Trying out the Yamaha MT-03
May 5th, 2006 | View blog reactions
I had the chance, a few weeks ago, to take a Yamaha MT-03 for a quick spin. As far as I know Yamaha has used the engine from the XT 660 and put it in a more modern sci-fi-like chassis. If you’ve read my opinion on the XT 660, you will now that I was thrilled by its high fun factor.
The MT-03 ranges equally high in fun factor and higher in design factor and use possibilities. In fact I can’t really shake the bike from my mind. It’s the best choice of a short range traffic cutting fun package I’ve tried yet. You have the kind of weird (but fun) upright riding position of an off-roader/motard, that gives you good traffic overview. The wide handlebars makes it extremely easy to handle and feel very steady and stable. The sound of the single cylinder 660cc engine is a beauty, and the low range pull is quite nice as well.
I didn’t have the chance to ride with a passenger, but it looks like the passenger seat is on the comfy side compared to that of the XT-660. It has grab rails, so how bad can it be. I recon it will do just fine for some evening show off rides around town with your spouse. I wouldn’t take it for a cross country baggage packed two-up tour. But should I ever need a bike for daily commuting, which also has some spunky street credibility; the MT-03 is very high on the short-list.
If you are a beginner and considering this as your first bike, I’d say go for it. It has just the right amount of power, forgiveness (excellent brakes without being too aggressive) and high potential to keep a big fat grin on your face for years to come.
I’d love to see a Ducati-Multistrada-like 1000cc model of the MT-03. That would make a serious replacement option for my present Honda 919.
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Hi there, i’m chris.I’ve just read your post & i need your opinion.I was thinking of getting one (mt-03) with my wife & use it as a primary bike (city use) & for short distances (aproximately 100-150 km)but then i saw the fz6 (naked edition).Consider that this ‘ll be my first 600cc+over so i don’t have great expirience on these bikes and i intend to use it mostly in city (70%).What do you think?Thanx in advance
Hi Chris, thank you for commenting.
I’d say it’s a question of taste regarding the choice of those two bikes.
I would probably choose the MT-03, because of the fun-factor. But if you need a versatile everyday commuter workhorse I think the FZ6 is an excellent choice.
The engines of these two bikes are very different. The FZ6 engine is a 4 cylinder from a 600cc race bike and the MT-03 is a 1 cylinder from an offroad bike. The FZ6 has greater top speed and will take more revs. The MT-03 has a good pull from the bottom of the register, so you don’t have to change gear much, and if you like the sound of a v-twin engine, you’ll like the sound of the 1 cylinder as well.
But one thing is for certain. You should try and get a test ride on both bikes before you make your decision.
Happy riding, and let me know what you end up with.
Cheers,
Jesper
AAARRRRGGHH! yer killin me!
I hate that we don’t get this in the US.
[...] Is the day where a 1000ccm sport bike was the wet dream of every young bike nut beginning to see an end? 400ccm to 650ccm single and twin cylindered supermotos, flat trackers and street fighters are starting to pop up everywhere. Right now most of them are custom builds or kit bikes, like the Ron Wood Rotax Flat Track Motorcycles. But some of the manufacturers has jumped the band wagon and sent out factory made fun packages ex. Yamaha’s XT660x, MT-03 and Suzuki’s DR-Z400SM, not to mention the wicked Husqvarna SM 610. [...]
I have been learning on a DT125R ‘04 for the last 8 months and the MT 03 has been an obsession of recent! I communte from the London suburbs into the city and as a first bike it just does it for me.
How does it sound? My DT125 sounds like an over revving moped! I definitely want something that gives me a bit more street cred than looking like a french teenager!
http://www.ukbikeforum.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=15865&hl=
that link takes you to a post of mine with an email conversation with the designer of the MT 03. He and I both studied design at the RCA, London (altho years apart). Hope its of interest.
[...] If you fall in love with a new model, that you for obvious reasons wont find used, so be it. Riding motorcycles is a lot about passion, and taking the sensible approach can be a bit tough when your mind is set on that shiny new motorcycle winking at you in the dealer’s show room. This year it could be motorcycles like the Yamaha MT-03 or the Kawasaki ER6n which I would consider good entry level motorcycles. But consider your self warned; the first scratch in the paint hurts like hell. [...]
