FZ-07 - Initial impression and comparisons (long post)

[pgeldz]

Hello fellas – and you ladies out there too

Wanted to introduce myself and give my thoughts and initial impressions on the FZ-07, as I just had a short test ride back to back with other naked bikes I’m considering. I’ll detail my thoughts below, but first a little background on me so you have a better understanding of where I’m coming from…

I’ve been riding on and off for nearly 30 years now. Bikes I’ve owned, in order:

1986 Kawasaki Ninja 250R
1988 Suzuki GSX-R 750
2000 Yamaha R6
2001 Suzuki SV-650 (fully modified, daily driven club racer style)

By far, the best bike…well let’s say the most “FUN” bike on that list was the SV-650 naked. I had the whole bike gone through by an ex-suspension technician that worked for the HRC GP team back in the day. Needless to say, the bike handled better than the R6…and the torque, AMAZING. Bike pulled hard as hell, but was slightly buzzy at the very top of the rev range.

I sold the SV about 2 years ago, and regret every minute of it. I figured enough time has passed where I’m in the market for another bike…another naked. Why naked? I’ll answer that in the form of an analogy – The best camera is the one you take with you. You can have the best digital SLR camera known to man, but if it’s too bulky and you find yourself leaving it behind for a point and shoot instead, well than then the point and shoot camera has become the ‘best’ camera, so why not shop around for the best point and shoot camera out there?

That’s how I feel with motorcycles. I used to love the supersports…ala crotch rockets, but realistically their performance envelope is too high for the street to get the most fun from – and the street is where most people do the bulk, if not all, of their riding. I found myself never riding the R6 unless I was going to the canyons, but the SV I took everywhere, including the canyons.

Let’s face it, not everyone rides around at redline, and if you do, you can’t even get out of first or second gear legally on a modern supersport. Nakeds give you a better sense of speed at lower speeds, since there is nothing to shield you from the wind, and they traditionally have much more usable power and torque down in the low to midrange revs where the bulk of street riding is done, giving you the best of both worlds – speed and a bit of safety margin, per se.

On to the comparison. I didn't pigeon hole myself into a particular bike or brand. I looked at what will give me the most amount of FUN overall in a wide variety of conditions, regardless of price, displacement, brand, or pedigree.
I’ve looked at several bikes and the ones that made the cut I rode them back to back…all in the same day. For the record, I’m 5’8’’ and weigh in at 165 lbs, which is an important reference when it comes to ergonomics and suspension set up.

KTM 1290 Super Duke - didn't test ride. Felt more like a big Hyper motard type of bike than a traditional naked. Wide seat, sitting high in the air. Not comfortable for me. A lot of electronic wizardry that I've read isn't well sorted out. PASS…

KTM 690 Duke – didn't test ride. Felt very, very light. Seat was narrower than Super Duke and overall I fit better on it, but still more of a Hyper Motard styling. If you’re after this style, it’s definitely worth looking into. After seeing and sitting on it in person, I’m not. PASS…

Suzuki SFV650 – didn't test ride. Felt like visiting an old friend, but not in such a good way. More of a traditional naked styling which I like, but it felt very dated. Comfortable to sit on, but felt hefty and too heavy. Red frame doesn’t compliment it like the exposed frame of the old ones. PASS…

Honda CBR 650F – didn't test ride. Didn't even know about this bike until I saw it today in the showroom. Yes, it has fairings, but I actually it, a lot, at least aesthetically. The looks, the seating position…Honda got it right on this. It’s a very good in-between, between a super sports bike, and something like a Suzuki Katana 600 for example. Low seat height, clip on bars but not low at all and very comfortable. Wavy discs, and bodywork that is tastefully done that won’t leave you wanting the look of a supersports bike. Looks like a very good option for those inexperienced riders that *think* they need a supersports 600, but most likely shouldn't be on one, for practical reasons I mentioned earlier. I have no idea about performance tho. I’m sure it’s good enough. PASS…

Yamaha FZ-09 – didn't test ride. Fit great on this bike. Hard to categorize the seating position - somewhere between sitting on a dirt bike and hyper motard style. More upright than the Duke or Superduke. It was different, but I liked it, a lot. Lightweight. Not too keen on the rear styling tho, regarding the banana 1 piece seat. It’s not bad at all, but I don’t think it complements the front. The front of the bike looks very mean, but then fizzles out towards the rear. Does look decent for two-up riding tho, considering. I know the engine is awesome in this bike, but in my research, the mapping and ride by wire isn’t up to par yet…many reports of “abruptness”, and “hard to modulate the throttle” floating around the net. PASS…

Ducati Monster and Streetfighter 848 – didn't test ride. I’ll make this real simple. Not a fan of the current Monsters’ styling. It’s too retro for me. The Streetfighter 848 changes all this, but looks way more like a bare bones superbike than a traditional naked, plus, I’ve read several reports that the electronic wizardry isn't up to par. PASS on both…

MV Agusta 675 Brutale – didn't test ride. For me, one of the most aesthetically pleasing nakeds to date. Looks like a piece of rolling art. The triple exhaust is a sight to see in person, as pics don’t do it justice. Very light weight. Sitting on it felt similar to the KTM Duke 690. The riding position didn't seem to match it’s outward aggression appearance, which gave me mixed signals. I understand this bike literally screams in the top rev range, but not so nice to live with for all-purpose use. Because of that, PASS…

I know what your thinking…so what then, actually DID make the cut to test ride?

