What owners say…
THERE’S A REAL mix of owners, from experienced riders to relative novices. Rob Smith is one of the latter, but rapidly making up for lost time — he’s put 10,000 miles on his 2014 model in Canada and the States: “This was my first ‘proper’ bike after learning on a 250. I was looking for something that was fun, reliable and that I wouldn’t grow out of.
“I haven’t regretted it for a minute; it’s an amazing machine. It’s super reliable, just change the oil and away you go. It has more than enough power for the road and the track. It has a pretty upright riding position so no sore wrists or back. And it just has tons of torque. The engine is the real gem of this bike, the triple is just the perfect balance of revs and torque.
“The stock suspension is pretty poor, and the fuelling even after being revised by Yamaha was still too snatchy. For the price of the ECU remap and some custom suspension, it still cost less than a Triumph Street Triple, which was its closest rival at the time. These two modifications ‘fixed’ everything that was wrong from the factory. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever sell it.”
Michael Walker’s at the opposite end of the experience spectrum — he’s been riding for over 30 years and traded in a KTM RC8 for his 63-plate MT: “My favourite bike to date was a 2007 KTM Super Duke, and this just seemed like a Japanese (ie reliable...) version of that in both attitude and feel. It’s got a great engine, it’s comfortable, playful, with stable handling (once you modify the suspension) and doesn’t take itself too seriously. For me it’s just a great bike for back-road hooning at 60-90mph, where a litre bike is just a liability.”
John Bentall’s still running-in his 2017
model, but he’s looking forward to seeing what it can do: “The engine is astonishing — very smooth and flexible. I can see that it will be a lot of fun when run-in properly — it doesn’t have a reputation as a wheelie demon for nothing.” It’ll spend most of its time on more mundane duty though: “I bought it to replace a 300cc scooter for London commuting duties. I find B-mode is ideal for the sub-50mph parts. The seat’s really hard though — an Airhawk cushion really helps.” John’s other bike is a BMW R1200RT, so anything’s uncomfortable by comparison, though the seat is a common complaint from owners.
“It’s a great bike for back-road hooning” Michael Walker 2013 Yamaha MT-09 owner