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Triump Street Triple vs. Yamaha FZ8
Motorcycle Daily has done a head-to-head comparo between the Street Triple and the new FZ8. Both are naked bikes, but that’s about the only thing they have in common, according to the MD testers. Both of them felt the FZ8 was boring, unless the poor suspension was frightening the bejeezus out of you. But that really isn’t the excitement you’re looking for in a motorcycle, is it?
Most of the FZ8′s reviews have been generally positive, so this overall thumbs down for it is a bit of a surprise.
Sad, really, because there does need to be something between the 600cc and 1000cc displacement sportbikes, with an extra dash of rider comfort. Like a GSXR-750 that doesn’t have tortuous ergos. Or a lighter VFR800 Interceptor.
The new Ninja 1000 is close, but it’d be nice to get something down in the sub-500lb range.
Another 800cc Naked Standard
2011 Yamaha FZ8
The BMW F800S is not the the only 800cc European naked standard making its way to our shores this year. Yamaha is following up with the FZ8.
The FZ8 is powered by a 779cc I-4 powerplant that puts out a reported 105HP and 61ft-lbs of torque, which is plenty peppy for an urban bike that weighs 464 lbs. The engine itself is derived from the pre-crossplane R1.
It’s nice to see the manufacturers bringing back a lot of these mid-sized commuter-capable bikes back to the US. And who knows, with oil prices on the rise again, it might be the perfect environment to do so.