Exploring The Yamaha MT Series: Mastering The Dark Side Of Japan 

Summary

• Yamaha’s MT motorcycles prioritize torque and a soulful riding experience over speed and specifications.
• The MT series offers a diverse range of naked motorcycles with unique designs and performance characteristics.
• The MT lineup includes models such as the MT-03, MT-07, MT-09, and MT-10, each offering an exceptional riding experience in their respective segments.

Yamaha is an oddball Japanese manufacturer. While other Japanese manufacturers, like Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda, are busy manufacturing motorcycles that are excellent examples of efficient engineering and performance, Yamaha has its eyes on something else: character and real-world riding experience. This is why the Yamaha R1 feels more lively than the Kawasaki ZX-10R or why the YZF-R7 is the best super-twin despite the GSX-8R offering a bit more.

Today, Yamaha has a few motorcycle families, with the R-series dominating the racetrack and Teneres dominating the ADV segment, but the MT is what stands out the most. The MT family of naked motorcycles is loved by many bikers globally and has become a signature part of the Yamaha lineup. And if truth be told, the MT motorcycles have even become a signature part of the naked segment — it just wouldn’t be the same with those Yamaha nakeds. So, let’s give in and explore the Yamaha MT series and what makes them so special.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Yamaha, and other authoritative sources, including Motorcycle News and Motorcycle Specs.

Not Just “MT” Promises — What It Means To Be MT

At first glance, the MT moniker may not mean much; you’d not be wrong to assume it for a technical jargon that stuck around. But Yamaha is a little smarter than that, which is why MT is actually a meaningful moniker. What does it stand for? Master of Torque. Ride any MT motorcycle, and you’d agree with this marque — Yamaha’s MT motorcycles deliver exhilarating torque that amounts to an exciting riding experience.

The MT history dates back over 15 years — when the MT-01 was revealed in 2005 — but, unlike other motorcycle lineups, the MT motorcycles don’t need to adhere to a specific template. Take the CBR for example — these Honda sports bikes are light and nimble, prioritizing handling over maximum horsepower. But MT motorcycles follow an open-ended development that relies on one thing, monozukuri, Japanese for doing things right.

So, what does it mean for a motorcycle to be MT? Simple. The motorcycle should focus on a torquey ride, handle like a sharp blade through butter, and have a soulful engine. An MT naked motorcycle is what you get when you focus on the riding experience, not speed or spec sheet. And this is what sets MT motorcycles apart from their competitors.

Pioneering The Modern Naked: MT-01

Yamaha MT-01 Production Years: 2005 To 2012

It’s 1999; Hayabusa has obliterated superbikes, and it’s the turn of the millennium. At the Tokyo Motor Show, Yamaha unveiled an eccentric hypernaked: the Yamaha MT-01 concept. The brand wanted to offer a different kind of value from the run-of-the-mill sports bikes, so it decided to focus on Kodo, or soul beat, of the engine, torque, and handling for the MT-01 concept. The hypernaked featured a big air-cooled V-twin, highlighting Yamaha’s individualistic identity that helped it stand out from other Japanese manufacturers.

The MT-01 concept made many headlines, and what do you know, Yamaha was already running development tests with it. Some at Yamaha even wondered if a 1,700cc cruiser engine in a naked bike was feasible, but the brand went ahead with it nonetheless. The prototype MT-01 featured the Warrior 1700 engine in an XJR1300 frame — it had a lot of potential. Convinced, Yamaha decided to perfect other aspects of the bike, like a CF aluminum die-cast frame.

At its core, Yamaha focussed on its unique Jin-Ki Kanno philosophy, i.e., producing performance in tune with rider perception. So, the hypernaked was made to slice through canyon roads with ease while being exhilarating to accelerate, thanks to an explosive V-twin engine. And every part of the motorcycle revolved around this philosophy. Even the exhaust was placed under the seat to drift away behind the bike, breaking the exhaust note as close to the rider as possible.

The production MT-01 debuted in Europe in 2005. It took a while to come to fruition, but it didn’t disappoint. The press world was impressed, and the bike won acclaim from enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the bike’s idiosyncrasies stopped it from being embraced by bikers everywhere. Yet, Yamaha saw some potential, so they brought out the MT-03, led by Yamaha Motor Italia. This motorcycle bucked the convention and featured the XT660 single. It was agile and sporty, and European riders loved it. The small MT-03 was sold from 2006 to 2013, but the MT line didn’t see any more progress for some years.

Yamaha MT-03 And MT-01 Specs

(Specs sourced from Motorcycle News and Motorcycle Specs)

Resurgence That Finally Stuck Around

During the same time, a development team at Iwata HQ was developing a new kind of naked motorcycle that was light, slim, and compact. The bike’s performance was supposed to be in concert with human sensitivities. It would also embody Jin-Ki Kanno to deliver seductive exhilaration and a human-machine connection, unlike any other motorcycle.

For this, two engines were shortlisted, a cross-plane 270-degree parallel twin and a cross-plane inline triple. You can guess where this is going. The engines were tuned for torque and a punchy low to mid-range performance, standing in stark contrast to high-revving sports bikes. The engines were also tuned for versatility. Apart from the engine, the design team shortened the distance between the handlebars and the seat while eliminating any purely decorative elements to expose mechanical components as much as possible.

As the design for these two new-age naked neared completion, they needed a moniker. And the final piece of the puzzle happened to be the MT tag. The motorcycles, unknowingly, followed the MT-01’s footsteps. So, Yamaha revived the MT line-up. And with the tag came a new slogan, The Dark Side of Japan, representing the darker sides of Japanese motorcycle manufacturing — a side that is raw and characterful compared to the more supple Japanese rivals. The first-gen MT-07 and MT-09 were born.

The motorcycles changed the naked segment, and soon enough, the MT-10 was born, featuring the cross-plane inline-four from the Yamaha YZF-R1 but with a focus on-road performance and handling. Later, Yamaha diversified the MT segment even further, giving birth to an array of motorcycles. The MT family got small motorcycles, like the MT-125, MT-15, MT-25, and MT-03; the middleweights included MT-07 and MT-09, and the MT-10 sat as the apex predator of all.

2014 Yamaha MT-07 Specs

(Specs sourced from Motorcycle News)

Present-Gen MT Motorcycles: The Heart Of The Naked Lineup

One look at the MT family, and you’ll see that the motorcycles don’t look the same. Yes, they do feature some common elements, but each MT motorcycle is unique in its own way. The bikes don’t adhere to specific rules or lines. However, the design is aimed at the performance housed within each motorcycle. The common theme that binds all MT motorcycles is not design, it’s the concept of being Torquey and Agile.

So, what flavors can you find today? In the US, the Yamaha MT lineup consists of four motorcycles. The smallest one is the MT-03, a parallel-twin powered, sub-400cc motorcycle for beginners that is based on the R3 but with more focus on the street. Sitting above it is the now legendary MT-07, a CP2-powered middleweight naked that is often regarded as the spiritual successor to the Suzuki SV650 — it’s just perfect in every way.

Then comes the MT-09, an inline-triple powered super naked that offers bonkers performance, and if that’s not enough, you can even get the SP variant that gets KYB/Ohlins suspension, Brembo Stylema brakes, and better electronics. At the top sits the MT-10 and its SP variant — the best Japanese motorcycle of 2024. In each segment, the MT motorcycles are never the most powerful or the fastest, but the riding experience is often hard to beat for their competitors. The MT motorcycles have mastered the dark side of Japan, and we wouldn’t hesitate to join the Dark Side at all. We’re with Darth Vader on this one.

2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP and MT-10 SP Specs

(Specs sourced from Yamaha)