Yamaha FZ16: IN-YOUR-FACE APPEAL

Brings me then to the most talked about aspect of the bike and that is its styling. Scaling down any big bike is an exercise which is fraught with danger for minimizing the proportions is an ardous task and if not attempted correctly will ruin the whole set-up. As such the top rate styling penned by GK Dynamics deserves the greatest applause because not only is the bodywork individualistic but the harmony in the flow from front to rear is maintained in a seamlessly pleasing manner. The hard points of the tank (a plastic shroud for the actual item underneath it!) along with the large side panels (crafted as pseudo-beam type frame components) run up to the exquisitely crafted tail unit replete with the stylized grab handles and that silver strip adorning the seat split is a fine detail as well.

The reason behind the plastic outer shroud for the metal fuel tank is that it was easier to craft with its array of curves and bulges to deliver that toned muscular look. The central black strip running the length of the plastic fuel tank shroud is a detail that the TVS Apache RTR has made a virtue of but on the Yamaha one can make out how effectively it has been used in conjunction with the flow into the saddle.

Yamaha's Fazer and FZ1 big-bore naked roadsters were panned (for a while) in Europe for their blatant plagiarism / dubious inspiration of the MV Agusta Brutale's naked looks, especially in the treatment of the front end. The headlight of the FZ16 continues this theme but it is now so very much a part of the overall style package that it doesn't look contrived. If anything, it sets the tone and the visual tenor for the bike the moment you feast your eyes on it. The predatory stance with its "don't-mess-with-me" look is in the devilishly delicious manner motorcyclists are prone to admire and revel in.

The FZ16 will come in three body colours at launch and while the red and the black are the most universally accepted shades, there is an all new orange hue (termed Flaming Orange in Yamaha-speak) which should set hearts aflutter. I liked this shade the minute I set eyes on it and even though I am most partial to red, this time round I fell for the orange flame. Thank the heavens that I brought my set of sunglasses to keep from being dazzled silly by this new spirited shade which makes s strong impact on the senses.

What is also very important is that if you can see from the version shown at Auto Expo, there have hardly been major changes to the overall design. Shows that the time since then was spent wisely in tweaking things in the wind tunnel, in localizing the aggregates and also in getting the build finish and quality spot on.

Adil's Observations Of The FZ16