 

[pgeldz]

4 bikes made the cut...

The BMW S1000R
Triumph Street Triple and Street Triple R
Yamaha FZ-07

BMW S1000R. What a fantastic looking motorcycle, tho It definitely looks and feels like a superbike without body work vs a ”naked”. In fact DOES have bodywork, albeit not as much as it’s RR brother but it’s still there, as if it lost a couple rounds playing strip poker. Sitting on it felt like I was really on a premium motorcycle. Extremely well screwed together. Fit and finish are flawless. Felt a little on the big side for me, but surprisingly light for its size. I wasn't twisted up like a pretzel, but the riding position is more of a slightly leaning forward upright position. This bike had the electronic wizardry, and I've read there are no issues with it and works flawless. It should, since the model I rode was upwards of 15K USD. The engine makes 160HP in R trim, and its full faired RR brother on which this engine is based makes 190. They say they retuned this bike to make more usable torque throughout the rev range. And although that may be true, it didn’t really feel like a liter bike to me. The last time I rode a liter bike was when I switched off with a friend that had the top spec GSX-R. I couldn’t even get the thing past 3rd gear it was so damn fast. Fast? Yes. Fun? Not so much. At sane speeds, my little modded SV “felt” like it mopped the floor with the big gixer, giving a much better sensation of power and speed. When we switched back my buddy said it all…”OMG, I had NO idea. This little bike has crazy torque. Feels stronger than my bike.” On the test ride, the BMW did pull very good all throughout the rev range and was VERY smooth, but because of this it felt sedated and just didn't do it for me in the low and midrange, where most of us do the bulk of our riding I’d presume. The electronics worked flawlessly, and the ride by wire was unobtrusive and worked great. The suspension was great but a little stiff for my weight. Not sure I could ride this bike all day due to that. What this bike did do for me though is capture me with its styling, especially in White with matte Black accents. It’s a gorgeous motorcycle, but sadly, the lack of grunt, or should I say the “feeling” of lack of grunt, especially for a liter bike with 160 hp didn't do it for me. PASS…

Triumph Street Triple and Street Triple R. The basic differences in a nutshell are that the R model has a 10mm higher seat height due to a longer rear shock, fully adjustable suspension, better brakes, Red rear subframe and body panel, and Black forks. It’s only $600 more than the base model, and probably worth every penny. I’ll be honest, I hate the Red subframe and sidepanel. Makes it look awkward and cartoony. I sat on it and for my weight of 165, it felt way too stiff for me at factory settings, and I wasn't comfortable with the higher seat height as compared to the base model. For the occasional track day, the adjustability and better brakes are prob worth it, but I just can’t get past the cartoonish look of the color combos with Red bits and the seat height.

