[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by Satishtv

Woah, with the change in taxes the price has just gone up to 1.52 Lakhs in Bangalore from the earlier 1.44 lakhs.

Any reason you did not consider dominar without ABS? Another 10k and you would have got a much powerful bike?

I was eagerly looking forward to this bike but the power output (bhp) is quite less and disappointing.

I guess I will go for KTM 390 (heart decision)

Yep Satish, Bangalore was once called THE GARDEN CITY, but after the IT REVOLUTION, its now infamous for 2 things:

Garbage and Tax

I have now covered over 900 Kms on the FZ25 and have really come to appreciate the engineering that has gone into it. Most importantly, Yamaha had a PURPOSE for introducing this bike, and I think they have not only met that, but exceeded it to a large extent.

Here's why:

- As I have posted in my review, this bike was never really targeted at the 250cc segment, rather Yamaha India wanted to capture the bikers who were pondering around a 200cc bike.

- The bike is really a looser on paper with respect to the specs, but in real world, it is really quick and if you consider the purpose of the bike as a city commuter, it is probably one of the quickest around.

- One of the biggest thumb rule of being quick is for machines to have less weight to haul, and this bike is lighter than some of the 200cc bikes out there. This makes it extremely nimble and manoeuvrable in the city.

- Though all of its immediate competition (Duke 250, TNT 25, CBR 250R, Z250) boast much higher power figures, none of them can breach the 100 Kms mark in under 9 seconds that this Japanese machine can.

Having said that, if you are looking at KTM 390, that is in a different league altogether and it is so good that I recommend this Austrian over some of the 600cc bikes in the market today as a stepping stone into the sports bike territory.

In fact, I came across this article from Motorbeam that some of the KTM stores are still selling some of the BS3 bikes at mouth watering price, albeit it will be shown as a used bike on the RC papers:

https://www.motorbeam.com/2017/04/bi...on-road-price/

For that kinda price, I could care less if this was shown as a 'Junk Yard' bike on the RC book!!

[Porschefire]

A little late to the party but nonetheless, heartiest congrats, Vikrama! Without the rear tyre hugger, she looks absolutely amazing!!!

Although I'd have preferred you buying the Duke 250/390, speaking to you and reading this thread put a lot of sense in my head. Not everyone prefers a "I will kill you at the next moment I get, I'm very very angry!!!!" attitude from a motorcycle. I don't know about the 250 but the D390 would've been just that. The FZ is targeted towards people who prefer a no nonsense silent powerful commuter and also for beginners or people upgrading from the 100-150cc segment. No, I'm not discounting the enthusiast as well as he/she too will have loads of fun given the oodles of torque low end and the legendary Yamaha handling.

Congrats again buddy and wish you a safe ride.

Both 250s yet are as different as chalk and cheese -->

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

A little late to the party but nonetheless, heartiest congrats, Vikrama! Without the rear tyre hugger, she looks absolutely amazing!!!

Thank you Abhi boy and don't you worry bro, this was just a "For the Record" review, you got a first hand experience long before I drafted this bro

I was always in talks with you during my bike hunt and yes I was quite inclined towards the Duke/RC 390 myself purely for the BHP/Buck it offers.

Somehow, the biker in me has gone kaput and what started off as 4 days a week of office commute in my newly purchased X2 has reduced to 2 days now. Rains are the faintest of excuses here, and I think the GT TDI is the biggest reason.


- There is a bigger (much bigger) distant Japanese joining the family soon.

[Darth Sid]

I went to a Yamaha service centre and showroom recently. Though they did not have the parts catalogue, they did say that the headlight assembly is priced at around 3200 INR. Not sure if the price is true but if it is, it seems like a decent deal. The Himalayan's headlight costs 3400. Thought I should mention it here.

[Crankpin]

It's obvious now that in spite of all those figures on papers, the KTMs and Bajajs don't quite live up to their expectations. I mean they are all angry and fast but their already poor quality deteriorates even faster by the day.
That's the reason I sold off my Duke 200 within a year.
The FZ250 is what a true motorcycle is. It's more than what can meet the eye. No over rated hp performance figures and unnecessary techy stuff. Also, the reliability of this engine is legendary.
I just hoped they styled it a bit differently especially that exhaust but then to each his own...!

I also hope Yamaha improves their after-sales service.

[.sushilkumar]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Does the small high beam bump translate to usable light on the open road?
- Not really !! The spread of the low beam is quite good on a dim/badly lit roads. The high beam only adds few more inches to the beam

Having booked mine and awaiting to clear finances, above seems to be the common cause of concern of all owners along with shaking headlight assembly. Have tweeted for same to Yamaha with many people writing to Yamaha about same. A known person tried to add aux lights but dealer declined citing electrical warranty which includes FI unit as well.

