Menus
- Access to the Dark Side of Japan "for adults" from 5199 €
- 42 horsepower at 10,750 rpm, 29.6 Nm of torque at 9,000 rpm, for A2 licenses
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- In the city
- Motorway and expressways
- Departmental roads
- Part-cycle
- Brakes
- Comfort / Duo
- Consumption
- Conclusion
Access to the Dark Side of Japan "for adults" from 5199 €
42 horsepower at 10,750 rpm, 29.6 Nm of torque at 9,000 rpm, for A2 licenses
At Yamaha, the MT family has had two lives. The first, "Master of Torque", was embodied in 2005 by the MT-01 and its 1700 cm3 V2, then the following year by the MT-03 powered by the 660 cm3 single cylinder borrowed from the XT and XTZ Tenere. In both cases, the Japanese firm was clearing up new concepts and market segments, pushing back the usual limits of design a little and the whole was, let’s say, a nice success of esteem..
But that was before. At the end of 2013, Yamaha put the cover back and relaunched MTs with another motto (and not another motorcycle, as Raymond Devos would have said): this time, MTs are the embodiment of Dark Side of Japan, a new concept. The dark side of the Land of the Rising Sun (having shade in the morning is already a concept in itself!) Is doubly embodied in the rigor and technological mastery of Japanese motorcycles and the anti-conformism of the Tokyo urban subculture. The machines of the Fabulous 4 were sometimes criticized for lacking in personality: with the new TMs, it’s over !
Dark Side of Japan Yamaha MT-03
It took a lot for Yamaha, since in just over two years the market followed and no less than 67,500 motorcycles from this family were sold. And there was something for everyone: the MT-09 started the ball rolling, followed by its Tracer version, an MT-125, an MT-07 and their two neo-retro versions. , XSR 700 and XSR 900.
Today, Yamaha is thinking of young people who have just obtained the A2 license with the MT-03. But let others be reassured, they can take advantage of it too! All they have to do is choose the color (black or race blu) and sign a check for € 5199..
Yamaha MT-03 in town
Discovery
We knew the MT for the grown-ups and the MT for the kids. Here is the MT for the breakfast: the 03. They could have called it MT-03.2, but that would have sounded weird. However, this new little roadster takes point for point the vertical twin of the sporty R3. It is a block of 321 cm3 (68 x 44.1 mm), developing 42 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 29.6 Nm at 9,000 rpm, values absolutely identical to the two models. We therefore find the forged pistons, the carbide-treated connecting rods, the 32 mm diameter injection bodies and above all, the 180 ° setting which contrasts with the rest of the large MT family, adhering to the Crossplane philosophy and set at 270 °.
Yamaha MT-03 engine
The main difference lies in the dressing. The removal of the fairing allows the roadster to save 500 € (5199 against 5699) and a kilogram (full weight of 168 instead of 169 kg). For the rest, tires, brakes, suspension, geometry: everything is the same.
The removal of the fairing gives off a line that undoubtedly belongs to the MT family, with its tapered rear, its exhaust in a low position and its stocky appearance at the shoulders (the radiator scoops).
Rear light Yamaha MT-03
The MT-03 presents rather well, with parts (exhaust, 10-spoke wheels – even more in the blue and gray livery -, dashboard …) and covers (radiator, engine guard, scoops …) well made, even if some elements (the brake pedal or the radiator hose well exposed on the right side of the engine …) are lacking a little care. Nothing alarming in the context of an entry-level machine. We appreciate all the more the LED lights at the rear and the sidelights of the same caliber at the front..
In the saddle
With a height of 780 mm and a very contained width, the MT-03 will allow beginners and most riders to quickly feel at ease. Brake and clutch levers are not adjustable but all controls are smooth and easy to reach.
The ergonomics are natural, with a driving position that is not tilted too far forward. Compared to the R3, the handlebars are 39mm taller, 19mm closer to the rider and 40mm wider.
