1996 Yamaha Yzf750

1996 Yamaha YZF750

CYCLE WORLD TEST

SUPERSHOT STARTING POINT

YAMAHA, No STRANGER TO WINNING NATIONAL SUPERsport races with a trio of 600cc titles to its credit, has been strangely quiet in the 750cc class. You know it couldn't have been easy for Yamaha to sit quietly ringside as Suzuki and Kawasaki brawled over 750 supersport honors, especially for a company with numerous world grand prix and AMA Superbike titles under its belt. Yamaha will be quiet no longer. Although the YZF75OR was introduced in the U.S. a year ago, 1995 I marks Yamaha~s official entry in 750 Supersport, with ex-Suzuki man and defending class champion Toni Kipp doing the riding aboard a Vance & Hines-prc~pcd YZF.

The 1996 model is already out, its 749cc liquid-cooled inline-Four unchanged from last year. Featuring Yamaha's Genesis design, the cylin der hank is canted forward, offering improved weight distribution and straighter intake tracts. Other key features include dohc, five valves per cylinder, 38mm downdraft carburetors and 4-into-I exhaust system with Yamaha's servo-controlled EXUP valve in the collector for improved low and midrange power. For `96, a curved radiator with increased surface area and re\'i~ed fairing ducting have improved engine cooling.

Chassis revisions focus on the suspension, with the fOrk receiving new bushings and seals to reduce stiction and overall friction throughout the stroke. Oil-flow volume and direction of flow has been revised to improve compression and rebound damping characteristics. An all-new shock, built by Yamaha to Ohlins specifications, is fitted at the rear.

Our first opportunity to really wring out our `96 YZF75O was during top-speed testing, but the engine began to misfire after several seconds of flat-out running. We returned the bike to Yamaha for inspection; unfortu nately, the misfire couldn't be replicated on its in-house dyno. Another attempt at top speed in the desert resulted in the same mysterious misfire, so our YZF was exchanged for another. The replacement bike ran cleanly, posting a two-way I 50-mph average in gusty conditions.

I Next on the test agenda was the Willow Springs 2.5-mile road course and an exploration of the YZF~s full sporting potential. Because OEM tires~-cven those as good as the Yamaha's Bridgestones-are seldom up to the rigors of a full-tilt day at the track, tending to overheat and loose grip afler only a handful of hard laps. we mounted a set of ultra-premium skins. Having recently track-tested \1 ichelin's new Iii Sports at a press intro in Italy ( see Rouiuliip story in this issue), we came away impressed and eager to try the rubber on our home turf. Western Track Services (1000 Piner Rd., Suite D, Santa Rosa, (A 954U3: 707/542-9544) mounted a I 207() ZR 17 TX IS front and I () 55 ZR 17 TX25 rear on our YZF.

Up to speed. we soon realized that traction was such that cornering clearance would he the limiting factor in tile YLF' s maximum cornering speed. The leading edge of the exhaust canister tou ched down several times each lap in tile right-hand corners,

with the sidestand doing likewise in lefts. Grounding of either side produced far more sparks than anxious moments i~ thc bikc n1aintain(~d it~ composure only mildly w~ ing when tossed olito the pipe.

Last year's YZF75() had a tendency to shake its head while driving hard off a few of Willow's bumpier corners. While we experienced only a hint of this exiting Turn 2 and crestin~ Turn 6 on the `96 bike, it should be noted that the track has been entirely resurfaced and is much smoother than it was a year lL~O. A lew pave ment ripples and rough sections arc still present. though, and provided an ample challenge for the YZF's revised suspension.

Setting the cornpression damping on the KYB fork Si.\ clicks out from full hard deliveied excel lent compliance over humps both large and

small without ever allowing the fork to bottom under hard braking. Reboundadjustment range is foolproof in that you won't get out of the ballpark too far by turning the clicker from one extreme to the other. We started at live clicks out from full stiff, worked our way in to maximum stiffness then back out again nine clicks. Although we didn't experience any ad verse efThcts at either extreme, we favored the quicker rebound setting in an attempt to gain back some of the cornering clear atice we gave up in pulling the fork legs up I 0mm in the clamps to quicken steering and give the bike a more planted feel at the front.

