Now your MT is around 2 years old..how is she doing?

[xt660isgood2]

I really feel a bit embarrassed asking this as I'm not a typical rider. Due to family issues and the mighty xt I've only covered around 2k since I've had her and only seen
rain once "the day I picked her up" ffs
Anyway, still love the bike and had no issues eg starts on the button and no corrosion etc "horn position still in same place and pi$$is me off still"
Question is: How are you ladies and gents getting on after covering some serious miles thro shitty weather etc? (did that in the 80's on a gs550e)
You'll all be old soon, so make the most of it! I know, I sound like your grandad, but am right?
Are they still starting and looking ok after a bit of hard graft and winter riding?

 

[Eddieh93]

I have covered nearly 6000 miles, I ride mine everyday come snow, rain or shine as i dont have a car and I love the bike never feel unnerving going around a wet corner, power is always easy to get down in the wet not that it is really necessary.

It is a comfy position to ride in the only issue I have is the foot pegs on long journeys but that is my doing as I changed them to thinner/more sporty ones so I imagine the OEM ones are fine on the balls of your feet.

There is not a lot of wind protection as your probably aware and if it does rain I tend to get a wet crotch rather quickly unless im wearing my waterproofs.

As I have said already I love this bike and would happily do many long miles on it if I had the need, however I will be doing my DAS in September to get my license unrestricted and as I have fallen in love with the MT-07 I am going to upgrade to the MT-09 Tracer and hopefully do some euro tours! Been reading reviews and its good for hooning around country lanes and touring which is the best of both worlds.

The bike is still going strong absolutely filthy but still going strong, never misses a beat I have done Luton to Birmingham for the motorbike show and it never missed a beat had clear roads on the way up doing the speed limit and then standstill traffic to filter through on the way home, it copes well with a pillion not that I take them often, still starts on the button 1st time and every time. when I wash her I will let you know about any corrosion that I hopefully dont have.

In my opinion get on the MT-07 enjoy it, its a blast as I am sure you are aware and I'd be lost without mine.

 

[Ralph]

Mines at just under 10000 mile been ridden in all weathers tyres are due to be replaced in the next
1000 or so, notices some very slight corrosion on the chrome bolts on the front calipers wiped off
with a bit of WD 40 and the same on the wire mesh that covers the hols in the front of the tank
plastics, the paint is bubbling just were the mirror storks go into the mounts, thats it, no worse
than other bikes I have had, it did stall now and then like some do but getting the dealer to richen
up the mixture just a tad as cured that, at 2 years old I am usually thinking of a change but cant
think of any bike I would change it for.
Ho by the way we have sea on two sides about 400 yards away so not the best conditions for
a bike to survive corrosion free in.
Iv'e even got used to the rear shock, I like others thought it was under sprung and very under damped
but once you learn it likes to go relatively slow into a corner and then apply positive acceleration through
it you find it settles the bike and not much comes passed.
Just ordered a center stand as a father's day present to the MT

 

[sdrio]

At about 15,000 miles now.

The stalling is still there, but I'm normally able to catch it.

Corrosion on the front disks, around the bolts that hold them on, and the water pipes in front of the back brake look like crap, the paint corroded the first time they got a sniff of salt. I'll eventually take them off and have them powdercoated.

Seat is still too hard, but liveable. I replaced the awful left hand switchgear cluster with one from an R125, which is 100% better.

Still on original tyres, they've got plenty of tread left, but are starting to square off, so same as Ralph, will be changed in the next 1000 miles or so. Chain and sprockets are fine, I keep it all clean and lubed and am happy they'll go for another 10k at least. Have replaced the brake pads once, clutch cable once, both a couple of thousand miles ago. The clutch cable had started to fray, but was still working. Otherwise, beyond 2 services and an oil/coolant change I did myself, I haven't spent much on it at all. I did strip the clutch down and soak the plates to solve a slipping issue, since I did that it has been fine.

It is still a very good bike for what I use it for, which is commuting in traffic. I very rarely take it on Motorways, and I don't rate it at all for that anyway. It is windy, and for me lacks power to be a comfortable mile muncher.

I get about 55 - 60mpg.

