Test drove the Yamaha FZ-16

I had been to one of the Yamaha showrooms as one of friend wanted to have a good look on the FZ-16. This new bike from Yamaha was another 150 cc variant but this time, it had been aimed at the mass market unlike the YZF-R15.

The bike itself was chubby and fresh looking. I found the bike looks to be a welcome change from the usual one that we see on the roads today. The best view of the bike was the side profile showcasing the bulky tank and kind of naked city bike. The doom and headlight assembly were looking good but from some angles the headlight looked a bit odd. The rear end is dominated by the biggest tire from the bikes in this price range. The tail light was tiny. The other side highlights the short and stubby silencer.

The basic chassis of the bike is much better compared to the other bikes presently and should provide much better handling than its competitors. The mono suspension takes care of a smooth ride and the size of it is bigger than the one found in Honda Unicorn. The rear pillion seat was very short and I dont think that it will facilitate single side seating of women.

The test ride of the bike was provided only inside the parking lot of the showroom and it is a pity to having to ride it in the few meters of space available. But even in the short stint, the bike managed to impress me. The bike had an average bhp value but managed to surpass other competitors by providing amazing torque figures. The torque was very much felt in the first gear acceleration itself and I believe can provide an amazing city ride experience. The exhaust note of the silencer was also addicting and I liked it. But besides the torque figures offered, the bike was almost vibration free when releasing the throttle. The wider rear tire should provide excellent road grip.



The short coming of the bike is that the initial feel of the bike when one sats upon is unimpressive. Compared to the Karizmas and Hunks, it feels small and doesnt give the big bike feel. But this very thing can be advantageous for manuverning city traffic. One more thing is that the price of this vehicle is about Rs.65,000 ex-showroom and around Rs.73,000 for the on-road price which is significantly higher than its competitors. This may be debatable but the much better features provided can be overseen for its price. With this kind of performance, the mileage figures are expected to drop a little. The showroom guys claim a fuel efficiency figure of around 40 kmpl.

But overall, the positive things in the bike overweigh the few negatives of this bike. And I feel that with fresh looks, good handling and performance, this may be a much better city bike and is certainly worth the price.