Who knew there was a better way to get naked?
Naked bikes, or roadsters, or standards, or whatever you want to call them, have been a steadily growing niche, playing to riders searching for a minimalist approach with maximum benefits.
The formula is simple. Take a sport bike and strip it to the essentials – no fairings, no windshield, just raw edges with exposed engine and mechanicals on display.
Modify the ECU for a wider torque band, change the ergonomics for a more practical upright seating position and, voila, a street fighter is born.
Since its debut a few years ago, Yamaha’s FZ-09 (or MT-09 outside of North America), has proved a popular adherent to that formula. But just because the formula works, doesn’t mean you can’t tinker with the ingredients.
A 2017 refresh has bumped up the FZ-09’s aggressive attitude in both style and content. Changes start with a new Slipper Clutch with Assist to smooth out gear changes and reduce clutch pull.
ABS brakes are now standard issue. The three-into-one exhaust has been tweaked. And a new Traction Control System offers two road mode settings and an “off” position for greater rider input, working in conjunction with Yamaha’s YCC-T “ride-by-wire” electronic throttle system and D-Mode’s three-position performance settings.
Yamaha has also added a new GYTR quick-shifter ($245.95) to the accessory list, to tailor ride sophistication even further.
The modified 41 mm inverted front fork adds adjustments for pre-load, compression and rebound settings. New side scoops direct more air through the radiator.
The seat has been re-fitted for a flatter but still comfortable position and graphics complement the slightly edgier styling cues and new colour palette.
Yamaha is so amped about the new added LEDs, they’re describing the new familial “twin-eye” headlamp assemblies as “super aggressive”.
Well, they definitely decorate the FZ-09 with a more menacing visage, with four LEDs inside the slit lenses – the inboard two LEDs lighting up under the low-beam setting, all four illuminating with a flick of the high-beam switch. Dual position LED strips with three bulbs on each side add a unique accent, as well.
In back, a new LED taillight features four LEDs for the running lights and brake display. And a new, forged aluminum rear fender and license plate holder is now mounted from the swingarm.
You May Also Like: Yamaha’s Scrambler
That’s a fairly extensive list of adjustments and additions for 2017, which probably explains a few added pounds and the $9,749 list price, up from the 2016 list price of $8,999.
But if you’re looking for consistency in a changing world, the unaltered engine power of the 847 cc in-line three-cylinder is as impressive as ever. This mill unwinds enthusiastically to a very sport bike-like 11,250 rpm redline.
Handle with care!
In a world currently cracking down on “bike hooliganism” I probably shouldn’t even mention the FZ-09’s “wheelie” potential.
Let’s just say that the ample amount of blended low to mid-range torque will put a smile on your face with every twist of the wrist.
And even curbing your more aggressive tendencies, the FZ-09’s open roadster ergonomics, power and nimble handling performance qualities perfectly suit the cut and thrust of urban riding.
Of course, the cooling breezes of open roadster downtown driving or country road corner carving can quickly turn into the tiring truck-buffeting of highway runs, but the FZ-09’s accessory list offers everything from a sport windshield to tank-bags, top case choices and saddlebags for longer touring treks.
The rider looks down on an uneven and smallish six-sided digital display crammed with a speedo readout, bar-style tach, coolant temp, gear indicator, intake air temp, D-mode display, engine trouble diagnostic mode, odo, dual trip meters, fuel gauge and fuel reserve trip meter.
The five-bar fuel gauge hangs at “full” for the first 100 km or so, eventually ticking down to the final bar by around 220 km. After the low fuel warning light came on, I squeezed a few kms out of the 2.8-litre reserve before filling up with 12.8 litres after 243 km, for a fuel econ average of 5.3L/100km (comb).
Not bad, but I probably could have done worse when I was younger.
Because a bike like the FZ-09 isn’t about economy or other practicalities.
It’s about open roadster exhilaration, feeling the power and taming it, the hot rush of adrenaline, the cool calculations of the right angles and entry speeds, about getting it right and sometimes getting it wrong, and surviving.
And it’s about just settling into that seat, grinning through the smooth swoop of a curve, and riding on to another corner, another road. Any road.
The 2017 Yamaha FZ-09 – check one out yourself.
2017 Yamaha FZ-09
ENGINE: 847 cc liquid-cooled DOHC in-line three-cylinder (64 lb/ft).
FUEL DELIVERY: Mikuni 41 mm throttle body fuel injection
TRANSMISSION: Six-speed with “O”-ring chain final
SUSPENSION: Front adjustable inverted 41 mm fork, 137 mm (5.4 in) travel; Rear adjustable link Monocross, 130 mm (5.1 in) wheel travel
BRAKES: Front dual 298 mm discs with radial mount four-piston calipers, ABS; Rear 245 mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS
TIRES: Front 120/70ZR17; Rear 180/55ZR17
SEAT HEIGHT: 815 mm (32.1”)
WHEELBASE: 1,440 mm (56.7”)
CURB WEIGHT: 193 kg (425 lb)
FUEL CAPACITY: 14 litres
COLOURS: As tested Deep Metallic Red, or Bluish Gray, or Bluish Pearl White
PRICE: $9,749
WEBSITE: Yamaha
Show Comments
Keyword: Yamaha Wants You to Get Naked – WHEELS.ca