The base model Street Triple, especially in Black, is absolutely GORGEOUS. The anodized Gold forks standout in the Black model, and give a more premium look to the entire package in my opinion. The headlights are a love it or hate it affair, especially without the flyscreen. I loved the original bug eye look so much I replicated it on my SV650 with a twin headlight conversion from the UK. This new Triumph, with its angular twin lamps updates the look for modern times, and screams emotion and personality. It has a face, and it’s hard to deny. People stopped and stared as I would come to a stoplight. I’s definitely a head turner, like it or not. The overall look of this bike is that of a standard motorcycle like the SV650, but an angry version hyped up on steroids. It looks very purposeful, but in a useable sort of way. Hard to describe really, as it’s bridges the gap PERFECTLY between a traditional naked motorcycle like the SV, and a supersports without fairings. Seating position is exactly the same way. Upright for sure, but sporty, 10mm lower than the R model, and slightly forward lean, like a supersports with much higher bars. Very comfortable. Felt like it was tailor made for my frame. I absolutely love it. On the test ride, things got better…this engine is phenomenal. Very flexible, pulls HARD all the way to redline, and the triple is literally music to your ears. Kinda like when you hear the boxer rumble of a Subaru flat four, this triple emotes the same kind of differentiating sound for motorcycles. Besides the exhaust sound, you really hear the intake growl, and sounds ferocious. I love the under belly shorty exhaust, and Triumph offers an Arrow exhaust upgrade to make it sound even better. I rode one with the optional arrow exhaust, and it just give you more of the sound of the original, but cancels out some of the intake sound I love so much. It also seems like it’s longer than the original version, but I think it’s an optical illusion because the original version is painted Black before the slip on part. Regardless of exhaust, the motor pulls down low, and still loves to rev…very flat torque curve, which makes for great fun in any gear. That being said, Triumph revised first gear and made it longer from 2013 onwards, and the result is that it’s not as wheelie inducing as it used to be. While still great fun, it would be harder to unleash the inner hooligan in you with the revised model. On the flip side tho, the bike is so well sorted and accelerates so purposefully, I doubt you’d miss the shorter first gear. This bike feels like it could keep up with any of the 600 supersports on sale today. Due to it’s fantastic power delivery, I highly doubt this motor will leave you wanting for more power. The fueling, or metering thereof, is so spot on it’s hard to describe. The bike’s throttle responds telepathically to inputs, which is a far leap ahead of anything I’ve ever ridden before. In the world of ride by wire bikes and all the horror stories I’ve read about them, it’s nice that Triumph went with a more conventional set up. Suspension for my weight was spot on perfect. I could ride this bike all day, commuting, canyon carving, etc. I also loved the instrument panel. It’s mix of LCD readout with analog tach gauge with shift lights were perfect. The brakes, while not as good supposedly as the R model were just fine and stopped strong, although the front end did dive a little more then I thought it would on hard stops. The only flaw I could find with this bike, for me anyway, is that its low speed turning seems, weird. I’m sure it’s not and it’s perfectly normal, but it’s been a while since I’ve ridden, and turning onto city streets from stop lights, and in and around parking lots I felt like the bike wanted to tip in. Other than that, absolutely amazing machine. A jack of all trades, master of ALL. One of the most fun bikes I’ve ever ridden, ever. It’s the type of bike that I’d wake up in the middle of the night for and just go look at it in the garage, just to see those angular bug eyes staring back at me with all its personality. I’m emotionally tied to this motorcycle. Loved it ever since I first saw Tom Cruise ride it in the original Mission Impossible movie, and the latest incarnation is even better.

 

[pgeldz]

Yamaha FZ-07. I’ll be quite honest, after riding the Triumph, I thought there is no way this little motorcycle would do it for me. I've read all the reviews and did all the research I could on this bike and I figured, especially after riding the Triumph, there is just no way this bike would live up to all its hype. As it turns out, I was wrong…so very very wrong. The look of this motorcycle captured me. It’s very intriguing. It seems to mix all the styling cues from all the previous bikes I’ve mentioned into one cohesive unique look. I’ll describe it from the side profile, starting at the rear working my way forward. From the seat to the rear subframe, the bike looks like a supersport, reminding me of an R1 with its double rear seat and fat rear tire. The middle of the bike with its hunchback gas tank is reminiscent of an adventure Dakar type of bike, and the exposed tubular frame reminds me of my old SV and the Ducati Monster with the exposed trellis frame. When I look at the front headlight area I think of the Ducati Streetfighter, and the flat front fender kinda looks like a dual purpose bike, or that of the Dakar adventure bikes but adapted for street use. For some strange reason it comes together extremely well, and I think I like it so much because it has the styling cues from all the bikes I've come to love (to look at anyway). The only thing I don’t care for too much is that there is too much space between the front tire and the header area. It makes it look, dare I say…feminine? At angles where you don’t see that gap, the bike looks pretty bad ass, mad max style. Either way I still love it. With a fender eliminator kit, passenger pegs removed, and maybe lower bars with bar end mirrors to tidy up the front slightly and maybe a set of rearsets, I think it’ll look menacing. On the other hand, I saw a pic of the white one on the net with a tank bag, tail bag, and saddle bags – and it looked awesome, like an adventure bike. The fact that it can pull off these very different styles amazes me with its outstanding versatility. If I had to nitpick, I’d also change the front fender. I prefer the rounder styling of the FZ-09’s fender vs the duckbill style of the FZ-07. Maybe they are swappable. I think the rounder styling of the FZ-09’s front fender would negate all that space between the front tire and the header that I don’t like. Maybe the aftermarket will offer options in the future. Either way, I loved the centered, symmetrical instrument panel. It satisfies the OCD in me The shorty exhaust is very nicely done. I like that it’s shorter than the Triumph…it gives the bike a very clean look from the rear. This bike is small, svelte, and extremely lightweight. I can’t stress enough how light this bike is. When I first threw my leg over it, it felt like I was getting on a BMX bicycle (in a good way). Riding positions reminds me of that also…sorta in-between the FZ-09 and Triumph Street Triple. It’s upright, but still feels sporty. I felt like I sat more “on” the Triumph, and more “in” the FZ-07, due to its seat being very narrow at the front, which is very confidence inspiring. Yeah, that’s great and all, but how does it ride? I was afraid I wouldn't get to ride one because the dealer only had 1 in stock, and it was his very first one. To be honest, in all my years of riding, I never was able to actually test ride a new motorcycle, especially a new one on the showroom floor and not a demo. The Triumph was a demo, but the BMW was a showroom model that he let me take out for a spin. Didn’t ever think I’d be able to do that again, but the Yamaha sales manager saw my enthusiasm and couldn’t resist. This bike was literally brand new, not even prepped yet, with 1 mile on the odometer. He said it would be about 20 min to prep. They had to put gas in it, hook up the battery, etc. I told him while I waited I’d go across the street and get us lunch. He was so enamored with my gesture we instantly hit it off and was excited for me to ride it. On to the riding impression. Since I was unsure of what color I wanted (this one was Red), and this could literally end up being my bike, I didn't do anything fancy and only went to about 6-7K rpm in the first few gears. OMG!!! Yamaha, I commend you. That 50 ft-lbs of toque in the midrange is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. It felt like it accelerated HARDER than the Triumph, up to that point anyway, since I wasn't gonna go to redline on a brand new motorcycle that wasn’t mine. But still, OMG. VERY flat torque curve. I don’t know if it’s actually faster than the Triumph, but it felt like first gear was shorter…that combined with its ultra-light weight made it FEEL faster. The other noticeable standout was the fueling. WOW, felt like the Triumph, which is to say, perfect. Felt very “connected”, very immediate, with no hiccups to mention, nadda one. Then I put it in 6th at like 2,500 rpm and gave it a quick twist. Again, no hiccups – this bike’s torque just pulled it along without issue. All the smoothness of an inline 4 but with the grunt of a twin, with no buzzing. Absolutely best of both worlds. And the fact that this bike has no electronic nannies to screw it up makes it thoroughly enjoyable. So the motor is fantastic, and the sound? I loved it. It is a little muted compared to the Triumph I just rode with the Arrow exhaust which is to be expected but still, I really liked it. You can definitely hear it, and although it’s smooth, you can still feel the grunt between your legs like a twin, but without any annoying buzzing. That 270 crank with non-traditional firing order really does make this parallel twin sing a sweet song. Onto the brakes. I can’t believe this bike at this price point, comes with dual wavy rotors, etc. I've read that the rear brake is strong, and the front brakes are so-so. I agree with the rear brake - it is strong, and possibly so because this is a VERY light motorcycle, with a fat 180 supersport sized rear tire, so there is a lot of grip here out back for sure. I actually liked the front brakes quite a lot. I thought they were plenty strong, and no front end diving like the Triumph. But it could be due to the fact that they don’t have the strong initial bite like the Triumph. I thought it was a good thing. They stopped progressively harder and linear with your inputs, with good feel. I have zero complaints. Onto the suspension. For my weight of 165, I thought the bike felt great. Soaked up bumps, was comfortable, but still a sporty and confidence inspiring ride. I didn't get a chance to do any canyon carving obviously, but I think if I pushed this bike hard enough, and I mean hard enough as in way past the legal limit of most twisty roads, it’s possible I’d want to firm it up a little. Having said that, I’d start by upping the preload on the rear shock a bit and see how far that gets me. In the low speed stuff, it really did feel like I was riding a BMX bicycle, and I mean that as a compliment. It had none of the weirdness at low speed like the Triumph did. Fit and finish is exemplary, not just at a bike at this price point, but period. It’s well screwed together, and still built in Japan – not farmed out to developing countries to save a few bucks.

