Yamaha MT-07 2021 motorcycle test

Menus

• Generic anti-depressant
• Twin CP2, 689 cm3, 73.4 hp, 67 Nm, 184 kg, 7,299 euros
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• In the city
• Motorway and expressways
• Departmental
• Part-cycle
• Braking
• Comfort / Duo
• Consumption
• Video test of the MT-07
• Conclusion

Generic anti-depressant

Twin CP2, 689 cm3, 73.4 hp, 67 Nm, 184 kg, 7,299 euros

The face of bikers in the medium-displacement segment, the Yamaha MT-07 has been a best-seller since its birth in 2014. A best-seller means 125,000 motorcycles sold in 6 years, or half of the 250,000 machines sold in the MT family. The 07 monopolizes an average of 38% of the market share in the segment, or more than a third of the roadsters sold! In France, 39,000 machines have found a taker since 2015, 63% of which have an A2 license, most of them under 34 … other times. The recipe for this success ? A sparkling engine and a fun cycle part associated with an initial price of only 5,999 €. As the years go by, the success cannot be denied. The 2018 version brought a real and very welcome improvement of the suspensions, as well as a more assured aesthetic.

And style, it will be a question again in 2021. Because consensus is not what comes to mind when we talk about TM. Thus, the 07 matches its design on that of the 09, with a distinctive, technoid or even avant-garde mask. A choice assumed by the brand in order to make the MT style even more identifiable, while being more effective and rewarding. Apart from aesthetics, the new MT-07 brings changes in terms of ergonomics, equipment with the Euro5.

2021 Yamaha MT-07 review

It is around Marseille that we release the new Yam ‘of the Dark Side of Japan, for a tonic test of the roadster star.

Discovery

Almost discreet at its inception, the model already displayed an ambivalence forging its success: ease of handling linked to a strong character … The following version affirmed the visual presence of the MT. The enlarged front optic gave it more stature. It’s quite another thing about the 2021 novelty. The use of LEDs to be beautiful sometimes gives surprising results and even more in photos. But the actual view of the machine often does the model justice. The MT07 is no exception to this rule.

The MT-07 gets a new lenticular headlight

Astonishing, its cyclopean eye is framed by two other angular lights dressed in short aerodynamic elements. The whole is compact and offers a light signature specific to the Yamaha. It also contains the spirit of the MT logo. Overall, the roadster further streamlines its lines, promotes the integration of its largest volumes. Thus its 14 liter tank now stretches towards the fork. More marked, the shoulders of the tank include the scoops and give a more sporty profile and more presence. We thus find more of the plunging curves of the first model. Its sides are adorned with textured plates for a better grip on the knees.

The scoops reinforce the new style of the roadster

The indicators, led like the rest of the lighting, still cover the profiled radiator casing. But the stylish fender of the first generation is unfortunately missing. No change in the seats, redesigned in 2018, or the rear loop. We will always rail against the lack of original passenger grab handles.

No change on the chassis side. In fully sheathed steel tubes, the rear loop is elegantly dressed in profiled structures with a large diode light used in the 900 model. The main frame, a tubular steel structure of the diamond type, weighs only 16 kg. Its variable diameter sections optimize the stiffness / flexibility ratio to ensure a performance / comfort compromise studied..

The tubular steel frame remains identical to that of the previous vintage

Rigid, this assembly is based on the compact 689 cm3 twin-cylinder, placed as a load-bearing element. Still unchanged, the 53 kg parallel twin with forged pistons has two overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Its 80 x 68.6 mm super square bore / stroke ratio provides great liveliness. Set at 270 °, its crankshaft generates asynchronous ignition (at 270 ° then at 450 °) to deliver more character, close to a V-twin. Passed under the Euro5 standard, the unit comes out one horse less with 73.4 hp (54.0 kW) obtained 250 rpm lower at 8,750 rpm. The maximum torque increases to 67 Nm (- 1) at 6,500 revolutions per minute. The A2 version clamps the power to 47 hp (35 kW). No engine mode or traction control on board. The MT07 is simple and without artifice.

