I can't stand the FZ-07

[Gaulois]

I can't stand the FZ-07's ...... name. Well, I like it, but why did Yamaha USA changed the MT-07 to FZ-07.
Everywhere I look on the internet, for windshield, exhaust, brake levers etc. I have to enter "MT-07" and "FZ-07", and I often get different results.
It is anti-productive.
All manufacturers and retailers have to do the same to market their product, just annoying.
I am going to boycott the name "FZ-07" and only reference this bike as an "MT-07".
After all, this is the Master of Torque 07.

 

[loneranger]

Yep Thats what it stands for!!!!

 

[loneranger]

Stick with the MT07. FZ stands for Flipping Zippy (I think)

 

[jeppebm]

haha i dont think thats gonna change anything but i agree - it is VERY silly indeed since the name is MT for real, and all over the world. Plus The master of torque theme is kinda made fun of with that name!

 

[robodene]

haha i dont think thats gonna change anything but i agree - it is VERY silly indeed since the name is MT for real, and all over the world. Plus The master of torque theme is kinda made fun of with that name!

Trouble is, in the USA 'FZ' is already in use, and 'MT' is not (as I understand it). But Yam could have made a start with MT when releasing the 09, couldn't they?

 

[Gaulois]

Trouble is, in the USA 'FZ' is already in use, and 'MT' is not (as I understand it). But Yam could have made a start with MT when releasing the 09, couldn't they?

You are perfectly right.

 

[jeppebm]

Trouble is, in the USA 'FZ' is already in use, and 'MT' is not (as I understand it). But Yam could have made a start with MT when releasing the 09, couldn't they?

But there has been lots of MT models before, are they all called fz?

Could it be that some firm has a patent on that abriviation since the deliberately Call it something else

 

[Gaulois]

But there has been lots of MT models before, are they all called fz?

Could it be that some firm has a patent on that abriviation since the deliberately Call it something else

Yes, in the USA, all Yamaha MT's became FZ's, also nicknamed "Fazer".
Patent could very well be the reason, but you still have choices of let say, MT-07 or MT07 or MT7 or MT/07. I don't know anything about patents, but would MT be too generic to be able to patent?

 

[DJP]

...Could it be that some firm has a patent on that abriviation since the deliberately Call it something else

I believe that's generally the reason why some vehicles have different names in different countries.

Well, either that or the name means something rude or inappropriate in that language.

The Toyota MR2 wasn't popular in France - since no-one wanted a Toyota "Merde".

 

[Ralph]

Yes, in the USA, all Yamaha MT's became FZ's, also nicknamed "Fazer".
Patent could very well be the reason, but you still have choices of let say, MT-07 or MT07 or MT7 or MT/07. I don't know anything about patents, but would MT be too generic to be able to patent?

The Fazer is a Yamaha name in the UK for a 4 cylinder range of bikes,

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=yamaha+fazer&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=685&tbm=isch&imgil=xeFpzMZxrwzEUM%3A%3BZOVnD6SLjnIoEM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.steveszone.co.uk%252Fbike%252Fbike_fazers.shtml&source=iu&pf=m&fir=xeFpzMZxrwzEUM%3A%2CZOVnD6SLjnIoEM%2C_&usg=__Wy91ZMldk_vGwvlT4Ey00IOJDrI=&ved=0CDEQyjc&ei=09q4VPf1IYOrUaTJg9gK#imgdii=_&imgrc=xeFpzMZxrwzEUM%3A;ZOVnD6SLjnIoEM;http%3A%2F%2Fwww.steveszone.co.uk%2Fbike%2Fbike_page_pictures%2Ffazers%2Flarge_jpg%2F2005_diamond_black.jpg;http%3A%2F%2Fwww.steveszone.co.uk%2Fbike%2Fbike_fazers.shtml;800;600


It must be a marketing thing as some names used in the US seem very strange to me as some of ours must seem to you,
Honda Grom is a MSX 125 here Grom is short for Grommet which is ether a round rubber thing for protecting wiring or
a lovable cartoon dog that likes cheese, I believe in the US is is a name for a young surfer so I suppose makes some sense.

The Japanese do seem to have a sense of humour, a Hayabusa is a hawk that kills Blackbirds, so someone at Suzuki
was havering a little dig at Honda.

 

[MrSquidbeak]

The Fazer is a Yamaha name in the UK for a 4 cylinder range of bikes,

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=yamaha+fazer&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=685&tbm=isch&imgil=xeFpzMZxrwzEUM%3A%3BZOVnD6SLjnIoEM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.steveszone.co.uk%252Fbike%252Fbike_fazers.shtml&source=iu&pf=m&fir=xeFpzMZxrwzEUM%3A%2CZOVnD6SLjnIoEM%2C_&usg=__Wy91ZMldk_vGwvlT4Ey00IOJDrI=&ved=0CDEQyjc&ei=09q4VPf1IYOrUaTJg9gK#imgdii=_&imgrc=xeFpzMZxrwzEUM%3A;ZOVnD6SLjnIoEM;http%3A%2F%2Fwww.steveszone.co.uk%2Fbike%2Fbike_page_pictures%2Ffazers%2Flarge_jpg%2F2005_diamond_black.jpg;http%3A%2F%2Fwww.steveszone.co.uk%2Fbike%2Fbike_fazers.shtml;800;600

It must be a marketing thing as some names used in the US seem very strange to me as some of ours must seem to you,
Honda Grom is a MSX 125 here Grom is short for Grommet which is ether a round rubber thing for protecting wiring or
a lovable cartoon dog that likes cheese, I believe in the US is is a name for a young surfer so I suppose makes some sense.