Yamaha has made an instant classic with the FZ-07. In my eyes, it’s a modern SV 650, but better in every way. I think because of its low price and accessibility, the aftermarket will go bonkers for this thing. And when it does, that $2,500 I saved in buying this over the Triumph could go towards stiffer suspension, stainless steel braided brakes lines, and whatever else the naysayers say about it being a “beginner bike”.

Overall, I absolutely LOVE this motorcycle as-is, and it was a very hard decision to make between this and the Triumph, pricing not withstanding of course. The Triumph may be the bike I want to wake up and look at in the middle of the night, but the FZ-07 with its ultra light weight, fantastic motor with gobs of torque and confidence inspiring riding position I feel I could ride for days on, make it the bike I want to wake up in the middle of the night and actually ride, not just look at.

- Paulie

 

[AJ Nin]

I've owned a couple of these bikes... 2012 Street Triple r with the dual high pipes and more torque in 1st gear before they changed things in 2013. I also owned a 2012 Ninja 650r. The Triumph had that second power band at 10,000 rpms or so like many super sport bikes. The Ninja 650r felt almost identical to the FZ-07 when sitting on it and I would compare the FZ-07 performance closer to the Ninja, but there is just more power in all the gears with the Yamaha as you would expect. For normal street riding, there is not a lot of difference between how the 3 perform. In a drag race, I think the Triumph and Yamaha would be neck and neck with the Kawasaki not too far behind. They are all 3 excellent street bikes. If I wanted even more grunt, I would just get a Tuono V4, but that bike is not so friendly in stop and go traffic and likes the higher rpms. It is the king of street fighters though. As someone pointed out, it is hard to use top speeds on a naked bike with all the wind buffeting over about 80 mph, and if you use more throttle in town, you are apt to lose your license.

 

[cosmikdebriis]

Light nimble and punchy was what sold the MT (FZ) to me. Simple really.

