Yamaha FZ6 boasts flawless shifting mechanism
TED LATURNUS
Globe and Mail Update
Related to this article
Yamaha FZ6 (Ted Laturnus for The Globe and Mail)
After you've spent some time aboard a motorcycle like Yamaha's FZ6, you really have to take a step back and marvel at its technology.
The engine in this bike is just 599 cc in size, yet bangs out almost 100 horsepower. Furthermore, the FZ6 revs to 14,000 rpm. That's racing-bike territory, even though it reaches its maximum output at 12,000 rpm and most of the top-end power kind of disappears after about 10,000 revs. The bike is still accelerating at that point, but there's no real bite.
Still, it's absolutely amazing how far you can rev this engine in each gear and when you crank it, it just seems to go on and on and on. The FZ6 is a very quick motorcycle, and the majority of riders will never find its performance limits, mainly because you need a lot of road to really wring it out.
All of this snap and performance comes from a liquid-cooled, inline-four-cylinder engine that is transversely mounted and features dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, as well as a plethora of high-tech engineering highlights, including a one-piece cylinder and upper crankcase assembly, lightweight pistons and a high capacity radiator.
It's mated to a six-speed transmission, and final drive is chain. For gearheads who appreciate technical details and state-of-the-art engineering, this bike is a feast.
It also has one of the smoothest and most nicely co-ordinated drive trains I've encountered lately. Despite its formidable power-to-weight ratio (186-kg dry weight), the FZ6 is still a very usable and accessible motorcycle. At highway speed, for example, it's rolling over at just 5,500 rpm at 100 km/h in top gear. That means you've still got some 8,500 more rpm to play with.
And at low speeds, power is linear and readily available. During my time with the FZ6, I did one of my impromptu and extremely unofficial roll-on tests. Letting the bike drift down to about 40 km/h in sixth gear, I cranked it, giving it wide-open throttle. While it didn't leap ahead, nor did it stumble or balk. Power came on cleanly and built up astonishingly fast.
High-revving little powerhouses like the FZ6 don't usually like low rpms, but it handles them without problem, which is a good thing because around town the bike is kind of buzzy and frantic at any engine speed over 5,000 rpm in the lower gears,.
Sure, you can ride it hyped-up and ready to pop if you want, but it doesn't mind loafing either.
Elsewhere, the FZ6 has dual disc brakes up front and a single disc in the back, with substantial 43-mm front forks and a single rear shock.
There are two kickstands: centre and side. The former works just fine, but the latter is kind of hard to get at, tucked up under the foot pegs and shift lever.
The riding position is fairly upright with conventional handlebars mounted on decent-sized risers, which is another one of the things I appreciated. In most respects, this is a sport motorcycle — although it's officially classed as a middleweight street bike — but there's no prone riding position and you can actually ride the FZ6 all day without hurting yourself in the process.
Its seat height is a reasonable 795 mm and the saddle itself is comfortable, though a little shy on padding. I could also say the same about the handlebar grips, which will transmit some vibration into your hands at certain rpms, but not enough to whine about.
Yamaha tweaked the front fairing for 2007, and it does provide some refuge from the wind, though not a lot.
The company is claiming that the FZ6 is, and I quote, "tourer, commuter, and sport bike," but for long-distance rides this is not the first model that springs to mind.
I also want to add a word about the shifting mechanism. It's flawless. Clutch action is effortless and the gears slip almost eagerly into place. No audible clanks, false neutral or balky shift points.
In most respects, this is a very agreeable motorcycle. It has enough power for all but the most rabid performance enthusiasts, features a comparatively civilized ride and doesn't throw down the gauntlet every time you climb aboard.
Like its rivals, the Suzuki Bandit and Honda 599 (no longer sold in Canada), the FZ6 is an all-purpose street bike that can easily do sport-bike duty. Because of its nice sense of balance and freewheeling nature, I can see stunt riders and hooligans gravitating to the FZ6.