The twin-cylinder engine loses 1 kW and 1 Nm for its transition to Euro5

Alive, the mechanics blow in a catalyst-exhaust unit working from the collectors. This new high element is adorned with a stainless steel cover. The centralization of the masses remains optimal with an ultra short silencer barely protruding on the right side. It thus reveals the neat and openwork volumes of the cast aluminum swingarm. Its movements are entrusted to a KYB shock absorber (Kayaba) adjustable in preload AND rebound (compression-rebound precisely), mounted on rods and deflating over 130 mm. Same origin and same value, but without adjustment for the conventional 41mm fork. However, it now has a more sporty damping. Understand by this that spring preload and hydraulic characteristics leave less flexibility to the steering gear for more rigorous behavior. The geometry retains its dimensions dedicated to liveliness: column angle of 24.5 °, short wheelbase of 1,400 mm and trail of 90 mm. Ground clearance is 140 mm.

The steering is always open at 24.5 ° with a caster maintained at 90 mm

The efficient braking system strengthens its action. Its four-piston axial calipers now clamp new 298 mm (+16 mm) discs, but with classic frets. It is less bucolic without petals, but if that can save you from going to garden … The opposite retarder, single piston, bites a track of 245 mm. The ABS as standard is fitted to the machine and watches over the rotation of the wheels. In aluminum alloy, the cast 17-inch, 10-spoke rims are now fitted with Michelin Road 5 wraps, in 120/70 and 180/55. An important evolution in original equipment with these tires of better quality than the Bridgestone BT 023 (released in 2010) fitted during our test of the old model.

The 17-inch rims are fitted with Michelin Road 5

Sleek, showing an ever more powerful build, the new look of the MT07 brings a welcome modernity to the roadster. More homogeneous, fluid, the aesthetic gains in personality. We regret the disappearance of the bronze color of the side casings for a more classic “Crytal Graphit” coating, less attractive and rewarding. However, the surface treatment of metal and plastic parts is of high quality. If the general finish is very correct, the whole is less elegant than some of its competitors at the engine / frame level. A lot of spaces are visible and a little disparate. The layout and welds of the frame and swingarm, on the other hand, are beyond reproach. Right side, the hoses remain quite present, but hardly avoidable on a stripped machine. The new top element of the catalyst is rather well integrated and more fully covers the bottom of the roadster. Also, the passage of the cables to the handlebars is more harmonious and the triple trees are elegantly dressed in black. Finally, Urban and Sport Packs will allow you to accessorize your MT07. See details in the Options section. After the top case on a machine like this … how to say…

Many packs and accessories are already available for the MT-07

In the saddle

Very accessible, the saddle height does not change with always 805 mm (high saddle option + additional 28 mm) and the narrow seat further increase ease. The 1.70m pilot will barely put his feet on the ground but this is offset by a reasonable weight.

The previous version had brought a real ergonomic change (redesigned saddle, refined, more space). This is still the case this year, but more subtly. Thus, the handlebars widen by 30 mm for a total of 693 units from end to end. It is also 12 mm higher and moved back 10 towards the pilot. What significantly optimize piloting. The bust barely tilts towards the hanger and the arms fall ideally on the conical hanger with the marked horns. The bending of the legs is without excess and the older ones also find their ease, the feet placed on sheathed supports. Large, the upper part of the tank then bends more at the level of the knees, providing correct comfort.

The seat is always so accessible

The LCD instrument unit is taken from the Tracer 700 and switches to negative display, black information background in white, colored button readout. It is very crisp, clear and elegant. Large, this window incorporates a bargraph-type tachometer in the upper part, in the center the tachometer, a gear indicator engaged on the right, the fuel gauge opposite the odometer between the two. A final central space is used to display successively, by push-button on the instrument panel, odometer, two partials, exterior and oil temperature, average and instantaneous consumption. The brake lever is adjustable in spacing, but not the clutch lever and the stems seem cramped and narrow. The warning command is always present on the right side.

