Yamaha MT-07, road test 2015

Yamaha MT-07: The smallest of the MT family is the one capable of surprising the most. We have never tried such a fun "entry level" bike. All it lacks is standard ABS, while if you drive it to the limit the suspensions show some flaws, but the extraordinary price compared to the contents makes them forgive the small flaws. Last year everyone was talking about it, but seeing it standing still and observing it, it wasn't really imaginable that Yamaha had done so much: for just 6 thousand euros (6.500 in reality and we'll tell you why) you buy an ideal motorbike to start with (especially for the price), but also perfect for the "geek", who has fun like crazy using mainly the rear tire alone... In the end the recipe isn't even too new, a twin-cylinder with an average power (75 horsepower) enough to have fun, without exaggerations that would increase the price and more, a nice frame and a light, small and easy to handle bike. The Yamaha MT-07 combines this a modern and attractive appearance, in addition to the naked - supermotard mix like its older sister MT-09, which is enjoying great success (even if not everyone is crazy about riding).

Aesthetics and finishes:

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Small, simple, but well looked after and trendy like no other in this segment

You look at it and you immediately understand how innovative it is than anything we have seen before. The MT-07 focuses heavily on important concepts, such as lightness, simplicity, but also on being captivating. The entry level segment is anything but easy, manufacturers often end up choosing the best compromise, always giving up something important though. On the one hand, cost containment is on the scale, and on the other, a very demanding clientele, who perhaps are buying their first motorbike and want it beautiful and fashionable, well made, but he also wouldn't want to give up power and good chassis. In short, everything is a little. Never before had we come so close. We will talk about the qualities of the CP2 engine and the chassis later on, but on the aesthetic front the MT-07 does not seem to impose any sacrifice on its buyers. Compact and mean, is built around the engine even more than other nakeds, because otherwise the bike is really small and essential. The frame, as for its bigger sister, is a mixed solution between steel tubes and aluminum elements. It is defined as "diamond-shaped", it is based on the engine as a load-bearing element, to which the rear mono pivot and the front subframe are directly fixed to support the fork and two aluminum plates to support the rear frame. Other simple but well-made elements complete the aesthetics of the motorbike. The beautiful swingarm, for example, is asymmetrical and has an attractive look, as well as being excellently finished, but it is not made of precious aluminium, but of steel. Even the exhaust, without resorting to expensive solutions, is as fashion dictates: positioned low, small and truncated. Even the brakes, with classic calipers (not the more expensive radial ones) have petal discs. Both the back and the front are essential, with a small and sporty headlight, which can optionally be combined with a mask or fairing for minimal aerodynamic protection, and the modern instrumentation and very small in size, yet still very readable and complete all based on an LCD element. With the two buttons on the left of the display you can scroll through the data on consumption, the external temperature and the gear engaged, among the many information available. At the rear, the lightness of the tail line pays off in case of rain, when the passenger finds himself "washed" by the spray raised by the rear tyre, but even when riding alone something gets on his back, in addition to the fact that the passenger's portion of the saddle is flooded with water and everything the tire transfers from the road surface . In general the sensation of perceived quality, undoubtedly partly influenced by amazement given the very low list price, it's great. Upon careful observation, some details are "cheap", such as the clutch cable (especially in the lever area) or other slightly unsightly details left in plain sight, but with a price like this you couldn't really ask for more, for us it is promoted with honors!

Engine and performance:

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A surprise, 75 "rebel" horses ready to entertain you

We often say it, the power data alone is not enough. There are motorbikes with double the horsepower, but which don't know how to provide strong emotions, then there are cases like the MT-07, seventy-five horsepower (to many nowadays they might seem like little) among the funniest you can find. After trying it we feel like the highway code should be changed. Why ban single-wheelers when they come so easy with a bike like this? Certainly the Italian State would save in public spending for the treatment of forms of depression. Jokes aside, first or second gear, if you open the throttle you find yourself looking up, with extreme ease, to easily stay there until the fourth and without major difficulties in managing the situation. The horses are fun and the delivery is linear, without dangerous changes in character throughout the entire range of use of the twin-cylinder 689 cc. As in the case of the MT-09 engine, it also has a name: CP2, acronym for CrossPlane 2 (9 cylinders. Just like on the M1 of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, or like on the R1 MY2015 with over 200 horsepower, peculiarities of these engines are the irregular bangs, which influence their character to a considerable extent. If you think they are "marketing gimmicks", to sell you a similarity between a twin-cylinder of an entry level motorcycle and a MotoGP, riding the MT-07 will make you think again. The engine despite being a "2 in line" it has a delivery and temperament of a "V": full and full-bodied right from low revs, even if the maximum torque of 68 Nm is delivered rather high, at 6.500 rpm, while the 74,8 HP even at 9.000. Practically manages to combine the elasticity of "V" thrusters with the extension of in-line ones. All with fluid delivery and without "explosions" of torque that could put less experienced riders in difficulty. If you open the accelerator with the bike at an angle, some bounce of the rear when exiting a corner is not uncommon, but it is more the result of the limits of the chassis than of the excessive exuberance of the CP2. Take advantage of the phasing at 270° (like a 90° V-twin) to give character and torque to the engine, while a countershaft takes care of balancing the vibrations, of which it is practically devoid. I am the ratios for the 6-speed gearbox are rather short, also because the maximum speed is not that of a super sports car and the spacing must not be too wide, so the CP2 never struggles to catapult the MT-07 forward, more than its numerical data would lead you to believe. Forged pistons and offset cylinders they are technical goodies designed to contain bulk and friction inside the engine, which is tiny and very efficient. For new drivers It can also be had in a weakened 35 KW version.