I have never fallen in love with the bike like some people do. The dealers I bought it from were useless in solving the issues I had, which spoilt the experience (they have since gone bust). It is a tool, I keep it clean and serviced because I need a reliable bike, but in the next year or two I'll chop it in for something else, and won't think about it ever again.

 

[Peter]

I'm at 11k km. This is the third season.

Everything works fine, never had any issue. I use it less than in the first year, it means the love gone with the wind.

The power is acceptable but i don't feel it as strong as I felt in 2014. But it is my fault.

I don't use it in the wet, so no corrosion at all. It looks like a new. The tires are OK. I saw small piece of rubbers from the chain. I'm afraid some of the o-rings destroyed. I expect the chain has to be changed soon.

Stalling issues 3 times per year. Battery is still in good condition.
After the warranty expired I do the service works myself.

Sometime I think to sell it and buy something else but I couldn't find better bike for my purposes. It is light, nimble, looks fair. What else?

 

[DJP]

I still love my MT07.

The engine is the star of the show. Yes, I've had faster bikes, but this engine puts the power & torque right where you want them most of the time.

Wheelies on demand and fast enough to leave most traffic behind but slow enough that you can use the full rev-range without being into instant license-losing territory. It's Fun – with a capital F.

Oh yeah, and 60mpg average.

I'd say that it's probably the best bang for your buck engine on the road today.

But suspension and build quality are major downsides.

Fasteners, brake pipe unions, bar-ends and water pipes were all showing signs of corrosion within months. And now, two years and 10,000 miles on, the paint is falling off the swinging arm at an alarming rate – leaving rusty scabs in it's wake. Not impressive.

And the suspension? Well, I've never got used to it. It's the only bike I've ever owned that actually kicks my arse out of the saddle. Bumps which I never even noticed on my last bike go straight up my spine on this one. Indeed, there's one section of badly-surfaced road on my way to work that actually gives me double vision. It's like riding over a washboard with the vibration transmitted straight to the rider. I've never noticed that on anything else.

And, while I wouldn't claim to be the fastest rider, I usually have no chicken strips left on my tyres. But I just don't have the confidence to lean this bike that far – I just have the feeling that hitting a bump mid-corner would spit me off.

And it's these last two that will probably see me trading the MT in the not-too-distant future. Which is a shame because I'll miss it and, in many ways, it's the ideal bike for most of what I do.

The problem is, what would I replace it with?

 

[sdrio]

I had both tyres replaced yesterday, they were the originals, and I reckon 14,000+ miles isn't bad.

They did point out that my head race bearings are starting to get notchy, which is difficult to spot unless the bike is static and you've got the front wheel off the ground.

The guy said they go quickly on the MT07, and some were replaced under warranty. My warranty has now run out, (they never honoured it anyway), so that's a nice little job to be done.

Anyway, point is, if you're finding the handling is a bit lumpy, might be worth getting that checked out. Spotting worn head bearings is a bit of a black art - it is an almost imperceptible feeling when standing still, which translates to a significant handling effect when moving.

 

[Viking]

I still love my MT07.

The engine is the star of the show. Yes, I've had faster bikes, but this engine puts the power & torque right where you want them most of the time.

Wheelies on demand and fast enough to leave most traffic behind but slow enough that you can use the full rev-range without being into instant license-losing territory. It's Fun – with a capital F.

Oh yeah, and 60mpg average.

I'd say that it's probably the best bang for your buck engine on the road today.

But suspension and build quality are major downsides.

Fasteners, brake pipe unions, bar-ends and water pipes were all showing signs of corrosion within months. And now, two years and 10,000 miles on, the paint is falling off the swinging arm at an alarming rate – leaving rusty scabs in it's wake. Not impressive.

And the suspension? Well, I've never got used to it. It's the only bike I've ever owned that actually kicks my arse out of the saddle. Bumps which I never even noticed on my last bike go straight up my spine on this one. Indeed, there's one section of badly-surfaced road on my way to work that actually gives me double vision. It's like riding over a washboard with the vibration transmitted straight to the rider. I've never noticed that on anything else.

And, while I wouldn't claim to be the fastest rider, I usually have no chicken strips left on my tyres. But I just don't have the confidence to lean this bike that far – I just have the feeling that hitting a bump mid-corner would spit me off.

