Tanshanomi's Snap Judgements
Tanshanomi's Snap Judgements

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Yamaha 700 Fazer

Wed, March 10th, 2010



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1986–87 Yamaha FZX700 Fazer
Performance
The motor has all the traits of the Maxim X I reviewed in January, both good and bad, and gets the same rating. The biggest fault is the maddeningly sensitive throttle coupled with too much driveline lash.
Handling
It is not nearly as good as the FZ750 it was derived from, but its less demanding intended role allows me to cut it some slack. Crazy-looking rear shocks didn't work well.
Looks
It was supposed to look like a mini V-Max. It didn't. Instead, the front half looks like an FZ750 wearing a costume from Star Wars...with chrome elbows. The back half has more swooshy, swoopy curves than a puffy tuxedo shirt.
Reliability
You can't fault the Yamaha Genesis bikes. They were all very well engineered.
Practicality
Having spent more than one 500-mile day on a Fazer, I can say that they have genuinely nice riding position, but the lousy rear shocks and hyper-responsive throttle makes them tiring to ride.
Desirability
There are lots of quirky, underperforming bikes that I can't help but like more than I should. In this case, the opposite is probably true; I probably dislike the Fazer more than it truly deserves.
Overall
Its as unattractively 80s as a Members Only jacket.

TOMORROW: Suzuki VX800