For almost seven years, the Yamaha MT-07 has been considered perhaps the standard of a mid-size naked bike. However, in 2021, very worthy competitors appeared among its classmates, in particular the Triumph Trident. Hence the question: does Yamaha deserve to continue to rest on its laurels?
You might already know that the 2021 Yamaha MT-07 has not changed much. Among the most noticeable changes are modifications to meet Euro 5 requirements, larger front brake discs, new tires and an updated design. Perhaps in the past these updates would have been enough to ensure that the MT-07 continued to be the perfect naked bike, but that time has unfortunately passed. What is the MT-07 worth now?
Yamaha MT-07 Design
It’s somewhat surprising that the MT-07 was the last model in the entire MT line to receive an updated design, which, by the way, didn’t really inspire hardened fans. The diode head light attracts the greatest share of criticism: having abandoned the idea of riveting motorcycles with the faces of cybernetic mantises and ants, the creators switched to a design reminiscent of evil alien robots - however, this particular motorcycle with its aggressive stance and the very idea of a fast and sharp naked bike has such an appearance in principle fits. So in terms of striking appearance, the Yamaha MT-07 still sets the bar in its class.
A few more changes are visible from the saddle: the instrument panel has changed to a negative LCD display with a black background and white segment indicators. The tidy is easy to read, even at a quick glance, and is quite informative. The variable-section steering wheel has become 32mm wider and positioned 19mm higher. With a height of 160 cm, the seat height of 80 cm turns out to be quite comfortable for confidently placing both legs on tiptoe at traffic lights.
In terms of overall ergonomics, I would describe the Yamaha MT-07 as a standard road bike with a slightly sportier riding position. The knees are bent a little more with a neutral position of the footpegs, the angle to the wide handlebar is a little stronger - and the result is not so much an aggressive as a collected position, almost neutral, but comfortable during sudden acceleration and braking. Taller people may find the bending of their knees uncomfortable, but otherwise the MT-07 is quite comfortable across a range of body sizes.
But what is definitely not convenient in the Yamaha MT-07 is the location of the ignition switch. It is installed in the upper part of the front fairing (if that is what you can call the element of the body kit in which the LED headlights are built), and I personally cannot see the position of the key at all.
And this is bad: you can easily forget the key in a motorcycle (out of sight, out of mind, as they say), and if a key fob is attached to the key, it will flutter right in the headlights. And most importantly, I have absolutely no idea how to insert and remove the key if a windshield is installed.
TUNING
The range of the factory options catalog seems endless: soft bags and hard cases, milled levers and footrests, a phone mount and an openwork frame with a number, windshields and protective covers on engine covers, foglights and steering wheel guards, comfortable saddles and a full titanium Akrapovič exhaust, cartridges for the fork and Öhlins monoshock, and much more. Is everything wrong? In this case, there are always many different companies ready to fulfill any whim. Not at all free, of course.
Engine Yamaha MT-07
It is perhaps difficult to argue with the fact that the Yamaha MT-07 has the most characteristic engine of all medium-sized naked bikes. The cross-cranked CP2 really pulls, as the series name suggests (MT stands for Master of Torque). Despite the very decent low end, the main power of the CP2 engine actually comes from the mid-range. As soon as you rev the engine up to them, it speeds so that accidental (and even more so intentional) wheelies arise with a slight movement of the wrist.
The CP2 sounds and vibrates cheerfully, making the ride lively and fun, but at some point you begin to feel numbness in the legs, especially pronounced when driving around 6000 rpm. While the 689cc engine handles highway driving with ease, the lack of wind protection (or any aerodynamics in general) makes such driving more of a struggle than a pleasure. Naked bikes in general, and the Yamaha MT-07 in particular, are rather city motorcycles, most intended for fun city riding. Moreover, on the highway, in addition to the wind, another problem awaits him.
After riding a Yamaha MT-07 bike for a couple of months and getting some idea about it, I decided to share my observations in this post.