Ride and handling:

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Simple but well-made solutions, this is the trick also used for the MT-07 chassis

A traditional fork with 41 mm stanchions, a rear monopole pivoted on the engine block, combined with a nice swingarm in "cheap" steel rather than aluminium, make it an excellent entry level, with original solutions, in some cases "big", such as the choice of the rear tyre, 180 and not 160 like others competitors. Furthermore, to be honest, the greater diffusion of this measure means that they are on the market at practically the same price. Certain, fork and mono if you try the limit they end up being too soft, excellent for urban riding and for managing single-wheelers easily and safely, a little less so for sporty riding, but we are talking about an entry level, not an extreme motorbike. The MT-07 also appears above average in driving, with its 179 kg in running order (3 more for the version equipped with ABS), 164 dry, it's a featherweight compared to the competition, which pays an additional ballast of 20, but also 40 kg (the weight of the N226S DCT is 750 kg, just for comparison). With the'wheelbase of only 1.400 mm it becomes a toy in every situation. It only pays its dues on fast speeds, where it is not completely at ease and can become demanding, but even tackling a motorway bend in "full sixth gear" is not the work of a professional, of course. More than a limitation of the chassis, this is a constructive choice. That naked-motard approach, common to the two MT-07 and 09, which some people like when riding at the limit and are not liked by those who find it too nervous, because she prefers a more balanced and sincere motorbike even in these situations. It must be said that in the case of the MT-09 a more significant power highlights this aspect more, while for its twin-cylinder sister the recipe seems more successful. Light and easy to handle almost as if it were a 125, in the city and on narrow mixed terrain, it has no rivals, keeping pace with much higher caliber motorcycles. The seat 805 mm high from the ground, with reduced and centralized masses, makes it one of the best motorbikes even in the city. The limits, if we really want to find them, come from the brakes. The system is based on two 282 mm front discs with four-piston monobloc calipers, while at the rear the disc is 245, all three have a daisy shape. For tourist use they are fine, but you need a lot of pressure on the lever to detach strongly. This aspect, combined with the absence of ABS, translates into a job for experts to brake without locking when you're in a hurry. Our advice is 110% to buy the version equipped with anti-lock, for 500 euros more, but leaving many worries behind. Then it will seem trivial, but it is better to spend a little more on active safety, rather than doing a forehand. Furthermore, it will increase (in our opinion not even slightly) the resaleability of the motorbike at the end of its career.

Price and consumption:

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Unbeatable price, all it lacks is the standard ABS

The MT-07 is available in 5 colors, with different combinations of shades for the rims, the frame tubes and the tank, with a price starting from 5.990 euros. Last year it debuted with an even lower price list, to the point that sales were so much above forecasts that the MT-07 was unavailable for a good part of the season. Subsequently, not only due to the sales results, the price list was adjusted upwards by 300 euros. Stay a truly negligible price compared to what this bike is capable of offering, in terms of emotions, but also in terms of manufacturing quality. In the price it is including the third year of warranty, you really couldn't ask for more. However, we feel we must make a note to the Casa dei tre Diapason, on this occasion ABS could have been made standard, with a saving of 500 euros more than the "base" version for those who pay for it today., as well as an increase in safety for everyone. We are certainly not bigots when it comes to motorcycles, which we believe should be satisfying and fun, in some ways even to the detriment of safety (it couldn't be otherwise since it's a topic in which fun often translates into speed, single wheels and other "amenities" similar), but for us the MT-07 without anti-lock, at least in the hands of those with little experience on two wheels, is strongly not recommended. For this reason, for us the real price is 6.490 euros (which is still excellent) for the version with ABS. Prices can be added to the list price trim levels, with which Yamaha offers a package of options at a special price, such as Sport, which includes a dark screen, a sports license plate holder, LED indicators, and grill kits for the air intakes, all for 372 euros. To confirm its versatility, the MT-07 is also available touring kits, with side bags and supports, 12 volt socket and support for GPS/Smartphone (from approximately 325 euros to 395 depending on the support version). Otherwise with 6.790 € you can buy the MT-07 Moto Cage, version inspired by the "stunt" concept with an even more aggressive appearance, thanks to a new Matt Gray color, combined with touches of red and additional elements, some of which were created to protect the engine, such as the pipes that wrap around it, the side radiator covers and the lower protection dedicated to the exhaust manifolds. Same color adopted for the new handguards, for the front rim, contrasting with the black rear (but with a red external profile) and for other details and stickers. An adjustable mask also appears above the headlight. On the consumption front, the CP2 engine guarantees truly exceptional results. We recorded a figure of almost 20 km/l during our test (of almost 1.000 km) having a lot of fun, on the motorway at 130 it consumes even less. You can also travel 25 km/l with more "polite" use.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
Never seen such a fun bike at this price, incredible engine and economical fuel consumption.

We do not like it:
Absence of ABS as standard, suspensions that highlight some limitations in sporty driving, inadequate water protection for the passenger's back.

Yamaha MT-07: the Motorionline Report Card

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Test clothing:
Jacket: Dainese AVRO C2 LEATHER
Trousers: Dainese DELTA PRO C2 LEATHER
Gloves: Spidi Jab RR
Boot: Dainese TR-COURSE OUT AIR
Helmet: Caberg Freeride UK