Yamaha FZ-6 Fazer

Within the FZ600 beats the heart of an R6, and its Made for fun on winding roads: the new FZ600 has latest technology inherited from the R-series.

A product planner at Yamaha Motor Europe remembers the first big model change in 6 years one year ago: "We decided to let the new Fazer really jump up in terms of technical solutions and design. The only way to free the engineers from restrictions was to give them a free hand to start from scratch. And they did. The new Fazer is new and gives you a new riding feeling as well, without sacrificing its basic qualities of the past."

The for the 2004 model range created, new generation of Fazer 600 made that successful concept simply better and more exciting. When the Fazer FZ600 was launched back in 1998, it proved extremely popular as a well-balanced mix of sport elements and all-round function. At that time most street motorcycles in the middleclass were simply all-round machines and obviously were lacking excitement on the sporty side.

2004 Yamaha FZ6 Features

- New-concept middleweight sportbike: High-performance but with an anything, anytime, anywhere attitude.
- Upright, comfortable riding position with great weather protection. Light, effortless handling for urban use, comfortable long-distance cruising, and serious sport riding too.

Engine

- Super-light and compact YZF-R6-based engine is tuned for enhanced midrange performance as well as strong rev-ability.
- Cams and intake tracts are designed to produce maximum torque at 10,000 rpm, maximum power at 12,000 rpm.
- Group fuel injection combines simplicity with excellent response and performance.
- Powerful 32-bit processor and 4-jet bi-directional injectors negate the need for the R6's suction-piston vacuum assist system and is 75% lighter.
- Six-speed gearbox with triangulated input and output shafts, heavy-duty clutch and through-the-frame shifter for years of precise, positive shifting.
- Stainless steel underseat exhaust system with heat shield looks cool and doesn't interfere with passengers or luggage.
- Acoustic analysis of the downdraft intake tract and exhaust produce a bike that sounds as cool as it looks.
- Large radiator with ring-type fan for excellent cooling capacity.
- Yamaha Air Induction System, along with a metal honeycomb type catalytic converter, let the FZ6 pass strict EU2 and CARB emissions standards.

Chassis/Suspension

- Strong and very light Controlled Fill die cast aluminum frame is made from only two pieces, which bolt together at the steering head and in the swingarm pivot area.
- Five-point stressed-member engine mounting design consists of two crankcase mounts per side and one mount on the left side of the cylinder head for excellent strength and light weight.
- Placing the engine's crankshaft axis close to the FZ6's roll axis aids quick handling and light, positive steering.
- 25 degrees of rake, 3.8-inch trail and 56.7-inch wheelbase for quick handling and excellent tracking.
- Single shock linkageless rear suspension is simple and light with sport-biased damping tuned for a controlled, progressive feel; extruded aluminum swingarm is 23.2 inches long for reduced chain-pull effect, further bolstering the FZ6's outstanding handling.
- Placing the battery under the fuel tank and behind the steering head helps achieve 51-percent front wheel weight distribution and excellent handling.
- Single-piece upper triple clamp/ handlebar mount, with tubular handlebar for excellent front-end feel, feedback and light steering; 35-degree steering lock means excellent maneuverability in traffic.
- Extremely light YZF-R6-type 5-spoke wheels reduce unsprung weight by 18% for improved suspension action and handling, acceleration and deceleration.
- Thick dual seat offers exceptional solo or two-up comfort and passenger grab rails also serve as bungee attachment points.

Additional Features

- LCD two-color instrument display with integrated bar-type tachometer on the left, and numerical speedometer in the center- also two tripmeters, clock, fuel, intake air temperature and water temperature gauges and usual indicator lights.
- 120/70-ZR17 and 180/55-ZR17 radial tires complement the FZ6's modern look, and its increased torque and great handling fully exploit the superb grip they provide.
- Large windscreen provides good protection and minimal noise; anti-reversion panels on each side of the lower fairing reduce turbulence.
- Dual 12V 60/55-watt multireflector headlight gives a sleek, R1-type profile for superb aerodynamics and visibility.
- Completely unique, CAD-drawn fuel tank meets the needs of style, handlebar clearance and tactile feel in one beautiful package crafted from high-stretch titanium-rich alloy.
- Sporty taillight design reduces both weight and size while providing excellent visibility.
- Centerstand for easier maintenance.
- Standard toolkit and U-lock storage under the seat.

