Road test of Yamaha1670 MT-01 2006 Waiting for Stage 2

for us, the month of February is an early St. Nicholas.
It's during these 28 days that we receive the various lists of bikes on offer in the press park.
A few surprises await us, such as Yamaha's MT01 Stage 2...
"Remember how a stock bike works", our good editor-in-chief told me, "before you taste the power of the Stage 2".

That's how I find myself riding an MT01 during this sunny week in March.
This bike can be summed up in a few figures: 1,670 cm³; 15.3 Nm at 3,750 rpm; a full 265 kg; average fuel consumption of 8 l/100 km; and a third gear that can take you from 55 km/h at 2,000 rpm to a mere 160 km/h at 5,500 rpm (max revs!), but let's look a little further ...

lIFE AS A COUPLE

a little history to start with: presented as a prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999, the MT01 was so enthusiastically received that GK Design (who had already designed the lines of the V-MAX) and Yamaha took up the challenge of putting it into production without altering the lines of the prototype. And the result is there, before my eyes, still misty with desire... despite this being our 3rd meeting!
The mix of genres is very daring, between a Road Star Warrior engine and a chassis borrowed from the R1. This bike lacks neither character nor identity. In fact, even though it came out in 2005, it's still a real eye-catcher.
It takes an eagle eye to find the Yamaha lettering on the engine, but there's no indication of the displacement, leaving the public to go wild!

Contact :

the instrument panel consists of a blue backlit mega rev counter with a small digital display providing the usual indications: speedometer, clock and 2 trips.

Unfortunately, there's no fuel gauge, which could have been a great help in avoiding running out of fuel.
However, given the 15-litre fuel tank and the "elastic" but relatively low fuel consumption depending on how hard you push the throttle (between 7 and 10 litres per 100 km), you shouldn't have to go to the pump more than 160 km apart.

The riding position is surprisingly comfortable: the legs are not too bent and the arms grip the handlebars with ease. The footrests are mounted on silent blocks to avoid transmitting the engine's good vibrations.
Because a big V2 does vibrate! The mirrors bear witness to this! At idle, the bike jiggles on its frail side stand (no center stand on the program), and every twist of the throttle makes a sound worthy of a speedboat engine.
When the beast is straightened up, its 265 kg are very much in evidence. All the more so as its center of gravity is set rather high.
Low-speed maneuvers must be carried out with great care if you don't want to end up under the bike. These problems disappear as soon as you pass 5 km/h!

on the road:

taking advantage of a long-planned ride with the Sunday Ride, I decided to measure it against a few family-friendly bikes(Speed Triple, Ducati 998S, GSXR 750 and other SV1000s).
As the morning's ride was more about fast roads to our playground, I can only complain about the lack of protection above 140 km/h (who'd have thought?).
With the right knee tucked away behind the sculptural tubulars of the pots, we finally hit a more winding route, and I can finally make the connection between the title of this article and life as a couple... In these twisties, 1 phrase in mind "ride on the torque", the red zone cutting off your momentum, and the throttle must be applied from 2000 rpm. Piloting the MT01 is not what you'd call intuitive. Curves must be approached cautiously, bearing in mind the beast's stoutness, the bike must be laid back and not abused, and cornering must remain reasonable at the risk of prematurely wearing out boots and footrests.
If you follow these instructions, you'll have no trouble keeping up with a group of furious roadsters... Just don't taunt any sportbikes!

Conclusions :

The MT01 remains an insider's bike!
It's brimming with sublime parts and torque, and its tall yet compact and compact lines have not aged a day.
Of course, this bike is not a master buy for daily riding. Between fuel and tire consumption (already well marked after 1000 km!), the predictable ageing of the chrome and silver parts, due to the winter salting of our roads, and the lack of luggage-carrying equipment, but it wasn't designed for that.
The clutch requires a firm grip, and your unlikely passenger, despite the smoothness of the mill, will jump off the bike after a few kilometers, as her legs are so bent.
So, to conclude, it's up to you to find the life that goes with it...

as a reminder

Stage 1: Akapovic titanium exhaust and mono seat
Stage 2: Akrapovic on-track line and +- 96 hp chip
Stage 3: Camshafts, piston, valve springs, intake cones and clutch +-110 hp

Oli le Belge
(photos: manufacturer)