Yamaha FZS (FZS V1)

Overview

Yamaha has once revolutionized the Indian street biking lovers by presenting their modern street fighters named FZ16 and FZS. The FZ16 is a basic machine, with the FZS being more cosmetically updated. The crown on its headlight just ruled everywhere at the time when there was no competition for the segment Yamaha created and till date, the impact on the mind of people can be clearly seen. Yamaha FZS v1.0 is marvellous, a true masterpiece of its time and deserves the fame it had at that time.

At the time of its launch, it was different. The difference was all due to its physique, the body styling it had been present in no other. Every bike looked like an undernourished person before a bodybuilder. The no frame headlight and that too with an aggressive design is the first of its kind. The muscular tank and the massive tyre sizes were all new for the Indian motorcycle industry. Yamaha created a really different machine at that time, which even until today is the most loved design in an entry-level street bike. 9 out of 10 say it to be a better design than the v2.0, making it a really lovable bike.

The fully digital instrument console on the Yamaha FZS v1.0 is quite different from the other digital displays of that time. The tachometer is an analogue-inspired digital display, which showed the rpm in small blocks of rectangular symbols, which was very pleasing at that moment. The screen shows the digital speedometer and odometer, with a switch for changing and clearing the trip distances out of it. It is a black and white digital console, with an orange light in the background at night.

The v1.0 has a brute engine, which focuses more on higher values, but lacked some of the refinement. It was one of the few 150 cc bikes which could cross the 100 kmph mark easily and much smoother. The 153 cc, single cylinder engine uses carburettor as its fuel system and produces 13.8 BHP @ 7500 rpm and 13.6 NM @ 6000 rpm. The performance is outstanding, much refined than the generation of Pulsars of that time. The engine pulls a massive 140/60-R17 tyre, which at that time was the largest one in an Indian made motorcycle. Even the Pulsar 220 was missing on this tyre size and this showed the domination Yamaha made on each mind at that time. Road grip is excellent and it soon became the favourite of insane riders and stuntmen.

The Yamaha FZS is having a 267 mm disc brake at the front with a 100/80-R17 tyre. This was the ideal size of a sports bike's rear tyre at that time. The rear has a drum brake and the whole system made Yamaha FZS a very safe ride. The suspension at the front is the telescopic forks whereas the rear has a monoshock suspension, which was also counted as a very attractive and luxury feature at that time. The ride control is awesome and the handling was far better than any other bike in its segment at that time.