Bike features
Here are the characteristic features of this machine:
- aggressive angular design emphasizing the beauty of the naked bike;
- maneuverability and compactness;
- low cost.
This motorcycle is intended only for the city, and somewhere on a rural highway it clearly will not please its owner. It is good, first of all, because it is budget-friendly, because there is more than enough plastic on it. This, as well as its general high-tech, makes the Yamaha MT-07 completely fit into the modern trend.
WHERE TO LOOK
Due to the fact that the MT-07 is officially supplied to us, finding an option with a transparent service history will not be a problem. However, as experience shows, this in no way guarantees ideal health of the equipment. And there are not so many offers on the market. This means that it will be difficult to pass by “gray” importers. Especially if you suddenly have your eye on a rare modification that has bypassed the Russian market: the stunter MT-07 Moto Cage, the nostalgic XSR700 or the touring Tracer 700.
Especially for motorcycle schools, Yamaha offered a set of accessories with the eloquent name RSK, which, in addition to a hefty arc around the handlebars, included a set of sliders for the frame, footpegs and wheel axles.
Dimensions and weight
When the 14L fuel tank is empty, this bike weighs 160kg. By the way, the car’s gasoline consumption per hundred kilometers is only 4.5 liters, and possibly less, so the gas tank capacity will be absolutely sufficient. The saddle height of 805 mm makes the MT-07 most suitable for people of average height.
CHOICE
If you took care of the engine (did timely maintenance, purchased high-quality consumables, monitored the valve clearances), then there is no catch. Although, when examining a vehicle with a mileage exceeding 20,000 km, it makes sense to carefully inquire whether the spark plugs have been changed or not. The fact is that this procedure is not a simple one, requiring the dismantling of the gas tank and part of the lining, which is why some mechanics are trying to avoid it.
The asymmetrical pendulum, 530 mm long, is welded from stamped steel parts. It’s a pity that it wasn’t painted in the best way, so that on some examples it began to rust almost as soon as they left the dealership. The areas most prone to oxidation are the weld under the brake caliper bracket and the chain guard mount. Particularly persistent owners even managed to replace the entire unit under warranty. But most make do with local touch-ups. It must be said that Yamaha is aware of this problem, because on the second generation, produced in 2021, protective vinyl stickers have appeared on certain sections of the swingarm.
It happens that the transmission indicator starts to lie. Most often, the problem lies in the gearbox sensor, which suffers from grease flying from the driven star (it is located directly above it). And for the sensor to work again, sometimes it is enough to unscrew it and clean the contacts.
Among liquid crystal analogues, the interface of the MT-07 monochrome panel is probably one of the exemplary ones. The speedometer and tachometer readings, the number of the selected gear and the fuel level are brought to the fore. Everything else can be called up as needed: daily and total mileage, engine and ambient temperature, as well as average fuel consumption. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that exactly the same one is installed on the Tracer 700. But the XSR700, in order to match the retro style, received its own - round shape.
The chassis causes much more trouble. The characteristics of the engine are such that the motorcycle easily rises to the rear wheel from the gas in the first two gears. However, very few people know how to land carefully, which is why the fork seals and steering axle bearings suffer. In addition, increased wear is partly due to “forgetfulness” during maintenance: the steering nuts should be checked for tightness at every maintenance, and refilled with grease every 20,000 km (more often is better). The same applies to the pendulum with all its “links”.
The aluminum frame cover suffers from constant contact with the feet, which is why abrasions and bald patches soon appear on it.
The MT-07 pendants, by the way, were selected with an eye to a modest price tag. Moreover, it is so modest that many people want to choose an alternative to them immediately after buying a motorcycle. Moreover, Yamaha itself began to offer cartridges, springs and an Öhlins monoshock absorber as an option just a couple of years after the debut of the “seven”.
The starter key (it also controls the engine shutdown) sometimes gets stuck in the lower position: many cases were recognized as covered by warranty, but as a preventative measure it is better to force it into the middle position.
