Yamaha FZi - Hits & misses

It was around 10 years ago when the Yamaha FZi saw the light of the day for the first time. Back then, it created quite a buzz in the 150cc segment as not many motorcycles were present at that time. Also, the FZi was a fresh package with a whole new design that redefined street biking and commuting in the country. Today, after all these years and going through certain upgrades, the FZi is still on sale. So, how does it stand in today’s market? Let us find out in this quick 'hits and misses' story.

Yamaha FZi Hits

Streetfighter Design

The FZi is not the latest model in the market but it still manages to attract eyeballs thanks to its streetfighter design. So you can imagine the kind of work the designers at Yamaha would have done when the bike was first launched. Brilliant. The FZi features a naked streetfighter or street bike look. It has a compact headlight and tail lamp. Its fuel tank is large and sculpted in such a way that it fits and suits the bike’s character. The split seats add a bit of sportiness without compromising on the comfort. Even the muffler or the exhaust has been worked upon to give the bike a modern and sporty look.

150 cc Engine

The engine configuration mentioned in the Yamaha FZi specs sheet tells us that the bike is powered by a 149 cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, 4-stroke engine with SOHC (single overhead cam) and two valves. It has been tuned to churn out a max power of 13 hp at 8000 rpm and 12.8 Nm of peak torque that kicks in at 6000 rpm. It is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The engine is very smooth and refined. It is tuned so that the bike is rideable both in the city as well as on the open highway.

Handling

The FZi is based on Yamaha’s highly popular and successful diamond frame. It is a lightweight frame and has been optimised for enhanced rigidity. This frame gives the FZi such a flickable nature. Handling corners, filtering through traffic, high-speed stability; everything is managed phenomenally well on this bike.

Ride quality

The suspension setup on the FZi is thick telescopic forks at the front and a monocross unit at the back. They provide a good ride quality. The bike soaks up bumps, potholes, and minor road undulations pretty good. The seat also contributes to the overall ride quality. It is very much comfortable.

Full-digital instrument console

Yamaha has provided a full-digital instrument console in the FZi. It runs on an orange background light and shows a plethora of information like speed, odometer, rev counter, fuel gauge, etc. On the side of the meter, we have a few usual tell-tale lights like an indicator, neutral, high-beam, etc. Yamaha has also given an Eco indicator which will help you to extract out more fuel economy from the bike.

Yamaha FZi Cons

Lack of ABS

The Yamaha FZi runs on 100/80-17 and 140/60-R17 front and rear tyres respectively. They provide immense grip even in hard braking conditions. Also, the bike comes with a 276 mm disc at the front, however, the rear gets a drum brake. The braking of the FZi is not the best in the segment. First, there is no rear disc brake and second, there is no ABS. These days ABS has become such a necessary and mandatory safety feature in motorcycles. It would increase the cost of the bike by a bit but it is certainly worth it. So yes, the lack of ABS is a turnoff.

No LED Lighting

We understand that the FZi has been around for quite some time now and did not have LED lighting back then. However, today LEDs have become very common and have various advantages over the conventional halogens. The FZi comes with no LEDs at all. Yamaha should have at least provided LED headlight. Again, this is something that will increase the cost of the bike but it will also make it feel a bit more premium.

Digital instrument console

While it is good to see that Yamaha has included a full-digital instrument console, the fact that it comes with an orange background light just spoils the mood. We understand that to keep the costs in check, companies cannot provide advanced digital consoles and perhaps there is no need of providing them in a 150 cc, single-cylinder motorcycle. However, the background lighting does make a difference as you would be looking at the console most of the time and the orange light, especially at night, is not the best one to have. Perhaps, a blue or a white would have been better. What do you guys think?

So these were some of the hits and misses of the FZi. If you have any other points in either of the categories, do let us know. Available in two colours - black and red - the Yamaha FZi price is Php 99,800.

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