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CityBike First Ride: Yamaha FZ8By Dirck Edge, MotorcycleDaily.comWhen the FZ8 was firstrumored, and then teased byYamaha, there was quite a bitof excitement. The bike was introducedin Europe last year, and some of theexcitement died when it was learned thatthe frame, and, to some extent, enginewere shared with the existing FZ1. I rodethe 2011 FZ8 at the Southern Californiapress launch, and was quite surprised byits performance and value. The bike has acompletely different character than an FZ1and, in many ways is both superior andcheaper to own.The 779cc inline four-cylinder motor hasthe same stroke as the FZ1 with a smallerbore. The relatively long stroke allowsthe power to come on lower in the rpmrange, as do other changes from the FZ1powerplant. The entirely new cylinder headraises compression to 12:1, and mildercam timing spreads and flattens the powercurve. A significantly smaller throttlevalve size (down from 45mm to 35mm)also provides snappier and stronger powerdelivery down low. A lower first gear, anda lower final drive ratio, complete themix of attributes that make the FZ8 verycomfortable at street rev ranges.The chassis lacks the suspensionadjustment found on the FZ1 (only rearshock preload is adjustable on the FZ8),but this is fairly common in this pricerange, and Yamaha has done an excellentjob of finding a good compromise settingfor aggressive street use and comfort. Thelone exception is a shock that rebounds abit too quickly.One additionalchange that allowsfor a quicker-steering,more nimble-feelingmotorcycle is areduction in the reartire size from a190/50 on the FZ1to a 180/55 on theFZ8.All of thesechangescreate amotorcycle thatfeels far lighterand more nimblethan theclaimed 15 pound weight reduction(compared to the FZ1—Yamaha claimsthe FZ8 wet weight at 467 pounds) wouldindicate. The relatively upright ergonomics,with ample seat-to-peg distance, provideda comfortable mount for the 120 milesor so that I sampled. At 32.1 inches, theseat is not quite newbie-friendly, but notunmanageable for shorter riders, either.The FZ8 has excellent fuel injection withvery little snatch or abruptness, whenopening the throttle. The power deliveryis very linear and smooth, and comes onremarkably low for an inline Four.Decent acceleration out of corners can behad from as low as 4000 rpm, and powerincreases seemingly all the way to the10,500 rpm redline. Peak power doesn’tfeel dramatically high, although it shouldbe close to modern 600cc supersports(something like 90 to 95 horsepower at thewheel—ed.). This is more than ample, andthe FZ8 is much easier to ride on the streetwith its usable power readily available inreal-world situations at real-world rpmlevels. The FZ8 has dramatically moretorque than a 600 supersport, based on myseat-of-the-pants analysis, at least below8000 rpm where you need it on the street.We had a blast carving extremely tight,twisty tarmac in the hills above Malibuwhere the FZ8 turned in quickly, but helditsline throughbumpycorners.Although itlacked thelatest sportbikerubber(we wererunningonBridgestoneBT-021s),there was goodfeedback fromthe front endand confidenceat significantlean angles. Inshort, the FZ8 isa blast throughthe canyons.is More?The nimblenessof the FZ8 iscoupled withoutstandingstraight-linestability. Thebike trackswhere it ispointed withoutany argument, encouraging a very lighttouch on the bars. On occasion, the rearshock seemed to rebound a bit quicklywhile pushing the pace through bumpypavement, but this did not slow us down.The six-speed transmission shifted well,and reliably, and the R1/R6-derivedmonobloc brake calipers (earliergeneration) offered strong, predictablebraking that was very difficult to fault.Overall, the FZ8 is a polished, refinedpackage with a unique engine displacementthat offers a much more usable powerbandfor street riding than supersport 600s. Eventhough it lacks the peak power of a fullliterbike, and the FZ8 won’t win many dragraces, it might deliver you to the end of thattwisty canyon road more quickly than thefull supersports ridden by yourfriends. At thesame time,it offerscomfortable, upright ergonomics and, inmy opinion, attractive styling.The only color available in the UnitedStates is black (Yamaha calls it “Raven”).The MSRP is a reasonable $8,490(roughly $2000 cheaper than the 1000cccompetition, and $1500 cheaper thanBMW’s less powerful F800R).to get CityBikedelivered to your doorby the meanest, mostpsychotic, well-armedbranch the Governmenthas to beat you with.That’s right! we’ll send the manto your mail hole once a monthfor an entire year delivering thelatest issue of CityBike.Just send a check for $30 to:PO Box 10659 10650Oakland, CA 94610be sure to include your name,address, & phone number!or use Paypal!paypal@citybike.comMarch 2011 | 19 | CityBike.com