And it's these last two that will probably see me trading the MT in the not-too-distant future. Which is a shame because I'll miss it and, in many ways, it's the ideal bike for most of what I do.

The problem is, what would I replace it with?

Right on the spot! I sold mine mt07 and bought a yzf 600r thundercat! Grat bike for comuteing and touring, but I must say, I miss my MT07 while driving trough traffic jams...

Poslano sa mog LG-H500 koristeći Tapatalk

 

[raceblue]

Right on the spot! I sold mine mt07 and bought a yzf 600r thundercat! Grat bike for comuteing and touring, but I must say, I miss my MT07 while driving trough traffic jams...

Poslano sa mog LG-H500 koristeći Tapatalk

I did the opposite. My first bike was a YZF600r and years later I bought the 07. I ride a lot in NYC traffic, so the 07 was much better for me.


Cafe Racer NYC

 

[Donut]

And the suspension? Well, I've never got used to it. It's the only bike I've ever owned that actually kicks my arse out of the saddle. Bumps which I never even noticed on my last bike go straight up my spine on this one. Indeed, there's one section of badly-surfaced road on my way to work that actually gives me double vision. It's like riding over a washboard with the vibration transmitted straight to the rider. I've never noticed that on anything else.

And, while I wouldn't claim to be the fastest rider, I usually have no chicken strips left on my tyres. But I just don't have the confidence to lean this bike that far – I just have the feeling that hitting a bump mid-corner would spit me off.

And it's these last two that will probably see me trading the MT in the not-too-distant future. Which is a shame because I'll miss it and, in many ways, it's the ideal bike for most of what I do.

The problem is, what would I replace it with?[/QUOTE]



Why don't you simply spend some money on up-rated suspension if you enjoy the bike so much. That's what I did.

 

[sdrio]

Why don't you simply spend some money on up-rated suspension if you enjoy the bike so much. That's what I did.

Problem here is that by the time you've spent a couple of thousand on suspension, pipe and screen etc, you might as well have bought a street triple, which most opinions seem to say is a much better bike.

I agree that the suspension is crap, but I also understand that this is why I paid less than 5.5k for the bike new.

 

[Scim77]

I have ridden my MT-07 just over 6000 miles in the past 12 months, all of which has been for fun and pleasure. The bike has covered a total of 9100 miles. I am not suffering from any corrosion luckily, but I live inland and rarely go out in the wet. All previous comments are valid and appropriate. The engine is terrific, brakes are average, horn/switch is diabolical, suspension is a compromise. Even my Maxtons cannot cope with washboard surfaces, the inability to smooth out this type of road irregularity is unlike any other bike I have owned. On decent tarmac roads the Maxtons are great. I have a 'comfort' seat and the original standard seat but neither is particularly comfortable after a couple of hours. The 'comfort' seat is actually firmer than the standard seat.
The engine always starts on the button and is temperament-free. Stalling is vanquished to history now that Seton Tuning have re-mapped the ECU. The torque and power bands are also significantly better. I used to get 68 to 72mpg on a careful poodling ride and around 60 when driving fast. This has dropped by about 3mpg since the re-flash, but the performance is far better.
The speedo location is totally useless, totally obscured unless you wear an open-face helmet. I moved mine some time ago.
I have not had any mechanical or electrical issues at all so far, although I might remove the clutch and do what "sdrio" did some time ago, purely as precaution.
The MT-07 fulfils it's design brief. It is fantastic value for money and offers excellent performance. The quality of components is inevitably tempered by the overall price but so far mine still looks good. ACF50 and Muck-off silicone spray on the fork stanchions must be helping.
My rear tyre is just below it's 1mm legal tread limit in the centre. In truth, I could probably get more miles out of it yet, but am changing it next week for a Michelin PR4 170/60/17. I am hoping to improve handling, nimbleness and reduce the rear-end wandering tendency, whilst riding over tar-banding and poor longitudinal road repairs. I have always felt that the 180 rear tyre is too fat. I will report back honestly concerning the 170 in due course.
My MT-07 does everything that I need. It is fast and punchy, feels safe and confidence-inspiring and I enjoy every ride. Ok, my bike has had a lot of money spent on it by GAZ2212 and some by me, to make it into a better bike. I specifically did not want a heavy bike. 170kg is about as much as I can manage these days. For lightness and ease of man-handling I still prefer the uncannily smooth new KTM 690 Duke, although I doubt that it would be as reliable as the Yamaha. I would still have to spend money on it to lower the suspension and do a few other things - and it's a pricey bike to start with! If I had the space and money I would have one as well as the MT. My days of riding big fast heavy-weight tourers are over. The MT-07 ticks most of my boxes. Reliability has been superb.