Let’s go for a test drive of the MT-07

In the city

Euro5 requires, the twin is not a great sound at idle and remains discreet on gas shots. For 22% of the price of the MT, 1.599 €, you can invest in a complete Akrapovic line … More ample, the melody thus obtained remains however contained. Unlike the price.

The mechanical life of the CP2 block is much more attractive and the instructions quickly learned. Lively, it takes the roadster without dragging through the compact and exotic traffic of the Phocaean city. It is also its flexibility that we appreciate in urban development, allowing the MT07 to spin in fourth on a trickle of gas, at less than 2,000 revolutions and 40 km / h. On intermediate or even higher ratios, the boiler therefore remains available, perfectly managed by a precise selection, but a little dry. The clutch is very flexible. Less pleasant, the pushrods of the commodos turn out to be a little cramped. It is mainly the indicators that we are looking for, the button being too far inwards.

The Yamaha roadster picks up from 2,000 rpm and adapts perfectly to urban traffic

Hyper compact, the reduced size of the Yam ‘and its agility in traffic are a daily asset, making any maneuver a formality. The weight drops to 184 kg, but the balance remains excellent and gives it a grip without surprise and immediate. Agile, equipped with efficient mirrors and an excellent robber, the MT07 is a girl of the cities and touches the cobblestones. But it is also an effective frame in arsouille. Because if the machine is pleasant, it also knows how to use more muscular arguments, like its dynamic plastic.

Motorway and expressways

A 689cc twin is not a soulless displacer when it is branded MT. By storming the tachometer, the best-selling Yamaha turns your usual journeys into whimsical adventures. No more monotony of expressways: a cure of 07 vitamins and 73 horses quickly send you to unconventional speeds. At more than 170 km / h and only 7,500 revs, the twin is just waiting to give you a dose. Just to secure your euphoria. Obviously, the lack of protection will not lead to habituation to high speeds. The course is however flawless and the Yam ‘ensures the show without misstep. Only the vibrations of the mechanics are more present.

The MT-07 is very stable at high speeds, but suffers from some vibrations.

In legal terms, we find a less exuberant and still easy machine, stalled at around 5,500 revolutions per minute, but ready to restart the machine. At this pace, the comfort is very correct, but obviously deals with the aerodynamic requirements of motorcycles without fairings. A treatment more suited to his morphology should suit him better.

Departmental

The roads of the Provençal hinterland make up the ideal setting for a basic treatment of any neurasthenia using our universal remedy. The first active molecule is therefore the parallel twin. Its mechanics without inertia take its turns with vigor and tows badly from 4,000 turns on the intermediates. And since he is not at all reluctant to climb the towers, we have a wide range of fun when the power takes over. Lively, with just the right amount of roughness to give it an attractive personality, the tuning fork block is a success. What to approach the winding with a broad smile. Because MT07 has other active substances to convince. Its agile cycle part is combined this year with optimized ergonomics on the handlebars. The latter offers additional support and increased comfort. We therefore attack serene and relaxed the tight or looser curves of our course..

The Yam ‘is still as agile on small roads

Neutral, with an obvious grip, the Wicked Ringworm swings from one angle to another with disconcerting ease and convincing precision. Wider, the hanger significantly improves the evolutions and the feeling of the front axle. Especially since the rise in Michelin Road 5 boosts the positive effects of the machine. A less wide rise at the rear would have further increased this effect. The MT07 gradually tilts on the angle and shows very good stability there, even on bumpy. Its suspension improved in 2018 is quite convincing 3 years later and allows to keep a very good rhythm on the goat roads without breaking up. Of course, the rear shock can get a bit dry on bigger compressions. But nothing to be ashamed of at this level.

The new Michelin tires are particularly efficient

We appreciate the tonic revivals of the twin and the secure grip of the envelopes. Devoid of anti-slip, the roadster will have to be kept under surveillance when the road is more slippery. Because the 67 Nm of torque are widely available and the block pulls vigorously at the exit of a curve. In the dry, even cold, it is very efficient and the fun is endlessly there. Moreover, the front wheel does the Ola at each go-around. These are millimeter-sized and ensure precise control of acceleration at all times, especially on the angle without any jolts..

