How is the FZ/MT-07 considered where you are?

[bugeyes]

Hi,

I have noticed that many people talk about it as a sportsbike and even use it for racing.
Here in Sweden many riding schools have it for those who are getting their licence.

Otherwise it's considered a commuter/newbie/light streetfighter/girls bike but not as a sportsbike, I fall into the commuter category. As a senior I have realized that it's fast enough at all usable speeds on the roads . It's fun to ride but doesn't impress anyone really, but you need 1000 cc to really count over here.

Just wondering how the bike is considered in other places.

Edited July 10, 2019 by bugeyes

[norcal616]

Sportbike= not a cruiser/HD or a ADV bike nor a SuperSport... MT-07, MT-09, MT-10

Crotch Rocket/SuperSport= R1, R6, GSXR, Ninjas, Hayabusa, H2,R3, RC390... 

 

I see the FZ-07 as a bit of a blank canvas... a little investment here you got entry lvl track bike... Or a little investment here you got a touring rig... It does the job(what you set it up for) pretty decently but not enough to do the task past 90%...

It's a NAKED sportsbike but somehow NAKED is supposed to offer wind protection like a cruiser??

Same thing for a WINDSCREEN which is supposed to function like an automotive WINDSHIELD??

 

[Benh972]

People always asks me if it's a Ducati, or tell me it reminds them of one. Most people I run into do not know anything about bikes, but the Ducati name is  are more known than I would expect. 

Then I have had one guy who seemed to think it was a 180mph beast like the GSXR 1000 he had to sell over ten years ago, because it was too much.  

Then a lot of the younger folks just ask me what it is. They always want to know," how fast is it?" 

[Zephyr]

I've got the fluo grey and most people like the looks and thinks it looks fast.  I tell them that it's not fast, but it is quick.  As far as "category", I would agree with the OP assessment.  I don't call it a sportsbike, just a standard / naked streetbike.  I don't have any roads where a 1000cc monster would be fun to ride at all.  I can't imagine a lot of places where it would be legal to ride those bikes in a fun manner, though perhaps in Sweden (and in Europe in general) there are roads where the litre bikes are "mandatory" to enjoy the roads.  For me torque/acceleration trumps top end speed everytime.  I love going from stop light to speed limit (or just above ) and seeing that the traffic has yet to clear the intersection.  That's the thrill and fun with bikes (imho) unless you're on a track or wide open roads.

Disclaimer: I have no interstates or long divided highways where I live.  Max speed limit is 60mph on one road and most areas are 45 and under.

[kylerhsm]

Here in Australia, we have a 50hp 660cc restricted version for learners. It is extremely popular and outsells the HO (High Output) version by about 10 to 1. So over here, it's considered as a learner bike. I ride the HO, but I'm pretty sure everyone must assume I'm just a shitty learner who doesn't have his big boy license yet  

[FZ07R WaNaB]

17 hours ago, bugeyes said:

Otherwise it's considered a commuter/newbie/light streetfighter/girls bike but not as a sportsbike, I fall into the commuter category. As a senior I have realized that it's fast enough at all usable speeds on the roads . It's fun to ride but doesn't impress anyone really, but you need 1000 cc to really count over here.

I'm curious, in Sweden does the MT-07 have the reduced output motor? The reason I ask is that I have felt from the first day I bought my FZ-07 that I did not consider it a beginner bike, not even close. Here's a couple of my reasons why:

1. Spastic throttle due to terrible mapping

2. Extreme engine braking

3. Strong low and mid range torque which is amplified with the shetty mapping

4. Terrible suspension (14-17) which is amplified from the mapping and the engine braking

I would argue that something like a R6 would make a better beginner bike as all the above is sorted out, and you can run it at lower rpm ranges where it is much easier to ride. That way you can save the zoom zone upper rpms for when you get use to the bike and riding in general.

FYI, I've owned a lot of 250 MX bikes as well as street bikes, so I know what a quick bike is.

