Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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2015 YAMAHA FZ-07 FIRST RIDE P58 a seat height of 31.7 inches and the smaller gas tank giving way to a narrower seat at the tank-seat junction, I was able to put my feet down with ease. Pulling away from the lights is also effortless with a smooth clutch response and I also never had an issue with throttle lag or lack of torque. As for comfort, the handlebars are positioned closer and taller than on the FZ-09; and the lower and forward-mounted footpegs are in a much less aggressive po- sition than on the bigger model. The handlebar controls are also easy to reach and are minimal at best and the on-off switch that also controls engine startup takes a bit of getting used to. With your right thumb you push the switch up and it kills the mo- tor, push it down and it starts the motor. The left-side handlebar controls features a turn-signal switch, horn button and a low high-beam switch. Eventually we were cruising and at a speed of 65 mph; the motor runs at around 4500 rpm in sixth gear – purring right along. I tried a roll-on test and found that using fifth gear at higher revs (5500 to 6000 rpm) pulls fairly well – so there's plenty of oomph to make a pass or avoid danger if the need arises. Sixth gear was slightly more sluggish in the low- er rev range, but still had some grunt to it. Comfort can be an issue on the highway and, even with some wind buffeting, the more casual riding position of the FZ-07 com- pared to the FZ-09 wasn't so bad. We also finally found some good roads to put the sporty side of the new FZ-07 to the test. On the long sweeping up-and-down turns the FZ-07 was a pleasure to ride. It may not be the fastest, but it negotiated the corners with ease and very little effort. As far as moving around on the bike, which I like to do, the cock- pit on the FZ-07 is very roomy. It's easy to get your weight forward and there's plenty of room from back to front. Plus with the foot- pegs at a sensible height, there's no cramping, as you're not lim- ited to one riding position. While you enjoy riding along down the road, you can't help but notice the compact and nifty in- strument panel. The small and el- egantly designed meter features a host of information. Speed and rpm are very easy to read and the gear-positioning indicator is a nice touch. There is also a block- style fuel gauge and average fuel mileage readout. Engine temp, air temp, reserve fuel and trip meter also appear on the screen and, of course, there are warning lights at the bottom of the dash. (Clockwise) The FZ-07 features a new fuel-injected, 698cc parallel- twin with a DOHC, four-valve-per- cylinder head design. The dash is small, clean and offers up plenty of info. The non-adjustable front fork is a KYB unit that offers up 5.1 inches of travel. The FZ-07's asymmetrical swingarm design has variable plate thickness to control stiffness.