Thanks for letting me know the location. Would love to check it out if I make it back to the USA. You are lucky if this road is near you! The road surface looks superb. That bike sounds lovely, very much like the Street Triple. The perfect soundtrack to these sweeping bends. I need a warmish day to go and test ride one here in England.
Thanks. The road isn't local to me personally, but I have plenty of other good ones that are. The FZ-09 and Street Triple are obviously similar, but the Street Triple (brilliant though it is) isn't really a competitor per se as the FZ is much larger capacity and waaaay more powerful. An an ex-pat Brit I can tell you the FZ is the perfect motorcycle for English roads... If you or any other of our International readers make it out to So. Cal be sure to drop us a note--we'll show you some of the best roads in the world.
My 2010 STR has a 2T larger rear sprocket, QuickShifter, Arrow 3-1, Ohlins shock and KyleUsa linear linkage for solo rider, Shorai battery, and weighs 390 lbs gassed up putting around 100 hp to the rear wheel. The Yamaha has a sweet engine but the upright riding position, so-so suspension, and longer wheelbase means it is going to be a handful on high-speed real-world bumpy corners. If I bought one I would quickly be spending a few grand on a lower handlebar and suspension upgrades cos I would end up on the rocks in no time on the roads around here lol. Interestingly the Yamaha 850 was only 3 mph faster in the quarter than the Triumph 675 (which has a tall 1st gear this year) in Cycle World's comparison.
Arthur Coldwells Thanks for the invite Arthur. I have mates near LA and have been up the Pacific Highway from LA to SF but only in a hire car... still amazing though! I have visited the forest near this road where there are giant Sequoia trees and would love to see more of Northern California. I tend to take the backroads here in Blighty as the main ones are really busy so reckon the Yam would be ideal. I had a TDM 900 which I loved and would love to see Yamaha use this engine in a TDM style bike.
That's great man ... You will love the bike. My recommend is buy it and put some mileage on it first, then you'll be able to make good decision(s) on customizing. Truth is, motorcycles are so frikkin personal and we all ride with slightly different preferences, that it would be insanity for me to recommend changes to any bike without knowing the kind of roads you ride on, and how hard you ride them. As already mentioned, the suspension is potentially a little soft if you're a fast road rider and track day guy. But I rode this thing hard over two days and frankly it was fine; it was just that I could imagine some circumstances where it might not be. The Rizoma stuff is also highly personal... But it's beautifully made gear and so a few little touches here and there will put your imprimatur on the bike and make it extra special. Truth is, you might buy the bike, ride it, and say 'WTF is that wanker talking about... this bike is awesome and I won't change anything'. So buy a set of Q3s, thrash the nuts off it for a month, and then come back to me and ask what I'd recommend. Good luck my friend, I'll look forward to hearing your report!
BTW ... For those who want to know here's the link to the FZ/MT-09 section on the Rizoma website. Believe me, this stuff is pukka: www.rizoma.com/street/yamaha/yamaha-mt-09-mt-09-2013/en Arthur Coldwells
@gwayner ... You are correct; good observations. The weak point of the FZ is undoubtedly the suspension. It works great around town as it's pretty soft; in this video the suspension was cranked to its maximum at both ends, which is a pretty radical move for fast street riding. On the track you'd just wallow your way round, so at the very least a decent shock and some tweaking to the fork would be in order. The upright riding position is again, brilliant around town, but for fast roads I actually prefer the now deceased FZ-8's riding position which worked fabulous. But that's just me--and apparently you as well. This is a bit subjective though and very much personal choice.
Good question... They are very similar bikes. Except for the price! The FZ is $8k, the Ducati is literally half as much again at $12k. There's an awful lot of customizing you can do to the FZ for four thousand dollars. They are very similar in weight and power, but of course the Ducati has the Italian charisma and build quality. The surprising thing about the FZ is how well made it is for the price, so if you're not affected by brand loyalty I'd say buy the FZ and spend a couple grand with Ohlins and Rizoma; you won't be disappointed.
