2019 Yamaha MT-03 review

I haven't been a learner rider since just after Adam took a liking to apples, so ya know… a couple of years. These days I'm fortunate to ride a huge range of different motorcycles and in fact the bike I rode just before taking delivery of the baby Yamaha MT-03 made a whopping five times the horsepower of this 321cc parallel-twin and more than four times the torque. Yikes.

I figured that if by chance I came across someone wanting to remove the skin of a rice pudding on my travels, I'd probably have trouble doing so with the LAMS-legal Yamaha MT-03, but more about puddings and poke later.

The Yamaha MT-03 in this guise has been around since 2016 and has changed little in that time apart from some cosmetic alterations. The previous incarnation was a very different bike and ran an engine based on the XTZ660, yet made hardly any more power for a lot more weight.

Combined with a seat height of 805mm (that's 25mm more than the current model) and a high centre of gravity it felt like a more difficult package to get along with for less experienced riders. The current version is way better in that regard.

The 660 did make a significant amount more torque mind you, 56.2Nm versus 29.6Nm and I was worried that the current bike would just be an annoyingly revvy wasp – based as it is on the R3 engine whose neck would need constant ringing to get the best out of it.

If you're thinking the same then worry ye not, because, around town at least, it's completely possible to bimble about in top gear and the bottom half of the rev range, getting along in a very relaxed manner with more than adequate drive on hand.

This is helped by one of the smoothest parallel-twin engines I've ever experienced which must be made entirely of either rubber or balance shafts – or both – and apart from a tiny tingle through the seat you can hardly even tell if the engine’s running.

It's one of the first things you'll notice I guarantee it and is backed up by utterly immaculate fuelling which literally cannot be faulted. I purposely rode this at 2000rpm in sixth and pinned the throttle just to see what would happen, and yes the progress was lethargic of course but the engine didn't stutter, bog down or lurch away. Properly impressive.

If you do want to get a shift on you'll need to be north of 7000rpm where the revs and power build quickly to the heady 12,5000rpm redline, whereupon the big shift light will tell you to change up.

Maintaining a high average speed on this thing is definitely an exercise in momentum and constant cog-swapping, though. Luckily the gearbox is a beaut with a light, precise action and a short throw, but you do need to do your best Fred Astaire with your left foot to stay in the power (it's just dawned on me that no-one in the demographic this bike is aimed at will know Fred Astaire from a bar of soap…).

The momentum part of the equation is taken care of by great handling, sticky tyres and quick, neutral steering. In fact this bike can be flicked about like no-one's business and yet, unlike some bikes in this category, is never nervous or unstable and there's actually pretty good feedback from the tyres despite the slightly budget suspension.

The fact it runs decent-sized 110 and 140-section Michelin Pilot Street rubber helps a lot in this regard. The bike never feels tippy regardless of lean angle, and the tyres are more than capable of handling anything the engine can dish out.

Even though there's no suspension adjustment apart from some rear preload, I found it to be very compliant in town and able to isolate the rider from all but the harshest bumps and only losing some composure when really pushing hard through rapid changes of direction. I'd suggest it's perfectly adequate for the market segment this bike's aimed at. All good so far then.

Even though the bike seems skinny and small (especially when moving it about at a standstill), due to the slim engine, low seat height and light weight, the rider triangle of bum-bar-pegs is totally comfortable for my nearly six foot frame and I could ride it all day without issue.

The radically sculpted bodywork looks bang on too and puts you right in the bike rather than on top of it. In addition, it gives the machine an aggressive, weight-forward appearance which is very much in keeping with the MT family DNA – especially with its flouro wheels.

Related: 2016 MT-03 review

As I've been riding long enough to remember when flouro wheels were trendy the first time round it seems only fair to warn you: you'll spend some considerable time keeping them clean… diluted truck wash is probably your best friend here.

The bike's excellent low speed balance is also aided by the positioning of the rider, given that the human component makes up about a third of the overall combined weight, allowing for very confident lane splitting… sorry… filtering, and this thing slices the traffic like a hot knife through the proverbial.