Is it the case with you bike as well Vik.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

- As I have posted in my review, this bike was never really targeted at the 250cc segment, rather Yamaha India wanted to capture the bikers who were pondering around a 200cc bike.

Hello Vikram, not sure how I missed this thread of yours. Today fortunately I stumbled upon it and was mighty impressed going through all the three pages of your review. Congratulations once again on getting your white beast., looks awesome in that color

As you have mentioned your office commutes have reduced from 4/week to just 2/week, I would suggest take your white beast on long rides over the week end. That way you can stretch its legs and not bother about rain or sun. I am surely going to hook up to this thread. Most probably I will take the plunge after the rainy season. I am also keenly watching the TVS RR 310 and how it turns up.

Its an irony that I am still holding on to my first bike, Bajaj Caliber that will be completing 18 years this July. Haven't ridden it for the last couple of months, but can't see it gathering dust. So will part ways with it before getting home a quarter litre bike.

[Vik0728]

1st Service Update

I bought my X2 home on March 6 '17, and had whizzed past 1K kms by April 30 '17. Yep, I agree that 1k in 2 months is not exactly "Whizzing Past", but with my sort of usage, this is probably the quickest 1K kms that I have done on 2 wheels!!

Anyways, called up the service executive Norbert from Perfect Riders and set up an appointment. Reached the service station at 9.30am and shared the tiny concerns I had such as:
- Feeble screeching sound from the rear disc brakes, something on the lines of dust accumulation.
- Unable to slot the right gears at times, especially the Neutral.
- Unable to start the bike on the first crank during a cold start.

Was assured by the SE that these would be addressed, and ironically, the first 2 issues have been reported unanimously by the other FZ25 owners as well. Was asked to come and collect the bike by 4pm.

As promised, the bike was ready and I got a confirmation call at about 3.30pm. Upon reaching the service station, was informed about the cost of the service, which totalled to INR 1530/-.



The only unwanted thing I see here is the 3M polish, but otherwise the rest was quite normal. The oil which is used in FZ25 is a fully synthetic one:



How is it post service?

The first thing I noticed is that the refinement has gone a notch up, which is quite obvious after a service. What is more commendable is the way the gears are slotting in, and I was able to find the Neutral without any struggle

I have just kept the RPM under 6k all this while, so now I am going to unleash this quarter litre to experience its real performance.

For now, some eye candy shots:

The best angle to view the FZ25








I also happened to meet skyliner34 (Girish) at the service center who had also come down to drop off his FZ25 for the first service.

Some snaps of the twins post first service:

Originally Posted by .sushilkumar

Is it the case with you bike as well Vik.

Honestly Sushil, I have not taken my bike onto any open stretch yet, let alone a highway. But even then, the headlight throw is not something to brag about.

I would not be able to comment on the installation of Aux lamps as I have not really enquired or thought of that, but if you are one of those late night or early morning tourers, this is a must have.

If the OEM headlight on the FZ25 is a joke, the High beam on this is simply an engineering ridicule.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Hello Vikram, not sure how I missed this thread of yours. Today fortunately I stumbled upon it and was mighty impressed going through all the three pages of your review. Congratulations once again on getting your white beast., looks awesome in that color

Thank you AutoIndian, and I am really glad you liked the review. I could only manage to share my views, though it is far cry from the in-depth analysis of a machine that our moderators share.

My bro's held on to his Pulsar 150 for over 12yrs now and I was thinking it was a piece of history buddy, but your Caliber seems to be a relic!!

Wish you luck with your purchase and hopefully you end up buying the bike that serves you for a long time like your current machine.

[skyliner34]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

1st Service Update

Thanks Vikram
Agree with you, refinement has gone up and also gear shifts are much smoother.

But I had mentioned 2 other things which they overlooked.
1. Tappet noise (they tried to convince me it's OK, but....)
2. noticeable handle bar wobble >70 kmph.

Guess time to call Norbert again.

Overall I'm satisfied with the service and would recommend Perfect Riders.

[AutoIndian]

Hey Vikram, no updates on this thread for more than a month now. Hope everything is fine and you're enjoying your FZ25. How many kms have you clocked by now? Has the engine/gear box opened up? Any issues observed till now?

[Sheel]

Why did you not change the oil (mobil) filter? It needs that the most in 1st ssrvice IMO.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Hey Vikram, no updates on this thread for more than a month now. How many kms have you clocked by now? Has the engine/gear box opened up? Any issues observed till now?

