All Tests – Test Yamaha MT-03: city roadster – Yamaha MT-03: suburban toy

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Yamaha MT-03 test: city roadster

All Tests - Test Yamaha MT-03: city roadster - Yamaha MT-03: suburban toy

Building on the success of its Master of Torque (MT) range, Yamaha is further expanding its roadster offering with the attractive MT-03, directly derived from the sporty R3. Versatile, it is suitable for young A2 drivers as well as more experienced bikers. Test.

Yamaha MT-03: peri-urban toy

Out of city congestion, the MT-03 demonstrates all its road potential. Stable and rigorous of trajectory on expressways, it offers little protection to its driver and encourages you to bend down at high speed to take shelter as much as possible behind the symbolic gust of wind.

As on the R3, the suspensions correctly perform their job, effectively absorbing the biggest shocks while erasing the small imperfections of the coating. At a stabilized speed, i.e. the 120 km / h authorized in Spain, the Yamaha twin-cylinder distils some vibrations at the level of the handles and footrests..

The tachometer needle oscillates between 7000 and 9000 rpm depending on the gear chosen: 6th to play the fuel or 5th when it comes to obtaining a more efficient revival. On a closed circuit, the MT-03 could easily reach over 180 km / h in sixth gear, at over 12,000 rpm..

On the backcountry back roads, the MT-03 still impresses with its consistency and handling that is as intuitive as it is reassuring. Easy and precise when entering a curve, it does not require effort to switch from one angle to another and easily accepts a sporty driving rhythm.

Well whipped, the Yamaha twin comes out of this exercise with honors, responding to the slightest demand on the accelerator … as long as the tachometer needle oscillates above 7000 rpm! The first short gear ratios contribute to this favorably.

By further forcing the pace, the heading precision remains good, but we begin to feel the work of the frame when passing a constraint or when we accentuate the effort on the handlebars a little too much when changing gear. sharp angle. The suspension is still working well and therefore allows the MT-03 to maintain precise handling and good traction on the go-around..

The braking capacity is satisfactory, despite a slight lack of bite. At the front, the 298 mm floating disc with 2 piston caliper delivers its power in a progressive manner, while at the rear a 220 mm disc with single piston caliper offers an appreciable complement, although it is more delicate. to dose. Be careful not to insist: the ABS is quick to trigger on the rear.

The choice of Michelin Pilot Street tires as original equipment is relevant. These gums, which according to Michelin would have an increased longevity of "30%"compared to competing models (Bridgestone Baltlax BT90, Pirelli Sport Demon …), indeed reacted rather well to our repeated assaults.

They have certainly experienced a few small loss of grip here and there, but never suddenly or without warning. Finally, in terms of consumption, the indicator on the dashboard indicated an average of 5 l / 100 km during this test, which was carried out at good pace, and punctuated by numerous photo stops. Autonomy should therefore approach 280 km including reserve.

Verdict: expensive alternative

Displayed at 5199 €, the MT-03 is not really cheap despite its proven qualities: imagine that its "big sister" MT-07 costs "only" 1000 € more (6199 €) despite its 30 additional horses! And we are surprised that the "250 / 300cc" segment is struggling to take off in France…

However, at this price, the novelty aligns with its direct competitors like the Kawasaki Z300 ABS (€ 4,799) and the KTM Duke 390 (€ 5,195). But the Austrian, assembled by Bajaj, offers as a bonus a pretty and efficient inverted fork as well as a rewarding radial caliper with 4 pistons..

The aggressive look of the MT-03, its versatility and very decent performance should however appeal to young A2 licensees. Unless they prefer to opt for a more powerful motorcycle, A2 or A2 compatible to unleash it after 2 years, such as a Honda CB500F (A2 at 47.5 hp) barely more expensive (+ 400 €) or the best-sellers Kawasaki ER-6n (A2 then 72.1 hp in full) and MT-07 (A2 then 75.1 hp) posted an additional thousand euros …

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