Reviews for Riders: Yamaha MT-07

Yamaha built one little engine -> the 689cc CP2 parallel twin, and then bolted it into damn near everything…

• the MT

• the R7

• the Ténéré

• the XSR

  
  

Cheap, everywhere, bulletproof, endlessly tunable. The MT-07 is just the purest, cheapest way to get your hands on it.

The Numbers... 689cc parallel twin, liquid-cooled. 270-degree crank. ~73hp. ~50 ft-lb torque. ~400lb wet. 31.7-inch seat height. Sold as the FZ-07 from 2015–2017 before Yamaha came to its senses and called it the MT-07 in 2018 same bike, so search both names if you're shopping used.

What it is... Stupid fun for not much money. The engine does have much nearing the redline, but it does have power where you actually live, rolling out of corners, filling gaps, eating on-ramps. That 270-degree crank gives it a lumpy, V-twin-ish bark instead of the sewing-machine drone you'd expect from a parallel twin. It's light, it's flickable, and the front end is always a little too eager to go light when you're not paying attention. The kind of bike that makes a Tuesday commute feel like you're getting away with something.

What it isn't... Sorted, straight out of the crate. The stock suspension is the weak point and everybody knows it, soft forks, a budget rear shock, a front end that feels unstable the moment you start riding like you mean it. But Yamaha had to find a spot to cut costs and unfortunately its the suspension. Brakes are fine, nothing to write home about. None of it is a dealbreaker, but definitely should be near the top of your upgrade list.

Who it's for... The new rider with some self-control who doesn't want to outgrow their first bike in a single season. The returning rider who wants cheap thrills without a payment book. It's the people's hooligan, the best grin-per-dollar on the used market.

Who it's not for... It's not for the rider chasing top-end numbers or a badge to brag about. The MT doesn't do prestige. It does fun.

A note from the shop... This engine is about as close to indestructible as this class gets, so on a used one your real risk isn't the engine, it's the last owner. This bike gets bought by beginners, and beginners are not top notch mechanics. Look hard at the chain; a rusty, slack one tells you everything about how the rest was treated. Ask about the valve-clearance check (the interval's way out around 26k miles, so most haven't touched it). Find a clean, honestly-maintained example and you've got one of the best money-to-grin ratios in motorcycling.

Takeaways

• The 689cc CP2 is one of the most proven engines in its class, buy on condition and history, not odometer fear

• Budget for suspension; it's the one genuine weak spot and the first upgrade worth making

• Early FZ-07 (2015–2017) is the same bike, often cheaper

• Enough torque to teach you for years, enough to bite a careless beginner, respect it

• Best fun-per-dollar on the used middleweight market

Looking for the MT-07 (FZ-07) community? Find every active forum HERE