YAMAHA “FZ-X” Affordable Version of XSR155? | Test Ride Report

The FZ-X is a 150cc class distance motorcycle launched by YAMAHA and manufactured in India. It is regarded as the new classical version of the FZ-S, and in terms of positioning, it is equivalent to the XSR in the MT series.

What's more surprising is the price, the standard FZ-X is available in India for Rs. 116,800 (approx. PHP 80,814.00) and the optional Y-Connect for Rs. 119,800 (approx. PHP 82,890.00).

But is it really possible to ride such a cheap motorcycle on the highways of Japan? Here is a test ride report from the former editorial director of a motorcycle magazine whose main target audience is novice motorcyclists, Yoshihisa Tanida.

The shape of the XSR little brother

[Full length/Full width/Full height]
2,020mm/785mm/1,115mm
[Vehicle weight]
139kg
[Wheelbase]
1,330mm
[Minimum height above ground]
165mm

Although the name is FZ, the small round single-eye headlight and the horizontal striped cushion are the so-called "Neo Retro" neoclassical model. The shape of the motorcycle is based on the design of the old XSR series sold in Japan. Its body is perfectly suited to the Indian market, which likes large motorcycles, and although the displacement is only 149cc, the motorcycle has a lot of weight and feels like a 250cc class motorcycle.

The "straight back" posture common in India

[Cushion Height]

The seat height of 810mm is considered standard, but because the seat is a bit wide, it does not have as good foot contact as the numbers suggest. However, after all, it is a 150cc motorcycle, even if it is a bit big, after the author with a height of 172cm straddles it, the heel will only be slightly suspended. In terms of riding posture, in addition to the straight-back upper body, the pedal setting of this motorcycle is also slightly forward.

Details Dashboard & Lamps

Lamps

Turn off the headlights

Turn on the DRL daytime running lights

Turn on the headlights

Turn off the taillights

During braking

Dashboard

Display items
Speedometer/engine speed/remaining fuel/time/total mileage/single mileage x 2

Although the headlights are LED fisheye type, the most popular daytime running lights (DRL) are added outside the round headlights. The dashboard uses a digital high-contrast LCD screen, and the fuel gauge can also display the time, which is perfectly adequate. Incidentally, the red line of RPM starts from 8500rpm.

Riding performance

Engine

FZ-X is equipped with a 149cc air-cooled OHC 2-valve single-cylinder engine with a maximum horsepower of 9.1kW/7,250rpm, maximum torque 13.3Nm/5,500rpm with a bore-to-stroke ratio of 57.3×57.9mm, compression ratio is 9.6. It is barely a long trip, so you can enjoy the acceleration with a sense of agitation; although it is not a high-revving engine, it is more than enough for the FZ-X whether it is street riding or cruising on the highway.

Grip

Because of the straight back riding position, the handlebar is designed high, and the 22.2mm mini handlebar is made of steel. The width of 785mm is relatively wide for a motorcycle of this size.

Chassis device

Front Wheel: 100/80-17
Rear Wheel: 140/60R-17

The fork with vintage style fork dust cover is a classic upright fork with 41mm inner tube diameter, and the rear shock is a 7-step preloadable mid-mounted single-shot rear shock. Although in the Scrambler style, the tires with a distinctive block pattern are standard, with MRF's MOGRIP METEOR at the front and MRF's tires at the rear, but with radial ply REVZ. The reason for using radial ply tires on the rear wheel, just like Southeast Asian motorcycles, is not to enhance the sport riding performance, but to consider the problem of double loading and carrying luggage.

Brake device

Front Wheel Brake: BYBRE One-Way Dual Piston/φ282mm single disc
Rear Wheel Brake: NISSIN One-Way One-Piston/φ220mm single disc

The braking system is BYBRE for the front wheel and NISSIN for the rear wheel, so the braking effect is completely adequate. It is also equipped with ABS system, which can prevent the rider from falling because of the braking operation error while riding.

Rocker & Chain

The chain uses a 428 DID oil-free chain, and the rocker arm is a steel square rocker arm. The fenders and chain guards that prevent foreign objects from being involved are directly hidden. It is common for Indian motorcycles to see their positions. the design of. In terms of chainrings, the front wheel has 14 teeth and the rear wheel has 41 teeth.

Seat Cushion

A wide seat cushion that is very comfortable for the rider and rear seat passengers to sit on. The surface of the seat cushion is designed with horizontal stripes, and because of the height difference, it is not easy for the rider or the rear seat passenger to sit and slide forward.

Exhaust pipe

The huge motorcycle body is matched with a muffler pipe that can play a rough exhaust sound that matches it. The exhaust sound wave does not make people feel noisy at all, which is a very good sound quality for a Fun bike.

