| Author | Message | ||
     Hughlysses |
 http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/06/11/2014-yamaha-f z-09-first-look-review-photos/?src=SOC&dom=fb Pretty sweet! Makes me wonder what that Buell middleweight triple that was in the works before Wandel axed them would have looked like. | ||
| Trojan |
Hmmm.... Yamaha are losing sales hand over fist. Triumph and MV sales are booming..... So Yamaha build a copy of the Street Triple/Brutale 800  Flattery indeed This new engine has been touted as 'the future of motorcycling' in parts of the press. It looks like every other middle weight street bike to me, so unless it does 100mpg and 150mph I can't see any revolution in internal combustion motorcycle technology (althogh I guess it has all sorts of electronic gubbins built in!)  | ||
| Hughlysses |
According to the article, the MSRP is less than $8k U.S. The Street Triple is ~$9.2k and the Brutale is ~$12k. That may be the main selling point. | ||
| Jaimec |
From what I can tell, the riding position on that thing is going to have you SCREAMING for a windshield if you're going to do any time on the highway... Lower bars would help, too. One or the other. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Not going to trade my Street Triple R for one, but it looks like a nice package for the price. It will be interesting to see how it compares with the Triumph in comparison tests. | ||
| Sifo |
Can't say enough good things about the Triumph Triples. It's nice to see others are taking notice. I was just talking with a friend who owns a Daytona 675 and we were speculating about what Triumph would wind up doing with their new 800 triple. I think it's a great engine in their Tiger, but I have no doubt that they can easily bump the HP way up for a new Daytona. This bike looks like a copy of the Street Triple with a few more CCs. They even designed the exhaust and swing arm similarly. Not a bad thing at all. I hope they gave it a better seat! That is the weak point of the Street Triple. I laugh at them calling it a crossplane engine. That's just marketing hype. | ||
| Trojan |
Over here in the UK the price is just £200 less (US$310 approx) less than the standard Street Triple model, so much closer than in the US. The extra capacity may help and I think Triumph will soon slot their Tiger 800cc motor into the Street triple to keep up with the increawe in capacity by MV, Kawasaki and now Yamaha for their street bikes. Having said that, Triumph now has a very 'cool brand' cachet attached to it that Yamaha (or Honda) simply can't cash in on. | ||
| Hughlysses |
As I mentioned in the original post, it would be VERY interesting to see what the Buell middle weight triple would have looked like. I'm sure they'd have had a unique spin on the category. A pity no one has let any information for that out apart from Steve Anderson's article: (May 2010 Cycle World, page 42), "The plan requires additional investment in racing to strengthen the Buell brand, along with a multimillion-dollar expenditure and headcount increases to create a radically designed middleweight family of three-cylinder sportbikes to broaden the range. The board and Harley management approve, though the additional expenditures for the new middleweight guarantee that Buell will not be profitable in 2008." Considering that they didn't close until fall 2009, it seems likely that the triple was completely designed, if not to the prototype stage by Buell's closure. For that matter, I wonder if EBR might have plans to bring a similar bike out in a few years? | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I have to say I like the styling of the Yamaha over the Triumph. You are right about the Triumph having a higher cool factor.... but I just started "working" part time as a Rider Coach at one of the local Yamaha dealers.... That puts a big, Hmmmmmm in my head  | ||
| Trojan |
Having looked at in depth pictures in MCN this week I must say the Yamaha styling and proportions look 'odd' by European standards, especially when compared directly to the Triumph and MV models. In an effort to be trendy they may just alienate exactly the customers they are trying to steal in the European market. The dash is offset to the right and the headlight cowl/surround looks unfinished, as if there should be another piece there. I'm sure the aftermarket industry will be on it like flies on sh*t so expect styling/performance improvements almost as soon as it is released in September | ||
| Sifo |
as if there should be another piece there. Fly screen of course. | ||
| Trojan |
ha ha ha Very good. | ||
| Sifo |
Had they simply used black bolts above the headlights instead of silver ones, I think it would look more finished. Still, to me at least, it begs for the fly screen. I don't think I would ever care for the instrument cluster. I would like to see the view from the riders perspective instead of a close up shot, but putting it off to the side just seems awkward. I also don't like small digital displays. They tend to be hard to read, taking your focus away from the road trying to get needed info such as your speed. I never did like the speedo on our Street Triple. This looks even worse. I'll reserve judgment on the digital version of an analog tach until I see it work. Analog gauges simply work well for me. Part of that is becoming more far sighted with age, but I've never had problems with analog read outs. Digital can be a real problem with polarized glasses too. Fairly minor grips to be sure. It's fantastic to see options available from the Japanese beyond I4's and a few parallel twins. I hope it's a winner. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
