the Z750’s steel hardware, go some way toward justifying the Yamaha’s price premium. So the sleeved-down once-a-Superbike powerplant is solidly mounted at six points as a fully stressed member of the twin-spar alloy frame, which has a degree of balanced flex deliberately engineered in at strategic points.

This is done by varying the thickness of the casting in 1mm increments, to enhance feedback from the road surface, according to chassis designer Takashi Tominaga, who told me that his main objective in designing the FZ1-now-FZ8 frame was to optimise weight distribution. “Many Naked bikes have unfavourable rearwards weight bias, which produces negative front tyre grip,” he said. “We were concerned to avoid that in creating this chassis.” To do so, he and his team of Yamaha engineers compacted the mass of the bike as much as possible, shifting the engine forwards to obtain a class-leading 51/49% weight distribution for the naked FZ8’s 211kg claimed kerb weight with a full tank (Yamaha surprisingly doesn’t quote a dry weight for the bike) – but it’s a surprise that the four-kilo heavier Fazer version with its half fairing and twin headlamps obviously mounted up front, is apparently just 0.5% heavier on the front wheel than its stripped-off sister.

Steering geometry is quite conservative, with a roomy 1460mm wheelbase for both bikes delivering plenty of space for a passenger, as well as lots of stability where it matters, aided by the 25° head angle and 109mm of trail. Delivering those numbers are the completely non-adjustable 43mm Kayaba upside-down forks, gold-anodised to resemble an Öhlins front end now that Yamaha doesn’t own them anymore, so has no worries about brand devaluation. The rear Soqi monoshock is equally bargain-basement in terms of spec, adjustable only for preload and even then, by no means accessibly – accessing it with a C-spanner is awkward. The twin 310mm Fujico front discs are gripped by Advics (formerly known as Sumitomo) monobloc four-piston calipers, with the optional ABS unfortunately absent from the test bikes at the launch.

But when it eventually fronts up, the control module will be mounted in the chin fairing beneath the engine that’s an option for non-ABS bikes, standard for those fitted with it, thus forming a part of the 5kg ABS total weight penalty. Rear disc is a 267mm unit from the Yamaha parts bin, ditto its twin-piston caliper, and same too for the front 3.5in cast aluminium five-spoke wheel off the XJ6, matched by a 5.5in rear that carries a 180/55-17 Bridgestone Battlax BT021, rather than the FZ1’s 190/50 rubber.

However, arguably the single greatest factor in loading up the front tyre in turns for extra grip is your own body weight, and you notice the forward riding position when you hop on the FZ8’s 815mm high seat, which in being 12mm narrower between your legs than the FZ1, allows any rider of normal stature to put both feet flat on the ground at stop lights. This is well padded enough not to make you feel unduly sore after seven hours in the saddle, but the distinctive, quite upright, stance delivered by the 80mm handlebar risers mounted to the top of the Kayaba forks’ upper triple clamp is very untiring, especially as the footrests on the FZ8 have been moved backwards 15mm and lowered 10mm versus the FZ1. The FZ8’s new 17-litre fuel tank is narrower at the rear than the FZ1 equivalent, thus losing half a litre of capacity, and this helps produce a riding position with knees tucked in that gives a sense of control, via an upright stance which offers good leverage from the one-piece steel handlebar.

Yamaha had very efficiently arranged for a full set of weather conditions for our ride, starting out with a morning of persistent drizzle that occasionally turned into a torrential downpour, before easing off for the afternoon. This allowed a real world test of what’s undoubtedly a real world motorcycle, though I’ll admit I was glad I got the luck of the draw by nabbing a Fazer8 for the morning ride, whose half fairing gave surprisingly good protection from the elements, even if it appeared strangely unfinished from the hot seat. For there were lines scored in the surface of the inner cladding, as if they’d intended to fit cubbyholes and storage pockets, but had thought better of it. The result is there’s nowhere to put toll tickets or loose change, which is a real omission in such a practical two-wheeled package, although unlike the Z750, there is room under the passenger pad for a U-lock, and even a thin rain suit.

Yamaha has scored a bullseye with the smooth power delivery and silky throttle response of the FZ8, making this an ideal step up in terms of performance from its entry-level XJ6 model for a rider climbing the ladder of experience. My first few miles on the bike in the morning Marseille rush hour on greasy traffic-choked streets that hadn’t seen rain for a fortnight, were definitely memorable – but for the right reasons. I’ve rarely ridden a bike whose engine mapping, throttle response and power delivery gave so much confidence in such awkward conditions, while at the same time possessing more than adequate reserves of performance for when things get better.

