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Yamaha FZ09 Review – WOW!..Awesome bike! January 27, 2017

Those who know me know I love motorcycles.  I have had everything from Ninjas to Buell’s to Harleys to Enduros…after my son was born I sold my highly modified and beloved (and fast) XB9SX (at right). 

A few weeks ago I decided to buy another motorcycle.  After a lot of online research I decided upon Yamaha’s FZ09.  Since I am a speed junkie I figured a 900cc (well..850) streetfighter would be sane enough for me to ride without too much temptation to speed.  The price was right and the bike looked cool, as well.  I found one in Austin, TX and headed out to pick it up.  After 3 weeks on the bike (and over 400 miles) here is my review.

• Power/Engine?  Yamaha claims about 115HP at the crank and roughly 70ftlbs of torque at 11,500 rpm. Stock Rear wheel is about 105HP.  With a full race exhaust and ECU tune, most are getting about 115hp at the rear wheel.  The bike is geared short for street riding and, as such, it has a ton of low end power.  The power curve is linear from below 2K all the way to the 12,500 RPM.  The power is smooth, and controllable.  It is aided by a 3 setting engine control setting.  A- max power or “track mode”, B- is a lower powered mode used for rain and around town.  Std Mode is good for street riding and around town.  You can switch modes on the fly.
• Fun Factor?  That thing is FAST!…That motorcycle absolutely rips from 0-120!  Claimed 2.7 second 0-60 and 7 seconds from 0-100.  The upside?  Wheelies…wheelies everywhere!  Wheelies when you want them…wheelies when you don’t…grab too much throttle?  Wheelies.  I did  not realize the acceleration when I bought the bike.  The flat plane crank triple has tons of torque and makes this bike rip.  This bike is the most fun I have had on a motorcycle.  It sounds awesome, as well!  Here is a great video of a rider pulling a wheelie on his FZ09 at 100mph.

• Handling? At only 414lbs in stock form and wet the bike is light, nimble, and well balanced.  It is very easy to flick this bike through traffic and keep a line around corners.  Yamaha claims a 51 degree lean angle.  While I have not yet scraped a peg on the bike, I can say it does lean tightly.  With an upgraded exhaust and some other changes my bike weighs in at less than 400lbs dry.  It is very narrow due to the 3 cylinder engine and flicks well through twisties.  Unfortunately, the suspension is not great and the front end tends to dive in hard braking.  The rebound and damping are limited, as well.
• Beginner’s bike?  It is NOT a beginner’s bike!  Read #1.  While only about $8K new, it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  This bike will punish you if you are not careful.  I would NOT advise a new rider to get an FZ09.  If you are not careful on the throttle or you dump the clutch you may find yourself bouncing down the road on your rear end with the bike on top of you.  In a corner, too much throttle and you may find yourself sliding out in a low side (if you are lucky) or being launched through the air from a high side if you are unlucky.  As a writer from RevZilla said: “It’s the best thing ever!”…“It’s absolutely incredible and blows everything else like it out of the water, and that’s before you factor in price. It’s also basically un-rideable and feels like it could be trying to kill me.” (Video below is a high side by not an FZ)
  

• Safety? – The 2017 FZ09 comes with Anti-Lock Breaks and Traction Control which should improve the nasty tendencies.  I have never ridden with ABS or TC so I don’t think I am missing much but for less experienced riders, I have little doubt that the additions will help in the safety department.

Overall impression?  Most fun I have ever had on a bike.  Best bang for the buck and an amazing motorcycle.  Yamaha hit it out of the park with the FZ family.