Yamaha MT-07 review and riding impression

Yokosuka Yamaha MT 07

Yesterday I rented a Yamaha MT-07 and went to Yokosuka for a one day ride, about 150 km in total. This article is a simple review explaining my riding impressions.

First of all, this is the third time that I had the chance to ride this Yamaha MT07, and in total I used it for more than 500 km around Tokyo (東京), Kamakura (鎌倉), Hakone (箱根) and Izu peninsula (伊豆半島).

My final impression is very positive. This Yamaha MT 07 is very light, less than 190 kg, and its 2 cylinders inline engine with about 80 horse power is enough for having fun.

However, when riding in the highway, I noticed that after crossing 120 km/h, the air pressure on the body and face starts to be higher and higher, therefore I would not recommend to use this motorcycle to ride at a speed higher than 150 km/h for a long time, otherwise your body will hurt a lot. This is how the motorcycle looks like.

Yamaha MT-07 allAnd the engine looks as following. The engine is 2 cylinders inline, liquid cooled (the radiator is visible on the front). The chain for the camshaft is located on this right side.

Yamaha MT-07 engineThe front brakes are quite good, there are 2 discs which provide enough braking power even at middle-high speeds. The motorcycle that I tried had no ABS, next time I should try the version with ABS for an improved safety.

Yamaha MT-07 brakesThis is how the engine, transmission and gear pedal look. The rear suspension is also visible on the back. The gears shifted smoothly, however I noticed that sometimes it is hard to control the accelerator, and I felt some shocks during gear changes. In addition to that, the engine had a bit of "ON/OFF" effect, especially at low throttle positions (low gas).

Yamaha MT-07 gears pedalFor the passenger on the rear seat, the space is enough for a short ride (less than 80 km), but the seat is a bit hard, so I don't recommend to ride with your girlfriend on the back for very long distances, or she will hate you.

Arrived at the beach in Yokosuka, I found some "long and low" scooters, they might look cool but I wonder if they are really easy to ride.

Yokosuka scootersDuring my ride, I also met some "bosozoku" (暴走族, bousouzoku). They are Japanese crazy guys riding in teams, they have very loud motorcycles with many customized parts. And they are known for having many problems with Japanese police. Despite I don't like their motorcycles at all, it was nice to see them from a close perspective.

And finally, this is a picture of my Yamaha MT-07 taken at Kannonzaki, Yokosuka (観音崎, 横須賀). The panorama is very beautiful from here, I really recommend this route for a Sunday afternoon ride around Tokyo.

Yokosuka Yamaha MT 07

Author: Davide Cavaliere

I am an Italian Electrical Engineer graduated at Politecnico di Milano. My interests are motorcycles and cars, electronics, programming, Internet of Things, and Japanese culture.

1 thought on “Yamaha MT-07 review and riding impression”

  1. Great reviews Davide! It is a pleasure to read them. And thank you for your continuous patronage. More people will discover how nice is to ride in Japan thanks to riders like you 🙂 Take care!
    Rental819

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