Pedals

The most distinctive place should be the pedals that are positioned slightly forward. It feels that the width of the upper shift pedal is a little narrow.

Usability of details

Tank

Fuel tank capacity: 10L

Like the XSR series, there is a color block design in the middle of the fuel tank, the fuel tank cap slightly closer to the right is a hingeless design, and the main lock switch is set in front of the fuel tank.

Center Stand

Although the chain is sealed without oil, it is necessary to use the center stand when lubricating and adjusting the chain, and incidentally, the side stand is also easy to kick off.

Lower Guard

Although it adopts the popular Scrambler style, it is also equipped with a lower guard. However, the steel lower guard plate with a thickness of only 1mm is used, which feels more like a decoration.

Usability of the space under the cushion

On the back of the seat cushion are a hexagonal wrench, a screwdriver, and two hooks on the left and right that can be used to hang the D-buckle of the helmet. As for the seat cushion, there is no extra space under the seat, except for a light raincoat in the front.

Accessory Socket

A 12V socket is set under the instrument panel. Compared with the cute tuning fork symbol in the upper right corner, the left side is the reset button of the instrument panel.

Steel Front Dust Cover

The Indian catalog emphasizes the use of a "vintage style fork dust cover", and the use of a steel front dirt cover is very similar to the XSR.

Rear Armrest

The sturdy rear armrest is very useful for tying ropes when carrying luggage, and the bottom right lock is used to open the seat cushion.

Pedals

The rear seat pedal is equipped with a heel protection device (also a hook), and India attaches great importance to whether the motorcycle can be used for pillion riding and luggage.

Saree Shield

The left side of the motorcycle is equipped with a saree shield. Saree is a traditional Indian women's clothing, because the skirt is long plus are sitting on the side, so in order to prevent clothes rolled into the left side of the motorcycle with a protective cover, this saree protective cover can also prevent the side saddlebags rolled into.

Handlebar Switch

[Right] Start Switch/Stop Switch
[Left] Headlight Switch/Overtaking Lights/Turn signal/Horn/DRL

There is an on/off key for daytime running lights DRL on the left handlebar, you can choose to only turn on the daytime running lights or turn on the LED headlights

Capable of navigating the highway? Actual test ride report

The huge body is equal to the importance of stability, and it is not easy to feel tired when riding!

First of all, the most impressive thing about this motorcycle is its riding position. Although the shape is biased towards the neo-classical style of the XSR series, the handlebars of a certain width and the pedals adjusted forward make the riding posture of this motorcycle very personal.

If you want to ask which motorcycle it is similar to, the motorcycles that I will think of are Royal Enfield and HONDA's GB350. Yes, they are all motorcycles with roots in India. What the Indian market likes is some motorcycles with oversized bodies and straddling, so that the upper body of the rider becomes straight and the riding posture looks very imposing and dignified. Different markets have different preferences, and this kind of place with a little exotic flavor is quite interesting.

After the actual test ride, I was surprised by the performance of the FZ-X, which was even stronger and more powerful than expected. Although it has a displacement of 149cc, it doesn't feel like it's going to be any better because of its large size, but it actually has a very good start, and it can easily beat a motorcycle in the acceleration sprint when the light turns green.

What impresses me most is the sprinting feeling accompanied by the agitation of the engine. Whether it is starting or cruising, I can clearly feel that this motorcycle is not a cheap commercial vehicle, but a motorcycle built to provide riders with "Fun Ride" fun.

It is capable of cruising at up to 5 speeds of 100km/h on the highway, and because it has some weight to it, it feels very stable and the rider can cruise on the highway with ease.

If you want to ride at top speed all the time, you will have the usual problem with air-cooled engines - they don't hold up very well, but if you ride at 80-100km/h, it won't put too much strain on the engine and you can feel like you can keep riding. At least it doesn't make people feel uneasy when moving in the lineup.

Although the author has also tried mountain riding, but at this time its performance is very ordinary, after all, the straight-back riding position is not suitable for sports riding. But in terms of climbing ability, even if it is a very steep slope, you can ride it steadily as long as you first drop the transmission to 2nd gear.

When going downhill, I tried the brakes to the extent that the ABS system would intervene. However, the results of the test will not make people feel afraid to ride; whether it is the engine or the body, there are such In fact, you can generally enjoy the ride.

Summary

In terms of performance, it is more than capable of being used as an everyday vehicle for commuting to and from work, and it can also be ridden on the highway in Japan, so it is possible to go out on occasional vacations. In addition, it's a relatively large motorcycle for its displacement class, so it doesn't get tired easily on long rides, and it's perfectly capable of being ridden for long-distance trips.

In addition, because of its large body, it is quite stable and does not get tired easily even after a long double load. With all these advantages, the price is a great deal!

"Webike Taiwan" Editorial Department-Report by JIMMY