2014 YAMAHA FZ09
RIDING IMPRESSION
P92
but it's the first half of the pow-
erband that is most entertaining
- especially if you're into wheel-
ies. This is certainly the bike for
that. Switch into "A" Mode, via a
small button on the right handle-
bar, which emphasizes the '09's
already impressive bottom-end
performance and, take it from
me, you better have a good grip
on the handlebars.
As fun as this all is, however, I
found myself rarely riding the bike
in A Mode; the ride gets a little too
herky-jerky and abrupt for basic
riding around. But when you're
itching to loft the front wheel and
let out some aggression, switch
to A Mode and go for it. Even
Standard mode is pretty snappy
(and still abrupt) for everyday use
(to me, there is not a huge differ-
ence between Standard and A
Mode), that's why 99-percent of
my time on the '09 was spent in
B Mode. The difference between
B and Standard/A Modes is dra-
matic. Throttle roll-ons is a hun-
dred times smoother, milder and
far more usable, especially when
throttle control is desired, like
when you are squeezing through
traffic at moderate speeds or
cruising down the highway at
higher speeds. Standard and A
Modes are fun for city riding with
lots of stoplights; it makes getting
intersection holeshots that much
easier and a lot more — here's
that word again — fun. But for all-
around everyday riding, B Mode
is the way to go.
My only gripe with the whole D
Mode system is that it automati-
cally reverts back to Standard
Mode every time you shut off the
motor. I'd like for it to stay where it
is or make B the standard mode.
In B Mode (in the smooth power
setting), the FZ-09 makes for an
excellent commuter. The motor
is still plenty exciting yet can be
ridden at a mellow pace without
much thought. In top (sixth) gear,
the FZ-09 hums along effortless-
ly at 75 mph at about 4000 rpm.
I noticed, however, decent vibes
As fun as the
FZ-09 is on the
back roads and on
urban streets, the
FZ-09 performs
well as an every-
day commuter.
