Best Cult Following of 2014 – Yamaha FZ-09

Best Cult Following of 2014 – Yamaha FZ-09

Typically each year among the plethora of new machines hyped by the manufacturers, there is a standout—a machine that fires up the imagination a bit more than the others.

In 2014, that bike is Yamaha’s FZ-09 and it’s easy to see why it became a cult classic before it had even been launched.

The spec sheet tells us that it’s incredibly light (414 pounds wet), powerful (65 ft/lbs of torque), and comes with supermoto-style derived ergonomics that will clearly make it a hoot to ride.

The clincher of course is the price — just $7990 will buy you a most definite e-ticket ride, and despite the entry level price, Yamaha has managed to put together a package with high-quality detail touches that make the FZ-09 feel like so much more.

I attended the launch in San Francisco and spent two days thrashing the daylights out of the FZ-09; that droning inline triple delivered at least as much as I was hoping for. Wheelies, stoppies, and other hooligan-like behavior had myself and a couple of Yamaha staffers laughing like the teenagers we most definitely are not, and at the end of the launch I couldn’t help but deem the FZ-09 an unequivocal, resounding success.

I’m no fashionista, and just because I like something, there’s no guarantee others will share my opinion. But it seems that with the FZ-09 they most certainly did, and the motorcycle has been a runaway success for Yamaha. This bike has become an instant cult classic and deservedly so.

About Ultimate MotorCycling 2014 President’s Picks:

As President of Ultimate MotorCycling, I am a fortunate individual. Not only do I get to ride a huge variety of machines, I am also privileged to be a part of this fascinating industry that so intensely fuels our passions.

As 2014 draws into its last quarter a picture has emerged of various developments that have happened in the past year. Don Williams, our Magazine Editor, has already published his Top Ten Motorcycle Picks and somewhat naturally I agreed with him. When Ron Lieback, our Website Editor, challenged me to come up with picks of my own, I naturally gravitated more towards the industry happenings, although I do have some machinery opinions as well.

I find myself interested in those manufacturers who have the best feeling for the current motorcycle buyer; those who are trying to listen to market demand and not just thrust their latest whizz-bang machine at us; those who are trying to encourage new and returning riders to the fold; those who are trying to make the pie bigger.

So this is what I’ve come up with. It goes without saying that these are my personal picks and you may or may not agree with me; of course you may feel I’ve left something out. Respectful discussion is very healthy and I’d love to hear everyone’s opinion—good, bad or ugly. Thanks for reading and being a part of the Ultimate MotorCycling family!

To read the others, visit 2014 President’s Picks.