Yamaha Fzr400

YAMAHA FZR400

RIDING IMPRESSION

For the right rider, the best-handling streetbike in the world

HARD AS A GEM AND DUCTILE AS A REED, THE JAPAnese katana, the samurai sword, was for centuries a product that couldn’t be duplicated in the West. No wonder that when Suzuki needed a name for a hard-edged sportbike, it chose Katana. Unfortunately, though, the name may have been used too soon. While that Suzuki GS1100S may have been sharp, Yamaha’s FZR400, a bike honed to a razor’s edge, would better bear the sword’s name. The FZR redefines the term “racer-replica”; it is simply a racebike, with a few concessions for street use. Its engine is the latest member of the “Genesis” family, with cylinders inclined 45 degrees forward, and the straightest intake ports in motorcycling. Like its FZ750 cousin, the 400 uses downdraft carburetors; unlike the 750, it has but four valves per cylinder.

But the engine technology isn’t the heart of the FZR; the core of this machine is its chassis. The frame design is what Yamaha calls “Deltabox”: Twin side beams reach down from the steering head to securely lock the swingarm pivot in its place. These beams are fabricated from stamped and welded aluminum sheet, about .060inch thick, and make up the closest thing to a monocoque chassis in production-line motorcycles. Even four years ago, this very frame would have been a welcome addition to a 500cc GP machine. And its 24 degrees of rake and 3.5 inches of trail closely follow GP practice, as do its low-profile radial tires. On the road, the FZR is as mechanical and harsh as any racebike. Its shifter is short-throw and high-effort; its clutch pull would be considered stiff on a 750, yet alone a 400. The suspension is sprung stiffly and, combined with the short-sidewall radiais, transmits every detail of the road surface through the seat. Highfrequency vibration courses through the bars and seat.

YAMAHA FZR400

Price(in Japan) .... about $4400

Engine type......liquid-cooled

four-stroke inline-Four

Displacement..........399cc

Claimed horsepower ... 59 bhp

@12,000 rpm

Bore x stroke ... 56.0 x 40.5mm

Gearbox speeds............6

Wheelbase...........55.1 in.

Rake/trail .........24°/3.5 in.

Claimed dry weight..... 346 lb.

1/4-mile performance 12.94 sec.

@ 102.66 mph

But also like a racebike is the performance. Up to 7500 rpm, the engine is gutless. Then the first powerband hits, and the FZR pulls well to 10,000. Then the second, super-powerband emerges, and the FZR wails hard up to its 14,000-rpm redline—and 1000 rpm beyond.

The FZR’s handling more than matches its racing wail. The bike feels like a cross between the quickand positive-steering FZ600 and the Ducati Paso. This is a machine with exceptional stability that will change direction at its rider’s thought. Leaned over in a corner, it will take a new line instantly, easily; it can be driven anywhere its rider desires. Braking performance is similarly exceptional. A two-finger effort will pick the back wheel off the ground at 60 mph, with no hint of wheellocking, the result of high-leverage brakes and the sticky, ground-gripping front tire.

Unfortunately, like a GP racer, the FZR isn’t for everyone. It won’t do anything its rider doesn’t ask, but it will do things he doesn’t realize he has requested. Ride the FZR with a death-grip on the bars, or without ease and confidence, and the bike will react to your every hiccup. It is an easy machine to overcontrol, and perhaps should bear the label: For experts only.

Even for those experts, the FZR is happiest on backroads or racing circuits. Like a katana, this bike has an edge that has been honed so fine that it doesn’t fit well in the everyday world. The FZR wails for its racetrack battlefield, its first and only true home.