However, if for the “rear” replacing it with an advanced analogue is almost the only option (besides congenital laxity, there are cases when a standard shock absorber died in just half a season), then with a strong desire you can get by with a fork with little expense.
According to suspension specialists, the height of the lower bushing (part no. 4FM231254000), which should work as a piston ring, is 5 mm less than required. When reassembling, if you install a bushing of the required size, high-quality oil seals and stiffer springs (9.0-9.5 N/mm instead of the standard 8.5 N/mm), and at the same time fill in a different shock-absorbing fluid, the fork will be unrecognizable.
The first generation MT-07 suspensions often cause criticism from owners, mainly due to their insufficient damping and poor survivability. Moreover, if the fork is treated by selecting springs, valves and seals, then the monoshock absorber is exclusively replaced. It is significant that Yamaha added Öhlins components to its catalog of options already in the second year of production of the “seven”.
With brakes the situation is simpler. Exactly the same front calipers Advics (ex-Sumitomo) were once installed on the sports “erks” YZF-R6 and YZF-R1. True, for the sake of a soft grip, the pads were not selected to be the most effective, which is why you have to press the lever harder than desired. It is not surprising that many people replace rubber hoses with reinforced ones, and “stock” pads with options with a less tenacious, but more “toothy” Sintered compound with the HH index.
The front Advics calipers (ex-Sumitomo) are capable of stopping the tank. True, the selected pads are not the most effective, which affects the ability to stop in time. Treated by replacing the pads.
However, the most annoying Achilles heel of the MT-07 is the quality of the paintwork. Both the frame with the pendulum and numerous linings become covered with abrasions and ulcers over time, which can sometimes be gotten rid of only by repainting the entire part, which will require disassembling half the motorcycle.
So a thorough inspection for paint falling off in flakes (especially under facings and on welds) will definitely not be superfluous. Plus, attention to about can tell about both experienced falls and active city life: damage from contacts with fellow travelers and asphalt, scratches and dents on wheels from encounters with potholes, etc.
It’s a pity, it’s not so easy to inspect the steel pipes of the cooling system: they often rust from the inside.
After the 2021 modernization, the MT-07 received the head light from the MT-09 of the 2014-2016 model. However, regardless of the version, the plastic of the headlight requires gentle handling, otherwise it quickly becomes cloudy, scratches and even cracks.
Chassis and brakes
The brakes on the MT-07 are good and reliable. Not only is there, of course, no such archaism as a drum brake, but all three discs are quite large in diameter, not two-piston, but four-piston calipers are installed at the front, and there is also an ABS system, which increases safety.
The excellent handling of the MT-07 is associated, among other things, with the local suspensions, the travel of which is not too large, but not small either, and amounts to 130 mm on both the rear swingarm and the front fork.
The frame is very simple, tubular in type, and made of steel. A modern naked bike doesn’t need anything else.
FOR WHAT
This is one of the few motorcycles that can be considered as a first or second choice and at the same time will be of interest even to experienced comrades. Largely due to the combination of a balanced chassis and a very peppy engine.
According to the project’s engine manager, Makoto Kobayashi, the starting point for the 689 cc “deuce” with a power of 74.8 horsepower was the cylinder size - 80 by 68.6 mm. To make it look like a V-twin, the flashes in the cylinders are made uneven (the first is at 270°, the second is at 450°). The cylinder axes are offset relative to the crankshaft axis (to reduce friction losses between the piston and cylinder), and there is only one balance shaft. Hence the elastic character. It often doesn’t make sense to drive it all the way to the “top.” All the fun still ends with the torque peak at 6500-7000 rpm. The promised fuel efficiency of 24.5 km/l in reality usually falls within the more usual 16.7 km/l (or 5.9 liters per 100 km).
The MT-07 does not hesitate when entering a turn and at the same time does not suffer from excessive agility in the arc. Only with a significant increase in speed on a mountain road do you notice that you already have to grope for the trajectory. Because the “frame-engine-suspension” combination is not so rigid that the motorcycle becomes an extension of you. And the rear shock absorber is a little soft for aggressive aerobatics... Although the mutual understanding is complete.
