Introduced in 2006, Yamaha’s MT-03 features a liquid-cooled 660cc single-cylinder engine that makes close to 50 horsepower. A modern steel frame and chassis features powerful dual front disc brakes and a uniquely mounted rear shock intended to centralize mass in the 390 pound machine (claimed dry weight).
The 17″ aluminum wheels allow the mounting of modern sportbike tires to take advantage of the extremely nimble handling (by all European accounts I have seen) and the powerful brakes. The five speeds offered by the transmission are more than enough given the flat torque curve provided by the big single. The upright, dirt bike-style riding position mates perfectly with the instant thrust and agility, again according to virtually every review of this machine I have read.
A remnant, perhaps, of the old adage among OEMs that “Americans just don’t like singles, and won’t buy them”, the unavailability of the MT-03 here might deserve a second thought from Yamaha. We sense changing tastes, and a shift in interest toward simpler, less expensive motorcycles that offer good gas mileage along with plenty of the fun U.S. motorcyclists expect, whether commuting or play riding.
Overweight and underpowered, probably overpriced. Simple as that. I test rode a Baghira, the thing was slow, my Corolla could give it a run for the money.
a brilliant piece of kit and slick execution by yamaha. headlight gives it a whole baby b-king thing (wait, is that good?). but as johnny ro so wisely observes, it will be quickly “devalued” if it were to ever wash up on american shores… which of course defeats the whole idea of being in business in the first place. so no, we’re not worthy. it should be noted, this cloud DOES have a silver lining in that we DO have the ability to MAKE ourselves worthy. so few situations in life actually allow us to effect change. this would not be one of them.
I like it. I love big nasty singles though. Great for ripping around town or the crappy twisty back roads I have here in no. california. I hope it has electric start because i am tired of kicking my SR500. My Husky 610 has the magic button and is a real trouble maker. Fun as hell. But it is Italian with little dealer support. Yamaha builds some great singles and this one looks like a real curb hopper. I’ll take mine in black.
Sorry, being a DRZ owner myself, I refuse to believe that 5 speeds are enough on any modern motorcycle -especially a bike that has torque down low.
Not to mention the difficulty of finding a KTM dealer in the U. S. I love the look of the Duke (although not the sky-high seat) but Japanese dealerships can be found in any sizeable city.
Looks cool… As a KTM 690 SM-R owner, I can tell you singles are way under-appreciated in the US and if done right, can offer great performance and better torque at the same RPM than multi-cylinder bikes. My SM-R is insane fun, it would be good though to have a cheaper Japanese alternative on the market as I realize not too many people are willing to shell out the money to buy a 690 Duke (the SM line is discontinued in the US but the Duke is 98% identical to the SM-R) and most Americans haven’t even heard of KTM.
It’s just got “agile” written all over it. Oddly enough, I LIKE the headlight. I also like the LOOK of the twin exhausts although they’re probably impractical. I also agree that a decent price point in the U. S. is doubtful. The seats look decent. At least they’re wide.
This is the type of bike we need more of in North America. It’s relatively simply, reasonably sized and looks good. Singles and twins from 250 to 750cc should be the new “in” although Americans aren’t that smart. I expect the bulk of us will either remain with cruiser bikes that are way too heavy or repli-racers that are way faster than any of us would ever be able to get on the road.
We really should be more reasonable in our choices and think about MPG since the number of cars that can achieve 40mpg is growing every day. Makes no sense to have a MC that does no better.
I think Suzuki could do something similar but more classic and less futuristic with the S40 engine for a pretty reasonable price.
I had an ’05 MT-01 and loved it. That’s what Yamaha should be selling in the US, endless torque.
I rode an MT-03 a few times in the mountains of Japan. The power isn’t overwhelming, but if you like going very fast without the need to touch the brake, this bike does that well.
Is this the new normal, is this what we can expect from the big four who have run out of new ideas and models in the last decade? An old bike tarted up and sold as “new” to an American public that has the memory of a goldfish.
