It’s been quite sometime now, since Yamaha has made any success stories with the 4-stroke engine. All the die-hard Yam fans across the country were waiting for the big day. Whew! Yam’s back with a big bang. Take my word for it - Fazer’s gonna be the most successful machine from the Yamaha stable since the RX100 and the RX135.
The meagre 125cc engine delivers an awesome power of 11 BHP, which is a very usual phenomenon in Yamaha. The Fazer’s predecessor YBX was a commercial failure but do you know something? YBX has been the most preferred bike as far as tuning the bike and taking it to the racing track is concerned. But now, the Fazer is gonna be a commercial hit too.
The regular 1-down rest-up transmission sequence has been quite an ’inspiration’ to many a bike from CBZ to Pulsar. That’s one of the assets of Yamaha.
The braking system, though not disc, is very efficient. People at Yamaha have given their heart and soul to this aspect, I should say. The regular Asbestos in the drum, which has been replaced by Aluminium, is quite an innovation. The size of the drum is also increased. This gives greater stability to the brake. Aluminium, being lighter than Asbestos, says bye-bye to early wear and tear.
The aesthetics are awesome. Spiderman-eye headlamp, very sleek rear, composed blinkers etc. The colours, though, I am not pleased with. I am a fan of black and the fact that jet black is not one of the available colurs, makes me a bit disappointed. I went for the greyish black one (not 100% satisfied).
The aerodynamics has been greatly improved. This assists in achieving a better mileage and the initial thrust. The front grill looks cool and it also aids in very good aerodynamics.
Suspension - Oh boy! No words to describe it. It is fantastic! (I’ve found a word, but that is quite an understatement). I test rode it on absolutely hopeless roads (we have plenty in India) and the Fazer withstood all my tests (no exaggeration). Even after I bought it, I’ve been riding in the same fashion and I’ve had no problems at all!
The electricals are pretty usual stuff. There’s nothing to complain on them. The colour and shape of the footrest, silencer and some simple stuff have also been given a good look into.
My dislikes are - a) the front feels a bit heavy because of the extra length in the front drum brake. b) there must have been 5 gears for this great performer. c) I am not very satisfied with what they call YTPS - they gotta work more on this to deliver what they say would be delivered (high gear - low speed compatibility).
If you are one of the thorough-breds that dont like others to get past you from a signal light, this bike is for you. The seating is quite comfy. So, you can take it to the highway as well! Priced at close to Rs. 47, 000 ex-showroom Chennai, it is definitely a better buy than others. So, then what are you waiting for? Test ride it and get going!