{"id":7504,"date":"2021-10-20T17:36:43","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T12:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.xbhp.com\/machines\/?p=7504"},"modified":"2021-10-20T18:04:49","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T12:34:49","slug":"yamaha-fz-x-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.xbhp.com\/machines\/yamaha-fz-x-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Yamaha FZ-X Review :: Lord of the ‘retro’ streets as well?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There is a concept in psychology called \u201cmeaning-making\u201d. The idea is pretty much what it sounds like- a person\u2019s capacity to make meaning of things in life. Sometimes it comes easy, sometimes it doesn\u2019t, but it is subjective almost all the time. When it comes to the newly launched Yamaha FZ-X, we won\u2019t say it was not easy but it took some time. It would have been difficult to make meaning of it simply by looking at it so we took it out for a ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At a time when everyone was waiting for the XSR 155 with bated breath, Yamaha gave us the FZ-X. It is a neo-retro take, a first for Yamaha in India, on the tried and tested FZ platform. At first glance, it seems like a confused motorcycle, a motorcycle suffering from an identity crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That is what happened when its pictures started circulating on the internet. But beauty isn\u2019t skin deep and a book should not be judged by its cover. So, we had to try out this rather unusual creation to come to a conclusion or\u2026 make meaning of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once you look at the motorcycle in the flesh, it looks much better than in pictures. It is big, muscular and for the most part, follows its neo-retro theme ardently. Overall, it looks like the FZ-X takes some neo-retro cues from the XSR, mixes them with its FZ-ness, and adds a pinch of scrambler to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Size matters and the Yamaha scores a point here. Surprisingly, because of its unusual design and neo-retro theme, it does get a decent amount of attention on the roads. The highlight of the design though is the headlight. It is round which is retro and the broken circle DRL is pretty neo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The tank is also beefed up and the big wide two-level seat (along with the colour of the material) adds to its retro vibe along with the fork boots. When you start to move towards the rear, the size of the motorcycle makes its presence felt but then, a bit more time in working on the proportion may have helped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then the minimalist oval LED taillight is also a nod to the good\u2019ol days of motorcycling. The matte black exhaust does a good job of creating a contrast in all three colours the motorcycle is available in; Matte Copper, Matte Black, and Metallic Blue. Overall, there are no major problems with the design but it does miss a beat when it comes to proportion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Moving on to the performance, the FZ-X\u2019s engine is a result of Yamaha\u2019s new-generation engine development philosophy that aims at reducing power losses and fuel consumption and optimizing the cooling. They call it Blue Core tech and it has been around for a fair bit now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A 149cc, air-cooled single-cylinder engine propels the FZ-X by transmitting the power to the rear wheel via a 5-speed gearbox. It is the same engine that powers the FZ and therefore, the FZ-X too has at its disposal 12.4 PS of power and 13.3 Nm of torque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The numbers alone are nothing to write home about but their implication is more than decent. The engine is refined and quite a bit of fun to ride. You are going to find that it is a perfect fit for taming the city roads and commuting to work. Practicality is the focus and therefore, the clutch action is light and the gearbox is smooth. The fueling is spot on which means the FZ-X never feels jerky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the highways though, you quickly find the limits of the engine. Up to 80 km\/h, the engine is quite alright. But above that, it starts to show signs of stress that intensify the more you push it. Vibrations, though well-damped, do creep in through the handlebars and the footpegs around that speed. Ideally, it would work well for most highways in India because they are restricted to 80 kays an hour but if you want overtakes along with that, there will be a bit of work to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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