2015 YAMAHA FZ-07
FIRST RIDE
P56
are searching for a motorcycle
with more all-around functionality
combined with good overall per-
formance. In other words they'd
like a bike that works well in all
aspects of street riding.
So when Yamaha introduced
its FZ-09 model, it did so with an
eye on the rider who was looking
for the newly popular naked, hot-
rod-style streetbike. The result
was a cool bike with a new three-
cylinder, cross-plane crankshaft
motor layout that generated plen-
ty of hype. But it was also a bike
that demanded a more advanced
level of rider. So Yamaha decided
for 2014 that it needed something
in its lineup that was a little small-
er and a bit more practical.
Enter Yamaha's all-new 2015
FZ-07.
You might think on first impres-
sion that the FZ-07 is a scaled-
down version of the FZ-09. After
all, both feature motors fitted with
Yamaha's cross-plane crank-
shafts designs and they even
share similar styling points… but
they are two different animals on
many fronts.
We were invited to Seattle,
Washington, for Yamaha's media
launch of the new 2015 FZ-07
so we could see for ourselves if
it delivered the goods. Our ride
was going to involve a mix of
beautiful back roads as well as
some urban riding to showcase
the multi-usage capabilities of the
new bike.
We started out in downtown
Seattle and made our way to the
wharf district where we took a
ferry to Bainbridge Island. As we
crossed the channel on an over-
cast morning, I was reminded
of the times I spent on the ferry
going from mainland England to
the Isle of Man TT races. There
were plenty of bikers riding all
types of bikes heading to the TT,
and I would often wonder what it
would be like to just ride around
the island and take in the sights.
It is only on these press launches
that I really experience this type
of riding and the new FZ-07 I was
aboard was the catalyst for this
reminder.
Now if you were to design
a motorcycle for all riding sce-
narios, how would you go about
it? First off it would have to have
a comfortable fit with an easy-
going way about it. Power is al-
ways an important factor when
it comes to riding comfort, but
The new 2015 FZ-07 isn't just a tamed down version of the FZ-09.
