Yamaha Fz750

YAMAHA FZ750

CYCLE WORLD TEST

A sportbike you can live with—instead of one you have to live for

ALL RIGHT, LISTEN UP. THIS IS A QUIZ: JUST HOW

important is it for you to have the ultimate

high-tech, take-no-prisoners sportbike? And

just how fast do you really want to hoof it

down a winding road?

It’s okay; there are no right or wrong answers. But Yamaha’s FZ750 wants to know. That’s because it’s been three long years since the original FZ leaped to the head of its class, with all the right values to plug into the sporting 750 equation. But whereas the FZ’s values have remained largely unchanged since then, other bikes—notably Yamaha’s own FZR750R and Suzuki’s new GSX-R750— have come up with newer ones. As a result, the FZ might get overlooked by someone scouting for talent in the 750 sportbike class.

That’s a fate the FZ doesn’t deserve. In engine performance, for instance, the FZ can slug it out toe-to-toe with any of the other three-quarter-liter contenders, especially now that it’s once again a full-potency 750. After offering the bike for a year as a tariff-beating 700, Yamaha stretched the stroke back out to original spec, for a displacement of 749cc.

Accompanying the displacement increase is a return to pre-’87 power level, as well. The powerband’s as broad as a politician’s smile, starting right from the first rpm, and building with added urgency from about 7000 rpm to its 10,500-rpm peak. Only a trace of buzziness crept through the grips and pegs, making our FZ seem smoother than previous examples; and it also happily lacked the earlier versions’ overly abrupt response at small throttle openings. Overall, the liquid-cooled, five-valve-per-cylinder, inline-Four offers a wellspring of sinfully satisfying power, and technical credentials that haven’t lost their glitter.

The chassis, on the other hand, with its steel-tube frame and preload-adjustment-only suspension, might seem a bit drab compared to the techno-rich aluminum frames and multiple suspension-adjustments of the FZR and GSX-R. But for street use, most of the shortcomings implied by the FZ’s mundane hardware are more illusory than real.

Indeed, only the hardest-core knee-draggers will find much to criticize about the FZ’s manners during fast romps down backroads. They’ll certainly warm to the front end’s competence in absorbing bumps, and its securely planted feel in mid-corner. They’ll also appreciate the way the bike turns in without undue effort, and the reassuringly neutral steering. They won’t, however, care for the rear end’s tendency to chatter when powering out of bumpy corners, even when the shock’s threaded preload collar is near the bottom of its adjustment.

On smooth pavement, the rear suspension is better-behaved, although it still could use more rebound damping. But there’s plenty of cornering clearance to let riders make full use of the tires; and the triple-disc brakes quickly haul the FZ down from speed.

There is one area where the FZ does not measure up to its double-throwdown sporting competition, and that’s in the amount of discomfort inflicted by its riding position. The FZ’s taller clip-ons and roomier saddle-to-footpeg dimension make it far more hospitable than a GSX-R or FZR. What’s more, although the ride could hardly be described as plush, it’s reasonably compliant over a wide range of surfaces. Admittedly, your wrists might ache after doing a lengthy freeway drone, and the hard, thinly padded saddle will have most riders squirming long before they’ve gotten even halfway through the fuel tank’s 5.5gallon capacity. But the FZ is still a far better platform for commuting or sport-touring than almost any of its classmates.

More importantly, the FZ’s two weakest points—its saddle and rear shock—are easily remedied with bolt-on aftermarket parts. And even without such fixes, the Yamaha offers a degree of versatility that racetrack refugees such as the FZR and GSX-R could never hope to match without extensive re-engineering. The FZ might not be able to match such bikes in wheel-to-wheel backroad pyrotechnics, but in purely subjective terms, it provides 90 percent of their sporting capabilities, and far more realworld usefulness.

So it all comes back to how much speed and high-tech trappings you want. Just know that the FZ750 is all that most riders will ever need. 0

YAMAHA

FZ750

$5399