Under the cut there are quite a few photos and quite a lot of text. The story of the appearance of MTeshka in my garage is as follows. I had (and still have) two bikes: a Triumph Tiger 1050 (main) and a Yamaha TDM 850-2000 (reserve in case the Tiger breaks down). In the future, I will use the abbreviation TT (TigerTdm) when I write about these two motorcycles, which, despite the fact that they are from different generations, have a lot in common. I rode the Tiger, occasionally checked it out and went to the TDM to check its condition, and in principle everything suited me. Only now, when I was dragging along at a speed of 30 km/h through a standing traffic jam on a 115-horsepower bike, I felt that there was something wrong with this. For traffic jams, it was quite possible to get by with something weaker and lighter. And I had to drive through traffic jams quite often. And just rolling around the yard of the dacha or through various potholes of the TT was a bit heavy, after all, it is more than 240 kg. And the gasoline consumption of the TT is not so low: 5.5-6 liters. TTs are great for long and medium trips, but for short city trips I wanted something lighter and more economical to operate. But at the same time, I’m already accustomed to powerful motorcycles, in order not just to ride, but to get a thrill from it, and for this the bike needs to follow the handle. After some thought, I settled on the 700 cubic capacity and the Yamaha company. Recently, production of the MT-07 began, which had quite a decent power of 75 hp and a loaded weight of 180 kg. The price of MT-07 in showrooms was quite realistic. The small capacity of the gas tank was a little disconcerting, but I hoped that the Yamaha engineers knew what they were doing. At the end of 2014, I was already mentally ready to replenish my garage, but I slightly missed the beginning of the collapse of the ruble, and when I realized it, all the MTeshki in the showrooms had already been dismantled. People invested money. However, in the spring of 2015, I still bought a 2014 MT, just not in the showroom, but secondhand, with a mileage of just over 1000 km.
In the summer I introduced a target separation for my bikes, went to the dacha on an MT, and went on a long-distance vacation on a Tiger. I already wrote about this long-range shooter in a separate post, everything was in order and Tiger, as always, showed his best side.
Having ridden MTshka for part of the season, I can already draw some conclusions and generalizations...
In my opinion, the MT-07 was developed as a relatively inexpensive motorcycle for every day, without pretensions to show-off or coolness, but with good functionality. It is designed for paved roads and although the ground clearance is not that small, the crankcase is not protected from below and if you hit any obstacle you can have very negative consequences. Perhaps over time they will make a modification of the MTeshka with spoked wheels and crankcase protection (similar to the MT-09 Tracer), but for now it’s not worth trying to endurve on it. Moreover, the radiator is easily splashed with dirt from under the front wheel. By the way, I consider installing an extension on the front fender mandatory in any case.
The MT's steering wheel is noticeably narrower than that of the TT, which gives it better traffic jam performance. The steering wheel is located lower than, for example, the Tiger, I wouldn’t mind raising it higher. But you can’t just put spacers under the steering wheel - the length of the cables will not be enough. The remotes are standard. The only problem is that the horn button is located a little close to the turn switch, and until I got used to it, I accidentally honked the horn several times.
Since the steering wheel is occupied by the tidy and brake fluid reservoir, it is problematic to put anything else on it (navigator, recorder, etc.). There is only one small free space where I placed a cigarette lighter connector with an additional USB output; it can be clearly seen in the photo.
Despite the unusualness of the relatively low steering wheel, I am satisfied with the handling - the MTashka steers like a bicycle.
MT mirrors are significantly smaller than TT mirrors and are located lower. If on the TT I simply squinted my gaze to the left to look in the left mirror, now I have to move my gaze to the left and down, and also remove my elbow, which for some reason ends up in the field of view. The viewing area is smaller than that of the TT mirrors and viewing the dead zone is also somewhat more complicated; to do this, you need to swing your head back and forth along a more complex trajectory. In general, the MT’s rear visibility is not that bad, it’s just worse than the TT’s and you need to get used to it.
The seat on the MT is almost straight; if you want to bend down, you can move back on the seat. The driver's seat is quite wide and comfortable, but I have not yet tested it on long trips. The distance of the saddle to the ground is less than that of the TT, which will obviously please short drivers.
The passenger seat is made like a sports car - according to the “so it is” principle. It is clearly not intended for long trips and is designed for non-capricious small-sized passengers. Under this seat there is a small glove compartment for tools. But the motorcycle comes with the bare minimum of tools: a combination screwdriver, two hex keys and a special wrench for adjusting the degree of preload of the rear shock absorber spring. You can also pull out four nylon webbing loops from under the rear seat to secure light luggage.
The tidy is made quite compact and is located on the steering wheel. The speedometer is digital and easy to read, the tachometer is made as a strip at the bottom of the tidy. This is quite unusual, I’m not used to it yet and I even look at it less often than I should.
There is a gear indicator, which allows you to select a gear more accurately, otherwise the engine runs quietly, the traction in all gears is good, you may not be able to tell which gear you are driving by hearing. An ECO indicator has been added; it indicates the optimal gear selection for the current speed. In reality, in my opinion, he simply recommends driving at an engine speed of 3000 to 5000. The antifreeze temperature indicator is not constantly displayed, unless, of course, you select to display it on the multifunction display (there you can also select to display instantaneous or average gasoline consumption, odometer, meters mileage and air temperature). But, in any case, if there is overheating, the overheating indicator lamp will light up. The set of indicator lamps is standard; neutral, turns, high beam, ABC (if equipped), engine control, immobilizer control. Fuel consumption is shown by a horizontal scale of six cubes, and, interestingly, when only two cubes are burning, there is still half a tank of gasoline. I have never reached the reserve (2.7l) yet.
