Its said that you can’t take the boy out of man and especially when it comes to toys that capture his imagination. Cliched lines, ’Yes’ but this didn’t stop me from making the most of the day-off from work to run across to the nearest Yamaha Motors dealership.
Yahama Motors earlier this month launched the new variant of the FZ -16 which has been a kind of turnaround to sluggish sales with earlier variants(not to forget the R-15 too has complemented the growth in numbers). For most of us who have grown up on the religion that was the Yamaha RX100; the FZ -S seems miles ahead of our times but the moment you kick the bike of the stand and rev that engine(4 stroke takes getting used to if compared with gruff of the old Yamaha RX100) which gets off in a flash - memories come back swift and fast.
The FZ-S essentially is just the same in all aspects as the FZ-16 with the exception of dual colours and a small shield for the instrument panel. The FZ-S comes only in two colour combinations, a) Silver & Red and b) Yellow & Black. Honestly, the variant for me doesn’t matter too much and for the price conscious buyer it would mean an additional Rs. 2, 000/- with an on road Mumbai price of Rs. 77, 000/-(FZ-16 @ Rs. 75, 000). The ride is smooth with good revs on the lower gears to be off the blocks at the signal. essentially this is a city bike in all respects though the profiling of the tank and slick R14 tyres give it a different impression.
To sum it up. go for it if you believe in the brand Yamaha and of course you’ll be rewarded for the attention this bike draws. Also remember, the rear end is shorter than most average bikes on the road. so be prepared for some tight fitting. all depends who’s on the pillion;)