The new Honda 2011 CBR600F (which is coming to America in Nov. 2011) is an old Hornet motor and steel frame from the 90’s, and Yamaha’s Mt-03 was a bike that was unfulfilling in Europe, even to people that are not as horsepower-crazy as Americans. Triumph is the only company that I think is going to run the table this year with its adventure bikes: new 1000cc Bonneville and 300cc single. Leaving k-,s,h,y (Kawasaki suzuki honda and yamaha) gun shy on bring over any new product for a long, long time.
On the MT-03, I’ll take the Sumitomo monoblock front calipers, please (as on the earlier YZF-R1s, YZF-R6s, and current FZ-1), not the cheesier 2-piston slide pin ones.
Michelin Pilot Power tires, too. 🙂
I like the big thumpers, both on the street and off-road.
Fun kind of power and torque.
Not a big fan of the seemingly porky weight figure, though – the engine is physically massive (very tall, with a hefty bottom end).
Probably massively reliable, too.
As with the Yaamaha WR-250X I’m riding now, it seems the way to a truly light-weight street thumper is via a motard.
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA knows they wouldn’t sell many, so I would be pleasantly surprised if the MT-03 came here.
Hate to be a curmudgeon but the Japanese are simply not capable of building what people really want; a competitively priced, low weight, high performance single or twin. Instead, they keep popping out these bloated, low performing art projects that are destined to fail in the market. And, when they do fail, they go back and declare that there is no market for this genre of bike. They were the same way about four stroke dirt bikes until Yamaha finally built the YZ400F in ’98 and look what happened after that…
re: “the Japanese are simply not capable of building what people really want; a competitively priced, low weight, high performance single or twin.”
on the contrary, the Japanese (and any other manufacturer for that matter) are MORE than capable. we are afterall more than a decade into the 21st century. the problem at this point rests ENTIRELY with the consumer and their “incapability” of being rationale or realistic.
Yawn
Another 430 pound curb weight single with maybe 38 RWHP. Think MZ Baghira/Mastiff. Or BMW f650. Nothing new here, move along.
Nobody will buy it. They will sit in crates for 3 years, gathering dust. Yamaha knows us better than we do.
I loved my srx6 and my srx250 and my 83 vision.
Nothing Yamaha sells in US now is even mildly interesting to me.
I am out on the fringe and they will lose $ if they cater to me.
Even so, I challenge Yamaha to bring in SR400s styled as 1970s cafe racers like I saw in Germany.
I got motor in my 660 Raptor, ATV one sweet motor !
I don’t know if we’re worthy, but at least redesign it to offer us a little more eye candy. Come back and make a new offer after you create a good looking bike.
Yes, please! This would be wonderful in the U. S. At least for those of us who can appreciate it. I expect Yamaha has bad memories of dust settling on SR500s but this is a more than worthy successor. I hope the crappy economy plus high gas prices knock some sense into American heads and we learn to appreciate smaller bikes again.
This one ought to be butch enough for anybody.
I wonder how it would compare in performance to a Suzuki SV650, which only runs about 6 grand. Any thoughts?
Nice article, but the prayers for MT-03s will probably not be answered. The thing used to be sold down here in Brazil, and even being brought in a CKD process (less taxes) the price was just too close to the FZ6 – and it was later replaced by the XJ6, almost the same price.
Second, according to one of the bike designers (Uhlarik – the small/lightweight electric bike guy) Yamaha planned a limited, short 5-year run on this bike (well, at least the way I understood it comment-chatting to the guy). Only god knows why, but my bets is that it was going to be phased out at the same time of a XT660R update, for some other bike with the same powerplant – then the economic meltdown happened.
The 48hp figure is ever deceiving. The fact is, without bike reviewers (you should listen to them too) I would never suspect the thing is just crazy on stoplight-to-stoplight rides even remembering the table-flat torque curve many singles exhibit. More cylinders? The thing just doesn’t need it inside towns or on curvy roads. ER-6Ns, Hornets or (600cc) Fazers were are left behind until they are over 60-70mph. The only drawbacks pointed were inherent to a big single working (some vibration at high speeds), too big a handlebar for city riding (easy to solve). Very nice on short jaunts and with a remarkable exhaust sound too.