 

[sdrio]

Scim77 - just a reminder, check the head bearings if you're finding it wanders. They seem to be good for no more than about 10k miles - if the bike is still in warranty you should be able to get them done.

Not having a centre stand, it's easy to miss.

 

[robodene]

I have run mine for one year now and it was great value when bought at 1 year old. A cheap, quality bike of the Yamaha variety. It has given me everything I wanted from such a bike. That started with light weight ( I am "old" already, and a "grandad"!) with 800mm seat height and its riding position. I can manoeuvre it easily and thoughts of dropping it are just of the 'make sure you don't!' sort. The engine is a classic which makes the bike such fun to ride, and it was the twin I wanted (after my similar twin TDM was much missed, and my single pot MT-03 was not). I ride for a max of 3 hrs (never wet) and found the seat unforgiving, shall I say; it has a perfect saddle shape and orientation, IMO, but too little padding. So I have a padded layer on top (not pretty, but effective). You should never have to ponder 'now, where is the horn button?' - dangerous positioning, I'd say. Under 6,000, the rear tyre is beginning to square off (perhaps too much 'easy on the cornering now, lad'). I am not at all fussed about the 'inadequate' suspension. Visible condition is as new. 67mpg is a bonus. That's it, and I still love it.

 

[wirld]

Had it just over a year, 20,000km service due this week - no stalling issues nor engine issues, but I suspect my head bearings are gone - started noticing a weave from the front-end recently.
Sprayed the water pipes after they started looking crap, rear tyre changed after the original PR3 punctured otherwise she's done pretty well.

 

[William]

I have ridden my MT-07 just over 6000 miles in the past 12 months, all of which has been for fun and pleasure. The bike has covered a total of 9100 miles. I am not suffering from any corrosion luckily, but I live inland and rarely go out in the wet. All previous comments are valid and appropriate. The engine is terrific, brakes are average, horn/switch is diabolical, suspension is a compromise. Even my Maxtons cannot cope with washboard surfaces, the inability to smooth out this type of road irregularity is unlike any other bike I have owned. On decent tarmac roads the Maxtons are great. I have a 'comfort' seat and the original standard seat but neither is particularly comfortable after a couple of hours. The 'comfort' seat is actually firmer than the standard seat.
The engine always starts on the button and is temperament-free. Stalling is vanquished to history now that Seton Tuning have re-mapped the ECU. The torque and power bands are also significantly better. I used to get 68 to 72mpg on a careful poodling ride and around 60 when driving fast. This has dropped by about 3mpg since the re-flash, but the performance is far better.
The speedo location is totally useless, totally obscured unless you wear an open-face helmet. I moved mine some time ago.
I have not had any mechanical or electrical issues at all so far, although I might remove the clutch and do what "sdrio" did some time ago, purely as precaution.
The MT-07 fulfils it's design brief. It is fantastic value for money and offers excellent performance. The quality of components is inevitably tempered by the overall price but so far mine still looks good. ACF50 and Muck-off silicone spray on the fork stanchions must be helping.
My rear tyre is just below it's 1mm legal tread limit in the centre. In truth, I could probably get more miles out of it yet, but am changing it next week for a Michelin PR4 170/60/17. I am hoping to improve handling, nimbleness and reduce the rear-end wandering tendency, whilst riding over tar-banding and poor longitudinal road repairs. I have always felt that the 180 rear tyre is too fat. I will report back honestly concerning the 170 in due course.
My MT-07 does everything that I need. It is fast and punchy, feels safe and confidence-inspiring and I enjoy every ride. Ok, my bike has had a lot of money spent on it by GAZ2212 and some by me, to make it into a better bike. I specifically did not want a heavy bike. 170kg is about as much as I can manage these days. For lightness and ease of man-handling I still prefer the uncannily smooth new KTM 690 Duke, although I doubt that it would be as reliable as the Yamaha. I would still have to spend money on it to lower the suspension and do a few other things - and it's a pricey bike to start with! If I had the space and money I would have one as well as the MT. My days of riding big fast heavy-weight tourers are over. The MT-07 ticks most of my boxes. Reliability has been superb.

