Yamaha FZ25: 3 Positives and 3 Negatives

The year is just getting started and Indian motorcycle enthusiasts have already received two premium entry-level performance machines. The first is the Bajaj Dominar 400 and the latest one to join the party is the Yamaha FZ25. The bike will sit as a flagship for the FZ series of motorcycles in the country and, as Yamaha puts it, is targeted at urban commuters from high-income families. Clearly, the ‘urban commuters from high-income families’ includes an age group in and around 20 to 30 years. But, what are the features that the targeted customers can like about the FZ25 and what are the ones that they could miss? We list three positives and three negatives with the bike in an attempt to clear things up a bit.

The Positives

Price: At Rs 1,19,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the FZ25 is very competitively priced. This is all the more noteworthy because Yamaha has a track record of pricing its premium bikes towards the upper crust of the price bracket. The best example is the YZF-R3. It misses out on several features offered by its competitors (RC 390 and Kawasaki Ninja 300), such as slipper clutch and ABS, and yet, is priced comparatively higher. Thankfully, this is not the case with the FZ25, as with the quoted price point it will surely attract a lot of buyers towards Yamaha.

Styling: The bike is easily one of the most attractive looking machines in its category. Moreover, its chief competitor, the 200 Duke, has gotten old and is awaiting an update. The second one in line is the Apache RTR 200 4V, but its lean setup makes it appear smaller despite the panache of performance it carries. The FZ25, on the other hand, is bestowed with a compact LED headlamp unit along with a beefy tank with scooped tank shrouds, all of which add mass to the design of the bike. At the rear, the wide and sharply carved tail adds a dynamic appeal, lending it a big bike appeal. Then there’s the stubby dual-tone black-silver exhaust unit with loads of detailing.

Comfortable Dynamics: Yamaha at today’s launch event emphasised that the FZ25 pursues “the perfect riding position” for a streetfighter. So, what does a “perfect riding position” for a streetfighter means? At the event, explaining the sitting position, Yamaha compared it to that of its younger sibling, the FZ-S. The FZ25 has 15mm shorter handlebars, 30mm forward hip point and footpegs pushed 25mm backwards as compared to those of the FZ-S. This, ultimately, translates into a comfortable upright sitting posture and the shorter handlebar will add to the easy manoeuvring of the bike in tight traffic situations. Besides, the seats offered are amply cushioned for both the rider and the pillion.

The Negatives

No ABS: Yamaha did mention that the ABS version is on the cards, but for the time being the FZ25 is only available without ABS. The Apache RTR 180 deserves a mention here as the bike, despite being substantially cheaper, is offered with an optional dual-channel ABS unit.

Low on Power: The 249cc single cylinder air- and oil-cooled motor produces only 20.9PS of power and 20Nm of torque, and a few more horses could have made its appeal stronger. The bike also misses out on a dual overhead cam (DOHC) layout and uses a conventional SOHC (single overhead cam) 2 valves mechanism, perhaps to keep the price in check. On the bright side, what a low power figure seems to have given the FZ25 is a commendable fuel efficiency figure of 43kmpl.

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Move past the power figure and the SOHC valve arrangement, and it’s the 5-speed gearbox, which could have been a 6-speed unit. I am sure the former will be a decent performer provided Yamaha’s expertise, but adding one more cog could have made highway cruises more relaxed, which isn’t particularly a bad thing.

Liquid Cooling: We are aware that liquid cooling would have pushed the price a bit upwards, however, it could have brought in two gains. Firstly, it could have afforded meatier performance figures to the FZ25; and secondly, it could have offered a more relaxed and cooler motor on high-speed highway hauls.

We look forward to testing the bike soon and hope to get a clearer picture of its performance, features and quality. Do watch this space for a detailed road test of the FZ25.