YAMAHA FZ-10
FIRST RIDE
P82
the superbike, you have to be
careful throwing the FZ-10 hard
into corners at high speed. The
damping rates are set so that the
suspension soaks up the kind
of potholes you'll find on canyon
roads, and I found myself bot-
toming the front quickly under
heavy braking. A bit of setup
time and a few extra turns of
preload will sort this out, but the
standard damping rates are set a
bit on the soft side. Conversely,
Sparkle, Sparkle.
E
lectronics abound
in the FZ-10, but it's
more a case of keep-
ing up with the Joneses
rather than any ground-
breaking features.
The three-stage trac-
tion control system found
on Yamaha's super-naked
is the same that originally
debuted in the 2012 R1
and features three dif-
ferent settings that can
be adjusted on the fly.
Should you want to turn
it off you'll need to come
to a complete stop so you
can convince the bike
you really do want the full
big bang show.
The system doesn't use
giro sensors like the new
R1's five-axis Bosch IMU,
but relies on the tried and
tested method of wheel
speed sensors, throttle
and gear position, and
the rotational speed of
the crankshaft. Too much
spin will see the ECU cut
in and dial back the throt-
tle bodies a touch and
reduce fuel input, making
for a pretty smooth cut
out even for what is now a
dated system by Yama-
ha's standards.
The FZ-10 also uses
Yamaha's Chip Con-
trolled Throttle (YCC-T)
that debuted way back
in 2006 on the then
groundbreaking Yamaha
YZF-R6, with three dif-
ferent engine modes
(Standard, A and B
modes, with B being the
most direct connection
between right hand and
tire).
This is the first Ya-
maha super-naked to
use cruise control and
is the same unit found
on the company's tour-
ing master blaster, the
FJR1300. The system will
operate between fourth
and sixth gears between
31 and 112mph and works
flawlessly via the switch
on the left side of the
handlebar.
Another first for a Ya-
maha super-naked is the
fitment of a 12V DC power
outlet, giving you the
option of charging your
devices and using GPS
while riding.
(Left) This dash is excellent. There's nothing you
can't see at an instant. (Right) They may look a touch
unsightly, but the switches are super easy to use,
unlike on some equivalent Euro bikes.
A face only a mom could love?
On the plus side, the FZ-10's got
a great personality!
