| | | | Road Test : Yamaha FZ1 Fazer SP touring-Yamaha’s only real sports tourer | Written: 27/04/2007 : 10:16. Read 13056 times (34/day). | | The integrality of this filed article is for Premium Members. | FZ1 Fazer is Yamaha’s do anything and go anywhere motorcycle. It is available both as a naked version and a half faired version. And then you have got the fully faired Sport touring version that I rode in Norway…
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Yamaha was in so much trouble just after the world launch of the new FZ1 and FZ1 Fazer in South Africa last year. The fuel injection was criticised and one Italian journalist got killed doing a wheelie on the wrong side of the road. The launch was aborted after that tragic event.
I finally got my hands on a 2006 spec FZ1 Fazer for a road test in Norway. The standard version has a 150bhp R1 derived engine and big torque for a 1000cc in-line four. The new Fazer was introduced with sharper lines and a big Euro 3 compliant exhaust system. On paper the FZ1 was an unbeatable combination of power, styling and usability.
Our FZ1 Fazer have been modified to become a full worthy sports tourer with a full fairing, tall windscreen, panniers and heated grips. But where did all that horsepower go? -I thought after my first ride on the motorway. I remembered the old Fazer 1000 to be a motorcycle that could wheelie at will always feeling powerful enough. That was because Yamaha-Scandinavia provided me with a 106bhp version of the bike!
They did so because there is a lot of cash to save by doing that and Yamaha can offer a very competitive price to consumers. Yamaha demo what they sell basically. In France 106bhp is the limit by law and there is a huge market for putting bikes back to original spec. Imagine living in France with hundreds of miles of wide and open Autobahn spec motorways with only 106bhp! Yuk! Politicians shooting themselves in the foot, but we are not going to talk about them here.
When first taking a seat on the FZ1 it feels really low. The seat height is 815mm (which is not very low), and there is plenty of room for my arms due to the tall handlebars. But my legs don’t seem to have enough space and my knees are at a sharp angle. This has got something to do with two things: sporting ability and lean angle and the new flat as a turd and oval muffler that sits on the right hand side of the Fazer. The seat is not overly luxurious, but fits the riding style that can be adapted for the sports part in touring. Next to the pillion seat are big grab handles for passenger comfort, but due to that muffler aga ...
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