YAMAHA’S new FZ6 is simplythis: A naked Fazer 600, afairing-less version of the verybike that recently wiped thefloor with all opposition in themiddleweight all-rounder

class. And the reason Yamaha has createdit is equally simple: In recent years, inEurope in particular, naked middleweightssuch as the Honda Hornet and SuzukiBandit have become just as popular as theirhalf-faired brethren. They are oftenperceived to be slightly more sports-oriented and fun than the faired versions,yet with little of the cost or commitmentdemanded of a full-on supersports bike.

So, intent on grabbing their own slice ofthis burgeoning market, Yamaha has comeup with the FZ6 – a Fazer minus half-fairing, centre-stand – and, at £5399, £100off the price.

There are cosmetic differences, too – themost obvious being the FZ6’s lowerhandlebars and single MV Agusta-alikeheadlight. The lower bars cant the riderforward for a slightly sportier stance, butthat’s all there is to give it a sportier ride.

Even the engine tune and how it delivers isidentical to the Fazer, which is no bad thingin MCN’s book.

The FZ6 runs with the same engine andchassis spec as the Fazer 600 – a lowpowered YZF-R6 derived motor – to givethe same 88bhp at the back wheel and ahealthy smattering of midrange torque. OK,so the FZ6 doesn’t leap forward at2000rpm like a gundog after the kill, whichmakes queue and lane jumping hard workaround town, but life gets more interestingfrom 3500rpm. From there it pulls stronglyuntil 6000rpm where you can feel themotor relax and take a breath beforekicking off again in a rush of responsive andscreaming horsepower.

Chasing the setting sun on A-roadsbecame even more of a blast when wecame across a Honda CBR600F. Thehighly-rated supersport machine couldn’tlose the FZ6 although there were timeswhen the Honda pulled out gaps, mainly atvery high speeds.

The Yamaha’s bars are lower to drop therider’s head further down but 10 miles ofhigh-speed fun eventually leads to

stretched arm and neck muscles fromgripping the bars too tightly. At 120mph theFZ6 starts to slow. The lack of fairing meansit won’t cut through the air as easily as thefaired Fazer 600 and the tall gearing (it’sunchanged from the Fazer 600) plays hellwith the FZ6’s top speed – sixth acts as anoverdrive but fifth is the last cog to give itany decent speed gains.

With only 500 miles under its belt ourFZ6’s gearbox was tight to say the least.First to second was particularly notchy andnoisy although adjusting the leverdownwards did improve things noticeably.But be warned: There’s not much availableadjustment on the threaded shift rod so anysignificant change can only be achieved onthe splined shift shaft. But because the FZ6has a stacked gearbox, the rod runsthrough the frame so it has to be undonefrom the knuckle attached to the shaft first.In short – a hassle. But worth it in the endas swaps becomes easier and less audible.

There aren’t many bikes that fit “just so”and feel so right from the first moment youdrop the clutch lever, but the FZ6 managesto make its rider feel at home in secondsthanks to a sublime combination of ridingposition and ride quality.

Footpegs, handlebars, controls and seatall play a part in making riding the littleYamaha as natural as sitting on the sofa.Everything is perfectly placed: Legs aren’tcramped because bum and feet share thetask of supporting upper bodyweight andthe FZ6 has a comfy seat, too – but why, ohwhy is the covering fabric dimpled like agolf ball? Each indent holds one good-sizedraindrop so when you roll out of work aftera hard day’s graft in jeans the earliershower haunts you with a soggy rump.

Ride quality comes courtesy of the sameextremely stable and neutral steeringchassis as the Fazer. Yamaha must havetaken a leaf from Honda’s book on ‘mass-centralisation’ because the weight feels as ifit’s concentrated directly below the rider. Toaccomplish that, Yamaha has moved thingsaround, like the battery which lives behind

24 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS JANUARY 21, 2004

ROAD TESTJ YAMAHA FZ6 89%

Droppingeverything,includingthe price

BY TREVOR FRANKLIN PICTURES HOWARD BOYLAN

Yamaha’s unfaired Fazer promises more attitude, morefun and all for £100 less than its clothed, sensiblebrother. Our exclusive first ride puts it to the test

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Continues over

IT’S not thequickest steering600 but the FZ6 isa peachy handler

FZ6 has agreat deal incommon withits Fazerstablemate

JANUARY 21, 2004 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS 25

THE COMPETITION

THE FZ6 is by no means alone in the world of naked middleweights. All the majormanufacturers are currently offering something to rival the new Yamaha in a classwhich, in recent years, has become one of the most competitive of all...

