YAMAHA FZ-X
An FZ in retro clothing!
For years now many of us have been vying for Yamaha to get the XSR 155 to our shores but instead, we get the FZ-X. It’s a polarising looking bike that gets neo-retro, scrambler styling and draws clear styling inspiration from the XSR while looking very different at the same time. What grabs your attention up front is a round projector LED lamp surrounded by three split LED DRLs. Above this is the new instrument cluster which also gets Yamaha’s new Y-Connect app enabling various connectivity features on the top-end version. Adding to the scrambler appeal are fork boots, a new metal front fender, a tuck and roll seat and a large metal fuel tank which despite looking larger than the FZ-S’s has gone down in capacity from 13 litres to 10 litres. The tuck and roll seat is nice and wide and has a decent amount of cushioning to keep your bottom happy.
The chassis of the FZ-X remains largely unchanged from the FZ-S with most elements such as the suspension, brakes and frame being carried over as is. Meaning the FZ-X, like the FZ-S offers a nice and pliant ride and soaks up bumps and undulations nicely without unsettling the bike too much. The brakes provide adequate stopping power with enough initial bite and feedback and it comes standard with single-channel ABS. In terms of handling, the FZ-S has always been a very neutral handler and the FZ-X is no different. What has been revised though are the ergos with footpegs being taken ahead, and the handlebar has been brought closer to the rider. The FZ-X also runs new dual-purpose MRF tyres which along with the new bash plate hint towards slight off-road ability but that is not entirely true considering none of the other chassis elements have been tweaked to handle the rough stuff.
The Yamaha FZ-X is powered by the same 149cc, single-cylinder engine found on the FZ-S and it makes the same peak outputs of 12.2bhp and 13.3Nm. The motor is tractable and you don’t need to work the gearbox too much while pottering around the city. Though the same can’t be said for making quick overtakes. You’d definitely have to drop a gear or two while making quick overtakes but you wouldn’t mind because the five-speed gearbox it is mated to is slick and tactile. I did find the placement of the gear shifter a bit awkward and people with big feet might find that to be the case with them too. The motor is happiest cruising around the 70kmph mark and any more than that, the engine begins to feel strained. The same goes for refinement, you do start to feel a bit of
IT IS A POLARISING LOOKING BIKE THAT GETS NEO-RETRO STYLING
buzz post 7000rpm. So you’d best ride this bike in a relaxed manner.
At `1.22 lakh for the variant with the Y-Connect feature, you’re paying roughly `12,000 more than the FZ-S with Bluetooth connectivity, with the only real difference being the styling. Prefer how it looks? Go ahead and get one! But if retro styling is your thing, might we suggest you also look at the Hero Xpulse 200 T which offers a similar package and more power while costing around `3,000 less.