Going Places

YAMAHA LAUNCHES THE FAZER IN INDIA

Yamaha now has something for nearly everyone. If you’re one of them racer boys and the sky is the limit when it comes to a budget for your set of two wheels, the Yamaha blokes would be very happy to sell you their R1. But not everybody has purse strings that loose and for them, the R15 is more like it. Bikes with fairings are okay, but for many, the streetfighter is just the thing. And in that part of the showroom too, there are plenty of choices — the MT01 for the well-heeled motorcyclist and the FZ 16 and the FZS for poor sods like me!

But till date, there was nothing in the Yamaha stable that was specifically designed for the touring folks. Sure, you could go ahead and strap on a pair of saddle bags onto just about any bike and go places, but that is not the point here. The touring bike scene is growing by leaps and bounds and anybody who’s got their ears to the ground knows that this is a largely untapped market.

Bullets have traditionally ruled the roost here but the Pulsars and Karizmas are fast closing in.

Yamaha has responded with the Fazer, an FZ16 with a quarter fairing that somehow endows it with ‘Touring Spirit’. That apart, nothing has changed — not the 153 cc, two-valver engine that puts out 13.8 bhp at 7500 rpm with 1.4 kgm of torque at 6000 rpm nor the smaller bits like the tank, side panels etc. The lack of grunt is the biggest factor with the FZ that holds it back from being a much better bike than it is. Four kilos heavier than the 137 kg FZ, it intuitively seems like this dearth of power will now be much more apparent in the Fazer. But for a more definite insight, wait for the road test that will be carried out soon enough.

What can not be denied, however, is the overall stance of the motorcycle. The wide rear tyre coupled with that centrally concentrated mass and neat looking fairing all add up to a very stylishly meaty looking bike. Yamaha had got the aesthetic design briefs spot on with the FZ and the sheer number of these bikes on the road is testament to that fact. The fairing of the Fazer doesn’t seem like a mere add-on or an after thought. The way the whole thing blends in with the FZ tank and panels is brilliant. Besides, Yamaha claims that the fairing has a practical aspect as well — the implementation of a wind tunnel developed aerodynamic design that deflects the bludgeoning wind blast away from the rider.

This Yamaha will be available in four colours — Electric Blue, Midnight Black, Lava Red and Flaming Orange and is priced at Rs 72,000 ex-showroom, Delhi. If you do care for our opinion, go in for the orange one.