New Year – New Gear
The brand new products that’ll change your biking life this year
Launched in 2016, Yamaha’s A2compliant, twincylinder MT-03 has flown quietly under the radar, accounting for just
6% of European MT sales since the first MT-09 triples hit the showrooms back in 2013.
So, keen to redress the balance and bag a larger stake in the A2 naked bike market, 2020 sees Yamaha give the ‘03’ its first major update since its inception complete with new styling, front forks and LCD dash, a revised riding position plus a tweaked rear shock with altered preload and damping settings plus a stiffer spring. According to Yamaha, the MT-03 is intended to give a taste of ‘big bike appeal’ – providing a stepping stone between the L-platefriendly MT-125 and middleweight MT-07. And, as it’s based largely on the fully-faired YZF-R3 sportsbike (itself updated in 2019), the 2020 MT-03 naturally gets the same dash, suspension and styling elements but with the tubular steel chassis, 321cc parallel-twin and ABS brakes all carried over from the original.
If it ain’t broke…
As a result, the free-revving motor gives the same silky-smooth, linear power that’s both unintimidating for new riders while delivering sufficient performance for more experienced types looking for something frugal yet with enough poke to stay ahead of traffic.
It’s not all about being practical, either, as the twin-cylinder lump loves to be revved, producing a delightful rumble reminiscent of Kawasaki’s old ER-6 and which only gets better as you surge towards the 14,000rpm redline.
This is helped further by a crisp gearbox and feather-light clutch, which failed to produce any missed shifts either up or down the cogs during our test in Spain. Indicating when to change is an adjustable shift light, which sits above the easy-to-read LCD dash which in turn displays speed, revs, fuel level, trip, gear position etc and which replaces the old partanalogue version and helps give the new bike a more modern feel. The single front disc with twin-piston caliper plus singlepiston rear brake are ample, too, combining to haul the MT up in a controlled manner, without any discernible intrusion from the ABS. The position of the rear lever is also perfectly placed to aid low speed manoeuvring around town.
A change of face
That new dash is now shrouded by a more aggressive-looking, dual LED headlight unit, which helps give the new MT a greater road presence and is more likely to appeal to younger riders, its target market, than the previous bike’s conservative design. Tail light and indicators, incidentally, are now LEDs, too.
While the addition of 37mm non-adjustable upside-down forks, which Yamaha say are more rigid and provide greater feedback, also gives the updated bike a more premium feel, now looking like less of an everyday run-around and more like the A2-friendly ‘supernaked’ that many crave. However, it still appears a tad bland compared to rivals such as the sophisticated Honda CB300R and head-turning KTM 390 Duke, in what is a fiercely contested class.
An engaging ride
Completing the look is a reshaped tank, which remains at 14 litres, but now has wider shoulders and more pronounced air intakes. It’s also shorter, which moves the rider further which, combined with bars that are now 39mm higher and 19mm closer gives a more aggressive yet engaging riding experience, something further improved by a firmer rear shock, well-balanced chassis and a kerb weight of just 168kg which allow you to both throw the MT-03 into corners with ease as well as change direction quickly – ideal for tackling the urban sprawl as well as the occasional weekend backroad blast.
‘It’s now more like the A2 ‘super naked’ many crave’
●‘Ideal for novices but it lacks pizzazz of some rivals’