Ducati Monster Forum

"Yamaha has decided to stop teasing the public about its FZ8 naked, which will make its official debut more than a month from now.  We don't know yet whether the FZ8 will receive an all-new motor, or a version of an existing FZ1 or R1 motor."   http://www.motorcycledaily.com/28january10_yamahareveals.htm (http://www.motorcycledaily.com/28january10_yamahareveals.htm)

This looks like a bike for Europe, probably not coming to the U.S.  I like the look of this one better than most naked Japanese bikes like the B-King.  Is the R1 the superbike with the cross-plane engine?
(http://www.motorcycledaily.com/012810top.jpg)
(http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/wp-content/gallery/2010-yamaha-fz8-leaked-photos/2010-yamaha-fz8-leaked-photos-4.jpg)
(http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/wp-content/gallery/2010-yamaha-fz8-leaked-photos/2010-yamaha-fz8-leaked-photos-1.jpg)

Yes the R1 has the cross plane engine.

That bike actually looks pretty cool.  [thumbsup]

I agree. [thumbsup] [moto]

Nice lines....

All but the headlight anyways.

All-in-all a stellar Japanese Naked!  [thumbsup]

Can't Change
Too much "hump" in the tank...

As for what could be modded...
mirrors are ugly ( but what stock mirrors arent?)
Can is HUGE.

needs a belly pan.

I like the blue and gold color scheme. A zorst, mirrors and a tail chop will make it a nice understated naked.

ive seen a pic of that bike in a maxed out R type trim. Radial master and calipers, better looking tail. overall i wanted that as my next bike amoung others.

Shame about the crappy engine ,In line four have no soul

Depends on the person I guess--I love inline 4's.

Yamaha sure is taking it's time.  These pictures weren't supposed to come out until March.  I do like what I see, but I prefer the faired version.  I eagerly await the mechanical and physical details.

Supposedly Canada is getting the bike. :)

headlight looks vastly superior. Hopefully the engine isn't boring.

I'm not sure why the manufacturers are all going to equipping bikes with the largest exhaust pipes possible, but it needs to stop.

emissions and noise constraints...

they figure there's plenty of aftermarket options to address it after the sale.

see if the Catalytic convertor is in the exhaust. could be the reason. with heatbuildup, noise, emisions. we're lucky we're not lugging around huge car size exhausts systems.

Yamaha effed up when they stopped making this one

(http://www.matfys.lth.se/Niclas.Danielsson/pictures/MCbilder/yamaha_trx850_800.jpg)

Whatever happened to a proper headlight. Maybe it's my age I just can't get behind these new shapes. I think a naked looks best with a round headlight... I'm only 34?  :-\

http://admin.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2010/january/jan2710-yamaha-fz8-official-image/ (http://admin.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2010/january/jan2710-yamaha-fz8-official-image/)

Because then everyone would whine that no one did anything different.

my father, of blessed memory, said "no one's really happy unless they have something to pregnant dog about."

Ain't that the truth.

Like the 696. Love the motor's feel and power for its weight. Needed a reason to pregnant dog, I picked the headlight (others picked the subframe).

all those "new shapes" cast better light than your ol' round headlight.

Stock monster headlight is useless.

Riding while holding a flashlight can prove difficult so at least it's marginally better than that.

Who needs to see where you going anyway?

Meh-try it on a dark twisty road. Useless. I'll take function over form anyday.

Sounds like you're talking about somebody's wife.

We can send a man(and DMF sticker) to the moon but we can't make a round light that throws light and is decent looking on a standard? I'm not buying it.

Probably has to do with the width of the beam too. When counter steering-the headlight faces the direction you're not turning.

Seems like Honda or BMW could adapt those "turning headlights" that the car manufacturers have employed. I pick those two, because they are the gadgetry companies in my book.

If I'm drifting down the mountain road at night, do the headlights point in the wrong direction?

are you still on the road?  if not, then i'd say they may have led you astray.

i love the waterfall exhaust.  looks like the old CB400.

Meh...

double meh

I think it looks OK, but until the performance specs come out, it's hard to make a good guess how it's gonna ride. If it's all tippy top end like most I4s, I probably wouldn't be tempted. On the street I'd really like more on the bottom and in the middle. Typical complaint of the FZ6, which this replaces. I used to have an '03 FZ1, and even modded it didn't have a ton down low. It didn't get interesting until 5 grand, and didn't start getting really steamed til about 8 grand. I just don't ride the street with the RPMs in the stratosphere.