2017 Yamaha FZ-10 Ride Review

Yamaha raised our eyebrows for more than one reason when it announced the release of the new FZ-10. Initial information about the motorcycle told us that it would be heavily based off the YZF-R1, which is a great bike… for the racetrack. We had thoughts that the FZ chassis would be too stiff and the riding position too aggressive for the street, as we find the R1's to be. It was also mentioned that the FZ would use a "tuned" version of the R1's engine, which made us worry that Yamaha would be rob power from the bike to achieve its claimed "better street performance."

For those reasons we kept telling ourselves that Yamaha probably wouldn't get quite right. Besides, European manufacturers have arguably ruled the naked bike class for some time, so even if Yamaha engineers did their best work, The FZ-10 may still not compete with bikes like Ducati's Monster 1200 R or Aprilia's Tuono V4 1100 RR.

In an effort to prove otherwise, Yamaha invited us to test the FZ-10 on the Tail of Dragon in North Carolina. After hours of riding, we couldn’t find a way around the fact that Yamaha delivered the FZ exactly the way it said it would. The FZ-10 is a naked bike worthy of loving… and taking on European naked bike competition.

Right out of the gate it was clear that Yamaha engineers had taken the R1’s arguably most impressive trait—its chassis balance—and made sure that wasn’t diluted in the FZ-10. The KYB suspension package and aluminum Deltabox frame are taken directly from the R1, but unlike its brother, the FZ isn’t made to go around a racetrack as fast as possible. That’s why Yamaha tinkered with the spring rates and damping settings to improve comfort, but also let the bike’s handling remain as nimble the R1.

Impressive front-end feedback through side-to-side transitions and hard trail braking boosted our confidence in the motorcycle’s ability to handle aggressive riding, which makes the idea of taking the FZ-10 to the racetrack not sound so bad. But if aggressive riding isn’t your thing, the bike handles riding the open road just as well. The chassis was supple enough to handle imperfections in the asphalt and not put a toll on our bodies after a day of riding—proving that Yamaha has done its homework and come up with the best of both worlds.

Up front a pair of Advics four-piston radial-mount calipers grab on to 320mm discs, which we found to provide more than adequate braking power for the FZ-10, although the setup failed to provide sufficient feedback through the lever. The issue wasn’t terrible, but it was enough for us to not fully understand what the brakes were doing as we pulled on the lever. Funny enough, we gripe about the same thing on the R1, which is where the brakes came from.

The FZ-10's engine is also based on the R1, but twist the throttle to let the engine loose and you’ll realize Yamaha has made some changes. Actually… a lot of changes. Forged aluminum pistons, all-new camshafts, steel intake valves (vs. titanium on the R1), a 25-percent-larger airbox, new throttle bodies, a single fuel injector per cylinder, and a heavier crankshaft were all given to the FZ to improve street performance. The result? The FZ has 18 percent more torque than the R1 from 4,000 to 8,000 rpm, which gives the bike a lively feel on the road, but we agreed that even more midrange power would really let the bike shine.

We were originally disappointed in Yamaha’s choice to get rid of the R1’s six-axis IMU and instead use the previous-generation system, until we were able to test the bike for ourselves. The four-level Traction Control system proved to be more than capable of handling the FZ’s demands, without restricting too much of the power delivery. We left TC in level 1 (the lowest intervention setting) and never felt the need for more than the very slight intervention we had experienced.

Three different Drive Modes (D-Mode) that help better deliver the engine’s power for different riding situations also come included in the FZ-10's electronics package. For slow paced or commuting we found the Standard (the least aggressive of the D-Modes) would be most suitable because of its impressively smooth on/off throttle transitions and relaxed power delivery. Switch over to B mode (the most aggressive of the three), and the FZ will come alive. The bike becomes snappy as it accelerates harder off corners because of the more aggressive mapping, which is perfect for fast riding... and wheelies!

Yamaha mentioned that the FZ-10 had been designed more upright than its competitors and especially the R1, which results in a relaxed riding position. The reach to the one-piece handlebar is comfortable, as is the legroom from the seat to the pegs. It wouldn’t be lying to say that a more forgiving seat would be welcomed for longer or sport touring riding, but that probably won’t be on the list for most FZ-10 riders. The bike also features a frame-mounted front cowling which does an impressive job at reducing rider buffeting.

Yamaha has taken one step closer to being a leader in the naked-bike class, and surprised us with the naked bike we weren’t entirely sure the company could produce. There’s no question that there are minor issues that could be addressed with the FZ, but those don’t take much away from the great overall package. The $12,999 price tag that Yamaha gave to the FZ-10 doesn’t hurt either; actually, it may make it stick out as the best bang-for-the-buck naked bike you can buy.