Yamaha FZ-S FI V4 Review: Looks Good But…

With this segment heating up, is the Yamaha FZ-S FI V4 still relevant?

The Yamaha FZ-16 will always be a special motorcycle for us enthusiasts, for it was one of India’s original affordable sporty streetfighters and pretty much kickstarted the sporty 160cc segment. And then Yamaha decided to take a step backwards, and reduce the engine capacity to just under 150cc. And with that, the bike which made a healthy 14PS then, now makes a bit over 12PS. 

And so it makes us wonder: with this segment heating up, is the Yamaha FZ-S FI V4 still relevant today? 

It Does Look Good

The Yamaha FZ-S FI V4 looks good and there are no two ways to it. The muscular fuel tank makes it look butch and the overall design makes it look like a much bigger bike. The narrow headlight, though, is something that in my opinion, doesn’t go very well with the overall look of the bike. Picture the bulkiest man you know, and imagine a clean shaven baby face on him… doesn’t feel all that coherent does it? 

And Is Very Frugal

70kmpl! That’s the mileage the Yamaha FZ-S FI V4 returned during our test run. For context, the TVS Raider 125 returned a mileage of 71.94kmpl in our tests. Imagine a 150cc bike being on par with a 125cc one in terms of mileage! And that’s mainly down to its extremely tractable nature. It can pick up from as low as 25kmph in fifth gear, so you barely need any gear changes when riding in the city. 

Exciting? Not Really

The tractability that I talked about earlier comes at the cost of excitement. The FZ-S FI V4 doesn’t really have the punch that you’d expect from a bike in this segment and it’s far from exciting. And that’s a shame because it’s light and it handles pretty well, given its lightweight nature. The overall package is mainly let down by the rather thanda engine. 

And Is Expensive

Our particular test bike, the FZ-S FI V4 Deluxe costs Rs 1,29,400, while the standard trim costs Rs 1,28,900 (both ex-showroom Delhi). And that means it’s almost on par with the Bajaj Pulsar N160 (Rs 1,30,560) and actually more expensive than the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V (Rs 1,23,870 onwards), both of which are a lot more exciting to ride, something that riders would obviously want from their first bike. 

Should You Buy The Yamaha FZ-Fi V4?

The FZ-S FI V4's standout feature is definitely its mileage and comfort. If you’re looking for something even slightly more exciting, the Pulsar N160 and the Apache RTR 160 4V make a lot more sense. Heck, even if you’re looking for just a commuter, the Hero Xtreme 160R 4V (Rs 1,27,300) makes for a comfortable and feature-packed commuter. So if mileage is all you want, sure, the FZ-S FI V4 can be a good choice. But if you want your bike to be even a little bit exciting, the other aforementioned choices will make a lot more sense.