[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by 337699gsd

About the recall - I checked with the Yamaha website, it says my vehicle is affected, but when I called the dealership, they said only 2 vehicles in the vicinity were affected and mine wasn't one of them. Now this concerns me

If you're feeling restless or have a ride planned and got no time to deal with the ASC then you could just DIY it, you would need to open the cam cover remove the bolts and clean up everything and replace the O ring and gasket, get new bolts put some thread sealant on the threads of the new bolts and torque them back into place, and close it up.

Key point here being that you replace all consumables i.e O rings, Gaskets and Bolts while making sure to use thread sealant on the bolts.

There's a video on YouTube;

YAMAHA FZ25 RECALL | ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

In the video you'll see the mechanic smear thread sealant on the cover thread which I feel is plain stupid, this is ideally how you apply thread sealant i.e on the bolt;



Cheers.

[AJ-got-BHP]

Congratulations Samba on your new acquisition !! Kudos to you for penning done the Initial Ownership Review.

Though I must confess that I am completely not a Bike Person at all and do not understand a head or tail about bikes, I must say that your ride looks awesome in the pics clicked by you !! Rated it a 5* for the clicks.

Good to see you catching hold of the Biking Gears for this ride. Would suggest a pair of riding shoes and knee/ leg guard also for safety reasons. Are you looking at doing any modifications to this bike as of now to add a little bit of zing to it ?

Wish you endless miles on this one

[mi2n]

I love mean and aggressive looking machines and the FZ looks brilliant in these photos as well as in person.

Originally Posted by Samba

Pros-
2) Excellent low end and mid range pull. Can give any bike in its segment a run for its money. 20NM of torque is available at as low as 6000 rpm.

Realized I have no idea of motorcycle engines! 6000 RPM is low? Both my cars scream for mercy at half that RPM

Ride hard, ride safe.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by mi2n

Realized I have no idea of motorcycle engines! 6000 RPM is low? Both my cars scream for mercy at half that RPM

Ride hard, ride safe.

You're in for a surprise!



The FZ25 makes peak power at 8k RPM.

[Uprasenjit]

Nice detailed review Samba..Thanks for sharing.

I have always liked the FZ series, the only thing is I feel this is an under powered bike.

[RishikeshK]

Very well compiled review Samba !! Stunning photography too.

Your review actually made me think seriously about the potential of this motorcycle in terms of being a good all-rounder. I'm in the market for a slightly powerful motorcycle for not-so-frequent use; occasional joyrides and usual city chores (got a separate arrangement for daily office commute).

I was eyeing on the Dominar, but I'm skeptical about its longevity it being a Bajaj (pure speculation). This thread makes FZ25 a worthy contender for my requirements.

Cheers

[Pratzgh1]

Congratulations on the new motorcycle. A precise review is much appreciated. Though, I am a bit sceptical about rider comfort on this motorcycle. I felt the padding is minimal and a bit hard as well. Could you kindly comment on this as rider comfort is something I desire from my next motorcycle.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by RishikeshK

I was eyeing on the Dominar, but I'm skeptical about its longevity it being a Bajaj (pure speculation)...

Cheers

And you are not the only one with that speculation. Lot of us who have seen the 2006-09 Pulsars have the same dilemma. But am sure bajaj too knows it and has improved QC overtime. Rest, we will get to know in a couple of years time only once these Dominars get 3-4 years old. And I feel same goes for the FZ25 as well. There's another thread here where the owner is not happy with his new ride(FZ25) within a few months. Guess our expectations depend a lot on from which one we are upgrading & what kind of usage we are looking at.

BTW even I am eyeing the FZ25 as an upgrade from my 10 year old RTR160 for sometime as it looks like an all-rounder. Decent low-mid range(helps in city & highways both), great mileage, not-too-heavy either by weight or on pocket. Will keep an eye on all these ownership threads to get an idea of how the quality eventually is turning out to be

@Samba : Congratulations on the buy. Do keep updating the thread.

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by mi2n

I love mean and aggressive looking machines and the FZ looks brilliant in these photos as well as in person.



Realized I have no idea of motorcycle engines! 6000 RPM is low? Both my cars scream for mercy at half that RPM

Ride hard, ride safe.

