Yamaha MT-01

Rolling Thunder

WHAT IS IT?
A 1700 V-twin unique sport cruiser hybrid with serious sports credentials on the chassis front.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Anything but your typical sport bike and anything but a cruiser - a quirky combo of both with tons of character and a decent turn of performance.

MEET THE MT-01
Yamaha's own introduction to the MT-01, which it refers to as a "torque sports" is not your typical opening line. It starts off by explaining the MT-01 is/has Kodo.

"Kodo is a beat, a pulse, a vibration of the soul, an immutable and irresistible force that propels you through life or up a twisty road. Kodo is the defining characteristic of the new MT-01, a machine designed for a radically different riding experience. How did we create Kodo? By quantifying the emotions, the sounds and feel-good vibrations of the man-machine relationship and distilling them into a seductive form of steel and aluminium.

Shoe-horning a big V-twin cruiser engine into a sports chassis is anything but a new idea. Assorted specialist American and Euro builders have been doing it for decades, usually with Harley powerplants, with mixed success. And we've also seen quite a few factory cruisers with minimal sporting pretensions.

What made everyone sit up and take notice of the MT-01 prototype when it was first unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999, was that is was a pukka hybrid with real series production intent. Back then it looked pretty damned wild, and the bike you see here has remained remarkably faithful to the original. Up close it looks like it eats small people when no-one's looking - it certainly gets noticed.

Underneath it all is a version of the Warrior 1670cc V-twin, in a very different state of tune. It's running dual 40mm bore throats for the injection, plus a lighter crank for better throttle response. Surprisingly, it's stayed with a relatively conservative 8.4:1 compression in its ceramic-coated cylinders. Like the entire machine, the powerplant is a mix of 'traditional' big-twin thinking, with some high-tech updates.

It's claiming 90 horses - enough to be lively without being earth-shattering. That's backed up by a very respectable 15.3kg-m of claimed torque down at 3750rpm, which is the real secret behind its performance. It doesn't so much accelerate as launch with very few revs required.

Getting all of that to the ground is a five-speed manual shift, with wet clutch and chain drive.

The chassis is where a lot of the sport credentials lie. Tied to the die-cast aluminium frame is a version of a 43mm R1 front end complete with the four-spotter monobloc brakes. Suspension travel at both ends feels relatively short, with sports-like rates chosen for the springing and damping. The shock is laid near-horizontal under the rear of the engine. Both ends feature adjustment from preload, plus compression and rebound damping.

Our example was running a couple of extras: a set of Over Racing mufflers (with carbon-fibre guards), and some rearsets from the same maker. The dyno charts I've seen suggest the pipes don't add a lot of peak power, but offer a much 'fatter' delivery curve.

IN THE SADDLE
The MT-01 has been complemented by several folk over the years for having a 'natural' riding position, with good reason. The Over rearsets do little to change this other than putting your feet in a slightly more sporty rearward stance and offering a high degree of adjustability.

Firing up the lump quickly reveals an addictive big twin thump, that turns thunderous when you open the taps - or at least it does on this example from Stafford Motorcycles in Melb. The Over mufflers give a lovely booming note that's worth the admission on its own, without being ridiculously loud. Although it will set off car theft alarms…

What is surprising is just how responsive the powerplant is off the throttle stops. It's no screaming multi, but reacts to minimal input and, once you get used to the considerable urge off the very bottom of the rev range, gives a very good sense of control.

Despite the fact it's pushing a 240 kilo lump, the engine delivers plenty of urge - more than enough to make your average sports road a thoroughly entertaining experience.

So, is "entertaining" also code for "scary"? Not in this case. The chassis ties the whole plot together remarkably well, with good suspension control, even though the ride is firm rather than luxurious. Its steering responds well enough, though you need to remember this is a big motorcycle that needs an assertive set of hands at the tiller to tip it into a turn. Once it's in there, the whole plot tracks very predictably.

Braking is good - as simple as that. The feel is excellent and the extra weight doesn't seem to worry it unduly.

WORTH THE RENT?
Something you don't get a full sense of, until you meet the machine up close, is just how much effort has gone in to the finish of this model. It truly is exceptional. We suspect that means you'll need to spend a bit of time with the rag and polish, as one let go to ruin would plummet in value.  But the detail in the visuals really add to the presence of what is already a substantial and unusual package.

The idea of a big engine dominating a minimalist chassis has huge aesthetic appeal but comes with a price, which in this case is the relatively small fuel tank with a 15 litre capacity. The MT-01 will, if ridden gently, do as much as 230-240km on that, but I'd be planning trips on the basis of a range of more like 200 to be safe. Far from impossible, and anyway you're looking in the wrong place if you want a touring bike.

On that subject, the pillion accommodation is minimal at best. The fold-out footpegs (which hide away very nicely when not in use) assume your passenger is a dwarf or is not planning a long stay on board. So treat this as a big and impressive solo sportster.

In this trim, the thing has some decent sporting prowess - you're not going to nail a lot of R1s, but you'll give them a hell of a fright on your average mountain road, while playing tunes on those lovely pipes.

I suspect two things held back the MT-01 when it was first released: first was the 'out-there' looks, and secondly the borderline scary price of $21,450 plus ORC. You could probably justify the latter, particularly given the extraordinary level of finish - but the market didn't see it that way.

The good news is the machine has been dropped to $17,990 plus ORC, which really makes it look like hot value. It may not be for everyone, but the MT-01 is a hoot to ride and the new pricing makes it seriously tempting.

(Ed's note: see a quick video review at this link -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVJl_4R5am4