FZ-10 SP / 2017 FZ-10

There is a LOT more to whether a manufacturer brings in a particular model to the US. At the end of the day the bottom line is to make money. Over the years the US has begged for certain models normally only seen in Europe or Japan, promising there would be a ready market for them, then when they are imported the market says 'no thanks'. This is especially true with high performance naked bikes, Yamaha dealers thought the FZ-10 would fly out of the showrooms, yet they aren't. They are a slow seller, so now Yamaha should import the SP? Based on what, the slow sales of the FZ-10?  On what a handful of enthusiasts on this site say they want?

Sorry, the enthusiasts on this forum are NOT the core customer base. What we would buy probably isn't what the majority of the potential market wants. Of course we would all say 'bring in the SP', but we are a relatively narrow representation of the FZ-10 style market. Frankly, I doubt the SP would sell all that well. There would probably not be nearly enough sales to warrant the considerable expense of certifying the SP edition.  That's why they rely on market research and not forums like this.

As the owner of three bike forums, I beg to differ.

My FZ-07 forum, three years of hundreds of people posting "should I get the fz-07"? Thousands more around the country reading those posts and others to help determine if it is the bike for them or not.

2017, people research the hell out of things before they buy them. Cycle magazine articles used to be good enough, and then run down to the dealer to buy one. But today's consumers like to research and if you want to research a new bike, there is no better place than specialized bike forums. You have no idea how many people on my other two forums pm me to thank me for helping them decide to buy the fz-07.

And, the FJ-09 forum is the same way.

FZ-10? The looks make people either hate or love it. The bike is also priced alot higher than the low priced FZ-07 and fz-09/fj-09. The bike came out what, mid summer? My local dealer sold all his out in two weeks and is still having a hard time keeping them in stock.

Give it time, I think sale will increase sharply this year. Yamaha turned alot of people off when it was discovered that the true HP number for this bike are actually 133-135 hp because of the USA detune. At the pricepoint it is at, the stock hp is a little low, but when flashed correctly, it's a fire breathing monster. 20 more hp on a bike is a ton of power, so those in Europe are getting more bike for the money.

But Bike forums certainly ARE the place where most riders go to learn about the bikes that have caught their interest. Factories are missing out on one hell of sales tool. The members here who actually own an FZ-10 are not the majority of visitors ea day, we have a ton of visitors ea day reading, reading and reading. Avg visitor spends 45 minutes per visit reading FZ-10 info. These folks are considering buying an FZ-10 right now, I login and watch every day.

I agree, I would love to have the ftf display i think it's called.

Not sure if it will work or not. I have ridden a friends R1M a few times and that display has a ton more options on the screen based on the updated electronic suspension on the bike. The harness that attaches may be different. Our display is most likely a match to the R1S only. Sure someone will try on the MT10 and MT10SP soon enough. LOL

Just be patient and wait for the Chinese. They'll get one out there eventually. Yamaha? Doubtful, when they're trying to sell SPs.

Looks like Visordown will be test ridding the SP. They are asking if feedback/questions regarding the test ride, if anyone is inclined click the link below:

www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-general-news/got-question-about-yamaha-tmax-and-mt-10-sp

I had the same disappointment when they didn't bring the MT-01 to the US. I was fortunate to have one when I lived in Japan. It wasn't sold as a Japanese model, but at least they had the option to sell an "import" model (re-import really.)

But, the fact is that HD sells nearly half the new bikes in the US. Cruisers in general dominate the market. This seriously reduces a manufacturer'a market for a product like the FZ. I think Yamaha hurts itself by offering so many models in a close range. Two 900's, a 700, and a 1000 all on the shopping list of people like us. Not to mention their competition.

I personally think Yamaha does a great job for the money. Hondas are very reliable, but just like their cars, they really cut corners on material. And you can even feel that difference. The build quality of the Yamaha F7-07 and FZ-09 are front runners in the price range. By comparison, the Honda and Kawi swingarms, for example, look pretty chintzy. Going from the FZ-09 to the -10 was a very noticable step up in build quality. Again, something you can easily feel. For me, the value is still very much there.

What I find amazing is how the FZ-09 forum members love their bikes, but when asked what they would buy if they could step up the ladder, they almost exclusively say Aprilia Tuono or Superduke. That tells me that, more than any other reason, they want something other than another FZ, just something different. I know that's not true with everybody, myself included. But, if the majority aren't looking to trade up to an FZ-10, they definitely are not going to want to spend even more to own an SP. Dollarwise, most of them don't feel spending the premium to upgrade to the -10 is justified. Where does that leave them with the SP? I can understand Yamaha's reluctance to bring it here.

And, by the way, nice avatar SLV!