Just to give you a perspective, an entry level 150cc bike like say a Unicorn, feels like it is meditating, at 5000-6000rpm in Top Gear.
That is the way these engines are designed.

[Samba]

Thanks a ton every one.

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

Now since my previous bike was a Karizma R as well which I regret selling each and every day, what are the difference between the two. I am seriously looking to buy one and am confused between this and the Dominar. After the Karizma, Jupiter isn't really cutting the cake.

Between the Karizma and Fz25, i feel both have different characteristics.
Fz is more nimble and a much more sharper handler with far better brakes and more responsive engine. On Karizma i used to feel the engine vibes creeping in to the handle bar and foot pegs above 6000rpm. In Fz there are no such issues. The engine is smoother too. For city usage, FZ is any day more rider friendly than the Karizma.

On the other hand the Karizma was a more relaxed highway cruiser. The gear ratio's of Karizma were taller than this bike. Being a 225cc, Karizma used to hit 100km/hr at 6000rpm, this bike being a 250cc hits 100km/hr at around 6,250 rpm. For rides above 500km in a day, the karizma should be more comfortable than the Fz, if ridden below 6,000 rpm. Above 6,000 rpm, due to the vibration's creeping in, i used to have numbness in my hand on my Karizma.
At higher speeds the wind blast felt by the rider was also lesser on the Karizma than the Fz. The lack of fairing on the FZ is evident at higher speeds. Actually the Karizma was one of the best touring bike available in India. Hero just spoilt it by giving a funny/weird looking upgrade!

Originally Posted by navsjab

I just realised that we have a good number of riders in TBHP Kolkata. Arunasish, Anirban, Souvik, Partha, you and me, to name a few. We should plan out an exclusive Riders meet, say Bikers' cafe sometime soon, what say? With this weather so good, maybe a ride to AHD on NH2 will be a great idea too.

Lets plan! I will prefer a ride to 'AHD' on Nh2 or 'Express food plaza' at Kolaghat, so we can at-least have a 150 km ride too.

Originally Posted by wanderlust

Somehow, it reminds me of the Suzuki Inazuma, very similar specs and road presence. I have not seen any in Bangalore though, do you know how much they are selling every month?

Enjoy! Ride safe

The sales figure of Fz25 is roughly 2,000 units per month.

Originally Posted by tacho9000

I am due for a ride on the bike BTW, if you allow for so. :P

Definitely we can plan.

Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP

Would suggest a pair of riding shoes and knee/ leg guard also for safety reasons. Are you looking at doing any modifications to this bike as of now to add a little bit of zing to it ?

Will add them to my riding gear list soon.
As of now, i do not have any plans for any modification.

Originally Posted by mi2n

Realized I have no idea of motorcycle engines! 6000 RPM is low? Both my cars scream for mercy at half that RPM

Lets go for a ride!

Originally Posted by Uprasenjit

the only thing is I feel this is an under powered bike.

True, on paper its the least powerful 250cc bike. The power to weight ratio is 139bhp/ton. You wont feel/ understand the low Bhp, if you ride this bike. Its fast, out on the roads. At the beginning, i too had the same doubt, but after taking a test ride i was impressed.
But yes, once you cross 130km/hr mark, the lack of power and the absence of the 6th cog will be evident. I do not ride at such high speeds and most of the time, i stick between 90-110km/hr on the highways, so for me its quite okay. Not to forget, this bike lacks ABS too.

Originally Posted by RishikeshK

I was eyeing on the Dominar, but I'm skeptical about its longevity it being a Bajaj (pure speculation). This thread makes FZ25 a worthy contender for my requirements.

As of now am satisfied with this bike. Lets see how it holds up in the long run. Hope it should be reliable, as the 150cc siblings of this bike are pretty reliable.

I wont be the right person to comment on the Dominar, so will refrain from doing so.

Originally Posted by Pratzgh1

I felt the padding is minimal and a bit hard as well. Could you kindly comment on this as rider comfort is something I desire from my next motorcycle.

The max i have ridden till now is for 4-5 hours at a stretch. For that time, i felt the seats to be pretty comfortable. I have a problem of shoulder and lower back pain, so i ride less. But after riding for 4-5 hours i didn't realize any pain and felt it to be comfortable.

