What's an FZ6? A what now?

[fz6joker]

I'll keep this short so I don't start ranting....

There is a motorcycle shop that I have heard a lot of good reports on, it is about 45 minutes away from where I live. Today was a beautiful day outside so I decided to use it to go visit this particular motorcycle shop. I drive out to the shop, walk inside and I'm really impressed with the shear size of the entire establishment. They had at least 40 sport bikes (they are a Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki....yada yada) So, after walking around seeing all the beautiful bikes they have, a sales person walks up to me and casually asks me how I am doing, I say just fine and then I ask him "Do you all have any 2009 Yamaha FZ6's in stock as of yet?" His reply...........

"What's an FZ6?"

Needless to say, I was taken back and (after talking to two other sales people) I was sad to find out that they had never owned or sold a single FZ6 at all. No wonder the guy didn't know what one was.

 

[jlsmith411]

Yeah while we're on the subject.... I get that same response all the time. I love my FZ6, but it bugs me that nobody I have ever talked to has known what an FZ6 is. I always have to explain what type of bike it, what it looks like, size of engine, etc. It's just down right annoying. Just once when someone asks what kind of bike I ride, I would love to say, with pride, "a 2005 Yamaha FZ6" and that person to know exactly what I am talking about. But whatev, I guess that is the drawback to riding such an awesome bike....

 

[davidsa1]

That's a shocker. I would think even if they did not sell them that they would know what they are, that's not a very good sales person when they don't know the product line.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

That's a shocker. I would think even if they did not sell them that they would know what they are, that's not a very good sales person when they don't know the product line.

+ 1, I was also wondering if the salesperson ever heard of a FZ1?

Makes me wonder how the FZ6, FZ1 compare to other Yamaha steetbikes as far as total # of sales by country. I imagaine the R6 is the most popular

 

[YamahaMAXdRPMs]

i get annoyed when someone on a gsxr or cbr asks me what im riding and i say FZ6 and they ask if its like the little brother of the R6.. grrr

 

[Andz]

It's probably the same here. Everyone calls them a Fazer.

 

[SovietRobot]

It's a low end bike, yamaha doesn't spend much time or money marketing it, unfortunately.

But I have had people come up to me and say "is that an FZ6?" or "nice FZ6"

 

[Gilo-FZ6]

i get similar coments here..sometimes the only way i can give the bike its respect is to say "its got an R6 engine"

also an old workmate came up to me the other day ..he said "what size is the engine?"..so i told him..he then told me wat he had (with the smuggest ,punchable face ever ) said "suzuki SV...........650!!..as if i was supposed to tremble with fear.

 

[SovietRobot]

i get similar coments here..sometimes the only way i can give the bike its respect is to say "its got an R6 engine"

also an old workmate came up to me the other day ..he said "what size is the engine?"..so i told him..he then told me wat he had (with the smuggest ,punchable face ever ) said "suzuki SV...........650!!..as if i was supposed to tremble with fear.

It's like clockspeeds in computers, a higher number doesn't mean it's better or faster.

A 650 vtwin can't compare to a 600 inline 4, although the vtwin will have more torque, but who needs torque when you have screaming horsepower?

 

[grommit]

I was in the barbers the other day having my hair trimmed. Discussion turned to bikes, the guy cutting my hair suggested my bike was just for commuting around town. I told him it had the engine off an R6, he was genuinely shocked, red lines @ 14000RPM I added.

 

[Humperdinkel]

Not really into bikes at that shop now are they :spank: , ive never had anybody in Oz say "Whats that ?" when people ask what i ride and i tell then they usually say "Top bike that , hell of a lot of fun" or something of that nature .....Now how can you argue with that :thumbup:

 

[DaveK]

It's probably the same here. Everyone calls them a Fazer.

+1

I always call it a fazer, but they are pretty common in the uk.

I usually describe it as an upright R6, which in fairness it pretty much is.

 

[KensFz6]

It's a low end bike, yamaha doesn't spend much time or money marketing it, unfortunately.

But I have had people come up to me and say "is that an FZ6?" or "nice FZ6"

At work, I occasionally flip through a Chicago-land Cyclefocus ad magazine that they give away for free and I have yet to see a single FZ6/FZ1 in it.

I've also had someone come up to me at school and ask if that was my R6 in the parking lot...

 

[swerve9031]

Well lets just agree guys.... an FZ6 is the Biking World's best kept secret!

 

[Gilo-FZ6]

I was in the barbers the other day having my hair trimmed. Discussion turned to bikes, the guy cutting my hair suggested my bike was just for commuting around town. I told him it had the engine off an R6, he was genuinely shocked, red lines @ 14000RPM I added.

We gotta take these haterz to school lol..:spank:

 

[DecepticonDon]

"An SV?"
"No, FZ." I got that one a couple times.
Thats one thing I loved about the FZ6. It looked good, but all the sportbikerz didn't know what to make of it.
Driven right, I went faster in the 1/8 mile than my friend on his Z1000.
Also you don't see 'your' bike riding around, and you don't lose it a bike night.

Thats why I like the Daytona. Hell some people don't know that Triumph is still in business.

 

[LERecords]

I love having to explain to people what i ride... trying to tell them that its a more comfy crotch rocket.. but most of the time they are lost on the "its not a r6, it just has the engine"... actually one time some guy asked if i had put it together.. since it has the engine of the r6 and all...too funny

 

[SovietRobot]

"An SV?"
"No, FZ." I got that one a couple times.
Thats one thing I loved about the FZ6. It looked good, but all the sportbikerz didn't know what to make of it.
Driven right, I went faster in the 1/8 mile than my friend on his Z1000.
Also you don't see 'your' bike riding around, and you don't lose it a bike night.

Thats why I like the Daytona. Hell some people don't know that Triumph is still in business.

I've seen one daytona in my life. Guy came up behind me at a stoplight, I looked back and nodded.

Most of the people on sportbikes here are between the ages of 16 and 24, and are all of a "I am better than you" and "I am cool because I wheelie right next to cars doing 60 on a city street" mentality.
Thus they equate the FZ6 to a "poseur" sportbike, even though I've outridden kids on their brand new R6's, and I would still classify myself as a newbie.

 

[blchandl2]

Thats why I like the Daytona. Hell some people don't know that Triumph is still in business.

I get the same comments when people see my Tiger.

 

[flamewulfe]

I've noticed a lot of older folks (50+ years) eyeing my bike, and already had 3 people come up to me and talk with me about it . . . the general consensus is the same . . . fast but comfortable! Perfect!

Talking about Triumph, there's a beautiful Speed Four that parks next to me every day . . . I don't know why, but I really love the bulbous air ducts on the sides of the windscreen, make it look really "mean".