I don't find myself wringing the neck out of the thing and it has plenty of Oomph for what I want it for. So why buy a 150mph sports bike that you have to rev the nuts off? I neither need or want one.

Only other bike I can think of that I've had so much fun on is my trusty old DRZ400 which I used for greenlaning but that's a whole different genre.

The one fault I have (or in my case had) with the MT (FZ) is the exhaust. Far too quiet for use in traffic. Not that you can blame Yamaha for the legislation. Change it as soon as possible would be my advice.

 

[grimgraysky]

Excellent write-up, pgeldz.

 

[AJ Nin]

Yes, it is surprisingly quiet, but what sound there is, is very nice especially when you let off the throttle going about 40 mph in 2nd. There is a little rumble and an occasional pop. I would like a bit more of it though. Better sound than the Ninja 650r which many described as a tractor. Having owned both the Ninja 650r and a tractor, I can still hear a little of that in the 07.

 

[alex6063]

thanks for the long write-up and excellent comparison..enjoy the ride

 

[pgeldz]

Glad I could offer some insight...

I've decided I like the look of the White bike best with the Black frame and dark Charcoal front fender, so I just bought an FZ-07 in Rapid Red, and had them order the tank pieces in Pearl White, as that's the easiest and cheapest way to accomplish my preferred color combo

Here's a photoshop of what it'll look like:






- Paulie

 

[da1kini]

Glad I could offer some insight...

I've decided I like the look of the White bike best with the Black frame and dark Charcoal front fender, so I just bought an FZ-07 in Rapid Red, and had them order the tank pieces in Pearl White, as that's the easiest and cheapest way to accomplish my preferred color combo

Here's a photoshop of what it'll look like:

View attachment 518




- Paulie

Looks great!
How much is the tank pieces gonna cost?

 

[Ralph]

Now why didn't Yamaha build it like that, looks great.

 

[Kipawa]

Glad I could offer some insight...

I've decided I like the look of the White bike best with the Black frame and dark Charcoal front fender, so I just bought an FZ-07 in Rapid Red, and had them order the tank pieces in Pearl White, as that's the easiest and cheapest way to accomplish my preferred color combo

Here's a photoshop of what it'll look like:

View attachment 518




- Paulie

Subtle changes that make a huge difference! Very nice!

 

[omargdb]

Thanks for the long review and all the insight you have given. Me and a group of friends have all started our motorcycle journey with 150cc yamaha Fazers and FZ16 that they sell here in Mexico and we´re all moving up on motorcycle sizes for obvious reasons, mainly we just loved riding and we´ve outgrown the 150cc motorcycle. One of my friends have already gone with the ninja 650R and I wasn´t that sold on that motorcycle and was about to go for the yamaha FZ6-R but ever since the master of torque from yamaha started getting motorcycles out starting with the FZ09, I decided to wait and now I´m all up for the FZ07.

Hopefully it will get here to Mexico soon, and if not I´ll just gonna have to buy it in the States and import it down to Mexico.

Thanks again for the thorough review pgeldz

 

[William]

