I've just spent the best part of the afternoon on one....No rush they said, take your time they said, have fun and enjoy...........OK then
This was my first impressions.....
Throttle felt a bit snatchy.....on or off, didn't like it
Didn't like 30 mph in top gear
Seat was rock hard, alright for the 2 1/2 hrs I was on it but an all day session my guess is that you'll be feeling it
Traction control kept interfering with the acceleration and at one time I hit the rev limiter thinking it was the TC
So, seeing as the bike shop was at the beginning of my favourite roads consisting of fast twisty A and B roads, some incredibly fast and sweeping and others tight and technical, I pulled over, turned off the traction control, selected A mode and forgot all about the £750 excess I'd just agreed to pay
This was my second impression...........
FUCKING HELL.......What a machine.......I found it lifting the wheel, off the throttle in 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 4 th with a little tug and at one stage 5th well in excess of three figure speeds when it hit a little lump in the road.
This is, without doubt A HOOLIGAN MACHINE and I found myself laughing and babbling like a pubescent teenager spying through a hole in the womens changing rooms.
Every corner exit it will wheelie out of and on a couple of occasions, while still cranked over I could feel the front wheel skipping the tarmac like it was getting impatient and just wanted to throw it's front wheel skyward.
The noise it made was fantastic, like a deep throb. It was light and completely planted and Yamaha IMO have got the balance of torque and power right for use on the road.
I used up half a tank of fuel in an hour and stopped and put in £12 which seemed to fill it up. When I took it back it was back on half a tank so it seems a bit juicy but really, you aren't going to care.
I found it felt a bit coarse rolling on the throttle in 6th gear out of a bend but this bike is all about the first 3 gears IMO.
I love my Fazer but it felt very heavy and unresponsive in comparison and the throttle felt so stiff after the fly by wire of the MT10.
Would I pay £10 K for one ? ........I guess you'd have too if you want one
Do I want one ?....... Fuck yes