Lowdown fuelling is perfect, so the FZ8 pulls literally off its 1100rpm idle in top gear without any transmission snatch, making this all but a full auto motorcycle if you really can’t be bothered changing gear on the smooth-action gearbox, which was just as faultless on all the bikes I rode: benchmark stuff. Slow to 30mph to run through a village in top gear, and unless you really want to max out acceleration, just crack the throttle hard open again on the other side, and the FZ8 resumes normal service without undue delay, nor any hint of a hiccup. The build of power to the 13,000rpm redline is totally seamless and ultra linear, with just a slight touch of harshness around 5000revs courtesy of the noise and emissions mafia. But having said that, from 7000rpm onwards engine acceleration definitely picks up stronger, delivering serious performance and invigorating acceleration, albeit without any kick in the back – just a nice sense of enhanced urgency.

Confidence inspiring

So this is the ideal bike for any rider, from veteran to novice, to tackle iffy conditions ranging from diesel-soaked roundabouts to wet cobblestones, thanks to its engine’s impressively refined pickup from a closed throttle which can’t help but inspire confidence. It’s also a very good town bike, especially the leaner, seemingly more nimble unfaired FZ8 whose response seems more vivid off the mark, even if that’s just an illusion – the two bikes are identical, apart from the fairing. The muscular yet friendly power delivery is very confidence inspiring, making the pair of 8s a less demanding riding experience than the 150bhp FZ1 – but later on after the roads started to dry, I found the FZ8 just as entertaining and arguably quicker to hustle through twisty mountain roads than the one-litre son-of-Superbike.

Because the pair of 8s are plenty fast enough to be fun in real world riding conditions, without being intimidating. I sat for mile after mile on the Fazer8 with the needle on the analogue tacho (that’s now white-faced, rather than black on the FZ) parked at 9200rpm, so just two-thirds of redline. Not only was the bike totally stable and unflurried at that speed, with the engine quite evidently willing to rev higher had I wanted it to, but the half-fairing delivered zero wind blast at that speed – I was just sitting perfectly normally in a cocoon of still air for my upper body and, more importantly, helmet, without having to crouch down behind the screen. Impressive – but it underlines what a good mile eater this midsize motorcycle is, a cruiserweight that’s equally efficacious at low or high speed. Even at non-autobahn velocities it’s fast but friendly – cruising at 60mph with the engine holding a steady 5000rpm, is very relaxing.

Handling was equally confidence inspiring in dry or wet conditions, with enough feedback from that non-adjustable front end that you can feel the front end starting to slide, then counter it – and though not leading edge sports rubber, the Bridgestone tyres are well suited to the FZ8, and performed OK in all conditions. There’s a more than acceptable margin of safety for less experienced riders on a bike that’s predictable and responsive in the wet, but eager to carve corners in the dry – although that conservative steering geometry that’s one reason the FZ8 feels so safe and stable to ride, is also why you have to work a little harder to hustle it through the turns in hooligan mode.

That was underlined by the way the Fazer8 swung so easily and precisely through winding hillside turns, yet was ultra-stable round flat-out fast sweepers, even when I hit a bump cranked over in the middle of the turn. The softly set suspension gives good ride quality, as well as soaking up bumps like this, at the expense of undue front end dive under hard braking which it’s impossible to tune out, thanks to the non-adjustable forks. And with the lower-set footrests you will get the long hero tabs on the footrests scraping quite easily – ground clearance apart from this seems OK, though.

The conventionally mounted (ie non-radial) monobloc brake calipers have good modulation that makes them reassuring to use on greasy roads, but without much of a bite – you have to squeeze the adjustable front brake lever very hard and use the back brake quite heavily for any kind of panic stop in the dry, although they work OK otherwise. I used the quite large rear brake a lot in the slippery wet conditions, and that had lots of feel.

Control

Steering is very precise thanks to the fairly wide handlebar, which gives good leverage in tight bends and also allows you to control a slide easily. The same on both bikes, this also proved handy in negotiating gridlocked traffic, and especially in towns and villages, where the Fazer8’s generous steering lock, controllable throttle pickup and the so-smooth action of the cable-operated clutch, allows you to make feet-up U-turns very easily. Although there’s no balance shaft in the four-cylinder slant-block motor, the fat balance weights at the ends of the handlebar completely eliminate all undue vibration – the wide-spread mirrors which give a good view rearwards don’t vibe at all, even at the ton-up speeds the Fazer8 was happy cruising at.

Well conceived, well developed and well executed, Yamaha’s new pair of 8s have raised the bar for their rivals in the real world riding segment in hitting their target audience of all ages and degrees of experience full on. A serious contender for the crown of best everyday all-rounder currently in the marketplace, the new Fazer8 offers a genuine step up in performance over any of the 600cc fours in this segment – including its XJ6 Diversion sibling – while being more accessible and everyday enjoyable than the FZ1 equivalent, delivering mile-eating practicality coupled with more than adequate riding allure. Its stripped-off FZ8 twin sister is more than an XJ8, a jumped-up entry level package with added cubes, but instead makes a plausible attempt at delivering that contradiction in terms, a good-mannered streetfighter that’s accessible and well behaved, but also fun. Yamaha’s product development engineers had to walk a series of fine lines in creating these two bikes, and they deserve credit for the way they’ve turned out.