So, I couldn’t go and see the doctor - instead, I felt like being “the doctor” myself lately…
My good old “Red Sue” (a Honda NTV motorbike, 50hp V2 with shaft drive, made in ‘94 by Honda Japan, chain driven model known as the “Hawk“) had to go through checkup and surveillance this month. Since we moved from Bremen (Northern Germany) to Freising (near Munich, in the south) last year, I didn’t know any good dealers around here, so I asked Tom from the RRR, and he recommended a shop in Landshut, some 35-40km (23 miles) from our place.
Quite some work had to be done on my now 14-year-old motorcycle, so I asked for a replacement bike to travel back home (and have some fun while waiting), and one of the store owners gave me this one:
This is the Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2 ABS in blue, an inline four cylinder 600 with 98 horsepowers. See the Yamaha product pages in Germany, the UK, or in the USA for more technical information, or for brochures, or videos.
I hadn’t asked for that particular brand or model, but maybe hoped I’d get a Honda Hornet, or a GooF (a CBR 600 F) - but I really wasn’t disappointed as well. Ok, let’s go ride a high revving (read: screaming) small inline four made by Yamaha for a change.
First impressions: fits. I mean, it fits! It almost felt like when you climb onto a Honda motorcycle; everything is where it belongs, your hands fall on the right places automatically, and then the mirrors! Finally I could see what’s happening behind (not that it matters much, more to that later)! The weight is some 215kg fully fueled up, some 3 or 5kgs more than mine, but oh my this one’s compact. Never imagined a four being that small.
I was instructed not to turn the key too much to the left when leaving the bike - this would turn on the “parking lights”, and next morning your battery would be gone. There’s also no light switch anymore on these modern motorcycles; in Germany, you have to have the lights on, so with turning the key, all you have to do is to start the engine. And go.
Ok. I took a deep breath, had a smoke, got dressed, and went. I was very careful in the beginning, since any damage up to 2,000 Euro would have to be covered by me - that’s no sum you play around with.
Second impression: that bike is light. It really handles well. After a few hundred meters, I got accustomed to the clutch and gas (and the sound of four cylinders), and there’s not much you could do wrong with this one. With the relatively low torque of a small four - compared to a bigger twin - it wouldn’t start jumping around or even try to throw you off of its back, at least not as long as you don’t play with the gas digitally.
Ok - “roll mode” through and out of Landshut, and on to the country roads back home. Wow; this one rolls nice and stable, I thought. Much better than my NTV on its Bridgestone BT45 (the Yamaha also had Bridgestones, which I checked at home - the BT020, which cannot be bought in the small sizes I’d need for mine).
Some people complain about the gear box of this motorcycle, and in fact it makes a loud “CLONK!” when switching from first to second. But that’s about it; it works perfectly. The noise is more or less the same as with other motorbikes (some are really worse), and at least it was really easy to find the neutral position, even when standing already - something which is almost impossible with mine (you have to find neutral while still rolling with the NTV, or you’ll never find it. Forget it and stay in first, holding the clutch - which can be painful in a traffic jam).
Once on the country roads, I rolled home more or less legally, that means within the speed limits, which are 100km/h (some 62.5mph). Except when overtaking of course. So when I approached some cars, I stepped down a gear, and the cars were gone. So much for that - it’s really a difference if you have 50hp, or 98 (in fact, I rev’d it up to some 8000 while doing this; it should have some 70hp then). And the sound? Unbelievable! I really started to like small inline fours! This one really goes:
“RRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”
when you press it (joking of course) 
There was a small frightening moment when almost at home - the road to our place winds up really steep, and there’s a speed limit of 30km/h there because of Kindergarten and cemetery and stuff like it - and up that steep and winding road I had a car in front of me (which I couldn’t overtake) which went with some 20km/h or so. I was in second gear and thought “Oh my, what if that small engine stalls right here?”. But it didn’t - even with these low RPMs and momentum, the Yamaha still made it nicely up the hill. Perfect. I put it into the garage until next morning. Zuleikha had a brief look at it, but didn’t like it any more or less than mine - I guess small 3-and-a-half year old princesses are simply too afraid of big and dark (and loud) machinery like these…
Next morning, I got up earlier than usual as you probably can imagine - I wanted to make use of the two-day period, and to test that motorcycle a bit more. So first I rode down that hill again, to the nearest (and cheapest) gas station, and fueled her up.
What followed was a six-and-a-half hour trip around Chiemsee - a must see should you happen to visit Germany. From Freising, that’s the direction of Erding, then Rosenheim, Traunstein, …
But wait. I wanted to write about the motorcycle. Ok. Country roads again, a bit more interesting and winding than the one between Freising and Landshut. The motorcycle did everything beautifully. I stayed within speed limits again (more or less), so I could measure the fuel consumption in that “legal streetsurfing mode” - it was about 4,7 liters on 100 kilometers, pretty much like my Honda. Not bad for a motorbike with twice the power of mine!
