Yamaha’s MT10 does The Do

The MT range from Yamaha is rather marvellous but the MT10 particularly so. Fitted with the motor from the last to current R1, the roadster has the same chassis and dimensions as the older R1, but without the bodywork. The engine is the utterly fabulous cross plane cranked straight four that fires out of sequence delivering V Twin levels of low end torque while behaving like a conventional in line four higher up the rev range.

The styling is fairly unconventional with the flag ship bike, taking advantage of the bikes angular bodywork by having a set of wonderfully garish fluorescent wheels and an almost matt grey paint scheme. This accents the bikes powerful profile.

The MT10 joined the MT family after the excellent triple which is the MT09, along with one of the best learner legal bikes on the market, the MT 07 as well as the MT 03 and MT 125. All of these have been developed over that last few years and the big one takes pride of place in a new range of bikes that can be credited with changing Yamahas fortunes.

The MT10 has that wonderful fully adjustable KYB suspension. While it does this it’s managed to be a lot more than a naked sports bike. Some of the engine internals are not as exotic as the high revving R1. However it has more than enough power and I simply love the way it handles.

The bike comes with a traction control system as standard while the three available fuelling levels are switchable at the touch of a button depending on what kind of riding you’re at and in what sort of conditions that you’re doing it in. The quick shifter system allows for seamless clutch-less upshifts. This facilitates faster acceleration and more precise deceleration. Speaking of deceleration the bike does, of course, come with ABS as standard.

The instruments and switchgear fall to hand easily with all the secondary controls around the on-board computer and the fuelling control being on the left hand side of the bars where they are easy to scroll through and select. The clocks are a fully digital affair with gear selected, fuel and a big number for speed topped off with a sweeping digital rev counter.

The bikes power is staggering. With the simply stunning engine, upright sitting position and short wheelbase the MT10 is one of, if not the most, dynamic bikes we’ve yet to ride.

Check out what’s new at the Carole Nash Irish Motorcycle and Scooter Show in the RDS, 1-3 March.
For information on how to book a stand, click here: https://bit.ly/2RI5hMy