As for the OP question, I live in a big city and hang out at the biggest shop in the area. Those folks who have ridden the FZ seem to like it. Having said that, one doesn't have a clue what the bike is really like until they get the ECU flashed and tweak the suspension.

I've only met two guys with the engine modded, one was with a 2WDW flash the same as mine, and the other had an EJK controller. The flash was typically smooth, and he loved his bike. I swapped bikes with the guy who had the EJK, and I wasn't impressed with his, and he was impressed with mine.

With a minimum of the flash, heavier fork springs and heavier fork oil, it's really hard not to like the FZ/MT-07 IMHO

 

[3crows]

Do not care what other people think, to me the MT-07 is a completely adequate 600/700 class street fighter, aggressive UJM, multi-role machine. The multi-roles being things like, uh, street hooliganism (which I do not do), commuting, light/medium touring.

I like the engine braking, do not find it significant or extreme. The seat and suspension and apparently other aspects of the 2018 + MT-07 is improved over the FZ earlier bike. At 5'-11" and 160 pounds I think the suspension is fine for the intended uses. 

Speaking of hooliganisms, the MT-07 has auto-wheelie, it powers up in first and requires little urging in second. Beginner bike, maybe, for somebody with discipline, certainly better than a 600SS but there are a lot better beginner bikes than an MT-07 which effortlessly does triple digit speeds.

 

I come from the era when the Hodaka 100 was a great MX bike ridden by adults and a Honda CL350 was a pretty big bike (had both) so I do not buy into this you have to have a 1000cc bike to be a man. While I do not consider myself such, there could be a few people who have thought me to be fairly expert, lol. And a motorcycle career of over 48 years, dirt bike racing, TT Scrambles, Hare and Scramble and limited street bike racing and still occasionally racing MX, I am hardly a beginner. So, for me, the MT-07 is not a beginner bike.

Edited July 11, 2019 by 3crows

[shinyribs]

I never found the throttle/fueling to be snatchy. It is fuel injected, so the throttle response is very crisp. It doesn't have the sluggish nudge that a carb'd bike gives you (no hate for carbs! love my carb'd bikes). The engine braking also never struck me as excessive. I quite enjoy it. 

Bike people seem to call them small bikes, but I don;t know why. Compared to my buddies VFR it doesn't look small to me at all.

Non-bike people seem to love it. I'm amazed at how often I get complimented on it's looks or sound by random people in parking lots. Always lots of questions, which I'm happy to answer. 

 

I just categorize it as a really fun bike. Super agile handing, super punchy engine that sips gas and great looks. It's not a 150mph flyer, and I don't care. i';s an all-day-comfy roadster than I can hoon on endlessly in complete comfort with stellar reliability. Zero complaints! 

 

 

 

[Fugitive]

8 hours ago, kylerhsm said:

Here in Australia, we have a 50hp 660cc restricted version for learners. It is extremely popular and outsells the HO (High Output) version by about 10 to 1. So over here, it's considered as a learner bike. I ride the HO, but I'm pretty sure everyone must assume I'm just a shitty learner who doesn't have his big boy license yet  

Fellow Aussie HO rider here   I know what you're saying, HOs seem pretty rare here so I guess people would probably just assume it's the learner version...if they even know what bike it is in the first place!  Not that I care lol they can think what they want, this thing is too fun for me to care!

[bugeyes]

Thank's for the replys!

Here in Sweden we get the full HO version unless we specifically order a restricted that is allowed with a restricted drivers licence. Most of the bikes are HO and will power wheelie etc. I agree it not a good beginner bike as it's not very forgiving to clumsy input. The riding schools also use the full power version as it's mandatory if you want to get an unrestricted license.

Most of my friends ride Suzuki GSX-S 1000 or similar and on the roads we ride my bike is just as fast although two of the guys is always faster due to superior riding skills, and they still are if we switch bikes.

One thing is good with the sleeper, low insurance and high gas mileage make it lot's of fun for the money. Cost of ownership was important to me when I bought it.

Many young riders consider it uncool not to have a litre+ engine over here even though they can't really use it.