The twin CP2 still responds despite its slight drop in performance

By force, we come to test the limits of the ground clearance, even by 8 degrees Celsius. The bike takes a lot more before squealing its footrests. The rhythm needs to be calmed down and the MT07 can count on its new records. The progressiveness is excellent as is the lever control. I would have appreciated an anti-dribble clutch for more efficiency in sport riding. Especially since the fork plunges quickly at the start of the race. We will therefore not forget to return the gears with a stroke of the accelerator in order to synchronize the gearbox and avoid locking the rear wheel..

Despite the cold asphalt, the MT-07 builds confidence quickly

As with any medication, it is important to stick to the prescribed dose. Returned to a serene driving, the Yam ‘winds the curves with a lot of naturalness and the charm of its engine is also appreciated on the torque in contemplative mode.

Part-cycle

Neutral and healthy, the cycle part of the MT07 allows a lot of daring. The new measures of its handlebars clearly optimize the control of its front axle and the efficiency of piloting. Precise and frank, the Yamaha brings a lot of confidence to its rider. Working with progressiveness and agreement, the suspensions provide good comfort, but will be exceeded on the largest compressions.

The new handlebars optimize the guidance of the front axle

Braking

Barely stiffening the direction, the front calipers display progressiveness and power. They will be very effectively completed in curves by the use of the rear clamp, remarkable control. This force is ideally controlled by the ABS and the whole will reassure both in everyday life and in sport driving..

Powerful and progressive, the brakes fully play their role

Comfort / Duo

Rather solitary pleasure toy, this viagra on wheels will therefore be appreciated more solo. The saddle offers very good comfort even after 5 hours of winding and sometimes wrinkled roads. Less at the party, the passenger does not have handles as standard. Pity.

If the saddle is relatively comfortable, we regret the absence of handles for the passenger

Consumption

During this test, carried out at a varied and often invigorating pace, the average consumption recorded was 6.1 liters per 100 km. At a more reasonable pace, 5 units should be the standard, allowing 250 km of range. Correct for an everyday machine with an eco-fun vocation.

At a very sporty pace, consumption reaches 6.1 l / 100 km

Video test of the MT-07

Conclusion

Always so sparkling, the Yamaha MT-07 2021 boosts its dynamic qualities with optimized control on the handlebars, ever more efficient brakes and newer tires to match its temperament. Its new aesthetic brings an interesting and strong break in a segment where it is fashionable to know how to differentiate yourself.

And there are competitors. Starting with another novelty called Triumph Trident 660. Priced at € 7,995, the English is attractive, remarkably finished and equipped, but seems less agile and efficient in dynamics. Another size of elegance, the Honda CB650R at 8,249 €, drapes itself in its neo-vintage dress and ensures top-notch engine performance with 95 hp. Another Japanese, the Kawasaki Z650 asks for € 7,299 and the Suzuki SV 650 only € 6,599.

The Yamaha MT-07 comes in three colors for 2021

Simple and tonic, the Yamaha MT-07 now claims € 7,299 (+ € 200) to afford its charms. Beginners and experienced pilots alike benefit from a machine with two faces, versatile and dynamic. A mobile antidepressant, the roadster star is likely to be still the best selling optimism on two wheels among young and old. Before starting treatment, remember to respect the dosage, at the risk of becoming addicted…

Strong points

• Engine approval
• Agility of the chassis
• Dynamic control
• Suspensions
• Lightness
• Tires
• Finishes
• Service / price ratio

Weak points

• No anti-dribble clutch
• Skimpy commodos
• Rather low instrument cluster

The technical sheet of the Yamaha MT-07 2021

Test conditions

• Itinerary: Winding roads, highway and city.
• Weather forecast: Good weather, slippery asphalt in places, cold
• Motorcycle mileage: 200 km
• Problem encountered: ras

Test equipment

• Nishua NXR-1 Carbon Helmet
• Vanucci Tifoso jacket
• Jean Vanucci Armalith
• Vanucci Touring IV Gloves
• Vanucci RV4 Boots

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