Yamaha Announces FZ-10 For US Market

It's a pattern that's been going on in the automotive and motorcycle industry for years and it frustrates a lot of enthusiasts. I'm talking about the act of releasing a new vehicle model to only certain regions or markets. This can be done for several reasons such as country or government restrictions/regulations, taxes/fees, market demand, or manufacturers wanting to test public response etc. Last year this happened when Yamaha announced the new MT-10 to the European markets but didn't release a US version-until now. Just a few days ago Yamaha revealed that we will get the US version, the FZ-10, and we will get to see it really soon as they are expected to start arriving in dealerships by the end of June 2016.

The new FZ-10 is the rebellious fraternal twin to the more sophisticated Yamaha YZF R1. They come from the same womb and share much of the same DNA but looks and performance-wise are rather different-most noticeably the FZ-10 wears way less clothes and falls into the naked bike category. The FZ-10 features the R1's 998cc crossplane crankshaft inline-four engine, however the hi-po, track-oriented engine has been retuned and features a change of internals to help lower cost (the R1 engine features magnesium and titanium bits). As opposed to the R1, the mill in the FZ-10 delivers more in the low-end and puts out a claimed 158hp. The aluminum Deltabox frame is the same as the R1 however the FZ has a different subframe to help with a more relaxed riding position.

Suspension for the FZ-10 comes by way of a fully-adjustable inverted KYB front fork and a four-way-adjustable, linkage-type, KYB single rear shock. The FZ- is loaded with electronics to deliver a custom tailored ride and safety. There's Yamaha's Chip-Controlled Throttle (YCC-T), cruise control, and D-mode which offers three riding modes that can be selected with the flick of a switch. There's also a Traction Control System (TCS) that assists the rider in managing traction on various road conditions by quickly modulating throttle opening, ignition timing, fuel volume and other parameters.

While the new FZ-10 may deliver a highly spirited ride and be the ultimate street bike for wreaking havoc across the highways, avenues, and canyons (I am talking burnouts and wheelies), the angular lines and extremely robotic looking LED headlights, and mini cowl may be pretty polarizing for some. Some have commented that it looks like a Transformer, I on the other hand am reminded of ol' Johnny Five from Short Circuit-I'm just waiting for one of those wings on the front cowl to twitch like an eyebrow. One thing is for sure, no matter where you ride with this bike you'll definitely stand out and stand up (I am talking about wheelies again).

The FZ-10 falls at the top of the FZ bloodline amongst its smaller siblings the FZ-07 and FZ-09. What many may like about the new FZ-10 is that they can enjoy much of the similarities of Yamaha's R1 Superbike without paying the price tag, the FZ-10 has an MSRP starting at $12,999. The bike will be available in Armor Gray and Matte Raven Black.