2016 Yamaha MT-03 review

Yamaha has again produced a bike that is not only superbly cost effective, but made it something you actually want to ride, as well. This isn’t easy for something designed to have a L or P plate attached; it’s too easy to take all the fun away from a power-capped bike but Yamaha hasn’t fallen into that trap.

The tuning fork brand is on a roll with the way it’s attacking the market with similarly themed machines, aimed in slightly different directions. For new riders, or those who want something small and fun, the MT-03 is enough reason to be going for your wallet in haste!

There is a larger LAMS MT available, the MT-07, but it’s more expensive, too ($9899). The MT-03 retails for $5699, a price that includes anti-lock braking, solid grab rails for pillions (on your full licence) or for tying down luggage, quality Michelin Pilot tyres and a build quality that’s hard to fault.

YAMAHA MT-03 IN BIKE SHOWROOM

Importantly for new riders, the bike doesn’t scream “I’m a LAMS rider, disrespect me and my lack of experience!”. It looks like the others in the MT range, with related styling. My favourite is the blue version – it’s instantly recognisable as a Yamaha.

For those buying this bike to get through the licence test phase of new life on wheels, it has some serious notches on the belt. For those wanting a cheap, but fun commuter, you won’t be disappointed, either. I’ll start with what makes this bike a great starting point.

An essential part of any LAMS bike is a good combination of balance, feel, throttle response and manners – it’s no point being cheap and cheerful if the new rider doesn’t feel comfortable on it.

The MT-03’s best point is its engine. The 321cc parallel twin doesn’t sound too exciting on paper, but the fact it is so useable is the reason it will mean so much to so many riders.

The response from closed throttle is smooth and very consistent. The way it builds revs is likewise – this bike grows speed the same way every time, leaving the pilot in no doubt as to how it will happen. It remains predictable all through the power range.

The gearbox, too, is precise enough for the price tag, but importantly light and with a solid feel. Changing gears can be pretty difficult for a first timer, and hitting “false neutrals” is a sure way to embarrass and scare in traffic. The MT-03 makes that less likely.

Then there are the brakes. Learner riders, and more experienced riders, too, can have a love/hate relationship with their brakes – obviously the more useable they are, the better! While the anti-lock  braking is a quality set-up, the front brake’s feel is also top notch -- they felt good during a good old-fashioned thrashing, but work well in traffic and at low speeds, too.

The weight of a LAMS bike is not a small consideration, with the MT-03 a learner-friendly 168kg (claimed, wet). That kind of weight makes parking it easy, but still allows it to sit on the road with stability.

All this combines to provide a stable platform for dodging witches hats at low speed, which most need to do to pass their licence tests in their particular state across Australia.

The seat is low, which also helps keep the weight like-wise and the bike is a weapon at low-speed maneuvering. Swinging the bike from lock to lock is toy-like, translating into easy lane swapping when put of the licence-test arena – kinda the whole point!

In essence, the MT-03 is a very easy bike to ride, with all the new-rider touch points catered for.

But this doesn’t mean the bike is only good in the LAMS arena. It makes an excellent option as a cheap commuter, because fully grown men, such as myself, still enjoy using it at a higher level. I wasn’t the only one smiling to myself during the model’s launch ride!

The engine has decent grunt for its size, the breadth of its pulling power beyond its capacity and while it won’t see off a larger nakedbike in a straight line, it will allow a rider to hold a good cornering pace through the fun bits without descending into a shift-a-thon on the gear lever around town. It actually has decent mid-range torque.

Where the engine and brakes feel good at learner level, they step up a level as the rider experience improves, too, with the bike able to play pocket racer and feel solid doing it.

This all shouldn’t be surprising, given the bike is based on the capable R3 mini-sportsbike, but that price tag and LAMS qualification means it is easy to under-estimate the bike – at your peril!

On the group ride for the bike’s launch, a freight train of MT-03s, manned by hooting, giggling riders of many years' experience, proved that such a bike can be just as much fun as something more powerful, even if you aren’t doing anything considered agro to the speed limit.

Despite our pace and, probably, weights, being a little above the target demographic, the easy to ride feel of the MT-03 meant we were comfortable with the bike on its side, braking hard and driving out of the endless corners the test route took in.

It wasn’t exactly power wheelying its way out of those corners, but I was surprised how well it does pull, even when not quite in the right gear. Most impressive is how happy the bike is to comply with this sort of treatment.

I used the bike over a variety of conditions, and was happy to find the MT-03 is an excellent tourer - who would have picked that? It sits happily on the freeway speed limit and at that speed, the lack of fairing simply means the wind holds you off your hands a little better. I’d happily do an 800km day on this bike.

While it’s a pleasure to ride in a myriad of situations, including mid-way through a Ps test u-turn and on endless twisties, there are numerous detail features that make it worth owning, too.

A gear indicator, for a start -- brilliant when you first start riding and haven’t developed a feel for which gear you are in yet. Then there’s those grab rails excellent for tying down luggage. An accurate fuel gauge! So handy and so hard to get right, it seems, judging by other bikes that don’t have one.

The magnificent wheels seem above-grade for the price ticket, too, just compare them to other similarly-priced bikes, such as Suzuki’s TU250X, to see what I mean, there.

The category itself is a packed one, boasting bikes such as the Kawasaki Z300 ($6099) and the impressive Honda CB300F ($5699), but both are priced higher than the Yamaha. New riders today are spoilt for choice!

Like all bikes, there are downsides, but when held up against the asking price, they pale into insignificance. The levers aren’t span adjustable, which can be disconcerting for new riders, for whom everything already feels weird – that small chance to help make the thing feel more natural can’t be underestimated.

Larger riders may find the bike too soft when pushing it, or just in general. I actually found the softness well managed and making for a very plush ride, but if you are on the heavier side, a larger bike may be better for you, such as the XTZ660 Tenere.

You’d be forgiven for thinking taller riders would be looking elsewhere, too, though some of our taller riders weren’t out of place, but happily perched on a fun little bike that is very hard to fault for the price.

You need to build a good bike to buy into the LAMS market these days, and Yamaha has. It’s solid, practical, easy to ride and, most importantly, fun! It has the added benefits of giving big-bike looks and abilities to a LAMS package, and that price tag does the rest.

If you’ve been waiting for the right bike to shift you into a life on two wheels, or simply have around $6K to spend on a two wheeled workhorse, then try the latest in the MT line-up. It’s a little big bike, priced right and hard to fault. What else do you want?