Not too big, not too small, Fazer 8 just right

STEVE BOND/FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The naked version of Yamaha's Fazer/FZ8 pairing, sporting an 800 cc engine, that seeks to find balance between outright sport and easy riding.

Steve Bond

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

I think I’ve turned into Goldilocks.

Some motorcycles are too small. Others are too big.

But Yamaha’s new Fazer is j-u-s-t right.

There’s a pretty big gap between 600 cc and 1-litre bikes — both in displacement, physical size and riding characteristics. The big bikes offer amazing performance but are heavy, a bit unwieldy and can be downright intimidating if you don’t treat them with the utmost respect.

The 600s are lighter and easier to handle, but fully exploring their performance envelope, requires revving the snot out of them while rowing up and down through the gearbox.

Slotting itself firmly into Yamaha’s lineup between the “almost entry level” FZ6R and 150 hp FZ1, is the new Fazer 8 and its unfaired brother, the FZ8. The Fazer 8 has a half fairing, dual cat’s eye headlights and integral passenger grab rails on the tailpiece while the FZ8 has no wind protection, a styled headlight assembly and a pillion seat strap. Engine, suspension, chassis and all other related hardware is identical between the two bikes.

Power is supplied by an all new 779 cc inline four-cylinder with the usual double overhead cams, fuel injection and four valves per cylinder. The crankshaft is lifted right out of the 07/08 R1 sportbike and has the benefit of 30 per cent less inertial mass than the current FZ1 crankshaft for quicker revving.

The 4-into-2-into-1 exhaust has the individual headers gracefully curving before entering the collector underneath the engine, reminding me of the gorgeous four-into-one headers of the mid-70s Honda 400-4 café racer. The system has a catalytic converter and an oxygen sensor — to meet emission standards — that are upstream of the muffler. If an owner wants to replace the muffler with an aftermarket unit, they can do so and still be a good “green” citizen.

Both “Ochos” use the FZ1’s aluminum frame, their own unique aluminum swingarm, but the rear subframe is steel. The 43 mm male slider front forks are non-adjustable, but I found the springing and damping characteristics well matched to the motorcycle. The single rear shock is adjustable for preload only and likewise, suited the Fazer’s characteristics very well.

The dual 310 mm front discs are squeezed by monoblock four-pot calipers. Initial bite was in keeping with the character of the motorcycle in that it was neither abrupt nor soft. Overall braking power was very good with pretty good feel and feedback, and the five position adjustable lever will fit any size digits.

The 815 mm (32-inch) seat height shouldn’t be a problem for most riders and the riding position is upright, with a fairly high placement for the footpegs.

Most sporting 600s make around 115 hp so the claimed 110 of the Fazer/FZ8 means it’s not only under-stressed, but that Yamaha has tuned it to have more useable power and torque at lower rpm. This is good because a “standard” motorcycle shouldn’t require brutal clutch slipping to get away from a stop, nor should it wear out your left boot with constant shifting.

My test route traversed an approximately 200 km loop on some of the wonderful roads around Huntsville, more than enough to get a good feel as to what the Fazer is all about.

The “Eights” have plenty of thrust right off the bottom and a healthy mid-range punch when you need it. The fuel injection is seamless, making it easy to burble around town in the higher gears, where you’ll get better fuel economy and the whisper-quiet exhaust won’t upset the natives.

Passing on two-lane roads will require a downshift or two (depending on how many RVs and minivans are clogging the road), but once you spin the mill past 5,000 rpm, it gathers speed quite impressively.

On the tighter twisties, both “Ochos” reacted well to trail-braking, the slight compression of the forks making for easy turn-in and the steering remained neutral and fairly quick. Surprisingly, the many bumps, divots and frost heaves failed to upset the suspension and the Fazer/FZ8 tracked straight and true while delivering a fairly comfortable, plush ride.

Unlike 1-litre bikes where you can get into trouble in a heartbeat, the “Eights” inspire confidence because an exuberant twitch of the wrist won’t launch you into the next postal code. After a solid hour in the saddle, the seat was fine but there was a bit of buzzing through the bars. Not enough to be bothersome, just enough to notice.

Yamaha stresses that the Fazer/FZ8s are not for beginners — they’re geared towards re-entry riders with some experience or riders who are moving up from (dare I say it?) a Honda CBR125, a 250 Ninja or even Yamaha’s own FZ6R. I can also see the Fazer appealing to someone who enjoys sporting riding but is growing weary of being bent, folded, spindled and mutilated by the extreme riding position of a true sportbike.

I was a big fan of the original FZ1 and was very disappointed when Yamaha “sportified” it a couple of years ago with lower bars and a much less comfortable seat. The Fazer is very reminiscent of that original FZ1 and as such, is right in my strike zone.

Freelance motorcycle writer Steve Bond can be reached at stevebond8@yahoo.ca

2011 Yamaha Fazer/FZ8

PRICE: FZ8 black $10,499. Fazer black or blue $10,999

ENGINE: 779 cc, inline 4, DOHC, four valves per cylinder

FUEL CONSUMPTION: n/a

POWER: 110 hp

COMPETITION: Triumph Street Triple, BMW F800ST

WHAT’S BEST: Torquey motor, comfortable riding position

WHAT’S WORST: Bit buzzy, smallish 17-litre fuel tank means limited range

WHAT’S INTERESTING: Sport bike that’s actually comfortable to ride

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