Yamaha MT-07
If this test were based purely on fun ratings, you’d be staring at your winner. The MT is up there with a sauna full of Playboy Bunnies, and just as cheeky too. You only have to look at the thing to get it reared up on its hind wheel, terrorising the local driving instructors as you power your way past in pursuit of your first ASBO. Personally, I love it and can’t compliment Yamaha enough for making this A2 weapon as exciting as it is.
When the MT first came out it was considered something of a parts-bin special, bolted together with more hand-me-down pieces than you’d find in a charity shop. It wasn’t pretty, but it kind of did the trick. Then in 2018 Yamaha got its pimp stick out and dealt with the under-damped suspension and Frankensteinesque looks. They might have left the retina-burning dayglow wheels in place, but the general image of the bike took a big step forward… and for not a lot more money. It also became Euro 4 compliant, meaning ABS became a permanent feature on this otherwise brilliant bike. Just like the motor, which packs so much more torque than you’d expect from low-down, the Yammy’s stock brakes punch above their weight, offering good feel and good times with zero signs of cheapness.
Although the aforementioned ABS isn’t switchable, one may well find that wheelieing the bike long enough to get the front wheel stopped causes the ABS to throw a fit… and so the fun continues in the name of stoppies and skids. As I’ve already said, this bike was made for pleasure, but it’s not bad at ticking the everyday boxes either.
It’s a comfy ride, with a broad-assed seat, tall, relaxed ’bars and generously low pegs hat scrape the ground a little too often for my liking, but hey-ho. As with most affordable motorcycles, the suspension’s not overwhelming but the second generation pogos make their predecessors look like they came out of a Christmas cracker. They’ve certainly moved the game on and I’ve got nothing but praise for the way the MT flicks about or delivers a planted and trustworthy front end feel like no other bike in this grouping.
Sure enough, when you’re getting a lick-on the MT loves to weave, but it’s not a daunting experience, let alone one you can dial out – the Yamaha only offers preload adjustment. Besides, those wobbles and weaves are all part of the character of this bike, which booms a raucous soundtrack from its underslung exhaust. The Crossplane motor really sounds lovely at full chat, and the limiter’s endearing too.
You can also get it buzzing up the rev range pretty damn quick, aided by its silky fuelling that pulls seamlessly once it’s crested an initial snatchty pick-up. The gearbox is decent but it has a clunky feel to it. I never missed any gears but my metatarsals often felt like they’d had a workout as I navigated the six-speed ’box. The clutch was also a little prone to suffering if you asked too much of it, causing the bike to stutter and skid as the rear wheel locked up.
Of course, that never happened when tootling about, but the minute you turned the wick up things would get a little fruitier. The problem is that this bike was so good that it lured me into treating it as something that it wasn’t. It’s essentially an entry level, mid-capacity naked… only it’s better than that, being more akin to a detuned MT-09. Okay, it’s not got the outright pace and it’s about as technological as a rock, as far as rider aids are concerned, but who needs all that jazz anyway on a bike that only makes 74bhp?
The simplicity of this bike is what steals the show, featuring the essential raw ingredients rather than a plethora of pedantic pleasantries. It’s a bike you can actually feel the boss of, making the most of every pony it produces without cause for concern – unless you drop the clutch in first gear with a handful of revs (I won’t be doing that again). As far as complete packages go, I’d say that the Yamaha comes up trumps in this mix – it’s got my vote.