Yamaha MT-07 in the driving report

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Yamaha MT-07 in the driving report

So easy. So controllable.

The key data of the new Yamaha MT-07 are already a challenge: 75 hp, 179 kilos with a full tank, 5,995 euros with ABS. This first driving report clarifies whether the competition really needs to dress warmly.

L.Zarote is a desert-like island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. You won’t find lush flora, because the barren Spanish island is of volcanic origin. But there are excellent roads with great grip and corners that make you dizzy.

Yamaha MT-07 in the driving report

So easy. So controllable.

Introducing the Yamaha MT-07. It is the fourth model in the MT series where the abbreviation stands for maximum torque. Unfortunately, the first model, the large-volume MT-01 that was presented in 2005, has already disappeared from the market, and the sales figures for the single-cylinder MT-03 do not bode well for its survival either. By the way, this applied to the entire model range until autumn 2013. Yamaha had a real problem.

Yamaha MT-07 technically up to date and inexpensive

The emphasis is on had. With the MT-09, a new star rose in the Yamaha sky last autumn. Customers snapped at the newly designed three-cylinder bike like a thirsty man for a glass of water. The Yamaha MT-09 was sold out in no time at all. And still is: there will be no replenishment before September. As a precautionary measure, 3,000 copies have been ordered for Germany from the little sister, the Yamaha MT-07. Because without anyone having test-ridden the motorcycle at all, 450 sales contracts have already been signed in advance. Great expectations. A hype, of course. It’s easy to explain why. Great looks, technically up to date and on top of that inexpensive: Yamaha calls for the version without ABS to 5495 euros, with the anti-lock braking system they would like 500 euros more. Really cheap. But is it also good?

There is no Yamaha employee in Lanzarote who does not have a big grin on his face. Even the guys who are responsible for cleaning motorbikes run around whistling. In the most beautiful sunshine, the ignition key moves into the lock of the Yamaha MT-07, and this impulse awakens the row twin from its rigidity. With a 270 degree crank pin offset, the subdued sound sounds a bit like that of a V-engine. Yamaha also used this trick on the TRX-Twin.

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Nothing tweaks, nips or looks uncomfortable

After a few meters you feel at home on the Yamaha MT-07. The saddle is comfortably padded, a seat height of 805 millimeters, in conjunction with a very narrow waist, enables even short-legged people to stand securely. The knee is perfect too. And even tall people get their legs threaded well. Nothing tweaks, nips or looks uncomfortable. The controls are intuitive to use. Everything is where you would probably have screwed it yourself. And the easy-to-read display really holds all the important information ready.

Yamaha

Even the key data of the new Yamaha MT-07 were a challenge: 75 hp, 179 kilos with a full tank, 5,995 euros with ABS.

The handling is also playfully easy. No wonder, with a full tank of 179 kilograms. Equipped with ABS, the Yamaha MT-07 will be three kilograms heavier. Unfortunately, there was no way to test such a version on site, as the vehicles will not be produced until later in Japan. The successful centralization of the masses certainly contributes to the nimble handling. The new drive is extremely compact and sits deep down in the chassis. In addition, there is an extremely short wheelbase of just 1,400 millimeters. If the technicians of the machine had now bought a 160 mm instead of a 180 mm rear tire, the Yamaha MT-07 might even have become overhanded.

It’s a lot of fun to stroll through the bustling curves with the small Yamaha MT-07. She steers precisely and reacts spontaneously to course corrections. The feedback is great too. The frame is made of different wall thicknesses and steel alloys and is intended to support this feedback with targeted flexibility. Both the fork and the shock absorber are very comfortably tuned, filter everything away and convey a direct, trusting feeling for the road surface. A novelty here: the shock absorber works with a progressive lever system, but is supported directly on the engine. Sporty-minded, experienced pilots will denounce the overall slack damping – when cornering quickly with bumps in the road, the rear end pumps a little. However, the overall package is all in all very beginner-friendly. The brake also fits this, which lacks a crystal-clear pressure point, but its effect is completely okay. In the press release, Yamaha finds a pleasantly fitting term for the Yamaha MT-07: "Instant fun". Which means something like "fun from the first meter".

MT-07 rotates up to almost 10,000 revs without complaint

But it’s not just the feather-light steering behavior and the relaxed, clear seating position that guarantee a grin under the helmet. The newly developed motor is also absolutely great, because it is a model of elasticity and smoothness.
Would you like some examples? Beginners in particular often forget to shift down into the correct gear before turning or turning. The Yamaha MT-07 laughs at it. From 2000 rpm the 690 cm twin converts throttle commands smoothly and smoothly into forward thrust. Anyone who thinks of the diesel engine power delivery of a Honda NC 700 is wrong. Because the MT-07 engine is both a sheep and a wolf. From 3000 rpm you can feel a lot of power, from 4000 rpm real pressure. The twin also turns happily and without grumbling up to almost 10,000 turns. To put it in a sporty way: hardly any other vehicle is so easy to ride a wheelie.

So easy. So controllable. Because the Twin is extremely elastic, has a great grip on the gas and always delivers its power in a controlled and almost linear manner. On the manufacturer’s performance diagram, between 4000 and 8000 rpm is always around 60 Nm of torque. Already at 6500 rpm it clenches its thickest muscles with 68 Nm, at 9000 rpm it produces its maximum output with 75 hp. The driving impression confirms the values: the MT-07 should run 210 km / h. One likes to believe that. The throttling to the A2-friendly 48 hp version is done using a kit from Alpha-Technik. Cost: 105 euros plus installation at the dealer.
With such uncomplicated driving behavior, the exuberantly life-affirming drive and this competitive price, not only the competition has to warm up. Because apart from the fact that you are on four cylinders, there is no longer any reasonable reason within Yamaha to resort to the XJ6. 

The Yamaha MT-07 caught everyone freezing. Because it is impressive even in terms of workmanship. Nothing looks cheap or sloppy. The surfaces attract with a good finish, the exhaust is made of stainless steel, the factory-fitted Michelin Pilot Road 3 work great and are not a cheap solution. A wide range of accessories from Akrapovic silencers to MT clothing is also offered by the manufacturer. Ultimately, we can only hope that the 3000 copies ordered will be enough for Germany …

Technical specifications

Yamaha

Great workmanship, extremely agile and sometimes unconventional: The shock absorber, for example, is supported directly on the engine.

Yamaha MT-07

Engine: Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, one balance shaft, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 38 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 410 W alternator, 12 V / 9 Ah battery, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, Six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 2.688.

Bore x stroke: 80.0 x 68.6 mm

Displacement: 690 cm³

Compression ratio: 11.5: 1

Rated output: 55.0 kW (75 PS) at 9000 rpm

Max. Torque: 68 Nm at 6500 rpm

Landing gear: Bridge frame made of tubular steel, load-bearing motor, telescopic fork, Ø 41 mm, two-arm swing arm made of steel, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, double disc brake at the front, Ø 282 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 245 mm, single-piston floating caliper.

Cast aluminum wheels: 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17

Tires: 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17

Dimensions + weight: Wheelbase 1400 mm, steering head angle 66.0 degrees, caster 90 mm, suspension travel f / h 137/130 mm, seat height 805 mm, weight with a full tank of 179 kg *, tank capacity 14.0 liters.

Guarantee: two years

Colors: black, purple, gray, white

Price / additional costs: 5495 / around 180 euros

Offers for the Yamaha MT-07

Used Yamaha MT-07 in Germany

The Yamaha MT-07 quickly became a sales hit across Europe. Now there are large numbers of them on the used motorcycle exchange, including many in top condition and at very low prices: Used Yamaha MT-07 in Germany

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