@peaveyt15 Right on! However, the suspension only needs work if you're a fast track day regular or are a big guy and you carry lots of luggage. But let's be honest here for a minute... Most of us simply aren't that fast or demanding. I rode the bike hard (for me) for two days across all kinds of roads. I didn't find the suspension lacking and neither will 98% of people who buy this bike. Other press outlets who criticize the suspension are either projecting what they think they might do, or are track day regulars; most of my journo buddies are shocking fast so of course they'd find the suspension down a bit, but real world guys--no way. The truly amazing thing here is that Yamaha have broken through the 'you get what you pay for' paradigm. For the price, this bike should have a cheapie look and feel to it. But it absolutely does not. Aluminum pieces everywhere; tapered bars, excellent radial brakes, and suspension with at least rebound adjustment to it. The paint looks good and in short, the build quality is waaaay beyond what it should be. No bike is perfect of course, but holy smoke Yamaha have done an incredible job with this bike and I cannot imagine any buyer being disappointed. FFS it's a GRAND cheaper than the FZ8 it replaces!!!
@Ben Seiijo ... I wouldn't go so far to say the suspension is a 'downfall' cos there are a ton of owners who would ask me WTF if I said that. However... The suspension is softly sprung and there's no compression damping adjustment, so in fast bumpy corners, the bike will wallow. But on urban roads or tight twisties, especially if the road surface is bad, the suspension will swallow all the bumps and yet the bike will handle just fine. You can see from this video--on a smooth road--the FZ is great; no problems at all. But if you go to the track or ride hard on fast roads that have bumps, the suspension will be left a little lacking. But 'downfall'? No. This bike is every bit as good as you think it is.
Tancomtex1 -- don't know top speed, never got there. I had heard from an owner it was electronically limited to 130 mph but that's just hearsay. Maybe an owner on here can let us know. I gotta say though, the riding position is so upright that 130 would be tough to hang on for more than a few seconds anyway, so it would be pointless if the bike was any faster, we'd never use it.
More or less. There's a lot of help in the aftermarket. Toss on a 3-way rear shock and fork cartridges with the proper spring rates, maybe some steel braided brake lines and aggressive pads, and it should be golden. For less than a certain performance British bike cost.
I'm sure the fz09 has a higher top speed then say a 2013 Yamaha fz6r. My friends indicates 137mph to 140mph @wot in full tuck. Same goes for naked bike just tuck in elbows to knees chin on the tank
Good question Luis! I can't answer for sure without asking him, but it's likely because he's a dirt bike guy (good rider) and that tends to create a different technique. In general, dirt guys deal with slower speeds overall and so they tend to enter a corner slow, turn the bike very quickly, get it upright, and then accelerate hard. Street bike guys tend to carry more corner speed as they're used to leaning the bike over for longer. So I suspect what he's doing is feeling like he's entering the corner too fast and therefore staying on the brakes longer; if you watch, his lines aren't great and he's kinda a point and shoot guy. But in general, it's fine to continue braking into a corner, but you need to have a decent level of expertise to do it--which is probably why you've been told not to--because a tire's grip decreases the more the bike leans over (duh) ... So if you're trail braking into a corner, the further you lean over the less grip the tire has, and the more likely you are to lose it. If you look at stills of Marc Marquez (et al) you'll see plainly that he's braking like crazy and yet still able to turn the bike in... That's skills right there my friend! The key with trail braking is that you brake hard while upright, and then as you turn in, you gradually ease off the brake to match the tire's decreasing level of grip. Way easier said that's done if you're on the limit. Fortunately on the street, 99% of the time you'll be well within the tire's grip envelope, and so if you're in a little hot you'll get away with trail braking while turning, but don't rely on that--emergencies only! The rule to remember on the street is 'slow in, fast out' ... In other words, get your braking and gear changing over and done with before you turn in, then as you pass the apex (and can see the road ahead) accelerate gradually and smoothly through the exit of the corner. As the bike comes upright, you can match it and get harder into the throttle. So the short answer is, yes you can trail brake into corners, but be careful--if you go in too hot and turn in too quickly, you might lose the front, or you might get away with it. I have done both (ugh!). But the golden rule is be smooth--smooth is fastest. Good luck, and go visit a track school, they'll show you how it's done properly.
