What owners say…
AS YOU MIGHT expect, there’s a range, from newbies to gnarled veterans. Kathy Horniblow is somewhere in between (apart from the gnarled bit), having grown up riding trail bikes on the family farm in the 80s, but only getting her road licence recently: “I was originally after a retro-look scrambler style but somehow ended up with the MT, mainly ‘cos it’s a cheap bike and I thought it doesn’t matter if I drop it. Plus it’s lovely! It’s easy to flat foot around (I’m 5ft 7in), light and easy to lift if dropped. Great engine, very responsive — the power’s there if you need it. But the suspension is shocking — I’m 51kg — so I’m considering spending the money to get that changed and set up for me. Every time I go out on my MT it puts a smile on my face. Love her. I feel it’s a very girly bike and I know that lots of women have them.”
For a ‘girly’ bike, it’s popular with the blokes too... Alex Limbrick is mid-20s but has been riding for long enough to
“I bought with my head, not my heart” Robert Mutch Yamaha MT-07 owner
get through a long list of bikes including a trackday SV650: “I tested several other bikes, then tried an MT-07 and it was the most fun bike I’ve ever ridden — you’ll struggle to find something that makes you smile more for the money.” Love isn’t blind though: “The paint is so thin you can almost see through it, the standard suspension is equivalent to three pogo sticks and the standard exhaust isn’t loud enough to bother a sleeping baby.”
Robert Mutch is at the opposite end of the scale — he started riding on a Fizzy in the Seventies and has been through all sorts — he traded in a Yamaha XJR1300 for his 2014 MT after accidentally taking a test ride. “I was surprised by the weight and agility of the bike. I never thought I’d buy a twin over a four but there’s a lot more performance than you would expect. Great fuel economy too. I ride mine on the mountain roads of Snowdonia with a mixture of fast roads and twisties and it always delivers around 70mpg — a day of fun for £10.
“It’s the first bike I ever bought with my head rather than my heart and I’m
definitely not disappointed.”
It’s fair to say Alan Keeton’s not disappointed either. He bought a new MT in 2014 and so far it’s up to 47,000 miles and coming up to its second valve check...
“It didn’t need any adjustment first time round. It’s only let me down once — the start/stop switch failed and was replaced under warranty. It’s built down to a price point but with a little bit of TLC, you can keep it nice.
“There is a corrosion problem on the swingarm — the paint is paper thin. Also the water pipes will show corrosion at the slightest bit of road salt, but this can be held back by using ACF50. My bike is testament to this as I’m still on the original pipes. She’s a great bike and I won’t be parting with her.”