We cranked in several turns on the shock's threaded preload collar-performed with the special wrench provided in the bike's tool kit-to give us 1.0 inch of sag at the rear. The shock's rebound damping started at 10 clicks out from full stiff and ended the day set at nine. In an attempt to eliminate a pronounced weave we were experiencing in the high-speed left-to-right transition between Willow's Turn 7 and . we slowed the rebound to as much as four clicks out, hut didn't notice any improvement in stability. The convenient location of the shock reservoir and its compressiondamping adjuster knob allowed on-the-fly adjust ments-easily performed with the rider's left hand. We favored the firmer end of the adjuster's range. ending up at four clicks from full hard.

In fist and slow turns. steering is neutral. maintaining the chosen angle of lean without requiring pressure on either bar. Wearing the TX radials, the YZF's handling felt light by 750 standards. The bike tracked very well through all corners, with the exception of the weave in the ultra-fast Turn 7-8 transition. The YZF's solid stability instilled confi dence through Turn 8 as did its positive front-end feedback when running deep into Turn 9, where a great deal of load is carried by the front tire. The front also soaked up the nasty bump entering Turn 2. an area that has ruffled many other bikes while passing over it with full lean at 100 mph.

As good as the YZFs front brakes are, they could be bet ter. Although adjustable. the lever is positioned too far from the bar for the average-sized hand and there seems to be more free lever travel before the brakes begin to bite than is the norm. Just as last year, hard braking produced a bit of shudder in the front, possibly caused by pad chatter. A very firm squeeze is required for hard stopping, and while initial pad bite wasn't all that great. it makes for a more forgiving system. particularly when lightly dragging the brakes into Turn 2 and 9, where deep lean angle dictates light braking.

At its optimal suspension settings, the YZF lapped the

course in 1:29.02 while only managing 136 mph into the wind through our radar trap set up at the end of the front straight. Compared with the FZR1000 we tested two months earlier, the YZF's best Turn 1-6 split time of 48.14 seconds was 1.79 second quicker. However, time gained with the agile 750 through Willow's tighter section was surren dered in the high-speed Turn 6-1 split. Here, the YZFs best of 40.88 seeonds came up short of the FZR’s 40.14-second showing and 147-mph trap speed.

At the dragstrip, the YZF posted a best pass of 10.95 seconds at 126.54 mph. Launching the 750 was every bit as difficult as had been the case with our YZF600 test bike earlier in the year. Yamaha attributes this to the YZF’s primary drive ratio spinning the clutch much faster than what is common. The result is grabby clutch action with a very narrow band of engagement in the lever’s travel. After two hard launches, the clutch began to chatter and became even more grabby, making a difficult task of launching the bike cleanly. On the plus side, the YZF's clutch action doesn't pose any such problems for normal street use.

Our original test YZF suffered from poor carburetion under 2000 rpm. Even when fully warmed, the engine would stumble and bog from a standstill if you failed to feed a bit of clutch slip and throttle into each and every leave. Opening the idle-mixture screws one turn corrected the problem. Another glitch was a starter clutch that gave us a hit of trouble. Sometimes thumbing the start button would free-spin the starter motor without the starter clutch actually engaging and turning the engine over. It always corrected itself after a few tries, and this is the first incident of this kind we've experienced with a Yamaha testbike. Once again. the renlacement bike had no such nroblems.

For a repli-racer, the YZF makes a fairly sensible street mount. The riding position is roomy from seat to peg while the reach to the under-clamp-mounted clip-on bars isn't excessive by repli-racer standards. Shifting action is simply superb and engine smoothness rivals that of a touring rig up to about 5500 rpm, where things begin to tingle and send the message that this isn't a poker-run ride after all. The seat is flat, broad and spacious, and the windscreen is wide and tall, raising the comfort level. Mirrors offer a good, vibration free view of the flotsam in your wake.