+Luis Hurtado he's trailbraking. if you have throttle still applied, and you dab a bit of brakes WITHOUT releasing the throttle your line gets tighter. Some riders use it to control their turn radius.
that is dangerous and i´m not talking about the riding! the road doesn´t have any lateral protections or if it has are very few!!! Considers that if you crash you can fall by the ravine!!!
I think this review really sums up this bike and explains the suspension adjustments very well.
2014 Yamaha FZ-09 Full Review and V-Log
This must be on a weekday. I've never seen it this clear with traffic. Lol. Great video!
Absolutely awesome video and amazingly beautiful twisty road!! I want a fz-09 so bad
Great video, great sound quality! The coastal roads are awesome too!
And by the way the bike is not bad either ;-)
Thanks for sharing!
@JPSV ...thanks for the compliment...Made my day! It was in Nor California on Highway 1 near Mt Tamalpais. Great road!
Thanks for letting me know the location. Would love to check it out if I make it back to the USA. You are lucky if this road is near you! The road surface looks superb. That bike sounds lovely, very much like the Street Triple. The perfect soundtrack to these sweeping bends. I need a warmish day to go and test ride one here in England.
Thanks. The road isn't local to me personally, but I have plenty of other good ones that are.
The FZ-09 and Street Triple are obviously similar, but the Street Triple (brilliant though it is) isn't really a competitor per se as the FZ is much larger capacity and waaaay more powerful. An an ex-pat Brit I can tell you the FZ is the perfect motorcycle for English roads...
If you or any other of our International readers make it out to So. Cal be sure to drop us a note--we'll show you some of the best roads in the world.
My 2010 STR has a 2T larger rear sprocket, QuickShifter, Arrow 3-1, Ohlins shock and KyleUsa linear linkage for solo rider, Shorai battery, and weighs 390 lbs gassed up putting around 100 hp to the rear wheel. The Yamaha has a sweet engine but the upright riding position, so-so suspension, and longer wheelbase means it is going to be a handful on high-speed real-world bumpy corners. If I bought one I would quickly be spending a few grand on a lower handlebar and suspension upgrades cos I would end up on the rocks in no time on the roads around here lol. Interestingly the Yamaha 850 was only 3 mph faster in the quarter than the Triumph 675 (which has a tall 1st gear this year) in Cycle World's comparison.
Arthur Coldwells Thanks for the invite Arthur. I have mates near LA and have been up the Pacific Highway from LA to SF but only in a hire car... still amazing though! I have visited the forest near this road where there are giant Sequoia trees and would love to see more of Northern California. I tend to take the backroads here in Blighty as the main ones are really busy so reckon the Yam would be ideal. I had a TDM 900 which I loved and would love to see Yamaha use this engine in a TDM style bike.
That's great man ... You will love the bike. My recommend is buy it and put some mileage on it first, then you'll be able to make good decision(s) on customizing. Truth is, motorcycles are so frikkin personal and we all ride with slightly different preferences, that it would be insanity for me to recommend changes to any bike without knowing the kind of roads you ride on, and how hard you ride them. As already mentioned, the suspension is potentially a little soft if you're a fast road rider and track day guy. But I rode this thing hard over two days and frankly it was fine; it was just that I could imagine some circumstances where it might not be. The Rizoma stuff is also highly personal... But it's beautifully made gear and so a few little touches here and there will put your imprimatur on the bike and make it extra special. Truth is, you might buy the bike, ride it, and say 'WTF is that wanker talking about... this bike is awesome and I won't change anything'. So buy a set of Q3s, thrash the nuts off it for a month, and then come back to me and ask what I'd recommend. Good luck my friend, I'll look forward to hearing your report!