Review

Road test and pictures by Adrian Percival

The Fazer 600 has always been a popular choice for the commuter, riding school, first bigger bike and so on, but when Yamaha announced that it was going to be killed off due to emmission problems we all wondered what was going to take its place.

The first incarnation of the Yamaha Fazer was a serious budget street bike and was based around the old 600 ThunderCat motor dropped into a tubular steel frame with the most basic of cycle parts. It proved to be a reliable and excellent all-rounder. The new 600 Fazer is a different breed from anything called Fazer in the past though! The striking new Fazer 600 is a truly capable middleweight that uses a host of technology from other Yamahas.

There's no question about it, just one look at the new Fazer and what you see is an attractive package. The overall look of the new Fazer is one of agression, with the sleek, twin headlight half fairing dominating the front, and the sleek sweep back over the side panels to the rear and the twin underseat exhaust system. The look is one of modern technology built into an everyday bike that will take you wherever you wish to go in total ease.

Get on to the new bike and the practical nature of the all-new design is immediately apparent. The straight, and relatively high handlebars provide your first clue that this little bike is going to be comfortable. Take a look forward and the relatively high, broad screen gives you exceptional protection from all but the worst of weather. Surprisingly enough even taller riders won't have a problem with the screen height as a slight duck is all you need to escape the wind blast.

The seating position is also extremely comfortable, and the pillion also sits comfortably, not too much higher than the rider, and with good cushioning and generous grab handles. The foot pegs are placed quite far forward in comparison to most supersport bikes, not too far but just in the right position to give you a very relaxed riding position and over a long distance this really shows.

Power for the new Fazer 600 comes from the current R6 motor, but it has been tuned for a lot more mid-range power and torque with milder camshafts, longer inlet tracts and a simpler fuel injection system that is designed to fit the bill for an everyday commuter/town bike. The Fazer for all its racetrack breeding is a very tractable bike and will pull from as low down as 2000rpm in the lower gears, amazing for a modern 600! Anywhere above 5000rpm though and away you go in typical 600 style, hit 7500rpm and it just flys up to its redline at 14,000rpm. There is a bit of vibration around 7000rpm but it never gets annoying and smooths out about 9000rpm. The power drops off sharply after 12,500rpm so there's absolutely no point in riding it up to the limiter, for the best results and to make the fastest progress just change gear at peak torque time, around 10,000rpm.

The Fazer accelerates quickly through the gears up to around 120mph (not on a public road of course!), after that you need to hang on for a bit, and find a long straight to reach its maximum speed of 145mph. This shows that Yamaha has the gearing for the little Fazer 600 just spot-on. It accelerates vividly in every gear although it does lack the wild rush of the R6. The Fazer actually has the advantage over the R6 of a much wider spread of torque thus giving you a really impressive mid-range pull. On full-throttle upshifts you will find that the Fazer shakes its head a little, not alarmingly like some other bikes, but it becomes very light at the front end due to the fact that there is very little, if any, weight on the front wheel. And yes, it will pull power wheelies if you nail it in the lower gears!! The transmission is typical Yamaha, slightly vocal on the change and a little notchy, but with time they do get better. s smooth and predictable, hot or cold, and I couldn't make it slip or judder.

