Without a doubt, Yamaha has an immense impact on bikers throughout the world, and when the Japanese giant finally launched its FZ in India back in 2008, it was a moment of joy for biking enthusiasts. The FZ16 revolutionized the biking scene in India – where bikes were simply bland and stale in design and originality, the FZ changed all that and made the competition scramble back to their drawing boards.

The FZ made a huge statement as ‘Lord of the Streets,’ and brought Yamaha to the forefront of biking in India, and is also one of the many reasons – along with the R15 – why Yamaha sales have been growing robustly month-after-month. The Fazer – launched in July 2009 – was a good addition to the exciting product line-up that Yamaha now offers the youth of India. Finally, after hearing so much about the beastly machine, I decided to test it out and see what was lurking under its menacing blood red metal.

The Fazer gets its DNA from the global Fazer, which was first unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1997 as the FZS600 Fazer. The Fazer launched for the Indian streets however is not even distantly as powerful, and is essentially a FZ16 with an aerodynamic cowling borrowed from the R15, and, just like the FZ, it’s powered by a 153cc air-cooled, 4-stroke, Single Overhead Cam (SOHC), 2-valve engine – as opposed to the more powerful Fazers available abroad.

Because the Fazer stands on a rigid steel chassis, and provides an upright riding position with lightweight handling, it’s able to offer the rider a comfortable long distance cruising experience, and, at the same time, enable a casual daily riding experience – these qualities won it a large following among European riders, and was quickly appreciated by me after I rode it all over Delhi for a few days.



The Fazer we tested was brand new, straight from the factory, and I must say that the moment you lay your eyes on it, you will fall in love with it. For some people who are not well acquainted with motorcycles, it looks like a cross between a superbike and a low-rider. With those fat wheels, the big fuel tank that looks like a huge bicep protruding upwards connected to a sporty aerodynamic half fairing, it is truly unique for Indian roads, and, as you cruise along, you will feel a thousand eyes glaring at you.

Thanks to Yamaha’s intensive research into metal alloys, and their vast knowledge in making lightweight and reliable metal, the frame of the Fazer is extremely strong and the bike handles incredibly well. Even after riding it on our lovely Indian roads, with pot holes galore, I never once felt an awkward bump. The Fazer is fitted with a single-axis balancer, which helps to reduce the engine vibration – therefore reducing the vibrations felt in the seat and handlebars. The bike is really smooth and sturdy, which makes the rider feel great – perfect for long commutes. The bike also features monocross suspension with a single shock absorber positioned closer to the centre of the chassis at the rear. This particular type of suspension was originally developed to improve the running performance of motocross competition bikes. The Fazer also has very supple front suspension with 41mm diameter forks, and is designed to take the beating of bumpy roads.



The overall design of the bike is almost perfect for congested Indian roads. With a kerb weight of 140 kilos, the Fazer is heavier than any other 150cc category bike in India, but once again the superb Japanese engineering and design plays a huge part. The bike boasts a mid-ship muffler, which in other words means that the muffler is located nearer to the middle of the machine. It has a unique look and contributes to better handling. Because the muffler is relatively heavy, placing it close to the bike’s center of gravity makes the machine more maneuverable, which is a must when weaving in and out of traffic.

Apart from its suspension, the tubeless radial tyres used on the Fazer are a huge plus. The rear tyre (140/60 R17) has massive width, and is extremely light, yet firm. This also plays a huge part in the bike’s smoothness on bumpy roads. The bikes handling is epic, and that’s one of the biggest pros for the Fazer – apart from its stunning looks. The bike also offers the rider a sporty Full Liquid Crystal Display meter console with carbon patterns. Ergonomics are spot on, and the switches on the handlebar are also very easy to find and use.

The Fazer looks like a beast, and is meant to be a touring bike – so, expectedly, you would expect some heavy duty power. Unfortunately, being a 150cc bike, the Fazer is capable of producing just 14bhp at 7500rpm, and generating torque of 14Nm at 6000rpm. But, the Fazer still has sufficient performance to please your senses. The constant mesh wet clutch is very impressive and efficient, and shifting gears is easy. When you press down and slot into first gear and release the clutch, the punch you feel is instantaneous and your front wheel will pop off the ground. Shift up to second gear, and you hit 30 km/h in under 3 seconds. I managed to reach 60 clicks in 5 seconds, but took well over 18 seconds to reach the 100km/h mark. And, if you’re as throttle friendly as I am, don’t be surprised if you get an average fuel economy of something like 29km/l – an area which needs to be improved.



Even though I weigh a massive 100 kilos, the bike did have some peppy acceleration, but once I reached 75km/h, the power surge struggled tremendously and the needle wouldn’t budge. This is a huge negative for a touring bike, because if you plan to go on a long trip and you’re carrying luggage or a passenger, the Fazer will certainly struggle to get you that extra power when you need it for overtaking, or on steep slopes. The brakes on the other hand are very effective – the front brake is a hydraulic single disc, while the rear brake is a drum.

Overall, the bike is fantastic, but in my mind it is too expensive. What you are really paying for is high quality design, as well as Japanese refinement and durability. There are many bikes to choose from that have better performance figures, and give you better mileage at a lower price. But, if you want the best looking bike with the best handling capabilities for Indian roads without that extra power, the Fazer is definitely a good choice. It’s definitely a bike that I would buy. Let’s just hope that Yamaha continues to revolutionize the Indian market, and brings us some more of these beauties with that extra oomph.