Property of a deceased's estate, 1986 Yamaha FZX750 Fazer

"The FZX750, a bike that dares to be different, a machine so unique in its styling and engineering that it can genuinely claim to be 'in a class of its own'." – Yamaha.
The FZX750's styling was certainly unusual but not exactly unique, having been seen first on Yamaha's outrageous V-Max, a model that single-handedly created the class of what be termed the 'street dragster'. Seeking to classify the Fazer, Bike magazine referred to it as a 'landcruiser'. The heart of the Fazer was Yamaha's remarkable four-cylinder 20-valve engine, arguably the best of the '750' category in its day, which was only slightly de-tuned from its specification in the FZ750 sports bike. Measured at the rear wheel, peak power was down by 4 horsepower at 94bhp but there was a compensatory gain in the mid-range between 3,000 and 7,000 revs, an advantage further magnified by the naked bike's lower gearing and reduced weight.

The Fazer's frame looked similar to the FZ750's but routed the engine coolant through the left down-tube, the increased cooling area enabling the use of a smaller radiator. What looked like a fuel tank actually contained the air box, the fuel being carried in a reservoir behind the cylinder block, while the use of twin shock absorbers rather than a mono-shock arrangement enabled the seat height to be kept low. Front forks were raked out in cruiser style, but somewhat surprisingly Yamaha kept the FZ750's 10.5" twin front disc brakes and opposed piston callipers, endowing the Fazer with braking as good as most sports bikes. Bike magazine found the compact Fazer handled well and was surprisingly agile and indecently quick for a cruiser, concluding: 'At the end of the test there's no escaping that Yamaha really have done what they set out to do in combining two previously irreconcilable concepts.'

Previously registered overseas (Japan) and first registered in the UK in June 2001, the FZX750 offered here is believed to have been fitted with a replacement engine. It should be noted that only the engine prefix '1FM' is present, with no subsequent serial number, which is reflected in the accompanying V5C and HPI report, which records the previous colour scheme as black/blue. ('1FM' is Yamaha's model code for the FZ750.) Dirty and possibly repainted, the engine turns over but no attempts have been made to start it. Recommissioning to a greater or lesser extent will be required before further use and thus the machine is sold strictly as viewed and in age-related condition. Additional documentation consists of a quantity of expired MoTs showing sparing use between tests; current MoT (expires 5th April 2024); and insurance paperwork. The current odometer reading is 10,674 kilometres. Offered with one key.