Yamaha FZ-S Long Term Report : December 2015

It’s now been over a year since we got the Yamaha FZ-S Version 2.0, and it’s been a phenomenal ride to have. Unfortunately, this will be our last long-term report of a bike that we’ve come to love so much. The FZ-S has been a fantastic urban bike and proves to be one of the most stylish and comfortable sports commuter you can buy today.

The only purpose of this bike has been to shuttle me back-and-forth to work, and run the occasional daily errand. In the 14 months that I’ve had the bike, it’s been my number one choice of transport, no matter the weather conditions – unless it was really raining hard. What really impressed me the most about the FZ-S is the fact that it’s really comfortable, and I can’t stress this point enough. For someone who’s well over 6 feet tall and weighs 120 kilograms, there are only a handful of bikes, across segments, that I’ve found to be really comfortable – and the FZ-S is one of them. For a 150cc, the riding position, the seat, and the ergonomics are brilliant. It makes riding extra fun, and I don’t feel uncomfortable when riding through heavy traffic.

It’s a light bike, so it’s easy to maneuver and the suspension setup is perfect for almost all road conditions. The engine is also very refined, and there are no excessive vibrations. The build quality is also top-notch, and nothing has come loose or fallen out of place. When it comes to city riding, there’s really nothing I can say against the bike. And to add another compliment, it’s the best looking bike in the 150cc category.

When it comes to highway riding, yes the bike is underpowered. So, it’s not much fun to have the throttle clenched all the way down while you just about manage to touch 105km/h. However, for the city it really is good. But this is perhaps the one reason I kept procrastinating whenever I wanted to take the bike out for a long trip. Nonetheless, I’m sure it could have taken me anywhere without a problem. We even took the bike to our off-road testing grounds, and I had some fun riding in the rough stuff there.

The only problems throughout the year have been that the tyres don’t have good grip in the wet, and the self-starter has had some issues. But there’s been no major, or minor, mechanical problem – and not once did I have to visit the mechanic in the last 14 months.

I will surely miss the FZ-S, and I can honestly say that I’ve become attached to it. I might even ask Yamaha if I can keep it a little while longer. Let’s hope they agree…