Motorcycle specifications Yamaha FZ 750 1985 Being at the top is not enough

In that year, Suzuki launched the first production 750cc with 100 hp, and adorned it with extreme aesthetics: a superpsort for racing during the week and racing at weekends.

Yamaha, however, had some very convincing arguments. Admittedly, the engine wasn't the first 100-hp model (indeed, some sources indicate that the FZ made only 95.5 hp in 1985, and didn't reach 100 hp until 1987), but its design was far more innovative than that of the GSX-R: 20-valve cylinder head, 45° water-cooled cylinder block inclination, vertical carburetor positioning and 5-stage crankcase.

And this engine is good, very good: powerful, torquey and rich in impressions. This new 4-cylinder is more than a match for its direct competitor. The 5 valves per cylinder technology (3 intake, 2 exhaust) provides unrivalled flexibility. Yamaha entered an FZ at Le Mans in its very first year. On its first appearance, it finished on the podium: 3rd behind 2 Suzukis, including one from SERT (one wonders if they didn't do it on purpose, to try and ruin the FZ's career).

The chassis is more classic. The frame has a double steel cradle, but shows real sporting qualities. The front axle is fitted with a 16-inch wheel, very much in vogue at the time, intended to provide greater handling without compromising the GSXR's bike-like qualities. The FZ oscillates between classicism and modernity, taking the best of both. And if it's less playful than the Suzuki, it's also more reassuring and a little stiffer.

Aesthetically, the picture is more or less the same as for the chassis: less extreme than the rival scarecrow, more sober and, for some, classier, but also less stunning.

The FZ was in fact a real success. Why didn't it make more of an impression on bikers, many of whom have now forgotten all about it? It simply got caught out by a first-rate hustler who put it in the shade. She had a fairly successful commercial career, requiring little upgrading as the base was so good. Over time, it gained a full fairing and wheels that accepted the latest pneumatic mounts, and quietly disappeared from the catalog in 1993.