In the interest of keeping the YZF with its rightful owner, Yamaha has fitted a new anti-theft ignition circuit and beefed-up steering lock. And the storage area beneath the passenger has been increased to accommodate a U-type lock for added nrotection.

Due to dollar-yen fluctuations, the 750's price was not available when we went to press. but Yamaha indicated it will likely come in at just over S 10,000. Bear in mind that this is an early-1996 release reflecting `96 pricing. With the `95 Suzuki GSX-R750 and Kawasaki ZX-7 offering more than a S 1500 savings, the YZF is certainly no steal on the sales floor. But let's not forget that in our last 750 class comparison (04", June, 1994) the `94-model YZF finished second only to the Ducati 888, topping all other Japanese Fours. And the fact that the YZF leads in early-season AMA Supersport Championship points, indicates that Suzuki and Kawasaki best do a little anti-theft prevention of their own if they want to stop Yamaha from walking off with the 750 title.

YAMAHA

YZF750R

$10,000

SPECIFICATIONS

EDITORS' NOTE

HEY, LET’S FACE IT, NOT SO LONG AGO paying $5000 for a 750-class sportbike seemed absurd. Nowadays, you’re doing well to roll a frontline 600 out of the showroom for under $8000. Thank the ever-upward spiral of performance/technology (and a dollar that continues to take a dump compared to the yen). And there’s no denying the fact the

YZF750R is a good bit more money than its competitors’ 750cc repli-racers-Honda’s RC45 the exception. But you also have to consider what it’s worth to own and ride what very well could be the next supersport title holder. (How’s that for putting added pressure on Yamaha racer Tom Kipp?)

My point is this. Like all bikes, the Yamaha YZF750 isn’t going to get any cheaper. Then again, since this is an earlyrelease '96 we’re talking about, it isn’t going to go up in price next year, either. So, what are you waiting for, a cost-of-living raise? -Don Canet, Road Test Editor

I'M A HOUND FOR MOTORCYCLE TECI-INOL ogy, always sniffing out state-of-the-art chassis kits, brake and suspension com ponents, riding gear and related prod ucts. I may not need-or be able to afford-the latest innovations, but I cer tainly applaud skilled and resourceful development.

So, it should come as no surprise that the YZF75O puts me in hardware heav en: twin-beam aluminum frame and braced swingarm; fully adjustable cartridge fork and remote-rcscrvoir shock; liquid cooled, 20-valve inline-Four; six-piston brake calipers and floating rotors. The to-die-for list seems never ending.

The $1OK-plus suggested retail, however, is too rich for me. For roughly half that sum, I could buy a used 600, still straighten my favorite twisties in style-and with greater comfort-and have funds left for a certain Shell-framed 250 flat-tracker ($1500, spare engine included) that I've had my eye on. -Matthew Miles, Managing Editor

ARE V~E SEEING THE OBSOLESCENCE OF the 750 repli-racer? Let's assume in 1996 that $10,000 is the base price in the class. Both Kawasaki and Suzuki will have new designs next yearrumors already are being floated that the GSX-R may be as high as $12,000. Here's the dilemma: stock vs. stock, the new 600s (ZX-6R, CBR600F3) have nearly identical performance, actually make better streetbikes, and cost thousands less: And for the same price, or slightly less, a buyer can get more performance from one of the new-wave 900s (CI3R900RR, ZX-9R). Same performance, Less money or more performance, same money: you make the call.

Let me paint another scenario. In this one, we simply acknowledge that building a machine that will be the base element in a Superbike racer is a costly proposition. You want a flagship 750 bristling with go-fast goodies? You may have to bring $12,000 to the table. Which is fine. Just as long as the bike-makers don't forget about the rest of us. -David Edwards, Editor-in-Chief