When living in SoCal—especially near LA and its surrounding areas—the weather is near perfect for riding almost all year round. There should be no excuse not to go riding. That is of course, if you don’t have a motorcycle to throw your leg over, in which case good luck driving in LA traffic! Maybe you are considering getting back into the world of motorcycling but aren’t feeling the urge to cruise on a bagger nor want to get a rocket and only focus on getting from point A to point B without killing yourself and never really utilizing the bike’s full potential. Not that there is anything wrong with a nice chromed-out Harley or the eye-watering speed of an R1. But you want something sporty and sexy, that doesn’t leave you feeling sore like you just competed in a cross-fit competition, and can get some decent mpg (because who doesn’t want that). If I’m not mistaken, you’re probably into the naked bike class, which gives just about the same amount of power as their fairing-covered siblings only with better ergonomics and usability in the urban environment. Well you are in luck, with the market dishing out new naked bikes every minute, there are plenty to choose from. Ducati Monster 696 all the way up to the liter bike brother, the BMW S1000 R, or the brutally nasty sounding KTM 1290 Super Duke, the list goes on. But if you are looking for a bike that’s not too big in CC’s with just enough oomph to get the hairs on the back of your neck on edge every time you twist that throttle, well, that’s where Yamaha’s new FZ-07 is at.
Being a relatively new rider (3 years xp.), most of the bikes I have ridden were inline fours from the Kawasaki GPX600R, to the GSXR 600 SRAD, to an R6 where most of the power comes alive at the top of the rev range. Nothing really happens below 7 thousand rpms, which in an urban environment would leave me searching for the right gear, giving my left arm the workout of the century. Nonetheless, in came the FZ-07! On a sunny April Sunday at my local Yamaha dealership, I had the opportunity to get a demo ride. At first glance the FZ-07 looks remarkably well designed and given the price (MSRP $6,690) it didn’t look like the bike was assembled with scraps of other bikes. At first I was a little skeptical about how the ride would be (given the upright seating position), but it was surprisingly comfortable. Once the rider briefing was over, I strapped on my helmet, zipped up my jacket and was ready to set off on the half-hour journey that would come to be one of the greatest decisions I have ever made! Yeah I might be exaggerating, but man was that little bike fun. The 689 cc parallel twin had tons of power all throughout the power band—especially in the midrange, with the ability to be in 4th gear going 25 mph and still picking up quickly to the “speed limit” (no hooligan here *wink wink*). The cable throttle was a great choice by Yamaha, due to the lack of abruptness from the off/on position, which could be partly due to its fuel delivery.
The bike is relatively quiet. But once you open it up, it gives a nice snarl thanks to its cross-plane crank design borrowed from its cousin, the R1. With a nice aftermarket exhaust set up, waking up the neighbors is a guarantee. As the demo ride went on, we rode from the streets to the freeway, the real test to see if all that midrange torque could get me up to “speed”. But after a few short minutes on the freeway, I begin to notice some downfalls with the bike. Sitting upright with no windshield poses a challenge. At highway speeds the FZ’s soft suspension begins to make the tail a little happy. Especially with those Santa Ana winds always making a surprise visit, you might get a crash course in sailing. So if you’re a highway commuter, invest in a shield from Yamaha’s accessory catalog. After the highway section, we made our way into some twisties and man, does this bike shine. Only weighing around 400 lbs wet, it is easily flickable from side to side making it a joy to ride in the canyons. With its soft suspension setup you get enough feedback, but with the Michelin Pilots included, there was the occasional feeling of numbness, yet can be easily fixed with a pair of Dunlop Q3s. You feel the bike sinking into the turn and getting you to the apex with little struggle, then on to power quickly through the corner exit, making for exhilarating power wheelies in 2nd and 3rd gear. The bike handled well enough that the R6 in front of me, giving me his best Rossi impersonation, could not shake me, demonstrating how well the bike is setup given its conventional, non-adjustable front forks and soft rear shock (which can only be adjusted for pre-load).
Easily maneuverable in between traffic, with enough power to leave the cagers behind amidst the soundtrack of the cross plane parallel twin, this bike definitely has fun written all over it. Given the relatively cheap price tag and the comfortable ergonomics, the Yamaha FZ-07 might be the perfect bike for you urban dwellers and weekend canyon carvers.
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