Yamaha FZ-07. I’ll be quite honest, after riding the Triumph, I thought there is no way this little motorcycle would do it for me. I've read all the reviews and did all the research I could on this bike and I figured, especially after riding the Triumph, there is just no way this bike would live up to all its hype. As it turns out, I was wrong…so very very wrong. The look of this motorcycle captured me. It’s very intriguing. It seems to mix all the styling cues from all the previous bikes I’ve mentioned into one cohesive unique look. I’ll describe it from the side profile, starting at the rear working my way forward. From the seat to the rear subframe, the bike looks like a supersport, reminding me of an R1 with its double rear seat and fat rear tire. The middle of the bike with its hunchback gas tank is reminiscent of an adventure Dakar type of bike, and the exposed tubular frame reminds me of my old SV and the Ducati Monster with the exposed trellis frame. When I look at the front headlight area I think of the Ducati Streetfighter, and the flat front fender kinda looks like a dual purpose bike, or that of the Dakar adventure bikes but adapted for street use. For some strange reason it comes together extremely well, and I think I like it so much because it has the styling cues from all the bikes I've come to love (to look at anyway). The only thing I don’t care for too much is that there is too much space between the front tire and the header area. It makes it look, dare I say…feminine? At angles where you don’t see that gap, the bike looks pretty bad ass, mad max style. Either way I still love it. With a fender eliminator kit, passenger pegs removed, and maybe lower bars with bar end mirrors to tidy up the front slightly and maybe a set of rearsets, I think it’ll look menacing. On the other hand, I saw a pic of the white one on the net with a tank bag, tail bag, and saddle bags – and it looked awesome, like an adventure bike. The fact that it can pull off these very different styles amazes me with its outstanding versatility. If I had to nitpick, I’d also change the front fender. I prefer the rounder styling of the FZ-09’s fender vs the duckbill style of the FZ-07. Maybe they are swappable. I think the rounder styling of the FZ-09’s front fender would negate all that space between the front tire and the header that I don’t like. Maybe the aftermarket will offer options in the future. Either way, I loved the centered, symmetrical instrument panel. It satisfies the OCD in me The shorty exhaust is very nicely done. I like that it’s shorter than the Triumph…it gives the bike a very clean look from the rear. This bike is small, svelte, and extremely lightweight. I can’t stress enough how light this bike is. When I first threw my leg over it, it felt like I was getting on a BMX bicycle (in a good way). Riding positions reminds me of that also…sorta in-between the FZ-09 and Triumph Street Triple. It’s upright, but still feels sporty. I felt like I sat more “on” the Triumph, and more “in” the FZ-07, due to its seat being very narrow at the front, which is very confidence inspiring. Yeah, that’s great and all, but how does it ride? I was afraid I wouldn't get to ride one because the dealer only had 1 in stock, and it was his very first one. To be honest, in all my years of riding, I never was able to actually test ride a new motorcycle, especially a new one on the showroom floor and not a demo. The Triumph was a demo, but the BMW was a showroom model that he let me take out for a spin. Didn’t ever think I’d be able to do that again, but the Yamaha sales manager saw my enthusiasm and couldn’t resist. This bike was literally brand new, not even prepped yet, with 1 mile on the odometer. He said it would be about 20 min to prep. They had to put gas in it, hook up the battery, etc. I told him while I waited I’d go across the street and get us lunch. He was so enamored with my gesture we instantly hit it off and was excited for me to ride it. On to the riding impression. Since I was unsure of what color I wanted (this one was Red), and this could literally end up being my bike, I didn't do anything fancy and only went to about 6-7K rpm in the first few gears. OMG!!! Yamaha, I commend you. That 50 ft-lbs of toque in the midrange is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. It felt like it accelerated HARDER than the Triumph, up to that point anyway, since I wasn't gonna go to redline on a brand new motorcycle that wasn’t mine. But still, OMG. VERY flat torque curve. I don’t know if it’s actually faster than the Triumph, but it felt like first gear was shorter…that combined with its ultra-light weight made it FEEL faster. The other noticeable standout was the fueling. WOW, felt like the Triumph, which is to say, perfect. Felt very “connected”, very immediate, with no hiccups to mention, nadda one. Then I put it in 6th at like 2,500 rpm and gave it a quick twist. Again, no hiccups – this bike’s torque just pulled it along without issue. All the smoothness of an inline 4 but with the grunt of a twin, with no buzzing. Absolutely best of both worlds. And the fact that this bike has no electronic nannies to screw it up makes it thoroughly enjoyable. So the motor is fantastic, and the sound? I loved it. It is a little muted compared to the Triumph I just rode with the Arrow exhaust which is to be expected but still, I really liked it. You can definitely hear it, and although it’s smooth, you can still feel the grunt between your legs like a twin, but without any annoying buzzing. That 270 crank with non-traditional firing order really does make this parallel twin sing a sweet song. Onto the brakes. I can’t believe this bike at this price point, comes with dual wavy rotors, etc. I've read that the rear brake is strong, and the front brakes are so-so. I agree with the rear brake - it is strong, and possibly so because this is a VERY light motorcycle, with a fat 180 supersport sized rear tire, so there is a lot of grip here out back for sure. I actually liked the front brakes quite a lot. I thought they were plenty strong, and no front end diving like the Triumph. But it could be due to the fact that they don’t have the strong initial bite like the Triumph. I thought it was a good thing. They stopped progressively harder and linear with your inputs, with good feel. I have zero complaints. Onto the suspension. For my weight of 165, I thought the bike felt great. Soaked up bumps, was comfortable, but still a sporty and confidence inspiring ride. I didn't get a chance to do any canyon carving obviously, but I think if I pushed this bike hard enough, and I mean hard enough as in way past the legal limit of most twisty roads, it’s possible I’d want to firm it up a little. Having said that, I’d start by upping the preload on the rear shock a bit and see how far that gets me. In the low speed stuff, it really did feel like I was riding a BMX bicycle, and I mean that as a compliment. It had none of the weirdness at low speed like the Triumph did. Fit and finish is exemplary, not just at a bike at this price point, but period. It’s well screwed together, and still built in Japan – not farmed out to developing countries to save a few bucks.

Yamaha has made an instant classic with the FZ-07. In my eyes, it’s a modern SV 650, but better in every way. I think because of its low price and accessibility, the aftermarket will go bonkers for this thing. And when it does, that $2,500 I saved in buying this over the Triumph could go towards stiffer suspension, stainless steel braided brakes lines, and whatever else the naysayers say about it being a “beginner bike”.

Overall, I absolutely LOVE this motorcycle as-is, and it was a very hard decision to make between this and the Triumph, pricing not withstanding of course. The Triumph may be the bike I want to wake up and look at in the middle of the night, but the FZ-07 with its ultra light weight, fantastic motor with gobs of torque and confidence inspiring riding position I feel I could ride for days on, make it the bike I want to wake up in the middle of the night and actually ride, not just look at.