Looks like a fun road. Would love to slice it up.
Mount Tam and the hottest bike of the year. Gotta love it
BTW ... For those who want to know here's the link to the FZ/MT-09 section on the Rizoma website.
Believe me, this stuff is pukka:
www.rizoma.com/street/yamaha/yamaha-mt-09-mt-09-2013/en
Arthur Coldwells
@gwayner ... You are correct; good observations. The weak point of the FZ is undoubtedly the suspension. It works great around town as it's pretty soft; in this video the suspension was cranked to its maximum at both ends, which is a pretty radical move for fast street riding. On the track you'd just wallow your way round, so at the very least a decent shock and some tweaking to the fork would be in order.
The upright riding position is again, brilliant around town, but for fast roads I actually prefer the now deceased FZ-8's riding position which worked fabulous. But that's just me--and apparently you as well. This is a bit subjective though and very much personal choice.
awesome bike, heaps of torque
65 torque isn't heaps, but it's found everywhere. 90 ft-lb at the wheel is more "heaply".
Good question... They are very similar bikes. Except for the price! The FZ is $8k, the Ducati is literally half as much again at $12k. There's an awful lot of customizing you can do to the FZ for four thousand dollars. They are very similar in weight and power, but of course the Ducati has the Italian charisma and build quality. The surprising thing about the FZ is how well made it is for the price, so if you're not affected by brand loyalty I'd say buy the FZ and spend a couple grand with Ohlins and Rizoma; you won't be disappointed.
@peaveyt15 Right on! However, the suspension only needs work if you're a fast track day regular or are a big guy and you carry lots of luggage. But let's be honest here for a minute... Most of us simply aren't that fast or demanding. I rode the bike hard (for me) for two days across all kinds of roads. I didn't find the suspension lacking and neither will 98% of people who buy this bike. Other press outlets who criticize the suspension are either projecting what they think they might do, or are track day regulars; most of my journo buddies are shocking fast so of course they'd find the suspension down a bit, but real world guys--no way.
The truly amazing thing here is that Yamaha have broken through the 'you get what you pay for' paradigm. For the price, this bike should have a cheapie look and feel to it. But it absolutely does not. Aluminum pieces everywhere; tapered bars, excellent radial brakes, and suspension with at least rebound adjustment to it. The paint looks good and in short, the build quality is waaaay beyond what it should be. No bike is perfect of course, but holy smoke Yamaha have done an incredible job with this bike and I cannot imagine any buyer being disappointed. FFS it's a GRAND cheaper than the FZ8 it replaces!!!
Not only a grand cheaper that the FZ8 but in the city where I live I can get it 3 GRAND LESS than a street triple r :)
Thumbs up for nothing but road music to open.
Great riding dude. 2:36 was close though. LOL. I'm thinking about trading in my Hypermotard1100 for this.
@Ben Seiijo ... I wouldn't go so far to say the suspension is a 'downfall' cos there are a ton of owners who would ask me WTF if I said that. However... The suspension is softly sprung and there's no compression damping adjustment, so in fast bumpy corners, the bike will wallow. But on urban roads or tight twisties, especially if the road surface is bad, the suspension will swallow all the bumps and yet the bike will handle just fine. You can see from this video--on a smooth road--the FZ is great; no problems at all. But if you go to the track or ride hard on fast roads that have bumps, the suspension will be left a little lacking. But 'downfall'? No. This bike is every bit as good as you think it is.
wow, in A mode... I normally use B mode in the canyons to take some of the edge off the snappiness...
nice road
Wow, nice riding on a fabulous road. Where is this?
Nice!
the suspension does need work, but this bike is also VERY affordable. In my city its over $3000 less than a triumph street triple R.
Love the part where the sign says 35 and he hits 70 right after. Speed limits are often absurdly low on many roads out here.
Not to mention they are set based on a 1975 road yacht with zero handling and braking performance.
