I’m in North Carolina right now, about to take a ride on the 2017 Yamaha FZ-10 – the Japanese brand’s R1-powered streetfighter that looks like it just stumbled off the set of a Michael Bay movie.
This Bumblebee lookalike is growing on me though, and it’s easily one of the top new bikes I’ve been itching to try since last year’s EICMA show debut. Thankfully, I’ll soon get that chance.
Before we get into that though, Yamaha has a bevy of high-resolution photos to share with us for our two-wheeled pleasure. These photos represent the finalized USA-spec machine, whereas previous photos you’ve likely seen on Asphalt & Rubber were either of the European-spec Yamaha MT-10, or the non-finalized FZ-10.
The differences between the motorcycles are subtle, but we didn’t need much of an excuse to share the photos with you. No doubt, more than a few readers will find their future computer desktop picture in the files below.
For a refresher, the Yamaha FZ-10 is the re-worked street bike version of Yamaha’s current track weapon, the YZF-R1. It uses the current generation R1 engine and chassis, though makes a modest 160hp in its retuned form.
At 463 lbs fully fueled and ready to ride, the FZ-10 looks good on paper, though I will be curious to see what compromises the folks in Iwata had to make in order to get the 2017 Yamaha FZ-10 to meet the $13,000 price point.
We already know that the electronics package isn’t quite as robust on the Yamaha YZF-R1, but the real measure will be how the bike handles on the road, especially during “spirited” riding.
Thankfully, we’re at the Tail of the Dragon to find the answer to that very question. So, stay tuned.
Source: Yamaha USA
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