- Paulie

I have a 2007 Kawasaki 650R. Would it be worth trading it in for the FZ-07? Thanks.

 

[pgeldz]

Looks great!
How much is the tank pieces gonna cost?

Thanks! The tank pieces are $85 for each side, and the middle piece is $7, so less than 200USD.

I have a 2007 Kawasaki 650R. Would it be worth trading it in for the FZ-07? Thanks.

Hmm, that's a tough one...I really couldn't say, since I haven't ridden or researched that bike to make a fair assessment...

- Paulie

 

[pengjn]

Yamaha FZ-07. I’ll be quite honest, after riding the Triumph, I thought there is no way this little motorcycle would do it for me. I've read all the reviews and did all the research I could on this bike and I figured, especially after riding the Triumph, there is just no way this bike would live up to all its hype. As it turns out, I was wrong…so very very wrong. The look of this motorcycle captured me. It’s very intriguing. It seems to mix all the styling cues from all the previous bikes I’ve mentioned into one cohesive unique look. I’ll describe it from the side profile, starting at the rear working my way forward. From the seat to the rear subframe, the bike looks like a supersport, reminding me of an R1 with its double rear seat and fat rear tire. The middle of the bike with its hunchback gas tank is reminiscent of an adventure Dakar type of bike, and the exposed tubular frame reminds me of my old SV and the Ducati Monster with the exposed trellis frame. When I look at the front headlight area I think of the Ducati Streetfighter, and the flat front fender kinda looks like a dual purpose bike, or that of the Dakar adventure bikes but adapted for street use. For some strange reason it comes together extremely well, and I think I like it so much because it has the styling cues from all the bikes I've come to love (to look at anyway). The only thing I don’t care for too much is that there is too much space between the front tire and the header area. It makes it look, dare I say…feminine? At angles where you don’t see that gap, the bike looks pretty bad ass, mad max style. Either way I still love it. With a fender eliminator kit, passenger pegs removed, and maybe lower bars with bar end mirrors to tidy up the front slightly and maybe a set of rearsets, I think it’ll look menacing. On the other hand, I saw a pic of the white one on the net with a tank bag, tail bag, and saddle bags – and it looked awesome, like an adventure bike. The fact that it can pull off these very different styles amazes me with its outstanding versatility. If I had to nitpick, I’d also change the front fender. I prefer the rounder styling of the FZ-09’s fender vs the duckbill style of the FZ-07. Maybe they are swappable. I think the rounder styling of the FZ-09’s front fender would negate all that space between the front tire and the header that I don’t like. Maybe the aftermarket will offer options in the future. Either way, I loved the centered, symmetrical instrument panel. It satisfies the OCD in me The shorty exhaust is very nicely done. I like that it’s shorter than the Triumph…it gives the bike a very clean look from the rear. This bike is small, svelte, and extremely lightweight. I can’t stress enough how light this bike is. When I first threw my leg over it, it felt like I was getting on a BMX bicycle (in a good way). Riding positions reminds me of that also…sorta in-between the FZ-09 and Triumph Street Triple. It’s upright, but still feels sporty. I felt like I sat more “on” the Triumph, and more “in” the FZ-07, due to its seat being very narrow at the front, which is very confidence inspiring. Yeah, that’s great and all, but how does it ride? I was afraid I wouldn't get to ride one because the dealer only had 1 in stock, and it was his very first one. To be honest, in all my years of riding, I never was able to actually test ride a new motorcycle, especially a new one on the showroom floor and not a demo. The Triumph was a demo, but the BMW was a showroom model that he let me take out for a spin. Didn’t ever think I’d be able to do that again, but the Yamaha sales manager saw my enthusiasm and couldn’t resist. This bike was literally brand new, not even prepped yet, with 1 mile on the odometer. He said it would be about 20 min to prep. They had to put gas in it, hook up the battery, etc. I told him while I waited I’d go across the street and get us lunch. He was so enamored with my gesture we instantly hit it off and was excited for me to ride it. On to the riding impression. Since I was unsure of what color I wanted (this one was Red), and this could literally end up being my bike, I didn't do anything fancy and only went to about 6-7K rpm in the first few gears. OMG!!! Yamaha, I commend you. That 50 ft-lbs of toque in the midrange is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. It felt like it accelerated HARDER than the Triumph, up to that point anyway, since I wasn't gonna go to redline on a brand new motorcycle that wasn’t mine. But still, OMG. VERY flat torque curve. I don’t know if it’s actually faster than the Triumph, but it felt like first gear was shorter…that combined with its ultra-light weight made it FEEL faster. The other noticeable standout was the fueling. WOW, felt like the Triumph, which is to say, perfect. Felt very “connected”, very immediate, with no hiccups to mention, nadda one. Then I put it in 6th at like 2,500 rpm and gave it a quick twist. Again, no hiccups – this bike’s torque just pulled it along without issue. All the smoothness of an inline 4 but with the grunt of a twin, with no buzzing. Absolutely best of both worlds. And the fact that this bike has no electronic nannies to screw it up makes it thoroughly enjoyable. So the motor is fantastic, and the sound? I loved it. It is a little muted compared to the Triumph I just rode with the Arrow exhaust which is to be expected but still, I really liked it. You can definitely hear it, and although it’s smooth, you can still feel the grunt between your legs like a twin, but without any annoying buzzing. That 270 crank with non-traditional firing order really does make this parallel twin sing a sweet song. Onto the brakes. I can’t believe this bike at this price point, comes with dual wavy rotors, etc. I've read that the rear brake is strong, and the front brakes are so-so. I agree with the rear brake - it is strong, and possibly so because this is a VERY light motorcycle, with a fat 180 supersport sized rear tire, so there is a lot of grip here out back for sure. I actually liked the front brakes quite a lot. I thought they were plenty strong, and no front end diving like the Triumph. But it could be due to the fact that they don’t have the strong initial bite like the Triumph. I thought it was a good thing. They stopped progressively harder and linear with your inputs, with good feel. I have zero complaints. Onto the suspension. For my weight of 165, I thought the bike felt great. Soaked up bumps, was comfortable, but still a sporty and confidence inspiring ride. I didn't get a chance to do any canyon carving obviously, but I think if I pushed this bike hard enough, and I mean hard enough as in way past the legal limit of most twisty roads, it’s possible I’d want to firm it up a little. Having said that, I’d start by upping the preload on the rear shock a bit and see how far that gets me. In the low speed stuff, it really did feel like I was riding a BMX bicycle, and I mean that as a compliment. It had none of the weirdness at low speed like the Triumph did. Fit and finish is exemplary, not just at a bike at this price point, but period. It’s well screwed together, and still built in Japan – not farmed out to developing countries to save a few bucks.