Looks like the closest thing we would have to a modern single cylinder Buell if Buell would have ever made such a bike. Sans underslung exhaust and perimter brake o course.
I have a MZ scorpion tour. Same concept, same motor. Lots of fun. Good all round bike. You can flog it hard and not get into too much trouble. Feels like a motorcycle should with that big single thumping away. They should do quite well with it if they bring it in. I would like to compare the two to see what progress has been made. In overall riding experience probably not much, it is fine already and worth a try for those who have not experienced it.
I have a bike with this motor, MZ Baghira. MZ made several bikes with the Yamaha 660 5-valve motor. I have two other friends with the same bike. The motor is more than adequate for almost any purpose, even 75-80 mph freeway droning if you want. But where it shines is flogging around tight twisty mountain roads we have here in the greater Appalachian mountain area. Or I can put on the dirt wheels and have a blast on all the forest roads. The Baghira is by far the funnest bike I’ve ever owned, and a lot of that character comes from the torque-rich, bulletproof Yamaha motor. My full coverage insurance for the Baghira is $89/yr.
I’ve recently had a new rider friend struggle to figure out what kind of bike to ride, I would have suggested this bike over many others she looked at. We definitely have a hole in the US market for bikes like this.
The worst thing you could do is put a bunch of stupid plastic bodywork on it.
I have ridden it in Europe, it’s a great bike, love it! I miss this type of motorcycle here in the US.Inexpensive to operate, insured too. Great for wheelies and cornering too! Fun, fun, fun ! … would buy one.
I miss this type of motorcycle on US market. 660ccm single is a lot of fun and actually usable power,great in the city. I am sure insurance would be inexpensive for this bike too.
I would buy it.
I’m a Yamaha Dealer & Hope if it does come to the states it has R6 styled bodywork. Nice tho.
Eehh, what to say…it wouldn’t sway me away from my ancient SV1000N thats for sure.
When it came out it looked so “fresh”…as it stands right now it sure looks outdated(Forks, Calipers, dual underseat exhaust ?) and why only 660cc when Yamaha sells the same engine but 686cc(4valve head and “only” 9.2:1 CR) on the Raptor 4Wheeler ?
Others mentioned the possible sky high MSRP and how u can get a lot more bike for less $$$. LOL, It would be like the fiasco Honda had with the 919. A decent mount but too overpriced and left to die in the weeds by it’s own nature.
In the land of “EVERYTHING MUST come with plastics to look like Ricky Racer” or “looks like a Harley but it ain’t, Pirate Garments Fleet” i would say it wouldn’t stand a chance.
People talk a lot of smack like ” i would buy this and that” but at the end of the day, WELL…u know…their wallets are the ones telling the truth…and leftovers at warehouses don’t lie either nor the ones sitting on the showroom floors collecting dust.
“These”(european/maybe asian) FLAVOR bikes don’t fly here. Straight up simple and true.
Is either Faired Sport Bike or Pirate Cruiser.
Well what’s the deal? Are you gong to be able to preorder one? Sure hope it’s available in blue, although not much to paint besides the tank.
I like that it has a real seat, made for real butts. I hate those high narrow seats on supermotos, dirt bikes and adventure bikes. I want to comfotably ride for hours, and touch my feet to the ground at stop lights. The only thing I would change is: Put some hand guards on, a medium windshield, and replace the passenger seat with a tail bag. I also like the tires. They look like they were made for real world street use.
I’d sell my SV650S and buy an MT-03 if they were available in Canada.
Close but no cigar – Husky, KTM, ‘Berg – all produce sub-300 pound street-legal dual purpose bikes that with a supermoto kit (17″ wheels & brakes) are lighter, faster, cheaper, and more fun.
I disagree with the “cheaper” part. The Euros don’t make anything that costs less that their competitors.
Whoa! Looks like a lot of posts (interest) in quick order.
