Yamaha India Pulls The Wraps Off The Highly Anticipated FZ-X

A retro-modern commuter loaded with tech.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Jun 18, 2021 at 7:45pm ET

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With the Yamaha XSR155 being in existence in multiple Asian markets for nearly two years now, fans of Team Blue living in India have been longing for this bike to enter their local market. I can only imagine their disdain when it was finally confirmed that the babiest of Yamaha's XSR lineup wasn't going to make it to India. All hope wasn't lost, however, as rumors of a small-displacement neo-retro machine began spreading like wild fire.

At first, it was speculated that the FZ-X was going to take up the form of a small-displacement adventure bike. However, as time progressed, and a test mule of the upcoming bike was spotted lurking around India' streets, the reason as to why Yamaha opted against launching the XSR155 in India became apparent. As it would turn out, the Yamaha FZ-X would end up filling the space Team Blue's lineup that could have otherwise gone to the XSR155.

If you look at things from a bigger picture, too, it's pretty evident as to why the FZ-X is a better fit in the Indian market. Unlike the XSR155, the FZ-X gets a more robust, easy-to-maintain air-cooled mill. Displacing a slightly smaller 149 cubes, this engine features a simple two-valve cylinder head. It does, however, get a modern-day fuel-injection system in order to conform to India's BS6 emission standards. That said, it makes a docile, albeit commuter-friendly 12 horsepower, and gets the same five-speed manual gearbox as the FZ-S Fi—the bike on which it is based.

On the feature front, the FZ-X comes equipped with similar, if not even better features than that of the XSR155 in other Asian markets. Boasting a fully digital instrument panel, the Yamaha FZ-X features Bluetooth smartphone connectivity via Yamaha's Y-Connect mobile application. This allows the rider to monitor the bike's vital information such as engine health, service intervals, as well as trip data and parking location. It even notifies you if you have any new messages or missed calls while your phone is tethered to the interface.

As Yamaha's only retro-modern offering in the Indian market, and with Indian motorcycle enthusiasts having a fondness for all things retro, it goes without saying that the demand for this bike is going to be rather high. Despite being Rs 12,000, around $160 USD, more expensive than the standard FZ-S at Rs 1.20 lakh, or $1,622 USD, we can expect the FZ-X to sell like hotcakes once deliveries to local showrooms commence. Additionally, for those who wish to opt out of the techie Bluetooth feature, a base-model variant is also available for Rs 1.17 lakh, or around $1,581 USD.

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