I like my Mt7 and especially for the use i bought it for which is urban commuting from my suburb home to my job in the city which is Stockholm. Spiced it to my liking with extras like Ohlins suspension, screen etc and it's now tailor made for me.

Sometimes on larger roads i wish it would turn into my old Bandit 1200 just for a while though   To feel the top end power and the feedback from the bike that I miss.

And I don't care what others think at all but younger guys tend to care a lot about such things.

[FZ07R WaNaB]

8 hours ago, 3crows said:

I like the engine braking, do not find it significant or extreme.

You got me thinking on excessive engine braking. I need to ride a 2018+ to see if Yamaha tamed that down a bit with all the changes they made on that model year. My FZ is a 2016, and if you weren't careful, you could damn near throw yourself off the bike either from the push forward combined with the s.hit forks or by the rear end locking up. I never rev matched a bike until my FZ. It was REALLY bad! The good thing is that the 2WDW flash all but eliminated that.

I had about 1000 miles on my bike when I got it flashed, so I was use to engine braking by then, and even used it for real braking purposes. Having said that, once it was gone, I realized how much I actually hated it. I also read here about how I was potentially putting myself into a dangerous situation using it as a main braking means. Somebody pointed out how people behind me don't realize you are slowing down as they don't see the brake lights which can be really bad.

[bugeyes]

I don't mind the engine braking either, just as one can expect from a twin. Maybe the EU engine mappings are different, mine is a 2015. However revmatching is nessesary and have become second nature 

Edited July 11, 2019 by bugeyes

[robbo10]

I don't mind what anyone thinks of my bike. Just like they have no idea, as I go by, whether I am a flash git youngster or the old geezer that I am. I just know that it is the perfect bike for me and my kind of riding.  I am grateful to Yamaha for stopping me - just in time- from buying some other rather heavy boring twin.

[SubStation]

Over here the MT07 is generally held in high regard.

Value for money is very good compared to other makes and models. The Yamaha distributor here hasn't raised it's price in over 2 years. The new Yamaha T7 is about 3000 euro more expensive so the MT compares very well.

Other bikers I know love the bikes for durability and its high output engine and so do I. I'm still being amazed at the acceleration and speeds achieved by a 700cc parallel twin.

I've not heard anything negative about them yet.

[Fugitive]

23 hours ago, bugeyes said:

Thank's for the replys!

Here in Sweden we get the full HO version unless we specifically order a restricted that is allowed with a restricted drivers licence. Most of the bikes are HO and will power wheelie etc. I agree it not a good beginner bike as it's not very forgiving to clumsy input. The riding schools also use the full power version as it's mandatory if you want to get an unrestricted license.

Most of my friends ride Suzuki GSX-S 1000 or similar and on the roads we ride my bike is just as fast although two of the guys is always faster due to superior riding skills, and they still are if we switch bikes.

One thing is good with the sleeper, low insurance and high gas mileage make it lot's of fun for the money. Cost of ownership was important to me when I bought it.

Many young riders consider it uncool not to have a litre+ engine over here even though they can't really use it.

I like my Mt7 and especially for the use i bought it for which is urban commuting from my suburb home to my job in the city which is Stockholm. Spiced it to my liking with extras like Ohlins suspension, screen etc and it's now tailor made for me.

Sometimes on larger roads i wish it would turn into my old Bandit 1200 just for a while though   To feel the top end power and the feedback from the bike that I miss.

And I don't care what others think at all but younger guys tend to care a lot about such things.

Sorry to hijack, but how big of a difference did the Ohlins suspension make?  What setup did you go with?

[bugeyes]

34 minutes ago, Fugitive said:

Sorry to hijack, but how big of a difference did the Ohlins suspension make?  What setup did you go with?

I opted for the basic kit that contains rear shock, the one without the externar reservoir, new fork springs and oil.

It made huge difference, you can read all about my suspension upgrade in this tread...

