YAMAHA FZ16: Here comes the hot stepper!

Varad More     Photography : Kunal Khadse    30 June 2009

The FZ16 changes its character into a mad, wicked hooligan once the parts go up. From a gorgeous looking motorcycle she turns into a fiery dragon waiting to unleash its power. Slot it into first gear and a little excessive throttle coupled with a full clutch dump will find you struggling to keep the front wheel down. The wheelie happy nature of the FZ16 gets a nitrous boost with the new parts as she pops up in first and second gear with extreme ease. The bigger petal disc upfront with steel braided hose means that the stoppies are a cakewalk and enough to keep this hooligan under check.

Most significant change is felt in the power delivery of the FZ as the exhaust system clearly improves the FZ?s low-end and mid-range torque. The FZ was always a great fun-to-ride bike and with the hop-ups it takes this fun factor to a newer level also making it faster than ever before. In fact, after an entire day of riding the R15 around the race-track and being totally drained, riding the modded FZ16 around the track was the best way to relax, thanks to its undemanding nature and extremely useable power delivery.

This is a step in the right direction for Yamaha India and we are thrilled that somebody has dared to explore the potent after-market bazaar. It's almost over a decade and a half that Suzuki launched a race-kit for the TVS-Suzuki Supra, taking inspiration from its racing team and its success in motocross. After that it?s directly Yamaha India which has stepped into the ring of after-market products to knock its opponents who are just as able and well-prepared but maybe still snoozing. All this movement in the Indian motorcycle industry means only one thing that we, the bikers, are sure to benefit as competition amongst the bike-makers will only bring us better and hopefully faster motorcycles.