I didn’t go into the Alps too far, but took a smoke break here and there - just wanted to go easy peasy (I saw in the morning that the overall counter was about 1,250km before I left, so the thing was really brand new! Since I didn’t know the run-in period for new Yamahas, I didn’t wanna press it out too hard - I was in “play nice” mode).
Fueled her up once more in Bernau, near Chiemsee - that’s where I measured these 4.7 liters (don’t ask me for mpg (miles per gallon), but British owners of this motorbike say it’s between 50 and 60 mpg, depending on the “mode” or mood you’re in). From there, the way back home was mostly Autobahn (motorway). Time for a second check.
First impression here: a really good tourer for long distances! With 110 on country roads, it needs some 5,500RPM. 130 on the motorway means 6,500RPM. And the fairing means: you can go 180 and SIT UPRIGHT, easily. No heavy buffeting of the wind around your helmet; it’s really pretty comfortable. On mine, which is a “naked bike”, as they are called these days, you won’t do that for more than a few minutes.
I didn’t speed all the way home, and it wasn’t even possible - there was a traffic jam at the east Munich motorway crossing, so I left the Autobahn at Ismaning, and went country roads back home again. Even doing so, I got into those who were commuting back home from work, so I had the chance to test it in heavy traffic, zig-zaggin’ through the endless chain of cars when I could (don’t do this - it’s forbidden).
This stop and go from traffic lights and out of small villages again gave me the chance to accelerate just that bit harder, switch gears that bit later, and listen to what can only be described as “racetrack sound”, at least compared to the usual low “bubbling” sound of my V-Twin (no, not like a Harley, also not like a Guzzi or Ducati or Aprilia, Honda’s 52 degree V2s have their own unique sound). Quite nice to have some MotoGP or Formula1 sound for a change…
Back home, I sat down and was silent for a long time. The question was: did I like it? Would I even consider buying it? Or even if I wouldn’t buy it, would I recommend it? Hm. I’m still thinking about these questions. What I can say so far is:
Good that I did get this one for a test, and not the Hornet, nor any other motorcycle. Why? Ok; let’s start it like this:
That Yamaha is in my opinion more than just one motorcycle. It’s a nice and small tourer, and for 8k including ABS brakes, it’s more than 2,000 Euro cheaper than a BMW F800 ST - that means, it’s definitely a bargain.
But it’s also a sports bike if you want. It has the heart of the Yamaha R6, down-engineered to around 100 horsepowers, but then that’s more than you’d actually need, except on a racetrack.
It’s also a perfect beginner’s motorcycle - much less scary than an almighty (and -torquey) V-Twin. Be easy on the gas, and that thing will be easy on you. Once more confident, it grows with you. Even very experienced riders won’t miss much if they handle it appropriately.
It would make a good commuter as well - if only a third of these car owners (commuting solely) would get that, then there wouldn’t be much of a traffic problem left. For distances like Freising to Munich or Siegburg to Hürth (both around 35kms), you wouldn’t find many better motorcycles than this one. If your distance is less than those 20 miles, take a scooter, or a bicycle.
So what’s my personal opinion? Hm. I like it; really. Would I buy one? No, probably not. I’m more the V2 person, I like it when I don’t have to rev up that high, for me, five gears is enough.
Don’t get me wrong: I absolutely like the power of that small engine; it’s definitely a security aspect. Sometimes it’s good to have 100 or so horsepowers instead of fifty - but in most day-in, day-out situations, I would probably not need them.
Maybe for me, it would be something like the Aprilia Shiver. Or a Suzuki SV. But then again, those are nakeds, or - in the case of the Suzuki - real sports bikes. As a tourer, I couldn’t think of any better one than the Yamaha. The Beamers are way too expensive, small Hondas have less power (and the bigger ones are way too heavy). A Suzuki V-Strom is just that tad too high (and also too heavy) for me to really consider one. A Duc Multistrada is nice, but way too expensive. And an air-cooled engine is no fun in a summer traffic jam…
Like I said, you can think long and hard. But maybe if you want a do-it-all, a three-in-one, or an all-purpose motorcycle (call it what you like), you probably won’t find any better.
Well done, Yamaha; really! And thanks again to Tom for the recommendation, and to Motorrad Maier for letting me have this nice machine for two full days.
P.S.: you don’t have to believe just me - look for a review in English at MCN (see also the customer reviews there), or for a test ride report in German, see BMA. I’ll post the fuel consumption for the combined motorway / country road usage tomorrow, after changing back the motobikes.
