2017 Yamaha FZ-09 Video Review
Making converts out of skeptics
Since its initial release, the Yamaha FZ-09 has garnered praise for having tremendous bang-for-the-buck. In fact, MO readers named it Reader’s Choice Best Value Bike Of 2015. However, there were still some heretics that felt the grunty Triple didn’t quite live up to its potential. The common refrain was, “Why on earth should an owner need to flash the EFI and upgrade the suspension to get a bike that performs like it should out of the box?”
Since I was one of those who thought the FZ-09 should deliver more than it did, E-i-C Duke tapped me to attend the introduction of the 2017 Yamaha FZ-09 in the local mountains around Malibu. The thought was that, if one of the deniers could be converted, Yamaha must have exorcised the FZ-09’s evils. The prescription was straightforward. The EFI received fuel and ignition maps from the XSR900 and FJ-09. Additionally, the fork gained fully adjustable components – plus 83% more compression damping for greater front-end control.
After sampling those well-placed modifications, I have to admit that I’m now a convert to the FZ-09 fold. Take a look at the video to learn all the details.
Like most of the best happenings in his life, Evans stumbled into his motojournalism career. While on his way to a planned life in academia, he applied for a job at a motorcycle magazine, thinking he’d get the opportunity to write some freelance articles. Instead, he was offered a full-time job in which he discovered he could actually get paid to ride other people’s motorcycles – and he’s never looked back. Over the 25 years he’s been in the motorcycle industry, Evans has written two books, 101 Sportbike Performance Projects and How to Modify Your Metric Cruiser, and has ridden just about every production motorcycle manufactured. Evans has a deep love of motorcycles and believes they are a force for good in the world.
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Yamaha already has LED turn signals DOT approved on other bikes. How much could it possibly add to the cost to put them on??? The 1995 holdovers really detract from the bike....
Is it me or does Evans say in the video that the EFI map comes from the FJ-09? If that's the case, and if that's the same EFI from 2015, problems are definitely still there.