Evolution of the FZ in India
‘Lord of the Streets’. The catchy tagline has still stuck in the minds of desi riders. It characterized exactly what the FZ was meant to do for the Japanese brand that had once lorded over Indian streets with its wonderful range of two-strokers. In 2014 the popular FZ 16 got an update and now Yamaha have introduced the biggest FZ yet. Here’s a look at each of iteration of the FZs, from the first to the latest:
Yamaha FZ 16: The Yamaha FZ has always been a naked motorcycle. Yamaha targeted consumers who wanted a stylish motorcycle but something more than the conventional 1500cc motorcycle. It was modeled after its larger counterpart the FZ1 with a scaled down engine capacity. With an aggressive handlebar, and slightly rear-set footpegs, the muscular street fighter was designed for cruising around town or leaning around winding roads. It spelt big in everything, starting with the irregular shaped tapered type ‘MidShip Muffler’ and a first-in-class 140 section tubeless rear tyre (a segment first). The huge tank with plastic resin outer cover and a set of muscular forks at the front gave it an unconventional look. While, the full liquid crystal display (LCD) which consisted of speedometer, tachometer, trip meter, fuel gauge and other indicators set very well, made it modern, features like the Mono shock unit with 120mm of wheel travel made it comfortable. This was the first bike in its segment made in India which did not have kick start, even as an option. The 153cc air-cooled, 4-stroke, single-cylinder engine packed a mighty punch with 13.6bhp of power and 13.6Nm of torque that was mounted on the light weight diamond type frame which gave a really good rigidity, to help cut its way through the curves.
Yamaha FZ 2.0 (fuel injected): After Yamaha reintroduced the FZ-S which had got nothing new but just a front cowl and new graphics, the FZ16 then got a makeover in 2014. Dubbed as the FZ 2.0, the motorcycle came with a tweaked design and engine as well. To everyone’s surprise, Yamaha reduced the engine capacity from 153cc to 149cc resulting in less power and torque as compared to the carbureted version However, the fuel injection system allowed for a better fuel efficiency, overall. Even after the introduction of the FI version, the carbureted variant was sold at a much reasonable price.
Yamaha FZ25: In India, usually the higher capacity variants get introduced first and then come the lower cee-cee siblings. But Yamaha chose to go the other way; they launched the smaller capacity bikes first and then took the wraps off the Yamaha FZ25 today. The FZ25 is Yamaha’s first quarter-litre naked bike in India. The FZ25 comes equipped with an air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, single-cylinder 249cc engine that makes 20.6bhp and 20Nm of torque. The engine is already BS IV compliant to meet the GoI norms, soon to be implemented. The FZ25 gets a 5-speed gearbox and also gets fuel injection. We expect to ride the bike in the coming days and keep you posted with a detailed review. Meanwhile, you can read the launch story here.