The story here is the engine as much as it is the bike. Yamaha is firstly, an engine builder as stated by others here. My current opinion comes from owning a Yamaha Apex which has the snowmobile version of the R1 engine in it. Yamaha is introducing this new engine in the bikes, and I am quite sure that engine will make it to the sleds in the coming years. Anyone owning these engines will put it's reliability ahead of many downfalls. My current "cylinder count" over the years of yamaha engines is 21, and only 4 of them were in a bike. Yamaha engines are the definition of bulletproof. Since all I have left are my two Yamaha sleds, I am more excited about the engine and how it performs in this bike. I would love to see the 2015 Yamaha Apex have this engine in it. Anyone see a listing on it's horsepower? (Message edited by biffdotorg on June 12, 2013) | ||
| Trojan |
The majority of bike buyers don't just buy the engine though, they buy the bike based on price, looks (very important!), performance and many preconceived ideas they may have about the company involved. How do you think H-D sdell so many motorcycles with relatively poor engines fitted? Snowmobiles are utility vehicles that all look pretty much the same. Motorcycles are a fashion/lifestyle statement to an awful lot of customers. if that were not the case we would still be riding round on 50 year old BSA/Triumphs I suppose. Having looked at some close up pictures of the area around the back of the instruments and above the headlight, I really can't think that this bike is what will hit the showrooms in September. The back of the instruments appears open to the weather (just what modern electronics need in northern European climate!). The welding on the exhaust looks pretty poor too, so I can only assume this is a pre-production model that will have these ironed out before the launch (or is this why they can sell it so cheap?). | ||
| Hughlysses |
Anyone see a listing on its horsepower? From motorcycledaily.com: "U.S. Yamaha representatives would not give us a peak horsepower figure, but Yamaha Europe is quoting 115 bhp at 10,000 rpm. We were given a peak torque figure of 65 foot/pounds, which should arrive at 8,500 rpm." | ||
| Sifo |
I wonder if they will get blasted for having such low HP numbers for that displacement engine?  Then again, usable HP for the street may become the new technology! | ||
| Reepicheep |
Anyone looking at a Suzuki Gladius or a Kawasaki Versys who doesn't stop and look seriously at that new Yamaha ought to have their head examined (IMHO). And coming from the other side, the Gladius and Versys are both interesting to me, but pretty much non starters, because of their motor. Nice motors, don't get me wrong, but not in the league of what i would consider for my primary modern street bike. That Yammy is a non starter as well probably, but only because of the chassis, not because of the motor. Put that motor in something more like a Uly (big mostly naked adventure bike at maybe a $9k to $10k price range) and you absolutely would have my attention. FWTW. | ||
| Spatten1 |
I wonder if they will get blasted for having such low HP numbers for that displacement engine? That is f'ing hilarious on a Buell site! It's not the most attractive bike, a more streetfighter look would be better....but it's a great price for what looks like an excellent streetbike. If I was buying a new bike, I'd have to consider it. | ||
| Kenm123t |
Yamaha s were the reason I got out of Motorcycles for nearly 20 years. A S1W caught my eye and I got into Buell tubers After over a dozen jap bikes I had pushed home many times I was done And as a Boater running a single outboard I would never consider a Yamaha any thing I had to depend on. | ||
| Spatten1 |
Ken, You had some bad luck or bought abused bikes. Yamaha makes very high quality machines and has for many decades. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
And what exactly is the matter with a fifty year old Bezzer is what I'd like to know?   | ||
| Nukeblue |
reep, you'd have a tiger | ||
| Trojan |
And what exactly is the matter with a fifty year old Bezzer is what I'd like to know? Absolutely nothing in my opinion, which is why I said bikes were fashion items. Do we really need electronically adjustable suspension, three different riding modes (I thought your throttle hand provided those?), and all the other non repairable fashion gizmos in real life? Bikes have become almost unserviceable by normal people now, so the manufacturers have a monopoly on servicing as well as sales. Didn't we see this coming? I'd rather have a bike that I can tinker with without needing a dealer equipped with a supercomputer to fix it. breathe............rant over | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Great minds think alike! | ||
| Reepicheep |
Nukeblue, it would definately be on the list. What's a comparable tiger go for these days? I got to ride Gentleman Jims Super Tenere, and while I respect the bike and what it can do, it didn't push my buttons. | ||
| Nukeblue |
paid $11 k for mine with abs. didn't get a deal since they were hot in the market. not sure now. i'd bet you could get one for around 10k if you were patient, which i am not! cruise on up to delaware and you can take mine out for a couple hrs anytime. or next time i'm down down to cincy for training i'll hit you up. usually stay at a campground in lebanon | ||
| Sifo |
Tiger, depending on the model is about $11-$12K MSRP. That does get you a few items that I don't think are on the Yami like ABS and braided steel brake lines. I don't think it gets you as sophisticated electronic controls though. It does get you the option of factory saddle bags, one of which is huge, one of which is cut out for the exhaust. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
@ Nuke and Reep..... or he could just show up for the WV Camp-a-thon and ride it then.... | ||
| Nukeblue |
well i'm game! reep hasn't gone anytime i have... reep, meet you in southern ohio & lets go |