Yamaha has made an instant classic with the FZ-07. In my eyes, it’s a modern SV 650, but better in every way. I think because of its low price and accessibility, the aftermarket will go bonkers for this thing. And when it does, that $2,500 I saved in buying this over the Triumph could go towards stiffer suspension, stainless steel braided brakes lines, and whatever else the naysayers say about it being a “beginner bike”.

Overall, I absolutely LOVE this motorcycle as-is, and it was a very hard decision to make between this and the Triumph, pricing not withstanding of course. The Triumph may be the bike I want to wake up and look at in the middle of the night, but the FZ-07 with its ultra light weight, fantastic motor with gobs of torque and confidence inspiring riding position I feel I could ride for days on, make it the bike I want to wake up in the middle of the night and actually ride, not just look at.

- Paulie

Paulie - thank you so much for the epic write up. My brother has been riding for 25 years and said pretty much the same thing (although he has the FZ09 rather than 07) and he encouraged me to look at the 07 as my first bike. I can't wait for it to arrive - thanks for adding to my excitement!!

 

[Dede]

Yamaha FZ-07. I’ll be quite honest, after riding the Triumph, I thought there is no way this little motorcycle would do it for me. I've read all the reviews and did all the research I could on this bike and I figured, especially after riding the Triumph, there is just no way this bike would live up to all its hype. As it turns out, I was wrong…so very very wrong. The look of this motorcycle captured me. It’s very intriguing.

- Paulie

Paulie - thank you for the fantastic write-up. Picking up mine tomorrow. Anxious!!

 

[DeadHead]

Very much enjoyed your mini reviews - thanks for taking the time and effort to write it.
Just one thing on the s1000r, you mention the suspension felt stiff, well i wasn't surprised by that to be honest, the bike was band new and it comes from the factory set up for a rider of 85kg..did you alter the suspension setting to "soft" to see if it helped?

 

[pgeldz]

Very much enjoyed your mini reviews - thanks for taking the time and effort to write it.
Just one thing on the s1000r, you mention the suspension felt stiff, well i wasn't surprised by that to be honest, the bike was band new and it comes from the factory set up for a rider of 85kg..did you alter the suspension setting to "soft" to see if it helped?

Ya know I didn't. I can't remember now, but I think it was on "Dynamic" mode, whatever that is, haha.

Glad everyone like the review.

My FZ-07 is going through a pretty major transformation, and hope to have it finished within the next couple of weeks. When it's all said and done, I'll be writing some more reviews

- Paulie

 

[DeadHead]

Ya know I didn't. I can't remember now, but I think it was on "Dynamic" mode, whatever that is, haha.

haha dynamic mode basically lets the reins off a bit, so traction control, anti-wheelie, anti-rear wheel lift etc is dialled back some to let you have a bit more fun but will still control it somewhat it you behave like a tit and try to throw yourself off! Dynamic mode doesn't alter the suspension so for you it would have been much better had you changed it to "soft" you would have found the ride a lot better.
Dynamic pro switches off all the tricks...no dealer would let it go out with that ability!