I finally had a chance to go for a ride this weekend, albeit a short ride. I expected this to feel like a newer FZ1, it did not. I thought this was going to be more "toury" and less sporty, wrong.
The ergos were great for a rider with a bigger frame. Handle bars and pegs felt like they were in the exact right spot. Steering input was light and the bike was very well composed in the city. It felt planted and responsive, without having to put too much effort into managing the bike, which I find very different than the FZ1/FZ8 previously. This bike is light, and feels it. Very low center of gravity. The powerplant is phenominal as you would expect, I spent most the ride in B-mode, and had no idea. A-mode is brutally fun.
The seat is horrific. For a bike standard with cruise control (implying you could do long rides), someone missed a memo or something. It might as well be painted wood. Evidently Yamaha has a "Comfort Seat" for $370, but I won't vouch for it until I have sat on it for a ride or two.
This feels like the FZ9's big brother, which I suppose was the intention. It is not (in my opinion) a direct successor to the FZ1, as its current configuration is not suited to touring. The FZ-10 felt fantastic (minus the seat), once I understood where it was meant to be in the line-up. I loved the flourescent wheels, but they will have to be kept clean as every bit of dirt was obvious on the demo bike. Anyway those are my two cents..