I don’t get the complaints of too little power-to-weight. My first or second favorite bike of about 70 was an ’83 Yamaha XZ550R Vision. The acceleration, especially without the heavy-ish fairing and it’s associated hardware, was plenty exhilarating…1/4 mile just under 13 seconds, 100mph trap speed. Enough acceleration, in fact, when coupled with it’s then-superb handling, to pass a gray market Yamaha 500cc 2-stroke (ridden by a very fast local rider) on one particular gnarly mountain pass with which I was admittedly very familiar.
My fairing-less Vision was 465 lbs curb weight full tank, with HP in the low-50 range. A 430 lb (estimated curb weight full tank based on 390 lb dry) MT-03 undercuts the Vision by about 35 lbs with similar power. An MT-03 with a flat tire might out-handle/out-brake the Vision.
What’s not to like about that?
I’m with you Jimbo. Dimensions, specs, etc. are worth looking at, but they dont tell the whole story and they dont tell us anything at all about how the bike works with the rider’s skills or how the bike might make each rider feel (eg. confident to push the envelope…or otherwise). Some “underpowered” bikes feel plenty quick and exhilarating, some well-powered bikes feel sluggish or less able to respond to rider input. Some folks like quick handling….some like neutral slower, predictable steering. Some like instant throttle reponse, some do better with power you gotta really twist to get. Like I end up saying, let em build it, let us ride it, then we’ll hack it out and see if it’s any good.
It takes all types, build it Yamaha and send it over here!
Nothing , except similar power in this case is the wikipedia reported 65 horsepower of your v twin old bike to the 48 or whatever they’re claiming is almost 50 horsepower on this single cylinder Yamaha . Not to mention the price would likely be at least 3X the amount of an 83 XZ550 that had more horsepower . An unfair comparison , although that Vision sounds like it was a hell of a bike ahead of it’s time .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_XZ_550
KLR650 is heavier, has less power, and is loved by most of its owners. Adored, in fact. KTM singles are great, but this bike would be far cheaper and far more comfortable.
The KLR650 is bought for it’s dualsport/budget adventure bike abilities , not it’s power and many still prefer the old model to the newer one . The MT-3 is styled like a street fighter/naked bike , but so is Suzuki’s Gladius which has more power and isn’t selling very well at all . In fact my local Suzuki shop just got rid of one they had for quite a while , but they had to discount it to $5900 ($6899 retail) just to get rid of it .
Bring back the Buell XB.. make it in America.. sell it in America.. if not, not interested.
I too had the SR500 – with a Supertrapp exhaust. I was a great bike to about 75MPH. It was loud and alot of fun to ride – it wasn’t the best freeway bike if I’m being honest. If I was going to buy a second bike that was a single, I’m afraid I too would want more power and less weight. I also think the styling is…well it’s a miss. The side shock is terrible and the under seat exhaust is for 20 year old Hooligans on Race Replicas.
I used to love my old MZ street bike, but unless this things brings unbelievable gas mileage (80+) it won’t sell in sufficient quantities in the US. People are buying bikes for mileage, a dealer I just visited said they sold all of their Honda 250s based on people looking for an economical ride.
It’s not that I need more bike, every time I ride my old KLR I wonder why I need 3x the horsepower, but as others have said an SV650 weighs the same and puts way more power out. If they can’t make a fuel efficiency argument there are few arguments left for it.
A little late, and not very appealing to the eye.
Back in the mid 1990’s this was here under a different name.
Remember MuZ, it had this Yamaha 660cc Motor.
Had 3 different versions, and they looked a lot better than this.
I had one, put 35,000 miles on it. It was lots of fun!
I’ve been begging for this bike for years. PLEASE Yamaha,I need this bike!
pre-dated garbbage!!!1 boy, there will try and dump anything on us,
Looks like something I’d be interested in, nice standard upright seating position unlike all the cruisers and racing bikes you wont need a chiropractor to fix your back and wrists.. Would probably buy one if the price was right but with the dollar in the tank they will probably be asking way much more than people would be willing to pay, make it the price of a vstrom 650 or versys and I’d buy one. Unfortunately, I am in the market for a bike now and looks like I’ll be going with the new Triumph Tiger 800.. has everything I want plus a couple of extra cylinders.. Gotta love that triple!