What do you think of the MT-07 vs the Kawasaki ER6 quality wise? I iive in Canada, and I have a 2007 Kawasaki 650R (ER6F). I've had it for 9 years with no issues except fairing buzzing and rattling . I'm thinking of trading for the MT-07. I can get a white 2015 Yamaha FZ-07 for $800 dollars less that the 2016 price. Thank you.
2016 MT-07 price.

 

[mejson]

Mine is now ~4800km since december last year when I got it...apart from broken Air Intake Pressure sensor replaced under warranty nothing else happened.

 

[bobh]

At about 15,000 miles now.

I have never fallen in love with the bike like some people do. It is a tool, I keep it clean and serviced because I need a reliable bike, but in the next year or two I'll chop it in for something else, and won't think about it ever again.

I completely agree with this, which is why I traded mine in for an MT-09. The -07 does pretty much everything you ask it to, but in a rather bland manner. The -09, on the other hand, has a lot more character.

It also has a more quality feel about it, though I can't really explain why, apart from the fact that it has an ally main frame and swing arm and adjustable usd forks. And the brakes have noticeably more bite, which is strange, as they appear to be much the same (apart from the front calipers being radially mounted).

 

[Scim77]

What do you think of the MT-07 vs the Kawasaki ER6 quality wise? I iive in Canada, and I have a 2007 Kawasaki 650R (ER6F). I've had it for 9 years with no issues except fairing buzzing and rattling . I'm thinking of trading for the MT-07. I can get a white 2015 Yamaha FZ-07 for $800 dollars less that the 2016 price. Thank you.
2016 MT-07 price.

My main experiences with Kawasaki have been with their motocross bikes, which were well-made, strong, reliable and fast. Regarding quality, Yamaha have skimped a bit on the plating/painting quality of components on the MT-07, in order to keep the price down. The phosphating and plating of chassis parts, like rear suspension links, is inadequate and they will oxidise and look corroded unless diligently treated with oil/grease or ACF50. The wheel axle spindles suffer in the same way - the plating oxidises and the spindle corrodes and seizes inside the wheel spacer between the wheel bearings. Many users have have the metal water pipes rust and paint drop off the rear swing arms. It is wise to treat all fixings and fastenings with ACF50 or just repaint them. Yamaha's factory coatings are minimal to inadequate but if you accept this and keep things well oiled, the Yam is great fun and very reliable.

Nothing is perfect. There is always a trade-off. The MT-07 will out-perform the ER6F and be just as reliable. However, I suspect that the Kawasaki might have better build quality and cope with the elements better than the Yamaha.

 

[bobh]

Or buy a decent FZ6 - much better finish than either the MT-07 or the Kawasaki (or the XJ6 Diversion, for that matter). I got rid of an '08 model a couple of years ago, and wish I hadn't - it was still almost as-new after 25000 miles. Unfortunately the new owner, a friend, wrote it off last year (not his fault) - shame!

The top-end, Japanese-built Kawasakis have great build quality. But the Thai-built ones, including the Versys (and I assume the other ER-6s), don't seem to be as good - when i bough the FZ6 that was the alternative, and there was no comparison, looking at 2-year-old examples.

I suspect our UK road conditions, with an almost permanent greasy damp salty slick during winter and spring, are particularly hard on bike finishes. Some years ago I spent some time in Canada (Toronto area) and from what I remember (possibly through rose-tinted specs) the roads are either covered in a couple of feet of snow or are pretty much dry - correct me if I'm wrong. Whereas we're lucky to get more than three months of dry roads during our so-called summer, while the rest of the time there's always some corrosive water around. Right now we're having a dry-ish spell, so you can actually go for a ride and put the bike away without having to hose it down, but for much of the year that's the exception rather than the rule.