There is a self-diagnosis system that starts when the ignition is turned on and displays an error code when a malfunction is detected. I have already observed its operation once: the engine fault light came on and an error code appeared, the engine started up at first, then stopped, I took the bike on a tow truck to the service center, where it first suddenly started to start again, and then the light went out. So to speak, the failure went away on its own; the service technicians could not explain what happened. To understand the situation, I found a service manual for the MT-07 on the Internet, which, among other things, contained an explanation of the error codes. But there were several possible reasons, and to clarify it was necessary to connect a special diagnostic device. Naturally, I didn’t have it, and neither did the warranty service.
A nice bonus of the MT-07 electrical equipment is the presence of a connector for connecting an external consumer (navigator, DVR, etc.). Voltage is supplied to it when the ignition is turned on, and this circuit is protected by a separate fuse. True, finding this connector is not so easy; it is located under the left trim, hidden from casual view and covered with a plug. I connected the cigarette lighter connector to it. The MT's battery has a capacity of only 8.6 am-h and is smaller than usual. If you connect the alarm, you can land him quickly enough. Access to it, unlike the same TDM, is quite convenient.
I haven’t checked the brightness of the headlight yet, I don’t like to ride in the evenings, most likely it’s about the same as other modern bikes. The MT-07 engine is to some extent a relative of the TDM 850 - an in-line twin with an angle of 270 between the connecting rods. Only the volume is smaller (700 cc instead of 850) and an injector instead of a carburetor. However, the maximum power is approximately the same 75 hp and 77 hp. In reality, the MTeshka is still weaker by more than 2 hp, this is evidenced by the fact that the TDM accelerates to 100 in 4 seconds, and the MT in 4.8. And this despite the fact that the TDM is significantly heavier. Nevertheless, according to my feelings, the power of the MT-07 is quite enough for her, and even with a reserve. The engine has smooth thrust throughout the entire speed range, and if, for example, I want to accelerate sharply from a speed of 130 km/h to 150, then I just need to turn the knob. This is when driving alone; I have not yet ridden the MT with a passenger. Usually, an in-line two-wheeler has a certain tendency to vibration, but I didn’t notice any here, only in the speed range of 107-110 (in 6th gear) there isn’t even vibration, but some kind of itchy engine sound. The MT's maximum speed is 190 km/h, although even at 130 without a windshield it is uncomfortable. I solved this problem for myself by quickly putting together a small windshield, and then adding a spoiler to it. Now you can drive quite normally at 130-150, but higher in the Moscow region. I don’t see any point in accelerating.
A small nuance of engine control - the MT has an automatic engine shutdown function when turning over (there is a tilt sensor) or when idling for more than 20 seconds. I haven't checked this yet.
The muffler is small in size and does its job well, the sound is quiet both at idle and at speed. It does not have such a characteristic chopper fart as the TDM (a consequence of the angle of 270 between the connecting rods). Personally, I like it - I don't like unnecessary noise. The lower location of the muffler will make it quite easy to hang side cases if desired, however, I am not a fan of them and do not plan to do so. The engine is quite economical. At first I was wary of the 14-liter tank, but when I drove 265 km on 11 liters, I calmed down. The ability to travel at least 300 km on a full tank suits me quite well, and I’m not trying to save money. If you want to go 140-145, then I go, although the current fuel consumption displayed on the dashboard increases sharply. When the maximum speed is limited to 110 mph (i.e. driving according to traffic rules), consumption will be no more than 4 liters per 100 km.
There are no comments about the gearbox, everything works smoothly. When driving in a standing traffic jam, I use 2nd or 3rd. At TT, in such a situation, we had to choose between 1st and 2nd.
The brakes of the MT-07 are quite sufficient, although perhaps not as sharp as those of the TT (on the TDM I somehow completely involuntarily made a stoppie), although I have not yet had to brake in an emergency. In general, I believe that if you had to brake sharply, then with a 9 out of 10 probability you yourself did something wrong before - you misjudged the road situation or chose the wrong speed. With this approach, the brake pads last me a long time. The tires are Bridgestone and hold up well in the rain.
My copy does not have ABC. On the one hand, this is a minus, and on the other, any additional electronics reduces reliability. I have 20 years of motorcycling experience, 18 of which I rode without ABC, and the last two with ABC (Triumph Tiger 1050) - so during these two years, ABC did not work even once. I'm probably already braking normally on automatic. So for me personally, the lack of ABC is not a problem, no, oh well, it definitely won’t break.