The slightly narrow bars help make it a cinch to creep between the car mirrors, dragging some back brake for stability and feathering the light-action clutch, without ever needing to take an emergency prod.

There's also plenty enough poke to get you the hole-shot when you do get to the front of the queue and the lights go green, so don't worry about embarrassing yourself there.

Which brings us to really my only complaint about the bike. The front brake does need a really proper squeeze to get anything dramatic happening and I nearly got caught out a couple of times myself.

A lot of LAMS bikes seem this way, so perhaps it's a conscious effort on the part of the manufacturers to help avoid inexperienced riders from washing out the front. A reasonable objective but less relevant with the advent of ABS I reckon.

However, the rear stopper is very effective indeed and, largely because of the ABS, can be used really aggressively if needed and you still won't find yourself fish-tailing uncontrollably to a stop. Use both together and there's really no issue at all. And I have been using top shelf stuff lately where one finger can send you over the bars, so I just need to stop being lazy and actually practice what I preach.

While there are some budgetary elements apparent such as unadjustable levers, conventional forks and a general lack of chrome, overall the level of componentry and finish is excellent.

There are some really nice touches too such as the rear grab handles being rubber-mounted to make them more comfortable to… err … grab, classy clear indicator lenses, very nice all-metal footpegs and a racy looking belly pan. While the dash isn't a snazzy colour TFT of course, what's there is uncluttered and easy to read, has a gear indicator, a shift light, a big tacho and speedo numbers you can take in at a glance: ideal learner information all.

What learner riders want and what they need are not necessarily the same thing. Moreover buying bikes is almost always a heart-over-mind decision, especially when you're new to the game.

In this case Yamaha has served up one very sporty and undeniably cool looking bit of kit, especially in these colours which would surely leap out at any prospective owner.

Related: MT-03 in Bike Showroom

The added bonus is it's simple and undemanding to ride, allowing new riders to gain some roadcraft and experience without having to think too much about the actual mechanics of operating the thing.

With traffic overload, terrible driving standards and our roads clogged with phone zombies that's nothing less than vital these days. It's happy to trickle along in a tall gear and low revs, never serving up anything unexpected or frightening but with sufficient grunt to get you out of trouble if needed.

Down the track when you want more fun winding the wick up can deliver enough thrills to keep even a grizzled old hack like me happy. It even makes a pretty cool noise from the standard pipe, but of course most owners will want to slap on a more street-cred Akrapovic muffler available from Yamaha for a bit over 400 bucks. I know I would.

The LAMS segment is probably the most crowded and competitive part of the market right now. It's all about getting bums on seats early and hopefully building some brand loyalty. Yamaha has done a great job here, serving up a cracking little bike with a great look which, in these colours at least, is certainly dripping in street appeal.

If it also inherits some of the hooligan reputation of the bigger MTs I'm sure young riders attracted to this bike won't mind one bit. Oh finally, as it sips fuel at a miserly 3.4lt/100km even when you hammer it (meaning a tank will last you about 400km) and costs just $5799 plus on-road costs it's not gonna break the bank either, all of which seems like many amounts of smiley face emojis to me.

ENGINE
Type: Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC eight-valve parallel twin
Capacity: 321cc
Bore x stroke: 68mm x 44.1mm
Compression ratio: 11.2:1
Fuel system: EFI

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 42hp (30.9kW) at 10,750 rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 29.6Nm at 9000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed, cassette type gearbox
Clutch: Wet multi-plate
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Diamond, Steel tube
Front suspension: 41mm telescopic fork, non-adjustable, 130mm travel
Rear suspension: Monocross, preload adjustable, 125mm travel
Front brake: Single 298mm disc with dual-piston caliper, ABS
Rear brake: Single 220mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS
Wheels: Cast aluminium 10-spoke
Tyres: Michelin Pilot Street – 110/70-17 front, 140/70-17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 256 degrees
Trail: 95mm
Wheelbase: 1380mm
Seat height: 780mm
Claimed curb weight: 168kg
Fuel capacity: 14 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $5799 plus on-road costs
Colors: Ice Flouro, Yamaha Blue, Power Black
Bike supplied by: Yamaha Australia
Warranty: 24 months unlimited kilometres