Prices start at $9,300 and you can choose from two colours: blue or red.
TED LATURNUS
Globe and Mail Update
Related to this article
After you've spent some time aboard a motorcycle like Yamaha's FZ6, you really have to take a step back and marvel at its technology.
The engine in this bike is just 599 cc in size, yet bangs out almost 100 horsepower. Furthermore, the FZ6 revs to 14,000 rpm. That's racing-bike territory, even though it reaches its maximum output at 12,000 rpm and most of the top-end power kind of disappears after about 10,000 revs. The bike is still accelerating at that point, but there's no real bite.
Still, it's absolutely amazing how far you can rev this engine in each gear and when you crank it, it just seems to go on and on and on. The FZ6 is a very quick motorcycle, and the majority of riders will never find its performance limits, mainly because you need a lot of road to really wring it out.
All of this snap and performance comes from a liquid-cooled, inline-four-cylinder engine that is transversely mounted and features dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, as well as a plethora of high-tech engineering highlights, including a one-piece cylinder and upper crankcase assembly, lightweight pistons and a high capacity radiator.
It's mated to a six-speed transmission, and final drive is chain. For gearheads who appreciate technical details and state-of-the-art engineering, this bike is a feast.
It also has one of the smoothest and most nicely co-ordinated drive trains I've encountered lately. Despite its formidable power-to-weight ratio (186-kg dry weight), the FZ6 is still a very usable and accessible motorcycle. At highway speed, for example, it's rolling over at just 5,500 rpm at 100 km/h in top gear. That means you've still got some 8,500 more rpm to play with.
And at low speeds, power is linear and readily available. During my time with the FZ6, I did one of my impromptu and extremely unofficial roll-on tests. Letting the bike drift down to about 40 km/h in sixth gear, I cranked it, giving it wide-open throttle. While it didn't leap ahead, nor did it stumble or balk. Power came on cleanly and built up astonishingly fast.
High-revving little powerhouses like the FZ6 don't usually like low rpms, but it handles them without problem, which is a good thing because around town the bike is kind of buzzy and frantic at any engine speed over 5,000 rpm in the lower gears,.
Sure, you can ride it hyped-up and ready to pop if you want, but it doesn't mind loafing either.
Elsewhere, the FZ6 has dual disc brakes up front and a single disc in the back, with substantial 43-mm front forks and a single rear shock.
There are two kickstands: centre and side. The former works just fine, but the latter is kind of hard to get at, tucked up under the foot pegs and shift lever.
The riding position is fairly upright with conventional handlebars mounted on decent-sized risers, which is another one of the things I appreciated. In most respects, this is a sport motorcycle — although it's officially classed as a middleweight street bike — but there's no prone riding position and you can actually ride the FZ6 all day without hurting yourself in the process.
Its seat height is a reasonable 795 mm and the saddle itself is comfortable, though a little shy on padding. I could also say the same about the handlebar grips, which will transmit some vibration into your hands at certain rpms, but not enough to whine about.
Yamaha tweaked the front fairing for 2007, and it does provide some refuge from the wind, though not a lot.
The company is claiming that the FZ6 is, and I quote, "tourer, commuter, and sport bike," but for long-distance rides this is not the first model that springs to mind.
I also want to add a word about the shifting mechanism. It's flawless. Clutch action is effortless and the gears slip almost eagerly into place. No audible clanks, false neutral or balky shift points.
In most respects, this is a very agreeable motorcycle. It has enough power for all but the most rabid performance enthusiasts, features a comparatively civilized ride and doesn't throw down the gauntlet every time you climb aboard.
Like its rivals, the Suzuki Bandit and Honda 599 (no longer sold in Canada), the FZ6 is an all-purpose street bike that can easily do sport-bike duty. Because of its nice sense of balance and freewheeling nature, I can see stunt riders and hooligans gravitating to the FZ6.
Prices start at $9,300 and you can choose from two colours: blue or red.
