Then the local rag turned up a promising specimen, five months and 3000 miles old. I hurtled over there on the spare bike, a battle scarred but worthy CB400N, had a quick test ride of the '94 model and slapped down a deposit before some other likely lad got there.
Showroom condition was the only adequate description. I omitted to tell the owner that I was 3000 notes short of the agreed price but had three days to rush around like a headless chicken to raise the dosh from disbelieving relatives who seemed shocked that I had decided not to buy a nice little Metro, which was not only cheaper to purchase but more frugal as well. Sod that!
Money in hand, documents and bike were mine at last. Just looking the bike over got me going. Upside down forks, six piston calipers, Deltabox alloy frame, massive swinging arm and ready to race looks, plus, of course, the magnificent 20 valve motor. Wrapping myself around the machine was a bit of a stretch as I tend towards short and fat rather than long and lean, but the 30.5 inch seat height allowed both my feet to firmly touch the deck, reassuring on a bike that fully loaded with fuel weighs around 520lbs.
The motor rustled away silkily, the murmur out of the four into one exhaust hinting at the 120 horses waiting to rock and roll. With the addition of the EXUP system altering the exhaust dynamics at lower revs, it’s by no means crazy, with plenty of propulsion available from a mere 3000 revs up. Although the FZR has a fearsome reputation, the relatively easy going nature of the engine at low revs combined with its marvellously controlled chassis makes it a very easy bike to get a handle on for the first time.
Naturally enough, this ease of use soon encouraged me to go berserk on the throttle. Screaming the engine to 11000 revs through the excellent gearbox (significantly better in action than earlier models) had my mind reeling, my ears popping and my arms straining against the acceleration. You really have to experience 120 horses hitting the back wheel in fury to understand what all the fuss is about!
The most I ever put on the clock was 175mph, probably a true 165mph. God, that was fun! The I way everything roared past made me feel like the master of the universe. The fairing’s slightly larger than older models and with a bit of a crouch I was able to get most of my body out of the wind, although the turbulence meant that
If I put my head up a little the lid came close to being ripped right off my neck. Given a German autobahn I would be quite happy cruising at 150mph for a couple of hours (seat apart)! Normal speeds didn’t faze the bike at all, 70 to 80mph cruising just like the engine was idling. The only hint that a powerful engine was at work were slight patches of buzzing in the bars, most annoyingly around 80mpnh. That’s the price paid for the amazingly responsive front end that gave so much feedback.
I was never in any doubt as to what the tyre was going to do, and also imbued the FZR with fantastic steering accuracy. A whole combination of factors added up to the security of the ride, not least the taut Kayaba suspension, which was happy on the middle settings (preload at the front plus damping at the monotrack rear end). Weight distribution was perfectly matched to steering geometry, allowing mid corner alterations of line and gentle braking.
Initial input, when swinging through curves, was a bit on the heavy side but the return for such exercise was a splendid compliance to the chosen line and the overall feeling that you could stand up on the seat, do some acrobatics, leap back down and find that the Yam hadn't veered one inch from the chosen course. First impressions of hitting bumps during cornering were that all hell was going to break loose, but that was entirely false, just the suspension feedback advising that the wheels were taking a pounding and I'd better not do anything stupid with the throttle just at that moment.
I wasn’t used to the kind of performance that the FZR offered, had the handling been less kind I would’ve got myself into all kinds of trouble. That chassis rigidity also helped with the front brake which took one hell of a lot of getting used to. I soon learnt that no way could attack the lever with a manly grip - not unless I wanted to do a stoppie so extreme that the contents of my stomach threatened to disgorge themselves or the machine went into cartwheel mode.
I’m not sure that such formidable stoppers are necessary on a road bike but I soon learnt that a one or two finger caress would bring the bike to a howling stop without much thought. It took a while to read the feedback coming through the system and learn how close to the edge I could live. In town I tended to use the rear disc and some engine braking combined with down-shifting through the box. The rear brake was quite sensitive and there was a useful amount of retardation from just slamming the throttle shut. Despite this slight alienation from using the front brake, with a mere 7000 miles on the clock the pads have started to rattle a bit, have no more than 500 miles of life left.
The Dunlop tyres didn’t even manage that, by 4500 miles they were down to 2mm. I kept running them, intrigued to see if the worn out rubber would upset the handling. By the time they were down to 1mm there was some white-lining on dry roads and some quite wild slides in the rain. In retrospect, I was a bit stupid to chance it, as much a comment on my faith in the chassis as my own willingness to risk suicide, A nice pair of Metzeler radials were bunged on by the local tyre dealer, whose chief gorilla ruined the finish of the wheels around the rims and, had I not gone into a frenzy, would have cracked up the discs!
With its alloy chassis and plastic cycle parts there’s not much to corrode on the FZR. There were some hairline cracks in the lower fairing, the odd speck of rust on the exhaust and one or two fasteners were covered in corrosion. Those apart, build quality seems to match that of the engine, which, for instance, only needs its valves doing every 25000 miles - apart from an oil change I’ve yet to do anything to the motor, which helps with the running costs.
Fuel has varied between 35 and 50mpg, with an average around 45mpg - bloody amazing, if you ask me, as I don't get any more from the dog slow Superdream! The massive O-ring chain has needed only three minor adjustments and has loads of life left, although full enclosure would save the back end, or anyone foolish enough to sit on the pillion, from being covered in oil. The same goes for the mudguards which are too minimal to keep the bike from getting very dirty in the mildest of storms. I'd prefer a little more practicality as I'd need less time and energy to keep the bike clean.
So, the FZR’s wonderful? Well, not quite. Although it’s undoubtedly improved over earlier models, the riding position and, especially, the seat could do with some work. After a month or two of getting used to the FZR, I found that the most | could do in one sitting was 150 miles, and even that involved a backside that felt like it'd been given a good kicking by the local skinheads. 300 miles in a day had me looking for the nearest hospital for emergency pile treatment and the time I did 400 miles in five hours I was practically a stretcher case! I really don’t see that there’s any excuse for this as BMW had sorted out motorcycle ergonomics 20 years ago.
The FZR is aimed at the headbangers who want the nastiest steed in town, which is fair enough (and at least it’s better than the GSXR1100), but many of them will only be able to afford to run one vehicle which will have to do duty as a commuter and tourer as well as general rocket ship. Still, the FZR’s so intoxicating that it's worth modifying -I’m not selling!
Dave Jones