All Drive Tests – Test of the new Fazer on the Moto Tour road – Used YAMAHA

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Testing the new Fazer on the Moto Tour route

All Drive Tests - Test of the new Fazer on the Moto Tour road - Used YAMAHA

Presented at the Paris Motor Show, the new Yamaha FZ6 Fazer 600 faces a heavy challenge after the success of its predecessor. For the best or for the worst ? Test without concession between Issoire and Villefranche-sur-Saône on the Moto Tour 2003 route.

Discovered at the Mondial de Paris a few days earlier (read, the new Yamaha FZ6 Fazer 2004, in its gray livery, awaits at the Parc Ferme du Moto Tour in Issoire. Direction Villefranche-sur-Saône in the company of Hubert Rigal, double winner of the event in 1975 and 1976.

Aside from the R6-inspired fork crown mounted on an aluminum frame reminiscent of the TDM and the tank with a curious hunchback look, the whole thing is quite attractive. The rear, with the pots under the saddle, is particularly successful and gives the new FZ6 more character than the old one, whose aesthetics were really not the strong point..

Getting on the bike, you immediately feel at ease. The buttocks well wedged between the tank and the raised passenger seat, the handlebars high enough and the legs not too bent backwards give a pleasant position, almost comparable to that of a trail, which will not interfere with taller builders.

The crutch is within easy reach, the mirrors are efficient and the grip seems even more obvious than on the old one. The digital dashboard, very inspired by that of the Kawa Z1000, may however confuse more than one: the bargraphs and the numbers on the central display are too small and the digital tachometer in black on black is downright illegible. in low light. Too bad, because the indications are very complete: clock, 2 trips and fuel gauge.

Stripped for the occasion of her central stand and passenger footrests, screws braked in accordance with FFM regulations, the beautiful is obviously not there for a simple walk … We will see what she really has in the stomach !

Latest recommendations from Hubert Rigal, who will lead the way on his Fazer 1000, and let’s go! The 4-cylinder, smooth and easy in low revs, makes the bike very manoeuvrable in city traffic. The gearbox slams and the clutch is very dry – this is a Yamaha! – but after a few kilometers it is no longer a problem.

The engine, less linear than before, seems more hollow than on the old one: to follow its big sister of 1000 cc, I have to downshift in order to stay above 4-5000 rpm. The front brake has lost its famous one-piece R1 calipers. Less biting, more progressive, it is certainly better suited to the average biker, especially on wet roads. And from the first braking the apprehensions disappear: the brakes are still just as powerful !

After the first special, the almost dry road forms a series of big bends that never end through the forest. Hubert has definitely increased the pace, which allows me to test the behavior of the bike on the angle. No doubt, it is much more rigid and rigorous than the old one. It does not move at all from the chosen path, a real rail! This is of course paid for by a slightly lower comfort, because the reactions of the suspension are drier. We are in direct contact with the road and it is much more sport !

The raised pots and the new position of the more inclined engine have significantly improved ground clearance: nothing rubs, despite rather respectable angles! We regularly encounter mudslides crossing the road or gravel and I can appreciate the quality of the brakes: powerful and progressive, they are really top notch. As for the very natural position, handlebars rather high, it allows you to anticipate in the event of the unexpected.

Arriving on the second special, we learn that it has been canceled … After a brief moment of hesitation, we set off on the 4 km road closed to traffic: the perfect opportunity to put on some big gas! No sooner had we left than we were overtaken by a group of madmen: Sarron, Bonhuil, Delaval, Gouzot and the others were fighting each other! Rigal hooks their wheel … and I try to follow (read).

Now is the time to push this new Fazer to its limits! I make the engine howl in the towers: it pushes very very hard! Arrived at a pin, I jump on the brakes and swing the bike: this time it rubs everywhere, but the FZ6 remains frank in its reactions. Even when coming too hard in a turn and slaughtering the brakes, she forgives a lot! I come a little behind the others – but what others! – and it is surely not the fault of the bike, which is on the contrary bluffing efficiency and ease. As an average biker, on such a tortuous and bumpy course, I certainly could not have driven so fast on an uncompromising sports car..

Now that we are very warm, we are continuing at a really high pace until the outskirts of Villefranche-sur-Saône, where we resume a more leisurely pace. It is then that with the relaxation, I feel a sharp pain coming from my buttocks … I try to change position but nothing to do: after intensive use, the saddle feels hard as wood and does not leave no respite! It is with relief that I see Hubert stop at the pump to refuel: A quick calculation tells me consumption between 6 and 7 liters per 100 km, which is still within the norm.

On the motorway, the protection of the bubble is surprisingly effective, much better than on the old model. In the city, the pots seriously heat the passenger seat, which is not the case at a faster pace. And under the saddle, there is no more room to store anything: what to do with the U and the average rider’s rain suit? It is finally with regret that I return the keys to Hubert…

Dynamically, with her real athletic abilities, she is not far from faultless. In addition it is pretty, even if it is paid in comfort and practical aspects. Hopefully future buyers will not hold it against him, because it is precisely this synthesis between sport and utility that made the success of the previous generation…

Technical characteristics (manufacturer data)
Engine
Type Four-stroke, in-line four, liquid-cooled, dual overhead camshaft, 16 valves
Displacement 600 cm3
Bore / Stroke 65.5 x 44.5 mm
Compression ratio 12.2: 1
Food Electronic injection
Ignition TCI
Start-up Electric
Transmission
Final Chain
Clutch Wet, multi-disc
Gearbox 6
Cycle part
Frame Aluminum
Caster angle 25 °
Front wheel 17xMT3.50
Rear wheel 17xMT5.50
Front tire 120/70 ZR17 M / C (58 W)
Rear tire 180/55 ZR17 M / C (73 W)
Front suspension Telescopic fork, Ø 43 mm
Suspension AR Monoshock swingarm
Front brakes Double disc, Ø 298 mm
Rear brakes Single disc, Ø 245 mm
Dimensions
Length 2,095 mm
Handlebar width 750 mm
Height 1215 mm
Saddle height 795 mm
Wheelbase 1,438 mm
Hunt 97.5 mm
Minimum ground clearance 130 mm
Dry weight 187 kg
Tank 19 liters (reserve 3.5l)
Performances
Max power 72 kW (98 hp) at 12,000 rpm
Max torque 63.1 Nm (6.4 kg-m) at 10,000 rpm
Commercial information
Colors Gray – Dark blue metallic – Gray-blue metallic
Price € 7,451
Availability Immediate

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