big enough for two people, and the
firmer seat gives a pleasant ride that
doesn't have the rider sinking into
the foam after an hour on board.
At 6'1", I'm near spot-on as
far as the ergonomics go. The
handlebar and peg position are
just as I'd like them from the fac-
tory—Yamaha hit the sweet spot
with the original FZ/MT in that the
only thing standing in your way of
either sport or touring riding is the
rider themselves.
If you're after V-twin-like perfor-
mance under 4000 rpm, you'll be
left a little disappointed as the mo-
tor doesn't produce that low-down
grunt we all know and love. You
need to get this thing singing above
5000 rpm for the beginnings of the
best performance. This stretches
almost all the way to the 12,000
rpm redline, only tapering off after
soaring past 11,000 rpm.
The surge of forward momen-
tum is accompanied by one of
the best noises in motorcycling.
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 36 SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 P115
(Top) You wouldn't win many beauty contests with a
face like that. (Above) The dash, as does much of the
electronics package, comes straight from the R1. (Left) You
can also go all black if you want that understated look.
