VOL. 53 ISSUE 30 AUGUST 2, 2016 P81
Bosch five-axis IMU that caused
such a massive stir when it de-
buted on the 2015 R1 is not used
here, nor is it really needed, as
the three-level TC on the FZ-
10 works brilliantly with pretty
minimal intervention when set to
its lowest setting of one out of
three.
If you want to kick the FZ-10
in the guts and ride the power
there's plenty of that, too, with
the kind of high rpm perfor-
mance you'd expect from an R1-
derived motor. Top-end power is
strong but not as ferocious as its
fully faired brother, with slightly
shorter gearing designed get the
most of the newly found mid-
range torque out of the cross-
plane engine.
The gear ratios are nicely
spaced but the FZ-10 is lacking
a quickshifter, which I feel is a
bit of an oversight as the BMW is
only $600 more and comes with
one as standard. Despite this,
the gearbox is a slick unit that
requires only a light touch to slot
the next ratio into place.
PLAYING TO THE CROWD
The FZ-10 flows through bends
superbly, switching directions
quickly and smoothly thanks to
an ultra-short 55.1-inch wheel-
base, suspension working in
total harmony with the rider. As
it is set quite a bit softer than