Starting from a traffic light on the rear wheel is common.
The in-line “two” with uneven flashes in the cylinders is incredibly elastic! Sometimes you stick into third or fourth gear and you roll as if on an automatic transmission. The engine picks up from the very bottom, lifting the front wheel into the air from the gas in the first two gears, and quickly spins up to the cutoff. But in order to get a serious dose of endorphins, pushing it to the very top often makes no sense. All the fun still ends with the torque peak at 6500-7000 rpm.
Of course, by modern standards, the available 74.8 “horses” and 68 Newton meters per 179 kg of curb weight will not be enough for complete, unbridled happiness. But they are honest. There are no safety electronics other than ABS.
The MT-07 spinal tubular frame, taking into account the smaller width of the in-line “two”, as well as thinner pipes, turned out to be significantly narrower and 6 kg lighter than that of the previous XJ6. The overall rigidity of the chassis was achieved by incorporating the engine into the power structure. The sore spot is the steering column bearings, which suffer from hard landings after slipping on the rear wheel.
Relative
2014 onwards, 689 cm3, 75 l. s., 179 kg (curb weight), 411,000 rub.
text: Vladimir Zdorov photo: Nikita Kolobanov, Evgeny Bobrikov
In the photo: Vladimir Zdorov
“The younger relative of MT-09, who was temporarily registered in the editorial office, has settled in quite “tightly”: he no longer hesitates to enter his older brother’s room, behaves in a businesslike manner in the kitchen and casts unambiguous glances at the older brother’s young wife...
Initially christened by me as a universal sadness for beginners, the MT-07 broke my stereotypes and ideas about a budget motorcycle for beginners from the first meters of our acquaintance.
I don’t know how engineers can produce so much pleasant, healthy aggression in two cylinders of a relatively modest 689 cc engine, but this “two” behaves like a solid “A” - a real excellent performer in its class!
If it weren’t for the most humane price compared to direct competitors and even compared to its own older relative - MT-09, then the “seven” could easily be considered a bestseller. The general style of the motorcycle is in the techno style, but in the interpretation of the designers it is quite unique - it is not a fact that all possible buyers will agree with the Japanese in their vision of beauty.
However, arguing about tastes can be as long as it is futile, so it’s better to have a couple of immutable and deadly indisputable facts about the MT-O7, like fines from the federal bailiff service: the minimum dimensions of the motorcycle, coupled with the almost “toy” width of the handlebars, make this motorcycle one one of the best traffic eaters.
Yamaha MT-07 is the first budget motorcycle in my memory with such an engine (meaning both displacement and power), which easily does wheelies in third gear! Even with the most severe use in urban mode, fuel consumption does not exceed 6 l/100 kilometers.
Of course, the pastoral of positivity must certainly be diluted with some shortcomings. Perhaps the main one is not the technical characteristics of the car, its design or the operation of the suspensions, which are devoid of any adjustments other than the traditional one, but which does not really change the preload of the monoshock spring.
The main problem with the MT-07, in my opinion, especially in the version with ABS, is that the price is too “close” to the MT-09 , a motorcycle from a different “opera”. However, it is possible that this was the initial move of marketers, who a priori “put” the MT-07 on the altar of big sales of the MT-09 .
On the other hand, if the price of the “seven” was comparable to the undisputed bestseller of our market in the budget class - Kawasaki ER-6N, I think in this case three tuning forks could definitely “pull out” most of the sales.
Now the price of a “Ruff” with ABS is around 367,000 rubles, while a “Seven” with an anti-lock braking system costs 429,000 rubles - for such a segment this is an impressive difference!
Yes, you can still start the eternal saga about the design, the overall modest dimensions of the motorcycle (which, in my opinion, is a definite plus), but, with all due respect to the veteran of the Russian low-cost airline market, the ER-6N is still a car from the past, which is especially noticeable when directly compared with MT-07...