Too little too late. It might be a fine ride, but it’s at least one decade behind in terms of tech.
Put something like this together with all modern gear and then we can talk…
With only 50 hp at its weight, I don’t see the motorcycling press giving this bike much of a break, after the novelty wears off. They like bikes that are exciting to test, not necessarily fun to own. What will make or break this bike is the price. I expect it’ll be fast enough for commuting, casual riding, or even limited touring, provided one’s expectations aren’t too high. There are still bikes, like Suzuki’s S40, that continue to sell, in spite of the press’s snubbing, because they fill a niche. The key here, once again, is how much it will cost.
Well…..better than a Buell Blast. That’s all I’m sayin’.
you mean Buell Be Last… lol…
But the Blast was cheap. Now, they’re really cheap! I’m getting one to mess with.
>Americans hate singles.
Ah yes, the ‘blame the fickle customer’ excuse. It really means “we can’t make enough money.” What Americans reject is over-priced, over-styled, fashion statement bikes.
Interestingly, motorcycle manufacturers are in business to make money. If they thought they could make money selling such a bike here, it would be in the showroom today. Pretty much every motorcycle manufacturer has tried and failed to sell smaller bikes, so they are understandably hesitant to bring more to this market.
Two of the best small bikes ever were sold here…the Hawk 650 and the TDM850 (ok, it’s not super small, but I think it counts). Both were terrible sales failures. FZR400: one of the best handling, most fun bikes ever…sales disaster. Transalp: super cool V-twin adventure tourer…sales disaster. SRX6: stunningly cool…sales disaster.
On a side note, Americans have a long and distinguished history of embracing over-styled fashion statement bikes, despite your assertion to the contrary. Perhaps you’re familiar with Harley Davidson?
Yeah. Americans don’t buy Harleys…
“What Americans reject is over-priced, over-styled, fashion statement bike”
Unfortunately, this is not true – witness all the pot bellied pirates riding Harley Davidsons…
Simplicity? My perfect thumper has a single cam actuating one intake and one exhaust valve, a simple round headlight, and one muffler. I like the engine to be visible (ideally air/oil-cooled with fins) and have easy access for valve adjustment. I don’t like underseat mufflers. Maybe if it had just one muffler it would be more acceptable… but why not a Buell-esque exhaust system like the ER-6n?
Kinda apples to oranges, but the SV650 (naked version) comes in at 370 lbs. dry with nearly 75 hp. It has more of a classic look that has aged well too, in my opinion.
I love the look of it (almost forgot it existed actually), but the output and power don’t look like a good match. An SV650 doesn’t weigh much more and would run circles around this little darling. I know it’s no small feat to build, but it’s gonna take around 55-60hp at the wheel and near 300lbs to get me excited about a single for the street. Go ride a 450 supermoto with lights and you’ll understand the potential. If Yamaha could find a compromise between something like the MT-01 and a hardcore street-legal supermoto, I’d be powerless against it 🙂
I’ve loved this bike for years. PLEASE Yamaha, bring it to the States. I NEED this bike!
Hooligan cool, right along the lines of their bro’s, the MT-05 and MT-01. The cruiser crowd wouldn’t understand it, repli-racers would want to burn it and uppity blue bloods would put their snoot in the air because it’s not Euro Chic enough. Hence, we’ll not see it on our shores, but I’d sure like to throw a leg over one of my own.
Pretty neat bike, but it’d have to be cheap, which I bet it’s not. I liked the comment about putting a normal headlight and simpler exhaust. It’s good to hear from the MZ owners. It’s a shame those bikes didn’t take off. Gotta love KTMs but hate the price and the underseat gas tank.
