YAMAHA MT-03 (2006-on) Review

Great little runner. Owned one for a year now, all year round driving, doesnt let me down. Great acceleration up to 80 mph, bike can go faster but really doesn't like it (topped it out at 110 with some revs remaning, but really doenst feel good).... Read more Highway trips are possible but just cruise at 75. Vibrations are really not that bad. I would recommend the Kev 0² mod and an aftermarket exhaust: the stock form of the bike is somewhat agricultural. Keep in mind that the aftermarket cans are very expensive for this bike, so if you come across one on a secondhand site that is equipped with one, that can be a massive bonus. I commute on it, but the bike begs to be taken out to a twisty road, where it really lives. (So I try to do that as much as I can :) )

Extremely reliable engine & a torque curve to make you grin all day! Read more

Definitely! 😄😄😄😄😄😄 Read more

Best; small, light, good handling, fast enough, looks cool, nice noise. Not so good; no wind protection, a little cramped. Would definitely recommend this bike. Read more

Relatively low horsepower makes it a great first "big" bike to learn on without getting into trouble. Punchy and satisfying blatting around on twisty country roads. Slow on motorways. Engine cuts out occasionally at low rpms Read more

Here is the youtube video I'v posted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xziygupgT7o MT-03 is a Fun City Bike that brings a smile to your face :) Read more

I’ve had my 58 plate MT for about a month now, so posting my thoughts as I found some of the other reviews on here helpful, but there were a couple of things about the bike I've noticed weren't mentioned. Firstly, as others say, this bike isn't... Read more best suited for the motorway. It'll do it, but the lack of fairing, relatively lightweight chassis and low gearing mean that motorway riding is not its forte. My daily commute is all London-based, so this was not a major issue for me. Whilst the MT is best suited for town riding, don't, however, expect smooth filtering like you’d get with a straight four. The characteristics of its big single cylinder engine push you to drive it hard, hammering around the outside of traffic and slamming on the brakes at the lights! In fact, driving the MT smoothly at slow speeds is nigh-on impossible as it surges quite noticeably when doing less than 30mph – a characteristic that, from browsing multiple forums, appears to affect all bikes that this injected big single is used in and for which there is no conclusive fix. Handling is good, but, because of the surging, low speed cornering takes some getting used to, with extra clutch control needed. There's no ABS option though and, with all of the weight at the front of the bike, the rear wheel locks up VERY easily. Think this is made slightly more prominent as the brake pedal is a bit of stretch if you have big feet, which probably means I’m stamping on it a little harder than I would normally. However, if you need to stop in a hurry, I’d advise using the front brake for about 95% of your efforts! Economy wise, I’ve been getting around 50mpg from town driving, but insurance is a bit more expensive than other group 10-11 mid-range bikes. Not having a fuel gauge is a bit annoying, but there is a low fuel light + a couple of trips so, once you know how much you can get out of a tank, it's easy to monitor roughly how many miles you've got left until you need to fill up. Discounting the above idiosyncrasies, this bike has so far actually been a lot of fun to ride. It looks good, feels solid and the raucous stock exhaust is load enough for other motorists to notice you and get out the way (although a louder aftermarket Mivv system is on my wish list). Whilst a bit clonky, the gear change is solid too – I liken it in feel to a big Tonka toy – and a lot better than the ratchety one on a 59 plate XJ6 I did my DAS on where you practically had to sprain your leg to get from 1st to 2nd! Although, on paper, this bike’s short on bhp, the low gearing coupled with decent torque make its power very accessible. With a redline of around the 8k mark, 1st gear is slightly short, but acceleration is still good up to about 70mph. Overall, this is a great bike if you’re planning on fast town and A/B road driving. If you’re more of a slow speed filterer or do lots of motorway driving, I’d recommend going for something with a straight four cylinder engine.

Had my 33BHP restricted MT-03 for a few months now. One of the most beautiful bikes I have ever seen. It's fantastic around town. Loads of torque and is almost as agile as the DR125 I was riding before. Wide bars are both a blessing and a curse... Read more making the bike nimble at low speed but a little too wide to filter sometimes. Looks and sounds amazing. Out on the A-roads the bike handles well in the bends but will not be powerful enough to satisfy anyone who likes to ride quickly. My only other problem with the bike is that the throttle can be quite snatchy. Not had any problems with build quality, just a touch of rust on the exhaust manifold. Fantastic bike, just know that its about low down grunt for cities and twisting roads and not about power and top speed. A great bike for restricting as it still has bags of torque. Will max out at 85MPH on the flat when restricted, solo or two up.

I got my MT03 1 1/2 years ago. Done 5000 miles on it and indeed is a great "little" bike. The good things: 1. Looks .. Yeah I find its looks amazing. 2. Riding position. Excellent for me... 3. Handling ... Like most said very very good... Read more handling. 4. Did I say looks ;) 5. Comfy .. Very comfy 6. Give it bends and traffic and it will smoke it. With a big smile. 7. Engine very reliable. 8. Low revs fun. Bad things: 1. Lets face it, its gutless. Sometimes you have scooters over takes you when you are full throttle. I do 30 miles a day on it and 20 miles are on M4... Prior hitting the highway I am king of the road. Hit the highway and you better move on the left lane ... It goes up to 80 - 90 "easily" but it is tiring 2. It is not make for 2 up .. Very small seat at the back not comfy.. 3. Gear box very very flaky. Gears don't go in correctly have to release clutch few times to engage gear on some occasions. Out of the bad things only one is really bad and that is the performance. I would highly recommend it if you are a city rider . The highway is barebable if you do it every now and then not every day. Will I swap it for anything else? When I bought it, the XJ6 (naked) wasnt out so maybe I would have gone for that but still the looks of the MT03 is something that did it for me and still does.

Had mine for a year now from new. Paid £3999 over 3yrs interest free - they're nearly £7000 now!!!. Totaly reliable (covered 11,000 inner-city miles without a glitch). Pretty good build quality (apart from some flaky paint on the oil sump). Huge fun... Read more because of its super agility, wonderful noise (akras a must), and good low to mid-range punch. But it's not meant to be a high speed bike and it is not intended for anything but the shortest of motorway hops.Overal, I would recommend the Mt-03 to anyone looking for an involving, well built and rare-to-see (on the roads of London anyway) bike. But buy a well kept 2008 bike with akras already fitted and save a fortune.