Reader rates his MT-10 SP after a year and 8000 miles
Feeling the pain of sportsbikes after 20 years riding them is almost inevitable. But thankfully these days, giving up performance for comfort doesn’t have to be a foregone conclusion, as MCN reader Nick Gibbs discovered.
“After riding sportsbikes for many years, I started feeling agerelated pains in my knees and neck so I looked around for something that would give me all the thrills of a sports machine but with a little more comfort. I wasn’t prepared to part with my Kawasaki ZX-10R just yet, but I took a test ride on a Ducati Monster 1100 Evo and loved it. The mix of comfort and performance was ideal, so I bought it.”
But a score of electrical faults made Nick lose faith in the Italian, so he found himself drifting back towards Yamaha with a Tracer 900. “The Tracer was brilliant, I took it touring through Switzerland in total comfort; upright and cosy with none of the sportsbike aches and pains. I liked it but it just didn’t set my pants on fire. Then the MT-10 came out and I saw that Yamaha were offering it with a touring kit which made me think it was the bike for me. Then I saw the SP with the two-tone paint, Öhlins electronic suspension and TFT screen. I took one for a test ride and was instantly sold.”
And after 8500 action-packed miles, Nick’s still smiling.
miles 0
The test ride at Chorley Yamaha confirmed everything: the MT-10SP was the bike for me. The electronic Öhlins felt really good, so plush but controlled. The dealership took my Tracer 900 in as part-ex, meanwhile I treated my new SP to a few extras in the form of rear luggage and a comfort seat for a little practicality, then splurged £700 on a titanium Akrapovic end can. I smiled all the way home.
miles 600
Within three weeks I was back at Chorley Yamaha to have the 600-mile service, at a cost of £155. I couldn’t wait to unleash the full potential of the 160bhp engine, and I soon found out that the performance could be pretty mental as it was quite a bit easier to exploit than a pure sportsbike, such as my old ZX-10R.
miles 1000
Like all current bikes, Euro4 regulations have taken their toll on throttle response and I felt the MT-10’s delivery could be a bit smoother, as I found it a bit switchy at low speeds and small throttle openings. Junction 33 Dyno Centre in Lancaster did a Woolich custom ECU reflash (£350) as well as adding their RaceTools package, which has given the SP a two-way quickshifter and launch control, which isn’t even offered by Yamaha as standard yet. As well as being smoother with no flat spot between 5500 and 6500rpm, I also get an extra 20mpg too, which addresses one of the only criticisms I had of the MT-10; the poor tank range. The reserve light used to flash on at just over 100 miles, but after the reflash, my best range has been 178 miles.
miles 2000
The SP went on its first real touring test. I loaded it up with a topbox and strapped an Oxford rollbag on the back seat then set off through Europe. We rode to Germany and enjoyed the B500 through the Black Forest, then went into Switzerland and Austria to do the passes. It was brilliant at everything, from cruise control on the motorway, to twisty blasts.
miles 6000
Time for another service and it sailed through without a single niggle or fault, and it cost £179. In all the bikes I’ve owned over 20 years, I can say that this SP has the best build quality. Everything’s still pristine and working well. With a freshly serviced bike, I switch the standard Bridgestone S20 tyres for a set of Bridgestone T31s and set off north to Scotland to do the NC500 tour over five days. The S20s were OE spec so they weren’t the greatest, but they managed to cling on.
miles 8000
The Akra that I’d put on from new still looks great, but I started to yearn for something with a little more boom to make the most of that distinctive engine note. I tried de-catting it but that made it too noisy. So I went to Fuel Exhausts up in Cumbria, who used my bike to develop a slip-on for the MT-10. I’m really pleased with it; I love the styling especially the carbon-fibre tip, and the tone is just perfect. I’ve had over 8000 happy miles with the MT-10SP now and I doubt I’ll need or want another bike again.