I used to own the SRX-6 thumper and loved every minute. Sure it was slow and the kick-start only sometimes gave me grief, but it was still a fun and simple bike. Hopefully, this one will hit Canada’s shores soon.
I think this is a great looking bike, but I doubt it would be much cheaper than comparable bikes making significantly more power. Fuel economy probably wouldn’t be much better either. If it made KTMish power, it might fly, but I don’t think it would sell unless the price were very attractive.
I too like street thumpers. Having owned a new 1982 Honda FT500 Ascot and a Yamaha XT500 way back when, I appreciate the riding dynamics those bikes offer. The GB500 and SR500 are still two of the best looking street bikes imho. One of my two current bikes is the BMW G650X XMoto. 355 lbs with a full tank of gas, and 49 hp at the rear wheel (Motorcyclist Magazine). At the price I paid ($5900 new) when BMW dumped the remaining stock on the market two years ago, it is a lot of bike for a low price (ABS, Brembo brakes, etc. and 60+ mpg).
woot! i’d ride it in a heart beat!!
Yuck. Gag me with spring… I mean fork.
I’m not accustomed to being the one that disagrees with the crowd by liking the styling but I do. All except for the view from the back. Dual mufflers on a single is just silly.
That’s because it’s a 5 valve motor w/2 exhaust valves.
It is a 4 valve fuel injected motor. This motor is based off of the Raptor 700 motor that has many after market mods available for it. 75+ HP no problem!
2 exhaust valves don’t require 2 mufflers.
Ummm, cool looking, but how would this be better than a 20 year old Honda Hawk? I submit it wouldn’t be. And that wasn’t exactly a huge sales success either. At least put a modern twin in there. You need legs for American freeway.
I’ll have you know I’ve ridden hundreds of miles on my MZ 660 @ 75mph getting 55 mpg doing it on regular gas. A hotrod it isn’t. But it’s adequate.
We have twins. I own a Suzuki TU250 and now that it is broken in and I went one up on the front sprocket I am fine on the highway at 70 mph. It is better on the highway than my Harley Nightster. There is nothing like the simply thumping of a single. I shipped the TU to FL and my brother who owns a Multistrada has taken the TU hundreds of miles around Florida and GA.
For everyone suggesting the Duke 690 instead: I’ll bet Yamaha wouldn’t try to sell a single cylinder bike for $10,600 like KTM did (it’s no longer being imported). You can buy a lot of bike for that kind of money. That’s about enough to buy a new DRZ400S and a SV650 at the same time.
The Duke 690 was also an extremely limited release for the first couple years. I tried to buy one in ’08 and only a few dealers within hundreds of miles had got one, and they had all been presold. By the time they were widely available (late ’09), KTM had bumped the price from $8500 to $10,500, which was ridiculous when leftover CBR1000RRs were selling for $6000 new, and Daytona 675s were going for $8000.
I guess that depends on where you live , right now a KTM dealer near me has a leftover 2009 690 Duke for $8499 and used ones pop up on craigslist now and then in the 6-7K range . But a better comparison to the Yamaha might be the 5 speed Duke 2 with 55 horsepower and supposedly 320 pounds dry weight . I see lots of low mileage examples of those for sale on craigslist in my area . Hell , I had a ton of fun on a 89 Honda NX650 Dominator fitted with street tires for that metter ! Bought it for $1300 , rode it for 3 years and sold it for $1800 . If money is a main concern used is the only way to go .
This Yamaha bike looks like it has the same 5 valve motor my `00 MZ 660 single has. But my MZ is a lot better looking than this thing. My MZ has a Yamaha motor just like the 1 in their later Raptor quad.
This bike has a different 660 motor than the MZ had. This motor is based off of the 700(686) Raptor motor with fuel injection and 4 valve head and roller rocker arms.
I *love* this bike.
But it won’t happen–The MT-03 is Italian made, not Japanese (or other asian-origin), and there’s no way Yamaha can sell this in the US for a profit at any kind of price that wouldn’t make an R6 blush.
