| 1986–87 Yamaha FZX700 Fazer |
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| Performance |   |
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| The motor has all the traits of the Maxim X I reviewed in January, both good and bad, and gets the same rating. The biggest fault is the maddeningly sensitive throttle coupled with too much driveline lash. |
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| Handling | |
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| It is not nearly as good as the FZ750 it was derived from, but its less demanding intended role allows me to cut it some slack. Crazy-looking rear shocks didn't work well. |
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| Looks |  |
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| It was supposed to look like a mini V-Max. It didn't. Instead, the front half looks like an FZ750 wearing a costume from Star Wars...with chrome elbows. The back half has more swooshy, swoopy curves than a puffy tuxedo shirt. |
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| Reliability | |
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| You can't fault the Yamaha Genesis bikes. They were all very well engineered. |
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| Practicality | |
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| Having spent more than one 500-mile day on a Fazer, I can say that they have genuinely nice riding position, but the lousy rear shocks and hyper-responsive throttle makes them tiring to ride. |
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| Desirability | |
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| There are lots of quirky, underperforming bikes that I can't help but like more than I should. In this case, the opposite is probably true; I probably dislike the Fazer more than it truly deserves. |
