First Ride: 2007 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2

Not an exotic, far-flung track launch of a long awaited sports tool, this. Sorry. Instead we've got a minor update to the nice, sensible sort of bike your mother would want you to ride. This here is the slightly different Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2. 

The oft maligned FZ6 Fazer has taken a bit of stick since replacing the gutsy, no-nonsense FZS 600.The FZ6 Fazer looked the business, but many thought the thrashy, rev-happy (but emissions compliant) fuel injected R6 lump powering it was less suited to trundling to and from work in an orderly fashion than the old model's motor was.

So what you'll be wondering is this: has the S2 turned last year's bike's power curve on its head and
sacrificed top end rush for some useful bottom end and midrange pulling power? The answer is no.
The word 'engine' doesn't feature in the small list of changes to both naked and half-faired FZ6s. Both bikes benefit from new forks with revised internals and a more rigid swingarm, while it's back to the kind of four-pot monobloc brake calipers seen on the original FZS Fazer but curiously replaced on previous FZ6s with less-effective sliding pin calipers. ABS is now an option too, but not on the bike tested here.

The half-faired Fazer S2's riding position is slightly different with a revised handlebar position, though if I'm honest I can't say I noticed a real difference. Also new to the Fazer is a subtly redesigned fairing. The FZ6 remains as naked as ever.