‘Doing the frog’

Having excelled on fast roads, tracks, slogs and commutes, it’s time for the MT to receive an extra set of buttocks. Pass the Radox…

LET’S GET NOSE-TO-NOSE with the mischievous MT-10, stare straight in its bug eyes and lay down ground rules. No third gear wheelies. No peg dragging or humpback leaping either. Today Mrs Armitage rides pillion. Today we behave. For a rider the big Yamaha MT hides its superbike base well. There’s no trace of focused R1 in the high, close handlebar, supportive upright stance or easy-to-control ergonomics. Comfort is only an issue on bumpy backlanes and the ergonomics work anywhere – being a fine conveyance for passengers would be the icing. Things start well. The sky’s spotless, roads are dry and clear, and there’s an inviting autumnal glow across rural Leicestershire. The rear shock shrugs off the additional eight-stone-something without adjustment, and Jane’s impressed by easy-to-use fasteners and stretchy adjustment making her new Halvarssons clobber seem bespoke, rather than off the peg. ‘It feels snuggly and fitted,’ she says. ‘It’s very comfy.’ Pity the Yamaha isn’t. After just a few miles it’s clear that the MT can’t hide sportsbike roots from pillions. ‘The footpegs are

just too high. Knees are much higher than hips, so I can’t take weight through my legs and so I feel I’ll fall backwards, and I have to splay my legs round you. I’m doing a frog impression.’ We breeze onward, but things deteriorate further and Jane’s tolerance expires after an hour. ‘The seat’s too short, so I sit on the grab-strap,’ she says. ‘To get fingers round it I’m too far back, and its position gives little support anyway. And my bum bone is numb – not because the seat’s rubbish, but due to the frog stance. I feel every bump too. The exhaust purrs nicely, though.’ Every cloud…

Mrs Armitage making like an amphibian – and not liking it much

MZS: fabulous and frustrating in equal measure ‘In the high latitudes of Finland and, in the parching heat of Africa, under the most different operating conditions these motorcycles run to the satisfaction of their owners.’ So says the factory manual...