Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1406072
With absolutely zero wind protection, you're as much a part of the braking system as the brakes themselves. I'm like a massive windsail on the little MT, much more than I am on something like an Aprilia Tuono or KTM Super Duke. The ride can be a little fatiguing because of this, but it's a welcome tradeoff for around town comfort. Speaking of brakes, the front discs have grown 16mm and are now 298mm, so you get a little more real estate for the admittedly weak calipers to bite on. Being a Yamaha, you can't switch off the ABS, or even put it on a rear-only mode, and this is a bummer because the ABS kicks in too early for my liking. If you're a new rider to the game, which the MT-07 is pri- marily aimed at, you shouldn't have too many issues with the brakes. However, they could be better. Aesthetically, I quite like the new design. I was a fan of the older model with the big single headlight, but the new round LED with the flanking side lights does modernize the look while keeping pretty much the same aesthetic as before. At night they work brilliantly, with a massive range of light beaming from an area about half the size it was before. One area I really didn't like is the indicators would pop out if you just brushed your leg past RIDE REVIEW I 2021 YAMAHA MT-07 P96 (Right) One of Yamaha's best. The parallel twin is a beautiful little thing. (Bottom right) Non- adjustable front suspension is a bummer. Preload adjustment would have been nice. (Below) The massive seat is great for commuting but gets pretty hard after an hour. Passengers are well accommodated, too. them in the garage. They're the kind where you squeeze the rubber mounting in the smaller hole to keep them in place, rather than just a nut and bolt setup. No doubt, this is to save cash, but it's still an annoyance. Four months of riding had me wondering what I liked most about the MT. Was it the motor, the chassis, the absolute lack of rider aids aside from ABS? Or was it a combination of all three? Yes, that was it, but I also like the MT for what it stands for. Given Yamaha's history of trend-setting bikes that stretches back to the 1960s, they have precedence in creating long- lasting legacies that riders buy into.