The Yamaha FZ-09 Streetfighter 2016

The Yamaha  FZ-09 Streetfighter 2016 google doc

Yamaha’s Crossplane Concept CP3 engine serves as the beating heart for the FZ-09. This is an 847 cc, liquid-cooled, in-line triple that cranks out 64.3 pound-feet at 8,500 rpm; due in part to the staggered, downdraft intakes meant to open up the powerband a bit and make it start to come on earlier in the rpm range than systems with equidistant intakes. As one might expect, the engine follows a symmetrical firing order, which gives it smooth power-pulse delivery, and a counter-balancer cancels out the rocking couple to further smooth out the engine.

Though the Yamaha factory saved weight everywhere it could, induction control was apparently too important to pass up. The Yamaha Chip Control Throttle (YCC-T) is a fully Ride-by-Wire (RbW) system that reads engine rpm and current throttle opening to reconcile changes in throttle-grip position against the engine’s needs. Yamaha’s Drive Mode (D-Mode) feature allows the rider to switch between three separate premapped settings for quick and easy changes to power delivery and throttle response, so you can change the performance profile as needed.

The Yamaha  FZ-09 Streetfighter 2016 google doc

For me, the most interesting part of the engine would be the connecting rods. (I know, it’s a rather mundane part, but bear with me.) The factory uses the “Fracture Split” method to actually break the big end open, then bolt the two halves around its throw on the crankshaft resulting in a perfectly-mated joint. I have to wonder how many conrods the engineers destroyed trying to perfect that method, but I digress.

The six-speed transmixer comes geared to make full use of the expanded torque curve while keeping the rpm reasonable at cruising speeds. Designed to work with the narrow three-banger engine, the gearbox helps keep the drivetrain trim and fit ahead of the rear.