It's LCD government.
Lowest common denominator, and it's pretty low.
But when it comes to a traffic stop, it's the HPD government.
Highest Possible Dollar.
Tancomtex1 -- don't know top speed, never got there. I had heard from an owner it was electronically limited to 130 mph but that's just hearsay. Maybe an owner on here can let us know. I gotta say though, the riding position is so upright that 130 would be tough to hang on for more than a few seconds anyway, so it would be pointless if the bike was any faster, we'd never use it.
Ultimate MotorCycling Top speed is 133mph. Taken it that fast 5 times, governor doesn't allow more.
So they only down fall of this beauty is the suspension ?
More or less. There's a lot of help in the aftermarket. Toss on a 3-way rear shock and fork cartridges with the proper spring rates, maybe some steel braided brake lines and aggressive pads, and it should be golden. For less than a certain performance British bike cost.
FZ-9' la yapabileceğin en güzel yolculuk.
top speed ?
I'm sure the fz09 has a higher top speed then say a 2013 Yamaha fz6r. My friends indicates 137mph to 140mph @wot in full tuck. Same goes for naked bike just tuck in elbows to knees chin on the tank
599cc (75 hp) vs. 847cc (115 hp). It should. Restricted to 130+ and ecu-derestricted over 150.
Why is the guy in front breaking while turning? I was taught that you never, ever do that.
Knowing how to properly brake in corners is a very useful skill to have in your repertoire.
Good question Luis! I can't answer for sure without asking him, but it's likely because he's a dirt bike guy (good rider) and that tends to create a different technique. In general, dirt guys deal with slower speeds overall and so they tend to enter a corner slow, turn the bike very quickly, get it upright, and then accelerate hard. Street bike guys tend to carry more corner speed as they're used to leaning the bike over for longer. So I suspect what he's doing is feeling like he's entering the corner too fast and therefore staying on the brakes longer; if you watch, his lines aren't great and he's kinda a point and shoot guy.
But in general, it's fine to continue braking into a corner, but you need to have a decent level of expertise to do it--which is probably why you've been told not to--because a tire's grip decreases the more the bike leans over (duh) ... So if you're trail braking into a corner, the further you lean over the less grip the tire has, and the more likely you are to lose it. If you look at stills of Marc Marquez (et al) you'll see plainly that he's braking like crazy and yet still able to turn the bike in... That's skills right there my friend! The key with trail braking is that you brake hard while upright, and then as you turn in, you gradually ease off the brake to match the tire's decreasing level of grip. Way easier said that's done if you're on the limit. Fortunately on the street, 99% of the time you'll be well within the tire's grip envelope, and so if you're in a little hot you'll get away with trail braking while turning, but don't rely on that--emergencies only!
The rule to remember on the street is 'slow in, fast out' ... In other words, get your braking and gear changing over and done with before you turn in, then as you pass the apex (and can see the road ahead) accelerate gradually and smoothly through the exit of the corner. As the bike comes upright, you can match it and get harder into the throttle.
So the short answer is, yes you can trail brake into corners, but be careful--if you go in too hot and turn in too quickly, you might lose the front, or you might get away with it. I have done both (ugh!). But the golden rule is be smooth--smooth is fastest. Good luck, and go visit a track school, they'll show you how it's done properly.
XenoformII Its fine just mainly use your rear brake,not the front and slow and steady, don't clamp it all at once. Very easy to lock it up and skid.
Luis Hurtado it depends. sometime you can. The rear stopping is not sensitive enough. but you got your point.
+Luis Hurtado he's trailbraking. if you have throttle still applied, and you dab a bit of brakes WITHOUT releasing the throttle your line gets tighter. Some riders use it to control their turn radius.
that is dangerous and i´m not talking about the riding! the road doesn´t have any lateral protections or if it has are very few!!! Considers that if you crash you can fall by the ravine!!!
so great curves and those guys (especially the leading one) cant take a clean turn...