Yamaha FZ25 First Ride
Yamaha FZ25 First Impressions:
Yes Yamaha! We have all been eagerly awaiting the MotoGP world champions to launch a non-scooter, non-facelifted, non-commuter oriented two wheeler in India. With the launch of the FZ25, we get the feeling that Yamaha have finally taken their fanboys seriously. Or have they? It's time to find out.
Starting off with the way the bike looks, Yes Yamaha, full marks there. The aggressive stance, the led head and tail lamps, the muscular tank, the oil cooler, the exhaust, everything looks extremely well put together. At first glance you could easily mistake this for a much larger capacity motorcycle. The sitting position too has the slightest of forward leans at the bars with slightly rearset pegs. It makes for the perfect streetfighter riding position, giving good overall control over the motorcycle. Yamaha quality and fit and finish has always been top notch and the FZ25 is no exception. The orange backlit, all digital dash is well positioned, illuminates well and comes with all the basic features like rpm, speedo, odo and trip meters, fuel gauge and most importantly, a clock.
Straddle across the motorcycle and you realise how light it feels. In fact, the weight difference between the two FZ siblings is marginal and hardly noticeable. What is noticeable though is the way this elder sibling rides. The FZ25 comes with a peppy little 250cc engine mounted on a lightweight diamond frame. What it translates to is an eager and refined motorcycle waiting for instructions from its master's right wrist and instantly translating them to the tarmac down below. The highest point in the whole riding experience is undoubtedly the instant throttle response with smooth on/off throttle transitions. Yamaha has got the fuelling on this one absolutely spot on. What Yamaha have also got spot on is the exhaust note. It has a nice bass to it while idling which turns into a soft drumroll as the revs climb. I can listen to this engine sitting at triple digit speeds all day long.
The motorcycle comes with a 5 speed gearbox. The shift quality is not butter smooth but precise. The clutch pull is nice and light making it a less painful experience to ride through city traffic. The turning radius is small and the seat height low, again aiding in city riding conditions. The center stand helps you park the bike in narrow gaps outside your college or office pay and park. The brakes lack bite but respond well to a harder pull, offering good progression. I would've personally liked a bit more initial bite though. Weaker initial bite might be a deliberate move by Yamaha since the bike doesn't come with the safety net of ABS. To me, that is a major shortcoming and can be a deal-breaker for many.
All in all, I think Yamaha have struck just the right balance here between power and efficiency, comfort and handling, grunt and refinement and most importantly, price and quality. It's not an outright performance oriented motorcycle. If you're into all or nothing, Virendra Sehwag kind of fireworks, look no further than the nearest orange bike showroom. Viru won't disappoint. But if Dravid is your style and you appreciate class, finesse, efficiency, practicality and reliability, the FZ25 just might be the one for you. Be it office commutes or late night rides, girlfriend impressing or grocery shopping with wife, cross country touring or short breakfast rides, it will do it all with a smile. At Rs. 1.45 lakhs, OTR, Mumbai you are not buying yourself a motorcycle, you're getting yourself a companion!
Starting off with the way the bike looks, Yes Yamaha, full marks there. The aggressive stance, the led head and tail lamps, the muscular tank, the oil cooler, the exhaust, everything looks extremely well put together. At first glance you could easily mistake this for a much larger capacity motorcycle. The sitting position too has the slightest of forward leans at the bars with slightly rearset pegs. It makes for the perfect streetfighter riding position, giving good overall control over the motorcycle. Yamaha quality and fit and finish has always been top notch and the FZ25 is no exception. The orange backlit, all digital dash is well positioned, illuminates well and comes with all the basic features like rpm, speedo, odo and trip meters, fuel gauge and most importantly, a clock.
Straddle across the motorcycle and you realise how light it feels. In fact, the weight difference between the two FZ siblings is marginal and hardly noticeable. What is noticeable though is the way this elder sibling rides. The FZ25 comes with a peppy little 250cc engine mounted on a lightweight diamond frame. What it translates to is an eager and refined motorcycle waiting for instructions from its master's right wrist and instantly translating them to the tarmac down below. The highest point in the whole riding experience is undoubtedly the instant throttle response with smooth on/off throttle transitions. Yamaha has got the fuelling on this one absolutely spot on. What Yamaha have also got spot on is the exhaust note. It has a nice bass to it while idling which turns into a soft drumroll as the revs climb. I can listen to this engine sitting at triple digit speeds all day long.
The motorcycle comes with a 5 speed gearbox. The shift quality is not butter smooth but precise. The clutch pull is nice and light making it a less painful experience to ride through city traffic. The turning radius is small and the seat height low, again aiding in city riding conditions. The center stand helps you park the bike in narrow gaps outside your college or office pay and park. The brakes lack bite but respond well to a harder pull, offering good progression. I would've personally liked a bit more initial bite though. Weaker initial bite might be a deliberate move by Yamaha since the bike doesn't come with the safety net of ABS. To me, that is a major shortcoming and can be a deal-breaker for many.
All in all, I think Yamaha have struck just the right balance here between power and efficiency, comfort and handling, grunt and refinement and most importantly, price and quality. It's not an outright performance oriented motorcycle. If you're into all or nothing, Virendra Sehwag kind of fireworks, look no further than the nearest orange bike showroom. Viru won't disappoint. But if Dravid is your style and you appreciate class, finesse, efficiency, practicality and reliability, the FZ25 just might be the one for you. Be it office commutes or late night rides, girlfriend impressing or grocery shopping with wife, cross country touring or short breakfast rides, it will do it all with a smile. At Rs. 1.45 lakhs, OTR, Mumbai you are not buying yourself a motorcycle, you're getting yourself a companion!