Hey AutoIndian, I was not really sure what to update and hence the absence.

The bike is doing pretty well, but surely there are loads of issues I am noticing and here are some that I can't get over:

- I am not sure if its the bad quality or just the mere fact of keeping the weight down, but the parts don't feel as robust or well put together. Hell, my previous bike (FZ-16) seemed to built much better than the FZ25

- Because of what I have listed in the first point, there is a constant squeaking, rattling, crunching of parts every time I move the bike. For example, there is some sort of cable fowling below the headlight from the day 1 and Yamaha A.S.S said 'It is Normal Saaar'!!
Just sitting on the seat creates such a ruckus that I just want to start the bike and drown that sound as quickly as possible.

- The rear disc brakes have been squeaking (you have to listen closely) from the day 1. I was informed it was due to dust accumulation and would be taken care during the first service. Now after first service and ~2k Kms, it still exists. I guess this is just 'Normal Saaar' !!

- The bike is quite quick off the line, but damn the braking is reminiscent of my GT TDI, and if you guessed it as BAD, you are wrong...it is POOR. I have had couple of instances where I felt the bike will fish tail and I may just crash into the thing ahead. At least with my GT, I can rely on that tank like build to an extent, but this bike does not feel like the 'Yamahas' we have come to respect.

- Seat is quite hard and not suited for long rides, at least not for me. In fact, my bro's CBR 650F has such soft seating that FZ25 seats almost feel like the first-gen KTM seats in comparison.

To sum it up, the bike sure is awesome for the price, but IMO Yamaha could have offered some more modern technologies like better performance, better parts, optional ABS and probably better seat cushioning at a bit more premium price.

With bikes like Akula, G310R, Gixer 250, CBR 250R(?), etc in the horizon, Yamaha better offer some tangible extras if they want to continue selling this quarter litre bike.

Would I Buy the FZ250 Again...PROBABLY NOT!!

Originally Posted by Sheel

Why did you not change the oil (mobil) filter? It needs that the most in 1st ssrvice IMO.

I was informed that it was not necessary during the first service, and can wait till at least 5k kms.

Should this be changed as a 'Best Practice' or as a necessity?

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

- I am not sure if its the bad quality or just the mere fact of keeping the weight down, but the parts don't feel as robust or well put together. Hell, my previous bike (FZ-16) seemed to built much better than the FZ25

- Because of what I have listed in the first point, there is a constant squeaking, rattling, crunching of parts every time I move the bike. For example, there is some sort of cable fowling below the headlight from the day 1 and Yamaha A.S.S said 'It is Normal Saaar'!!
Just sitting on the seat creates such a ruckus that I just want to start the bike and drown that sound as quickly as possible.

- The rear disc brakes have been squeaking (you have to listen closely) from the day 1. I was informed it was due to dust accumulation and would be taken care during the first service. Now after first service and ~2k Kms, it still exists. I guess this is just 'Normal Saaar' !!

- The bike is quite quick off the line, but damn the braking is reminiscent of my GT TDI, and if you guessed it as BAD, you are wrong...it is POOR. I have had couple of instances where I felt the bike will fish tail and I may just crash into the thing ahead. At least with my GT, I can rely on that tank like build to an extent, but this bike does not feel like the 'Yamahas' we have come to respect.

- Seat is quite hard and not suited for long rides, at least not for me. In fact, my bro's CBR 650F has such soft seating that FZ25 seats almost feel like the first-gen KTM seats in comparison.

To sum it up, the bike sure is awesome for the price, but IMO Yamaha could have offered some more modern technologies like better performance, better parts, optional ABS and probably better seat cushioning at a bit more premium price.

First of all many thanks for taking note of my query. But my goodness, not at all encouraging to know that. I was so looking forward to this bike, but this seems to be a dealbreaker. Minor issues/niggles can be expected to be sorted out as the production stabilizes, however issues that you have mentioned like below par build quality, poor braking, uncomfortable seating etc, these will continue even after months of production, until there is a strong feedback from existing owners and Yamaha is quick to react on that.

With bikes like Akula, G310R, Gixer 250, CBR 250R(?), etc in the horizon, Yamaha better offer some tangible extras if they want to continue selling this quarter litre bike.
Would I Buy the FZ250 Again...PROBABLY NOT!!

That says it all and about your comparison with other bikes. That is the sole reason I have now started to shift my focus from FZ25 to the Apache RR310S. Even if the RR310S is costly than the FZ25 by 40-50K, but has all the above issues sorted out then it would definitely be worth considering.

I was informed that it was not necessary during the first service, and can wait till at least 5k kms.

Should this be changed as a 'Best Practice' or as a necessity?