 

[Beemer]

I get the impression you're speaking for others and not necessarily for yourself. In that case, is it any wonder the lackluster views of the bike, coming from liter snobs? If all they base their opinion on is size and power they truly don't know what all actually makes for a sport bike so we can just ignore those particular, ignorant people. 

If you take the time to look up what a sport bike consists of you would most likely agree the MT-07 IS a sport bike and a pretty good one at that. It is capable of so much compared to other bikes which is one of the things that make the MT-07 so great and what makes it even greater is it can be had at half the cost of many liter bikes. Tell those liter snobs to put that in their pipes and smoke it!

[zombiphone]

It depends on who you ask, really.

If you ask a squid, it's a beginner bike (For the beginners who were far inferior to them, of course).

If you ask a motorcycle enthusiast, it's a fun, nimble sport bike.

If you ask a racer, it's a torquey little beast that beats up on SV650s.

If you ask me, it's the perfect adventure bike.

If you ask someone who knows zero about motorcycles, it's "one of those crotch rockets, like the one my cousin's girlfriend's dad's best friend crashed on and will never ride again. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE"

[FZ07R WaNaB]

1 hour ago, zombiphone said:

It depends on who you ask, really.

If you ask a squid, it's a beginner bike (For the beginners who were far inferior to them, of course).

If you ask a motorcycle enthusiast, it's a fun, nimble sport bike.

If you ask a racer, it's a torquey little beast that beats up on SV650s.

If you ask me, it's the perfect adventure bike.

If you ask someone who knows zero about motorcycles, it's "one of those crotch rockets, like the one my cousin's girlfriend's dad's best friend crashed on and will never ride again. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE"

LOL, you are starting to post like a seasoned novelist

[ElGonzales]

For me it is that kind of bike: if I would crash my MT-07 tomorrow completely, I would buy a new one next week

[Zeus]

I recently heard the Ducati remark as well.  I'm assuming it's because my FZ is red lol

[Fugitive]

14 hours ago, bugeyes said:

I opted for the basic kit that contains rear shock, the one without the externar reservoir, new fork springs and oil.

It made huge difference, you can read all about my suspension upgrade in this tread...

 

Cool, thanks for the info! I'll check it out

[fzar]

On 7/12/2019 at 10:34 AM, zombiphone said:

It depends on who you ask, really.

If you ask a squid, it's a beginner bike (For the beginners who were far inferior to them, of course).

If you ask a motorcycle enthusiast, it's a fun, nimble sport bike.

If you ask a racer, it's a torquey little beast that beats up on SV650s.

If you ask me, it's the perfect adventure bike.

If you ask someone who knows zero about motorcycles, it's "one of those crotch rockets, like the one my cousin's girlfriend's dad's best friend crashed on and will never ride again. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE"

Regardless of being a seasoned novelist !! Reading though all of the comments this by far is the best explanation Iv'e read.

It puts it into perspective the dude telling you you were a great mom for letting your kids ride dirt bikes,  Wink, Wink. @zombiphone

[NikitaUCLA]

There is no such thing as a 'beginner bike" but only beginner rider. I sold my Ducati 999, Ducati 748, GSXR-750 and keeping the FZ07 and BMW G310R. I guess I'm riding a girl's bike. Do you ride for the joy of it or for what others may perceived you? 

[cornerslider]

 

12 hours ago, NikitaUCLA said:

There is no such thing as a 'beginner bike" but only beginner rider. I sold my Ducati 999, Ducati 748, GSXR-750 and keeping the FZ07 and BMW G310R. I guess I'm riding a girl's bike. Do you ride for the joy of it or for what others may perceived you? 

I've owned everything from a Supermoto, to a Goldwing, and almost everything in between..... I love my FZ-07, as do most of the track riders in my area. I ride what I like, and don't give a rats-a$$ what anybody thinks about what I ride. I'm currently selling my 2005 Honda VTX1800F (I'm the original owner), to buy a new KTM Duke 390. I know the VTX is better built, and will last longer/more reliable, etc. I'm at a point in my life that I don't really care? The little Duke 390 just looks like a ton of fun to zip around on.