Yamaha FZ-S FI 4,500km long term report

The Yamaha FZ-S FI has completed four months in the ZigWheels garage and in this short span of time we have already clocked over 4,500km on it. And I must say the Yamaha FZ-S FI is turning out to be quite a likeable companion for my daily commute to office and back. Manoeuvrability is a significant factor while riding in the traffic infested roads of Mumbai and the FZ-S FI’s agile dynamics are a boon. Also, the wide flat handle bar and the slightly rear-set footpegs result in an upright and comfortable riding posture, so spending long duration on the saddle isn’t tiresome. Despite the fact that the Yamaha FZ-S FI doesn’t come equipped with disc brakes at the back, the disc and drum setup work effortlessly in shedding speeds. 

The fuel-injected motor is also a refined soul and this coupled to the slick five-speed gearbox makes riding it in city a joyous affair. That said, the engine feels a bit underpowered for a premium 150cc offering and this came to fore during one of my jaunts to Pune. During overtaking, one has to downshift to extract the juice from the motor and it struggles to hold onto speeds above 100kmph. The bike feels in its comfort zone pottering between 75-85kmph. But it made up for its performance deficit with its handling dynamics. The fat rear tyre allows the rider to lean the Yamaha FZ-S FI without much concern and I had a great time attacking corners on the Khopoli ghat enroute. 

Running cost of the Yamaha FZ-S FI is on the higher side as the bike returned an overall fuel efficiency of just 42.7kmpl. Also, the tail section has started to rattle and the clutch action has become spongy, which we feel can be fixed just by tightening a few bolts. 

Total kilometres done: 4,043km

Overall fuel efficiency: 42.7kmpl 

Date acquired: August 2014

Costs: Nil

Cheers:  Riding posture, handling

Sneers: Engine lacks punch, Fuel Efficiency