50 hp 400 pounds no thanks, my ktm 690 makes 60plus and weighs 300 pounds and is fun because of the low weight and high power. That thing is not only ugly but has beginner bike dynamics
You are exaggerating the weight of the Yamaha up, and your KTM down. Why? It is perfectly OK to like and tout the motorcycle you have without resorting to fudging the numbers.
Also, the KTM 690 is really an “experts” motorcycle. Unlike yourself, few others can do justice to its performance abilities. The Yamaha would be appropriate (and great fun) for a much greater number of riders.
the 690 is an expert bike just like the thousands of race reps sold to all those experts,sure. Lose the stock nuclear reactor exhaust , tune and you are at 305 pounds and over 60 hp. You want a heavy single with moderate to low power go ahead get one, you will be in a very small group.
660 cc, 50 horse, 385 pounds.
KTM 690 (actually a 654) single – 63 hp, 327 pounds
The MT-03 sounds like fun. But 20% MORE power, and 15% LESS weight from the KTM sounds like a riot.
Having ridden the KTM I can attest that it is an exciting motorcycle to ride, but I suspect that they are fibbing at least a bit on the both power and weight claims. Also, it is very tall and has a thinly padded 2×4 stud for a seat.
50 hp at 385 lbs is plenty for a short, compact bike like this, but it IS kinda weird looking from the front.
Yeah why do all KTM’s have to have uncomfortable seats?
Before you go all dark on the styling of this bike, consider the Kawi Versys. That thing has been a reasonable HIT for Kawasaki and it looks pretty wonky at best. I know, twin vs. single, but still. They are both nimble, light(er), simple and affordable machines. I think this thing from Yamaha would be in the running for fans of simple transportation. And as a bonus, they get really comfortable ergonomics, sit up visibility, good economy, decent performance, and hey….even these things can LEAN way over!!
BTW, in answer to the comment that black wheels dont show details….they also dont show oil, dirt, grime, road kill etc. etc. etc.
I love the idea of a modern big street single. I currently own a 82 Honda Ascot. Great bike, can easily run highway speed and my commuter to continuing education at night and weekends. I park close, get 45 mpg and have a blast with the light torquey thumper. The looks of this Yamaha are not to my tastes but I would love to have an updated Ascot, with liquid cooling. The KTM is too expensive for my budget but if I could get a used one reasonably priced, I could let the little Ascot be my museum piece. It draws a crowd where ever it goes.
They made an updated version. Almost 30 years ago!
They didn’t make an updated single. The v-twin ascot was nice too. But it needed to be at least a 750. It wasn’t. If Honda built a 1000cc Ascot I’d buy one tomorrow. I loved the flat track styling of both ascots.
I still own 2 SR500 and I miss an SRX6. This one would be a nice addition but should be lighter. Zombo’s right about KTM. They really know street singles.
I wouldn’t want the hair on my legs getting caught and torn out of that shock rebounding.
Geez, that looks like a pinch pain waiting for a place to happen! Not a big fan!
First…..uhm….unless you’ve got some freakishly long legs you’re upset over a non-existent problem.
Second……you ride in shorts?
http://www.sharewallpapers.org/d/599310-2/Yamaha+MT-03+2008+13.jpg
so….Yamaha copied Aprilia’s Shiver, slapped a single cylinder motor in (instead of Aprilia’s excellent 750cc V-twin) and forgot to take one of the tail pipes off. Should sell like hot cakes….yeah right!
Good to see someone trying to innovate again though!
Get your facts straight – the MT-03 came out in 2006 and the Shiver came out 3 years later in 2009.
My favorite bike was my Yamaha SR500. I have always been a Yamaha fan and a 4-stroke single fan even though I have neither currently.
The idea of this bike is, as a result, quite attractive to me. In reality, it is the headlight that turns me off. The rest of the bike looks quite nice in my view. In the end, I would probably accept the headlight to get the rest of the package.
I have to wonder if thats the best place to position a rear shock, the hottest place on the whole bike.
I thot that too. Maybe a remote reservoir located away from the heat factory would be a good idea.