There is no data on the reliability of MTeshka yet; spare parts, for example on Megazip, are also empty (only through service centers). Accessories have already begun to appear, but the choice is small and expensive, for example, an adapter for attaching a rear case together with a Monokey platform will cost 10 rubles, a low windshield will cost about 7. Summing up, I can express my opinion.
The MT-07 is a very pleasant motorcycle, powerful, easy to ride and quite economical. True, it is not suitable for those who buy a motorcycle for show-off – there is not enough chrome, the engine runs quietly and there is nowhere to put external music. Sports fans can also be advised to pass by - 4.8 seconds to 100 is a bit too much, the maximum speed of 190 is not enough, and the landing is clearly not sporty. This is not an endura - you shouldn’t ride it off-road or jump on curbs. Well, or it needs to be retrofitted with crankcase protection and it’s even better to install spoked wheels.
It’s quite possible to travel short distances (for example, to the Caucasus or Crimea), you just have to worry about installing a windshield and a trunk(s). Somewhere on the Internet I have already highlighted a version of the MTeshka with a branded saddlebag and a windshield. True, light weight is rather a disadvantage in long-range shooting. Once on the Zagreb-Split autobahn I was so tossed around on the TDM by a strong side wind that I had difficulty driving even at 110. And the MTashka will be completely blown away.
But for everyday trips around the city and around the MT-07 is almost ideal.
Personally, I’m quite pleased with it, and my comments above (linear tachometer, low handlebars, poor visibility in the mirrors, inconvenient location of the horn button) are mainly related to the difference from the motorcycles I’ve ridden before. All this can be corrected by getting used to it.
Yamaha MT-07 suspension
Any review of the FZ and MT series will say the same thing: excellent engines and mediocre suspensions. And given that Yamaha hasn't announced any changes to the KYB suspension components for 2021, it's no surprise to find that they continue to disappoint. Having released the brakes at the entrance to the turn, I felt a sharp, almost unsmoothed rebound of the fork, which sent a wave through the entire motorcycle (and gave me a little chill in my soul). When tilted, the suspension easily begins to wobble from any small unevenness; any small bump leads to swaying and swaying, which makes it very difficult to maintain the trajectory. And at the exit of the turn, opening the gas leads to another rocking rebound. In general, it feels as if both the fork and the rear monoshock have long since leaked and the motorcycle is riding on the same springs, willingly oscillating and not smoothed out by anything. You add gas - and the Yamaha MT-07 engine happily compresses the rear and unloads the front; cover the gas or brake - the rear jumps merrily, and in a turn the thin fork clearly begins to twist, adding another nasty point to the already unpleasant list of problems with suspensions.
Worst of all, the large 298mm brakes and aggressively wide handlebars only exacerbate these problems, because precise steering and precise brake modulation with such vague suspension acutely highlight the lack of smoothness in the fork and rear shock. In smooth, long turns, the suspensions behave more or less adequately, but not too well. And most importantly, people have been complaining about the MT-07 suspension for several years now, but the problem is still there.
Yamaha MT-07
WHEELIE FACTOR
Probably, MT-07 is one of the simplest and most understandable motorcycles for wheelies. I don’t know how the company’s engineers managed to achieve this, but this naked bike rides easily on the rear wheel even from third gear!
Moreover, everything happens extremely smoothly, without any strains or hysterics on the part of the engine, in other words, everything is completely under the control of the pilot. In the first two gears, the motorcycle does wheelie just with the gas...
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Yamaha Motorcycle for Beginners Naked Tests and Reviews
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.
ALTERNATIVE
For those looking for alternatives equivalent to the “seven”, the choice is small. First of all, this is the Kawasaki ER-6 of all generations and variations, including the successor to the Z650, whose technical imperfections, occasional cases of valve breakage under increased load and electrical “gremlins” are more than compensated by its wide distribution.
Another competitor that can compete for the buyer’s wallet is the peppy Suzuki SV650, both the original machine with an aluminum frame from 1999 and its modernized version in 2003, as well as the Gladius that replaced it along with the new SV650. Well, the Honda NC700S (NC750S) will please you more with the least losses on resale than with its driving qualities.
Honda NC700S (NC750S) (2012-present), 670 (745) cm³, 48 (55) hp, 215-226 kg
Kawasaki ER-6n (2006-2016), 649 cm³, 72 hp, 204 kg
Suzuki Gladius 650 (2009-2015), 645 cm³, 72 hp, 205 kg
Author : roman-wong