Yes, oil filter should always be changed along with the engine oil. No point in putting new oil and retaining the old oil filter. Chances of the new oil getting contaminated with the impurities trapped in oil filter could be pretty high.

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

- I am not sure if its the bad quality or just the mere fact of keeping the weight down, but the parts don't feel as robust or well put together. Hell, my previous bike (FZ-16) seemed to built much better than the FZ25

- Because of what I have listed in the first point, there is a constant squeaking, rattling, crunching of parts every time I move the bike. For example, there is some sort of cable fowling below the headlight from the day 1 and Yamaha A.S.S said 'It is Normal Saaar'!!
Just sitting on the seat creates such a ruckus that I just want to start the bike and drown that sound as quickly as possible.

I can understand how disturbing it must be for someone like you who takes utmost care of his wheels. I've spent some time with well ridden examples of FZ16 and R15 and the one thing I've always vouched for other than the performance was the quality. It is quite disheartening to read about niggles like these. Takes away the experience of owning a bike, especially when its from your favorite manufacturer.

- The rear disc brakes have been squeaking (you have to listen closely) from the day 1. I was informed it was due to dust accumulation and would be taken care during the first service. Now after first service and ~2k Kms, it still exists. I guess this is just 'Normal Saaar' !!

- The bike is quite quick off the line, but damn the braking is reminiscent of my GT TDI, and if you guessed it as BAD, you are wrong...it is POOR. I have had couple of instances where I felt the bike will fish tail and I may just crash into the thing ahead. At least with my GT, I can rely on that tank like build to an extent, but this bike does not feel like the 'Yamahas' we have come to respect.

I am guessing you use the rear brake more than the front? IMO, it is the wrong thing to do. The brake distribution should always be 70-80% front and the rest on the rear. The rear wheel tends to lock under panic braking and is the sole reason for the rear fish tailing. If you think the front brake lacks bite, get the brake pads changed to sintered ones, should be available online.

- Seat is quite hard and not suited for long rides, at least not for me. In fact, my bro's CBR 650F has such soft seating that FZ25 seats almost feel like the first-gen KTM seats in comparison.

I've read somewhere that softer seat tends to wear you out faster than a harder seat. Yes, the CBR has soft padding but over a long ride, I still prefer my Ninja's "stone" seat.

To sum it up, the bike sure is awesome for the price, but IMO Yamaha could have offered some more modern technologies like better performance, better parts, optional ABS and probably better seat cushioning at a bit more premium price.
With bikes like Akula, G310R, Gixer 250, CBR 250R(?), etc in the horizon, Yamaha better offer some tangible extras if they want to continue selling this quarter litre bike.

The tech it came out with when launched was already dated and the newer lot that you've mentioned will make it more obvious.

Would I Buy the FZ250 Again...PROBABLY NOT!!

Cough Cough Cough...KTM 250...Cough Cough.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

First of all many thanks for taking note of my query.
Even if the RR310S is costly than the FZ25 by 40-50K, but has all the above issues sorted out then it would definitely be worth considering.

Honestly AutoIndian, I would urge you to explore more options. Though Akula is one of the most awaited bikes from TVS and has lot of its component sharing with BMW, it still is all TVS.

BMW G310R may be assembled by TVS, but I read somewhere that the QA test and approval is carried out by BMW. So "Probably", this may be a better put together product than the former.

I am so used to the top notch quality of the VW that I have gotten a bit finicky with even the smallest of the ill-fittings. 4yrs + 46k Kms and not a single rattle, and this bike is already squeaking within the first 3months & >2k kms

Originally Posted by Porschefire

I am guessing you use the rear brake more than the front? IMO, it is the wrong thing to do. The brake distribution should always be 70-80% front and the rest on the rear. The rear wheel tends to lock under panic braking and is the sole reason for the rear fish tailing. If you think the front brake lacks bite, get the brake pads changed to sintered ones, should be available online.

Abhi boy, take my word on this bro, I don't tap the rear brake below 30-40Km/hr most of the time. And even during hard braking, its the front lever that gets squeezed more than the rear ones.

The rear brakes on the FZ25 feels too soft/rubbery. The bike will stop, but I feel like the rear wheel may still lockup. I am not a biker and probably would let this pass for a while, and then may be upgrade the rear rubber and brake pads.

Cough Cough Cough...KTM 250...Cough Cough.

LOL noways bro, I am sort of 'DONE' with the 'Mediocre' Cars/Bikes.

My next car will have performance written all over, under and around it.

If I do think about 'Another Bike', it must have at least 4 cylinders!! DONE with these single cylinder vibrations.