Not a bad looking bike , from the rear anyway . But KTM already offers the 690 Duke single which has 64 horsepower , 6 speeds , and weighs over 60 pounds less if the published dry weight figures are to be believed . Slap an aftermarket seat to take the place of the narrow vinyl coated stock brick that KTM calls a seat and you’ve got your super single back road blaster . Since they’ve been making it for a few years you could probably pick up a low mileage example for less than Yamaha would charge for this bike – if they ever brought it here , which they won’t .
Well I like it (the looks and the concept). two cans for a thumper seems a bit odd, but what the heck, I’ll reserve judgment until I see it in person.
As far as simpler bikes (singles, twins, limited electronic gizmos) I think its about time.
HUH? What were they thinking?
Like everyone else so far, love the idea, not keen on the execution. Also, 390 lbs dry – are you kidding me? That seems quite heavy! Are two exhaust cans really necessary? I bet you could lose 20 lbs easy there… No USD suspension? I think the big four do it to themselves sometimes…
Hmm. Butter face. Never heard that one, but it definitely applies here. Solutions I would apply:
1) Again, and I always whinge about this, what’s with the weird modern obsession with alien headlights? Put a nice round one on this bike, or a nice vertical stack of two smaller round ones for that streetfighter look.
2) Ditch the dumb high exhausts (why do any bikes have them – it just weighs more and cooks your ass?) in favour of something small, short, light and cool.
3) Black does nothing for wheels. You lose all the detail. Some sort of colour, polishing or maybe wire wheels with coloured rims would give us something to look at.
Otherwise, I like this bike and could definitely see myself on it. I quite like the seat and rear supension. The shape of the tank doesn’t really suit what a big single is – tradition, but I can live with it. I can see why Yamaha designed it that way as it ties in with their other products, however big singles are supposed to be simple and that tank is anything but.
Overall, a good effort, but maybe TOO MUCH effort?
Looks like a parts bin special. Dirtbike engine with sportbike swingarm and tires, headlight off a snowmobile etc… It would be nice if they hired a professional designer next time instead of a fledgling art student.
Nothing wrong with singles. Had plenty of fun on them in the past. But the looks are horrible. It might look good to the asians or euros, but not me. I didn’t like the looks of the mt-01 either.
There are a bunch of really great motorcycles that never make it to the US, but I don’t think this is the place to start. The lightweight bikes that hot now are the 650-800 twins, that offer at least 20-30 more horsepower with not much of a weight penalty. The market for singles here is thin. Most of us who like singles are older guys, who might buy one as a second or third bike. This styling, however, won’t appeal to that group. If it is cheap enough it might find a following as an entry level bike, but I’m afraid it may be priced out of that market. Most entry level bikes in this economy are used ones.
You are right to the point. They should wake up if they want to make it.
What would make this bike an absolute blast would be lighter weight. If it weighed 325 dry instead of 390, it would get alot more attention.
Since my CBR1000 weighs 390 dry, I just can’t get excited about a 390 lb bike that only has 50 HP. But if it felt even reasonable close to a big dirt bike / dual sport, I would really consider it.
Pretty bike. Would be a blast if they can keep it prices around 5 Thousand dollars or so. Would have to be cheaper than the Ninja 650’s, FZ6R’s etc. Maybe 6 tops. That seat looks really comfy.
Hate to say…”Butter Face”!
She looks good from behind, but her face…
Hopefully the riding dynamics are so good it doesn’t matter.
I am sorry to say this… but this is disappointing. Exposed spring on side of engine is pure BS. Also, and I canot believe this crappy trend lately… that lantern is – yuck. There is so many ways which can make better impression, just to be ready to get original and creative, away from stupid trend. Rest of it is quite good. I am fan of singles, so I make this comment with sense of pitty. It hurts me.
Interesting but it needs one more cylinder. MT-01!
I think that’s a cool looking bike! Looks comfortable and I dig simple motorcycling.
I LOVE singles. But come on. The looks of this thing are not going to help sales. They aren’t difficult bike to style.