What do you get for your money?
It’s more a case of what you don’t get — weight, complexity, gadgets. The big news is the engine. It was a completely new design: a parallel twin with a 270° firing order, like the older TRX/TDM and current Super Ténéré engines. But that’s where comparisons end. This was specifically created to be light (a whopping 7Kg lighter than the XJ6’S four-cylinder lump), relatively simple (18% fewer individual parts than the XJ engine), and therefore relatively cheap and easy to make (with a view to farming out production to satellite factories). The chassis is similarly stripped-down — Yamaha claims the MT has 22% fewer chassis parts than the FZ6 — and the frame is simple steel tube. Most of what you can see on the outside is plastic, but it’s shiny, high-gloss plastic and there are some nice details, like the upholstered seat and funky chain-adjuster blocks. The swingarm looks like aluminium but it’s steel as well, cleverly made from thin pressed sections welded together. Conventional forks are non-adjustable, and the monoshock rear is adjustable for preload only (2018 models get a rebound adjuster, but it doesn’t actually do much.) No switchable modes, no traction control, but you do get ABS as an option (and standard from 2018). The LCD dash is fullyfeatured, with a built-in diagnostics system, and there’s a handy 12V accessory socket by your left knee (you need a special Yamaha plug).