The Fazers motor and drive is rigidly mounted, so there's your vibration. It is all in an alloy frame made up of two big, die-cast spars. These spars are mirror images of each other and are connected together at the steering head and engine plates. That makes welding and the use of cross-struts unnecessary, it's also a very clever way of using the latest technology to make a simple yet totally rigid frame. The rest of the Fazer chassis is not so hi-tech. A standard tubular-steel sub-frame is mounted as per normal together with a long rectangular section swing-arm. The suspension and forks are equally straightforward and simple. The forks are 43mm non-adjustable and the rear shock-absorber mounts directly to the frame and swing-arm without linkages.

The brakes on the Fazer are twin-pot sliding callipers biting onto two 298mm discs, a little old fashioned but on the test bike they were found to be more than adequate of hauling it down quickly and safely from almost any speed you care to do. The brakes are predictable and have a very good feel to them, in fact the feel and stopping power seemed to be linked directly to the lever, the more you squeezed it, the more you stopped. The rear brake by comparison is almost non-existent, it is far less powerful and barely held the bike on a hill.

Riding the Fazer as an everyday bike is an absolute treat, it may be a simple set-up as far as the suspension, braking and so on is concerned, but the result is a surprise. The handling feels very predictable and neutral, and with the higher bars you get good leverage and making it easy to just tip the Fazer into tight corners with total confidence. The suspension works very well and completely soaks up all the bumps and road irregularities, even when riding two-up. I used the Fazer in almost every road condition over the period of the test, in fact I think I did more miles on it in one week than on any other bike this year to date. Riding in London traffic, out on the motorways and 'A' roads and country lane exploits were all taken in its stride, never a hint of being stressed or being in the wrong place, it all just seemed to work as a package and it worked very well indeed.

When you first get on the Fazer and ride it the turn-in feels a little vague, with the possibility of running wide through some corners, but once you get used to the Fazers weight distribution you realise that you need to take a slightly more strong-handed approach to the bike, and suddenly you find you have sorted this little initial problem out. There was a tendency to wander at speeds of more than 100mph, but this disappeared with a slight crouch. The reason for this is the buffeting from the screen hitting your shoulders, this has a tendency to shake the steering through the bars, fitting a higher screen or a slightly different shape screen would cure it, in fact Yamaha offer a 90mm taller one as an option.

As per all Yamahas the switches and controls are all straightforward and robust with the new instrument set all mounted in one LCD pod. Most bikes seem to be going this way nowadays for the simple reason that it is cheaper to produce, lighter and more accurate than dials and needles, but I find with most of them that reading the bar style rev counter is difficult at a glance, it is, however all neatly back-lit and a lot easier to read at night.

The little Fazer 600 is a very impressive bike to ride, and with its relatively unsophisticated suspension it was surprising just how well it worked on some of the more bumpy roads around the Oxfordshire are where it was tested the most. The Fazer just soaked up the big bumps and ruts far better than a lot of tourers or sports/tourers have evr done. The only other bikes that have ever scored better on this section are bikes like the 1200GS and with their long-travel suspension. The suspension set up does hinder the Fazer a little in faster turns and precise steering control, but once you get used to the handling trait of the bike it will hold its line as well as most sports bikes.

When I got on the Fazer my first thought was that the seat was too hard and would be uncomfortable over any sort of distance, I was proved to be wrong almost from the off. Yes it is firm, but the shape and the contour is just right for long rides. My first ride was a full tank and I had no inclination to stop for a rest or a stretch, I just rod on until I needed to fill up anyway, than I had a break and stood back to look at the Fazer, as a lot of other people did at the motorway service area!

Yamaha's Fazer 600 is a great bike to look at, it has style and is bang up to date in the technology stakes. It has a great motor based around the R6, and has a superb frame and although the brakes are a bit on the budget side, they work well and never show signs of fade or not being able to stop you. The Fazer is a surprising package, a competent do-anything street bike designed for the everyday rider to go to work on or to tour or even scratch at the weekend. Its a comfortable bike for both rider and especially the pillion and this give it an added touring ability. Don't think you can't have fun on this bike, there's plenty of R6 left in it for those wilder moments when you want to play, just twist the throttle and see, you won't be dissapointed at all!

AP

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