In case you feel the seats to be very hard, you can anytime put some soft foam and put a seat cover. Any local accessory shop will do it. One of my friend has done that on his Cbr250 and he is pretty happy with the results.

[Samba]

Recall Update-

Originally Posted by VW2010

Congrats and a good feedback and review. Can you also confirm if you took the bike for the latest recall.

Originally Posted by 337699gsd

About the recall - I checked with the Yamaha website, it says my vehicle is affected, but when I called the dealership, they said only 2 vehicles in the vicinity were affected and mine wasn't one of them. Now this concerns me

I received this letter from Yamaha last week.



Took my bike today afternoon. It was just a 15 mins job. They just applied 'Loctite' on the nuts and tightened it to a company specified torque. No parts were replaced.

This video will show, what exactly was done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG2wJ2Ytq2w

I heard from few owners that after this work was done, they felt the engine sound to be more refined and the bike to be more smooth. Honestly i didn't feel anything like that. Its all the same.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

If you're feeling restless or have a ride planned and got no time to deal with the ASC then you could just DIY it,

+1, it can be a easy 'DIY' job, but just to keep the record on Yamaha service manual, i had to give the bike to them.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Samba

No parts were replaced.

Should've insisted on them changing the consumables involved, personally opening something up and putting it back without changing the consumables seriously dents my confidence in using the motorcycle for anything more than 500 km runs.

I heard from few owners that after this work was done, they felt the engine sound to be more refined and the bike to be more smooth. Honestly i didn't feel anything like that. Its all the same.

Placebo effect at best, similar to people telling you that Iridium plugs made a world of difference in terms of performance on a stock MC.

+1, it can be a easy 'DIY' job, but just to keep the record on Yamaha service manual, i had to give the bike to them.

Good choice, since the FZ25 is a fairly new MC its better to maintain a decent service record at least till the warranty period expires.

With my ZMA warranty helped me a lot, got the cylinder kit replaced once and the timing chain tensioner replaced several times under warranty, but at the same witnessed a lot of careless "Chalta Hai!" attitude so from the MC following that till the latest addition i.e the CT100B I take care of my own maintenance right from the moment the MC is out of the ASC, and would only return if any work requires special model specific tools that aren't available in the open market, but point to note is that the MC's in question have been in the market for a really long time and all the nicks have been ironed out over time, at the expense of unsuspecting buyers of course as it is the norm in our country with anything.

[indivic]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Should've insisted on them changing the consumables involved, personally opening something up and putting it back without changing the consumables seriously dents my confidence in using the motorcycle for anything more than 500 km runs.

Placebo effect at best, similar to people telling you that Iridium plugs made a world of difference in terms of performance on a stock MC.

My bike seems to run rougher after this procedure compared to how it was before, not sure if I should change the oil. The entire procedure was done in my presence and I am sure nothing else was done.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by indivic

My bike seems to run rougher after this procedure compared to how it was before, not sure if I should change the oil. The entire procedure was done in my presence and I am sure nothing else was done.

If that's the case then its highly unlikely for it being the cause for the engine to run rough.

How many km's on the motor? If its fairly new then I'd suggest you not worry unless something really sticks out i.e uncanny noises, warning lights, metal shaving etc.

Plus its normal for the engine oil to wear out sooner on new motors do inspect the engine oil and change judiciously.

Another factor to consider is that the effect could be psychological which is the case with new owners or new motors or both, just saying.

[indivic]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

If that's the case then its highly unlikely for it being the cause for the engine to run rough.

How many km's on the motor? If its fairly new then I'd suggest you not worry unless something really sticks out i.e uncanny noises, warning lights, metal shaving etc.

Plus its normal for the engine oil to wear out sooner on new motors do inspect the engine oil and change judiciously.

Another factor to consider is that the effect could be psychological which is the case with new owners or new motors or both, just saying.

Just about reaching 1K on the ODO, my first service is done and oil change completed. Bike was running smoother after the oil change prior to this. Let me keep an eye on the oil

I kinda expect it to be psychological, since I am getting back to biking after about 10 years gap.