Under the eyes, we discover a complete dashboard, with a large tachometer, a fuel gauge, an engine temperature gauge, two trips, the average and instantaneous consumption values, gear indicator engaged, programmable shiftlight (in pressing the "SEL" button before switching on the ignition). She certainly has everything a great, this MT-03.
Speedometer Yamaha MT-03
In the city
The small pistons of the 321 cm3 knit quickly and, at the start of the green light, you can quickly shift up, smoothly. There you have it: flexibility is the key word for vertical twin in the city. The reports follow one after the other, the box is soft like an early spring morning in a field of cherry blossoms, the clutch silky like a little chick discovering life beyond its shell. For the young A2 license, the MT-03 will deliver the same emotions: ease, freedom, urbanity !
In town, therefore, we can resume at 20 km / h in 3rd and even at 35 km / h in 5th on a trickle of gas. This is to say if, once you drive, up and down gears is the last concern because the MT-03 is elastic and predisposed to lazy left toe. In absolute terms, crossing a village at 50 km / h in 6th gear at 3100 rpm does not scare him. The torque is sensitive from 4000 rpm.
The excellent turning radius (lock to lock, the steering angle covered is 68 °) and the precise front axle allow this MT-03 to play against obstacles like a vulgar 125, if ever a 125 is vulgar, which I personally do not believe.
Yamaha MT-03 on the highway
Motorway and expressways
To cross Europe by Express routes, Yamaha has just upgraded the FJR 1300 AE and that’s good news! But as travel shapes the youth, far from us the idea of telling the future young owners of MT-03 to limit their dreams and limit their horizons. On the contrary ! Because 42 horses are enough to travel: at 110 km / h, the small vertical twin turns at 7000 rpm and at 130 km / h, perricho-responsible speed on the motorway, the 321 cm3 gives voice to 8500 rpm mn. Does that sound high to you? Nay: there is a comfortable slice of 4000 rpm before the red zone! Enough to overtake in complete safety and spare the mechanics over long distances. Or hope for a good 180 meter on the Autobahn.
At this speed, only a very slight vibration appears in the left footrest and the MT-03 traces its course, unperturbed. Wind protection is bound to be limited, but lowering your head makes you look like a runner. And it’s a roadster: what did you expect? ((c) Nicole Kidman, still lovely despite the years).
Yamaha MT-03 from above
Departmental roads
Like most motorcycles, the MT-03 will have every interest in favoring the secondary network. And this, for many reasons. The first is that its reasonable power will be best expressed there. We can therefore cruiser at 90 km / h, wisely set at 5500 rpm on the last report, or conversely, try to exploit the substantial marrow of 42 hp! The ideal opportunity to see that the small twin begins to deliver its torque from 4,000 rpm (but it’s nice) and its power gradually arrives from 7,000 rpm to then give rise to a completely correct extension. which does not weaken up to 11,000 rpm.
Maneuverability Yamaha MT-03
In the Great Motorcycle Encyclopedia, we can discuss the following question at length: are 42 horses enough for motorcycling happiness? The answer is no, because 15 horses are already a source of fulfillment. So think, 42! On the handlebars of the MT-03, we appreciate this sparkling engine, lively and full of reach, this compact chassis, these narrow tires (110/70 x 17 in front, 140/70 x 17 behind) which allow you to play at no cost on their rounding to gain a few revolutions / minute at the exit of the turn and to savor the moment when the tachometer needle rushes towards the red zone while the gaze, in a flash of shiftlight, is already thrown on the point of chord next. The MT-03 allows you to practice your basics and more: it’s a real motorcycle.
Yamaha MT-03 on departmental
Part-cycle
Who can do the most, can do the least: a roadster with a sports chassis is rarely disappointing. Well, it’s not the sports car of the year, the R3, but it’s not a cheap machine with its 41mm KYB fork and 35mm diameter tubular trellis frame, using the motor as an element of rigidity. Still, it does the job.
