Yamaha’s MT-01 is not a superbike. At 240kg without any fuel on board it’s about 70kg overweight for the racetrack, and with just 90 ponies held captive in its behemoth 1670cc engine, it’s not powerful enough to kick any modern superbike’s backside at high speed. But the big V-twin has enough going for it to make it a great real-world motorcycle despite these apparent disadvantages. The Yamaha handles superbly through winding country roads, and its mammoth 150Nm of torque at just 3 750rpm allows it to pull like a steam train between bends, while superbike riders are still tap-dancing on their gear levers to keep their peaky engines in their power bands.
Yamaha’s R1 superbike may only weigh 174kg, and its four-cylinder 1 000cc engine delivers almost double the power of the MT-01, but the sports bike’s maximum torque of 107Nm is delivered at 10 500rpm, and its peak power output only happens at 12 500rpm. Guess which bike is the less stressful to ride on a public road?
Rolling on the MT-01’s accelerator from a standstill is a revelation — anybody who wants to experience the advantages of torque over power should ride something like this. The huge amount of grunt on tap gets the bike accelerating hard without any fuss, until the 5 500rpm red line, where the rev limiter throws a damper over the whole affair. The reason for the low red limit becomes apparent when you contemplate the enormous forces doing combat inside the engine to get that massive crankshaft spinning. Two big 97mm pistons travel a whopping 113mm each way in the bores every time the crank revolves, while the R1’s four lightweight 77mm diameter pistons cope with a stroke of just 53,6mm.
The MT-01 is most fun to ride when you keep the rev counter needle hovering between 3 500 and the red line. Any movement of the throttle results in an instantaneous, booming wave of torque that you can surf to the next bend. The bike has a very neat-shifting five-speed transmission and each gear change results in a massive push in the back as the torque wave picks you up afresh.
Top speed is about 230kph on the speedo — probably a genuine 220 or so. The unfaired bike doesn’t offer any wind protection so that’s about as fast as you’ll be able to go in comfort anyway. At 120kph, the big mill is rumbling along at under 3 000rpm, making for effortless cruising.
The Yamaha’s massive exhausts don’t much appeal to me — I see them as a styling blemish. My views weren’t shared by all, however. Riders of my generation agreed with me, while my 20-year-old son and others in his age group loved the futuristic pipes.
I took the big Yamaha on a two-up ride through the Valley of a Thousand Hills, past Nagle Dam, emerging near Wartburg. From there, I headed back to Durban on the N3, and I enjoyed every bit of the 250km ride. The bike can be flung about with gusto through the twisties without complaint, feeling much lighter than its bulk would imply, and its size and weight give it great stability at speed.
At R114 000, the Yamaha MT-01 will never be a high-volume seller, but it’s sure to attract a cult following. For those who want a big twin with brutal styling and acceptable performance, one that can carry a passenger in comfort and scurry around corners at a very respectable rate, it’s a great choice.