FZ-16- The Cynosure
Hello everybody, my name is Nithin 4rom Bangalore.I am huge motorcycle racing fan & a dyed in the wool biker at heart.I have owned a TVS victor in the past & currently using my sister’s TVS scooty.I have finally convinced my dad to purchase a brand new bike.I had 3 options in mind HONDA UNICORN, SUZUKI GS150R & YAMAHA FZ-16.Here are my conclusions on the test drive I had with the above bikes.This is my first ever review on mouthshut.com, so i’ll make it easy & simple.
HONDA UNICORN-THE BENCHMARK OF QUALITY, REFINEMENT & STATE OF THE ART ENGINEERING
since been in the market since 4.5 years, hence like activa uni is most likely to have an update very soon.Hence I finalised to 2 of the most anticipated bikes that is red hot in the market.I avoided APACHE, & d unreliable, & substandard BAJAJ bikes.
I decided 2 have my very own shootout between d 2.It is not posible 2 bring both d bikes together from d showroom.So I planned 2 choose SUZUKI & YAMAHA dealer that is close to each other & have back2back test ride.I finally zeroed on K.H road suzuki & PACER yamaha motors in bangalore that is separated by almost only 2kms an would take me only 15 to 20 minutes to travel between them.I decided 2 do this on wednesday 11 to 12 as the infamous traffic peak hour is low.
I first decided 2 go 4 suzuki since FZ is much hyped & most talked about of d 2 & didn’t want 2 b carried away by it.I don’t want to get into d specification details as its available everywere.
MY personal comparison between the 2
SUZUKI
First thing one would notice is the instrument cluster, undoubtedly the best in the industry(FZ included), its beautifully laid out.Riding position is nothing to b talked about very comfy exactly d same as UNI & its HERO HONDA clones.ENGINE-absolutely butter smooth operation, no vibes, smooth torquey power delivery, superb gear box, & no knocking sounds( pulsar’s infamous trait).HANDLING-again same as unicorn, nothing unique or substantial to its competators.SEAT, PICK UP, MILEAGE(claimed by d dealer)-very very similar 2 UNICORN.One stand out feature is d close ratio 6 speed gearbox.Very smooth(SUZUKI trait), no knocking at any gear, decent design(compared 2 fz), awesome paint-BLUE & ORANGE.Power & econo mode-No clear advantage in it, just a standout feature(part of marketing stategy).Build quality-top notch.
After d ride I immidiately rushed on my scooty to YAMAHA showroom.I took me barely 18 minutes to make it.
YAMAHA
This has been d bike everybody has been raving about.Every auto magazine, auto websites, blogs, college canteens almost everywere.2008 has been an intresting year 4 indian auto industry.1st it was "THE NANO", then R15 & now FZ-16.So I don’t want 2 get into d design, features& performance specifications about it.Yamaha dosent just have radical design but also have radical riding dynamics & creates an intresting riding feel.Long handlebars provide ample leverage, aiding easy manuvering though turning radius is a bother.Riding position is on d sporty side yet comfy(not as good as GSR).Engine is as refined& smooth as GSR & UNICORN, no vibrations & absolutely no knocking whatsoever.Lots of them feel unicorn is d most refined than d others, but I feel its d super silent exhaust note of honda that deluding everyone.FZ has a troaty exhaust note mainly to match d muscular caracter of it, which makes it feel less refined.Pick up is excellent, though not up 2 the hype created by the magazine reviews.MILEAGE-why is this bike not fuel efficient?.Its is possibly d lightest 150, has 14 bhp(same as GSR), then whats d problem?.Superb brakes, awesome fit & finish, great suspension, terrefic road grip courtesy
-huge MRF tyres.Digital immensely hyped instrument cluster is O.k.No clear advantage in it, just a standout feature(part of marketing stategy).
CONCLUSION
I first learnt riding bike on my dad’s SUZUKI SAMURAI.I had 2 spent d next 3 years riding scooty.Unfortunately indian market is allways been very badly neglected by d japanese giants.All of their offerings so far have been mildly retuned&redesigned versions of their products from other asian markets.There has been zero attempts from then to develop a model exclusively for indian market.The main reason to do so is 2 cut down development & R&D cost.
HONDA unicorn, is a revised & retuned versions of "honda TITAN CG 150" a brazilian model.H&H hunk is a mildly tweaked version of "HONDA TIGER" an indonasian model.Even the great KARIZMA shares d engine from very famous model "HONDA CRF230L".Unless that bike & engine recieves update hero honda can’t update the ZMA & has to make it up with cosmetic upgrades, something they ar pretty good at.Similarly suzuki too has not put in any serious effort.GSR mildly modified version of again an indonasian model called "LANZA".After riding GSR, this is what I felt
SUZUKI’s development philosophy of GS150R
Take the best performing 150cc bike in India(UNICORN), study it in detail, make a list of the best caracteristics of it, make a list of things it lacks.Now, pick up one of d existing 150 from the nearby asian market(LANZA), make it have the same good qualities(uni) .To stand out from it & also to avoid from being called as a copy cat, add some extra standout features which d former lacks(lcd console, LED tail lamps, power-econo switch, 6 gears etc)&"VOILA" uhve got yourself a brand new bike.This is what I felt abt GSR.The thing is 95% unicorn.If suzuki would not have launched gsr & honda would have thought to update the uni they would have landed with this one.
My verdict ultimately has 2 be FZ, because
BIKING or MOTORCYCLING & COMMUTING r 2 totally diffrent terms.Travelling from point A to B, without any hassles is called commuting.Scooters r worlds best means of commuting on 2 wheels(by experience).But, the sheer FEEL of FREEDOM, the EXCITEMENT, the EMOTION & the wind in the hair feel is what is called "BIKING or MOTORCYCLING".This is why the YANKEES shell out 15% more money on Harleys compared 2 d japanese bikes& around$40 to$50, 000 on choppers which has age old design, same holds true to our desi bulletiers with 100s of communities in almost every cities.This is what yamaha instills in you.I have been a commuter all throught my life on TVS VICTOR & then on TVS SCOOTY, so its hightime I stop commuting & start BIKING.
I have just purchased The FZ(black) on 28-04-09 & have finally become a BIKER.
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Updated on May 08
distance travelled-243kms, mileage-33.4
Lack of intricate details on the owners manuel like, 2 reset d trip meter u need 2 hold d button 4 3-4 seconds(not mentioned in manuel).Varying idling engine speed-while downshifting 4rom 5 to neutral rpm’s low but downshifting 4rom 1 to neutral rpm’s higher.D’ont know wat’s d problem, dealer told 2 report while 1st service.
Thats it! nothing else as of now, if else i’ll update it without fail.
" HAVE A NICE DAY PEOPLE"