Yamaha FZ1 (1000cc Model)

‘Brutal Beauty’ is what Yamaha calls its famous 1000cc sports bike, FZ1. This naked machine from Yamaha has a legacy which has now been challenged by Honda’s CB1000R in our Indian bike market. How hard can Yamaha FZ1 fight for its glory, let’s find out. Give it a look and you can easily figure out why it’s been named Brutal Beauty. The design of this bike is completely macho and aggressive. The face specially seems like a Bull face which can thrash any one. Its edgy headlight with twin pilot lamps and tiny side indicators gives it a naked look without any cowl and visor. The meter console just above this headlight forms its forehead which makes it look tense yet attacking. Its front forks look nasty thanks to the visual bulk added by its extended front fender. It has a black color engine cover which looks cool with four pipes coming out of its engine.

The short type silencer adds sporty characteristic to this bike which complements its compact appearance. Its split seat and masculine fuel tank are now placed a bit forward and one can also notice the extended length of the rider seat. There are not much graphics on this bike. It is extremely broad rear tyre (190/50) is an eye-catcher and suits the rear designing of this bike which features a drawn out fender carrying number plate and side indicators. The compact appearance of this bike gives it the sporty attitude which is very much needed in its segment. Yamaha FZ1 has a combined analogue digital instrument console. The round shaped analogue tachometer is placed on the right side while on the left side there is a digital speedometer, odometer and 2-trip meters. The other LED indicators are also noticeable. At night, its LCD uses orange color for illumination.

Yamaha FZ1 is powered by a four cylinder, liquid cooled 998cc engine. This 4-stroke, DOHC engine pumps out a massive power output of 148 bhp at 11000 rpm while the torque production of this fuel injected engine is of 106 Nm which is achievable at 8000 rpm. This bike is equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox with a gear shift pattern of one gear down and five give gears up.This is the segment which matters the most when you are talking about bikes like FZ1 and it seems to have an upper hand over its rival, CB 1000R. FZ1 has additional 25bhp which makes it more powerful than its competitor and helps it to get better power to weight ratio. The bike has an instant throttle response which indicates towards its serious power production. Within 3.5 seconds, you may reach the three digit mark on its speedometer. For high speed performance, you will notice its proportionate gear ratios which allow you to rev it hard even in small gears.

Even at low rpms, there is not much need of frequent gear shifts. However, the refinement and calmness of this engine may not cross the benchmark set by Honda's engine. You can sense the strain in this engine if you try to push it extremely hard. Gear transitions are also very convenient and delightful. The bike is built for high speed cruising and it does so in style and you can always cross the speed of 160km/hr without much drama. It's certainly not the limit for this bike as it can reach the top speed of 200km/hr. With this bike, one can achieve a mileage of around 15km/ltr on long runs.

New seat and upraised tank now brings the rider more close to the handle which increases the comfort level while driving this bike. The flat handlebar gives you a nice firm palm grip which is quite effective at slow speeds. Its clutch and gear levers are very light and easy to grip while its foot pegs allow your knees to fold at the right angle. The overall control over this bike is enhanced by the way your knees stick around its tank. The bike lacks storage space but features vital safety features. It has a MOS X 64 calliper at its front which is very helpful while hard braking and you also get a powerful headlight for clear vision.

Yamaha FZ1 has beefy telescopic forks at its front while it features swing arm suspension at the back. As far as braking is concerned, it has dual hydraulic disc brake of 320mm at its front while it has a single disc brake of 245mm at the back. The rear brake is combined with a single-pot pin-slide calliper which effectively helps to stop this speeding machine. With a wheelbase of 1460mm and fatty tyres, the bike delivers superb handling. Its suspension is quite able to hold it effectively at high speeds and it holds the road properly around corners. The bike takes any bump without complain and offers superior ride quality than its rival. High speed stability is the best thing about this bike and that can be experienced while you frequently change lanes. You always have control over this bike thanks to its perfectly mated suspension and braking system.