The Japanese do seem to have a sense of humour, a Hayabusa is a hawk that kills Blackbirds, so someone at Suzuki
was havering a little dig at Honda.

Very true. never understood why the U.S. market changed the VW Golf to the VW Rabbit! The the hell wants a car called a Rabbit!?

 

[FierceGerbil]

Why FZ?

Being from the US I'll take a stab at it. It may have something to do with copyright or trademark. I think the most likely reason is because the American bikes are different therefore needing the FZ to separate it from the MT. US models don't have ABS and are not restricted in any way. Then again, there may be no particular reason for it. For example, when Pontiac was still around they decided to bring back the GTO. Just so happened that Pontiac in Australia was already producing a car which would become the GTO in the US. Who knows what these folks are thinking and the reasoning behind it. The meaning of life might be easier to figure out. LOL

 

[DJP]

Being from the US I'll take a stab at it. It may have something to do with copyright or trademark. I think the most likely reason is because the American bikes are different therefore needing the FZ to separate it from the MT. US models don't have ABS and are not restricted in any way. Then again, there may be no particular reason for it. For example, when Pontiac was still around they decided to bring back the GTO. Just so happened that Pontiac in Australia was already producing a car which would become the GTO in the US. Who knows what these folks are thinking and the reasoning behind it. The meaning of life might be easier to figure out. LOL

But there again, UK bikes are unrestricted and they don't all have ABS either.

I think you're right on the copyright thing - there's probably something else called an "MT-07" in the US - like a fridge freezer or a TV or something.

 

[sdrio]

I often wonder why Piaggio decided to call their 300c commuter 'Beverly'.

I saw it when I was looking to buy a scooter 2 years ago, but the name was so stupid I immediately discounted it.

 

[robodene]

As further above, the reason was that 'MT' had not been used in USA but 'FZ' was already established.

 

[Ralph]

What ever you call it, it's a cracking bike, I was going to say for the price but it's a cracking bike at any price.

 

[Noggie]

Different naming is nothing new.
My grandfather had a -76 Ford Comsul, and my uncle bought a -78 Ford Granada, same exact car, think Consul was the UK name.
I used to have an Opel Vectra, which was the exact same car as a Vauxhall Cavalier in the UK.

Honda planned to bring out a car called "Fitta" a few years ago, but that is a slang word for female genitalia in Scandinavia, so the name was changed to "Jazz".

FZ instead of MT was probably because Yamaha had a line of FZ models in the US, and decided to stay with the local branding.

 

[FierceGerbil]

But there again, UK bikes are unrestricted and they don't all have ABS either.

I think you're right on the copyright thing - there's probably something else called an "MT-07" in the US - like a fridge freezer or a TV or something.

Oh. I know MT has ABS option and I thought there was a throttle restrictor on UK models. Or is use of the restrictor based on type of motorcycle license? I'm not educated on restrictions for different regions so I could be off base here. I do know ABS isn't a option in the US. I do hope it gets adopted soon though. I've never owned a bike with ABS but added safety would be welcome here I do believe.

 

[sdrio]

Different naming is nothing new.
My grandfather had a -76 Ford Comsul, and my uncle bought a -78 Ford Granada, same exact car, think Consul was the UK name.
I used to have an Opel Vectra, which was the exact same car as a Vauxhall Cavalier in the UK.

Honda planned to bring out a car called "Fitta" a few years ago, but that is a slang word for female genitalia in Scandinavia, so the name was changed to "Jazz".

FZ instead of MT was probably because Yamaha had a line of FZ models in the US, and decided to stay with the local branding.

In the UK the Consul and the Granada were essentially the same model. Granada was just the new name. My Dad had several of both.

I like car name cockups. In Brazil the Ford Pinto and the Chevy Nova caused amusement, as 'Pinto' is slang for a dick, and Nova means 'won't go'.

My favourite is the Toyota MR2. In France, MR2 is pronounced 'Em Air Dough'. Sounds exactly like their word 'emerdeux', which means 'shitty'.

General Motors seem to like to name the same car differently all over. They are Opel in Europe, Vauxhall in the UK, Chevrolet in most other places, except Australia where it's Holden. Some models (like the Omega) were the same wherever you went, pretty much.

 

[Noggie]

Oh. I know MT has ABS option and I thought there was a throttle restrictor on UK models. Or is use of the restrictor based on type of motorcycle license? I'm not educated on restrictions for different regions so I could be off base here. I do know ABS isn't a option in the US. I do hope it gets adopted soon though. I've never owned a bike with ABS but added safety would be welcome here I do believe.

In Europe you have two versions.
A full power version, and a 45hp version for the A2 license, and ABS or non-ABS of the two.
Australia have a LAMS (Learner approved) version that has a slightly smaller displacement engine, restrictors and a little less power than the US/EU full power version, this to fit within the LAMS regulations.

Norway does not sell the Non-ABS version, even the restricted version, all bikes are ABS.
The A2 restriction can be fitted to any bike, and removed just as easy. But, when the bike is registered it is registered as A2 (restricted) or A (full power) and the A2 version is cheaper (less tax) so you can't just remove the restrictors, you have to re-register the bike with full power and pay the missing tax (with a tax break on the age).

In Norway you can't drive a motorcycle without a license, actually you need a license to drive a moped.
At 16 you can get a moped license and drive a 50cc restricted to 45kph (28mph), or a A1 licence that allows you to ride a 125cc.
At 18 you can get a car license, and you automatically get a moped license at that time.
At 18 you can get an A2 license, and can drive any motorcycle restricted to 45hp.
At 24 you can get an A license, and can drive any full power motorcycle. But if you have had an A2 license for 2 years you can get it sooner by doing a 7 hour course.
All classes require a theoretical and practical test with the authorities.