All Tests – Test of the FZ8 and Fazer8, future Yamaha bestsellers – Two new Yamaha

Test of the FZ8 and Fazer8, future Yamaha bestsellers

All Tests - Test of the FZ8 and Fazer8, future Yamaha bestsellers - Two new Yamaha

Number one in sales of motorcycles in France since 1996, Yamaha is launching this year a new model which should confirm its monopoly: the FZ8, and its streamlined version Fazer 8. The French bestseller Z750 is in the target… First MNC tests !

Two new Yamaha

Placed on their side stand – the power plant is optional – the FZ8 and Fazer8 take advantage of a clear morning sun to catch the eye of journalists. At first glance, no surprise: the look of the naked model of the 800 is very close to that of the compact and muscular FZ1, while the semi-streamlined model looks like an FZ6 Fazer….

Nevertheless, it is clear that small details are enough to give the new Yamaha 2010 a personality of its own, even – let’s go cheerfully! – superior presence. Thus, whatever the model (FZ8 or Fazer8) and the color, all these motorcycles receive an inverted fork all gold. !

The brake calipers also benefit from a few colored touches and on three models (white and blue FZ8, white Fazer8) the rims are also gold … It seems insignificant written like that, but comparatively, the FZ1 and FZ6 now look fine. dull !

Sharper than that of these FZ sisters, the optics of the "Eight" are capped with a night light, like the XJ6, in the shape of a diamond … Aesthetically, the membership of the FZ family is therefore obvious but the 800 knows how to stand out and attract attention.

As always with Yamaha, the finish is high quality. However, two errors of taste are to be noted … The first – it is sizeable – is the ugly black pot that originally equips the new FZ8 and Fazer8. Many bikers will take advantage of the first scratch to make it disappear in favor of an adaptable element more in line with the general appearance of the bike.

The second, much more discreet, concerns the semi-fairing of the Fazer8: very successful seen from the outside, it is infinitely regrettable that it does not better follow the contours of the tank and lets the pilot see the fixing screws and an unsightly raw black color. Likewise, the presence of one – or even two, to hell with greed! – storage compartment would not have been superfluous…

In terms of the driving position, the FZ8 is clearly different from the FZ1, from which it nevertheless borrows the framework. "The width of the tank has been reduced by 20 mm at the level of the thighs, the saddle is thinner by 12 mm in its front part and the footrests have been moved back by 15 mm and lowered by 10", informs us Alessandro Polati.

Thus, the driving position of the new roadster – that of the Fazer8 is scrupulously identical – proves to be very welcoming: the feet easily touch the ground and, once placed on the footrests, do not force the knees to bend excessively, even among the older ones.

The upper body is perfectly straight and the hands naturally reach the handlebars, a little more curved than that of the FZ1. The handlebars are well known to Yamaha customers, and the same goes for the half-digital half-analog instrument panel that equips other Yam ‘roadsters. However, we note the new and very trendy white background of the tachometer..

The 4-cylinder starts right off and sings a sympathetic melody. The short rotations of the throttle lead to loud snoring of the airbox and engaging pot hissing … "We have worked on the sound of the engine, as evidenced by the presence on the tank of a fine air inlet which supplies the 7.8 liters of the box but also serves to enhance the sound.", Alessandro rightly tells us.

We also feel the sporting heritage of the beast at the same time: the low engine and the crankshaft are the same as those of the FZ1, therefore the same as those of the R1 of 2008. Suffice to say that the inertia is minimal! On the other hand, we appreciate when entering the left lever that the clutch has been revised: it is easier to activate. On the way !

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