We could be critical and say that on attack, the whole thing breaks up a little even if it is less the stability that is questionable than the rigor of the suspensions in support and on the breaks, but that would be to forget this. on which we all made our first laps and sent our first wads. Because, when you start riding a motorbike and the MT-03 is made for that, it’s a bit like "fill the tank, not war!". So yes, when you enter corners like a pig trusting the Michelin Pilot Street (radial tires that are better mounted than the IRC Road Winner, diagonal structure, which generally equip motorcycles in this segment, even if the Bib end up slipping on the dusty Spanish roads), it pumps a little from the rear and it snowshoes on the irregularities. It lives, what. Which doesn’t take anything away from the basics: the MT-03 is healthy and fun. And super agile, with that.
Yamaha MT-03 on the attack
Brakes
ABS as standard, it reassures young people and parents of young people, it is reassuring and it allows to dare a reflex braking in the wet. It’s perfect. What is less is the braking power, average in absolute terms and the ABS, very sensitive especially at the rear: but these comments are expressed in the context of a somewhat extreme use of the motorbike. On a daily basis, we will appreciate more the good feeling of the controls and, within the framework of a more reasonable use, the disc of 298 mm at the front pinched by its two-piston caliper and assisted by a disc of 220 mm in diameter at the rear provide slowing power in tune with the spirit of the bike.
Yamaha MT-03 brakes
Comfort / Duo
We are not going to lie to each other: this test was intense, but brief. Not enough to feel its foundation to send you warning signals. The natural ergonomics coupled with a saddle that is not a fakir board send quite positive signals. What to see the kilometers coming eagerly, especially as the feeling of all the controls gives in the smoothness and that the suspensions are rather conciliatory on the high frequencies (but a little more brittle on the low ones). The vertical twin lives without vibrating too much. In short, it rolls. Compared to the R3, the MT-03 has grab handles which will have everything to please the friend or the girlfriend of the djeunz who will set his sights on this perfect little roadster to learn about the Road, yes, with a uppercase r: to devour the kilometers is to enter into a brotherhood.
Yamaha MT-03 on national
Consumption
Yamaha claims a consumption of around 4 l / 100. On the first part of our journey (in town and during photoshoots traveled at a sustained pace), the on-board computer indicated 6.1 l / 100. On the second part, in the mountains, it posted 4.4 l / 100. What to aim for 300 kilometers of autonomy with the 14-liter tank.
Conclusion
"Can you feel it, the ray of my darkness?" : this is, in short, the message that the MT-03 wants to send you. Its entry into the family, it signs by its assertive design, its ease of use and its rather sparkling driving character. Admittedly, its price positioning is not easy: for 1000 € more, you have access to a "real" MT-07-style motorcycle while the second-hand market allows you to have access to twice the size for twice the size. cheaper. Hence measured ambitions on the part of Yamaha, which hopes to sell only between 300 and 400 machines per year in France.
Nevertheless: for those who want to start with a new bike and have a homogeneous and coherent package, the MT-03 is an excellent choice. Easy to handle, agile, its low inertia makes it easy to control in bends while its engine delivers performance that is already sufficient. And it’s funnier to squeeze the full potential of a lively little engine than to suffer from the lack of character of a bigger flanged block..
Strong points
- Assertive MT look
- Elastic motor
- Smooth motor
- Ease of use
- Ideal in town
- Correct performance
- Correct comfort
- Full equipment
Weak points
- Average braking
- Sensitive abs
- Chassis rigor in attack
- Some finishing details
The technical sheet of the MT03
Test conditions
- Itinerary: 80 short kilometers from Altea (Spain), with a long and long passage through the very seaside town of Benidorm (and its 300 nightclubs, it seems), then a short trip in the mountains to Albaida.
- Motorcycle mileage: 250 km
- Problem encountered: none, except that the Yamaha opener was really dragging itself and judging a motorcycle over 80 km is a bit hot.
Competition: Kawasaki Z300, KTM 390 Duke, Suzuki 250 Inazuma.
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Not bad … but still lacking a little power for my taste.
I would be tempted to try it.
How well written … Chantal Perrichon and a few others do not know what they are losing by not reading your articles!