Price: £5349 otrEngine: Liquid-cooled,599cc, 16v dohc in-linefour, six gears, fuelinjectedPower: 83bhpTop speed: 135mphWeight: 170kgESSENTIALLY a stripped-down TT600, which wasalways a competent sports 600 until superseded by the Daytona 600. The engine is areal screamer with all the action happening above 6000rpm and the chassis boastsrace bike geometry and fully adjustable suspension. The one to go for in the twisties.

TRIUMPH SPEED FOUR

Price: £4149 otrEngine: Air/oil-cooled,600cc, 16v dohc in-linefour, six gears, 4 x 34mmcarbsPower: 68bhpTop speed: 135mphWeight: 205kgTHE original modernnaked 600 dates back to1995 but, sadly, its age is telling: It’s heavy, with a low power output, and thecarburation has asthmatic-like throttle response. But it is cheap, has no handlingfoibles and makes for a good, reliable workhorse. Now if it had a GSX-R6 motor…

SUZUKI GSF600 BANDIT

Price: £5199Engine: Liquid-cooled,600cc, 16v dohc in-linefour, six gears, 4 x 34mmcarbsPower: 79bhpTop Speed: 133mphWeight: 178kgUNTIL the FZ6, theHornet was the naked600 to have. Power delivery is creamy smooth from the off, building to an exhilaratingtop end combined with a screaming engine note. It is also comfortable and easy tofling around – although soft forks spoil high-speed fun. It looks the business, too.

HONDA CB600F HORNET

Price: £4849Engine: Liquid-cooled,645cc, 8v dohc V-twin,six gears, fuel injectedPower: 69bhpTop speed: 131mphWeight: 167kgTHE SV1000 siblingcarries its big-bike lookswell, although the sharpstyling isn’t to everybody’s taste. The older, softer-styled SV was a massive hit for ladiesand newly-licensed alike. Impeccable handling and a reliable motor make it an idealintro to the world of modern V-twins – and a front runner in the MiniTwins race series.

SUZUKI SV650

Price: £4799 (est)Engine: Liquid-cooled,645cc, 8v dohc V-twin,six gears, fuel injectedPower: 70bhpTop speed: 130mphWeight: 169kgTHE SV650-poweredCagiva with its bizarrestyling makes the Raptorstand out more than the bug-eyed Triumph. Its suspension is noticeably better thanthe SV’s, and the motor is tuned for punchier acceleration. Poor supply and sparesback-up from the factory means there aren’t many about, which there should be.

CAGIVA 650 RAPTOR

Price: £4995 Engine: Air-cooled,618cc, 4v dohc V-twin, sixgears, fuel injectedPower: 56bhpTop speed: 120mphWeight: 177kgSTYLING and the nameaside, the Monster hasn’tmuch going for it. Eventhough it had a cosmetic make-over last year and a few cc wrung from the air-cooledengine it is still hopelessly under-powered. Still, if you’re looking for a stylish, safeplodder that’s competent around town this could be the bike.

DUCATI 620 MONSTER

RIDERS will feelimmediately at

home onYamaha’s new

roadster

FIRST there was the half-fairedFazer and now there’s the FZ6– a bike that, at first glance, isidentical save the fairing. Butthere are other differences, too.

To position the rider slightlylower to compensate for thelack of fairing, the FZ6 hasslightly lower handlebars thanthe faired Fazer. These pull therider slightly forward into amore aggressive stance whichalso lets the rider mould to theshape of the tank when all outspeed is paramount. Andbecause the bars are of the oldschool dual-clamp fixing type,there’s some room foradjustment (fore and aft) to suitlong or short arms.

Bar mounted chromedmirrors (fairing mounted on theFazer) offer plenty ofadjustment between an all-shoulder and partial elbowrearward view.

A few faired Fazer ownershave complained about thedifficulty in getting a goodfoothold on the sidestand tokick it into the down position.The FZ6 shares the samesidestand although MCN testers

have never found it a problem.But what is disappointing is thedisappearance of the Fazer’smainstand. Yamaha can onlyhave done it on grounds of costbecause, as the FZ6 is no full-on supersports bike, itcertainly cannot be justified forreasons of ground clearance.But the fact that it is missingdoes make cleaning the bike orlubing the chain properly muchmore difficult than it is with itsFazer brother.

But that, and price aside –the FZ6 is a useful £100cheaper than the Fazer – is theend of the differences.

Sadly most of the faults ofthe Fazer remain. Because ofthe underseat exhausts, againthere’s little room under theseat so anything as precious asa chain and lock won’t travelwith you (maybe a small U-lock– to replace the large onealready in your possession!).And then there’s the irritant ofno purpose-made bungeepoints to prevent slingoversgetting trapped betweentailpiece and rear tyre, or atailbag wobbling about.