You'll need to have your grin surgically removed! (Yamaha Fazer FZS 1000)

Member Name: UKGuy

Product:	Yamaha Fazer FZS 1000
Date:	11/08/01 (15752 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Comfort, Performance, Grin-factor

Disadvantages: Price

After riding a Yamaha R6 for 6,500m over two years, my 6ft, 14st frame started demanding more comfort! Typically my riding consists of 40m round trips to work, short hacks into Brighton, and 60m Sunday morning blasts, with the occassional 100m jaunt thrown in. Almost all of this takes place on the poorly maintained roads of Sussex, where my R6 frequently shook it's head, complaining about the pitted surface, and making my wrists ache to boot!

With the Fazer 1000, that's all gone - here's a bike that can take pretty much everything the neglected tarmac can throw at it! So what is it? Ok, it's a slightly de-tuned R1 engine (143bhp) dropped into a sit up and beg tubular steel frame, sporting a bikini fairing - a user friendly package if ever there was one. This is +160mph performance, sharing those excellent brakes of the R1/R6 (boy can this bike go and stop quickly)! For real in-depth techie details, you can read them anywhere on the web, but what's it like to own and ride?

First off, it's a pretty handsome bike, looking very much the half-faired R1 that it is. The low seat and wide bars take the weight off your wrists, and make this an effortless bike to ride, either around town or on snakey Sussex roads. No worries about leaning the bike down either, the extra weight (for those like me, used to flickable sports bikes), is barely noticeable on the move, although watch out for that centre-stand!

I found the default suspension settings a tad 'soggy' for my liking, but stiffening things up a touch really hit he spot. The result is that you can probably carry more speed through corners on 'iffy' roads than you can on your typical plastic rocket, simply because the suspension is so much more able to cope with the irregularities thrown at it. This all adds up to make this an impressive scratcher that will embarrass it's fully faired sporting bretherin. Match that to all day comfort, and a useful +160 mi
le range, and you start wondering why you didn't buy one earlier... (because Yamaha wasn't making them - doh)!

So, was the journo who called this an "R1 for the real road" right? Well, I would say that was a bit generous. Certainly, the R1 motor has lost 7bhp, and heavier components make for a smoother power delivery without that screaming top-end R1 rush. But... this is still an awesomely quick license-loser of a bike, it just doesn't demand to be ridden hard like the R1. Sure, an accomplished R1 rider would waste a Fazer 1000 rider on the track, and would probably stay ahead on the open road, but we're not all riding gods are we. For the average 90% of us, this machine delivers all the punch, flexibility, comfort and practicality you'll ever need, and your pillion will love you for it!

This really is a case of my heart wanted an R1, but my head made me buy a Fazer Thou'. Make no mistake, this is still a sports bike, but touring and practically any other kind of riding are also on the menu, just jump into the saddle and choose your style!

So what would I change? Well, the suspension as I mentioned earlier (and don't forget, this bike has fully adjustable suspension, just like a sports bike). Sitting tall in the saddle, the standard screen is a bit short making high speed dual carriageway work a neck muscle workout, but that's easily fixed with a taller screen. Even a correctly adjusted chain slaps a bit against the chain guard. Also, cold starting is a bit of a nack. Ohhh, and I nearly forgot - the price. Best part of £1,000 overpriced I'd say.

To sum up: Engine - not quite the R1 loony, but not far off! Brakes - shared with the R1/R6, spot on. Handling - amazing, how can a tubular steel frame be this stiff and sure?! Comfort - zzzZZZ, wake me up when we get there. Fuel economy - useful range, although back in R1 territory if ridden hard. Grip - standard Metzlers are ok, but I'll
go for stickier stuff next. Night riding - R1 lights, no problem.

Overall... I love it. Sure, it doesn't have the kudos of a sports bike (those who nodded at me on the R6, now ignore me on the Fazer... boo hoo), and VFR800 owners will chuckle at it's lack of 'full' weather protection. However, this is the bike that pulled its pants up over it's head and ran down the street poking it's tongue out at everyone - it is an absolute hoot to ride! For someone who wants it all, this bike will deliver by the bucketload!

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