Hi, if anyones interested i’ve got my MT-03 on ebay…
Regards, Jamie
Man read your review, been considering the bike for a while, i am still a learner, therefore still on a 125cc, but hopefuly will get through my tests soon (i have to my CBT ends in july) and once i pass, i am going to move onto a bigger bike, my question is, because i can not seem to find a price anywhere, is how much, roughly, do they cost?
any help is greatly appreciated
Hey, Dan. the MT-03 is an excellent starter bike if you ask me. You should just call you local Yamaha dealer and ask about the price, as it varies a lot from country to country. E.g. In Denmark you pay 12000£ for a bike you would pay 4000£ for in UK, because of taxes.
Heyya mates, I am also bifurcated with the choice…MT-03 or FZ6-N? Both with about the same prices as new and second-hand makes it even harder! Yeah, I’m kind of a beginner too (i’ve been riding ‘97 Bandit 400), but I am riding just for the fun(MT-03)and adrenaline(FZ6-N) usually on the weekends! It is often that we cover more than 400km for a day! So, Jesper, or anyone, which one is better?
Be safe & happy riders!
Gyrro, I want to say the MT-03, but in the long run you’ll probably be happier with the FZ6-N. If you cover +400km when riding with the mates, I think the FZ6-N is the most suitable of the two. Think of the bikes as; FZ6 = race bike heritage, MT-03 = supermoto/enduro heritage. Then decide what you need most.
Hi I am in the process of looking for a dealer for the MT-03 but before I go any further, would anyone know if this bike would be suitable for my height. I am 6ft 2 so my nees dont normally fit snug into the sides of the tank.
Any help / advice here would be wonderful
Don’t know if it’s suitable for your height, Stefan. My advice is; to find a dealer and ask them if they can arrange a demo ride. If that’s not possible go to the dealer and sit on the bike to see if it feels suitable. But make an effort to get a demo ride, it’s worth it.
Stefan,
I have an MT-03 today as a loan bike while mine is in for service. Based only on the 6 mile ride from the dealer I am very impressed. I am 6ft 2in as well and I found it very comfortable. Very different from my own CBR600F but very well planted and confidence-inspiring, good cornering and generally impressive.
Not as much vibration as some twins I have tried, low-revving but great in traffic.
Definitely have a try before you buy, it does feel quite quirky and may not be for everyone.
Hope this helps.
Today I swap my Ducati Moster 600 with DT-03. It is faster at traffic lights but, after 100Mph I’m missing my Monster. I love both bikes for looks and ride but, for my bank balance I think DT-03 is much better.
Recently sold my Aprilia 650 Moto and husbands Ducati Monster 600 just not enough days a year to ride together, but we are thinking of sharing a Yamaha MT 03 we need reliable Jap bike but worry that the power will feel dull compared to what we are used to, any thoughts? I know we should buy the new Honda Hornet or Kawasaki Z750 but looks do count.
Cheers Niki
That’s a damn tough question. I could guess away, but my best advice is, to try and find a dealer where they have a demo bike you can test ride.
I don’t think the MT-03 will feel more dull than the Aprilia, but with the Duc I have my doubts.
I’ve only tried 800cc and above Ducati bikes, and they have more power than the mt-03 without a shadow of doubt.
My best guess is that the performance difference is minimal with city riding, and more a question of passion for one bike or the other.
Hope that was at least a little helpful.
Thanks for your reply, our local dealer doesn’t have a demo, although I have at least sat on one, you may be surprised to hear that the Aprilia licked the Ducati, being only the 600 monster it just wasn’t as quick or evan fun bike, if the electric’s hadn’t been so poor on the Aprilia we would have kept it but MOT’s were a nightmare, I am looking for a similar riding position and super reliability, at the moment I have borrowed a friends R6 and just love the fact that despite looking an unloved bike it fires up first time, unlike the Ducati but being tall myself after a ride my wrists are wrecked and to be honest it has too much power for my skill level and I really want a comfy ride position, the bike won’t have to do much just jolly weekend cafe cruising and then sit and sulk happily in a garage for up to 4 weeks between rides, work commitments.
Thanks Niki
Have you considered the Kawasaki Versys, that’s a bit similar to the Aprilia. Probably more comfy than the MT-03 on longer hauls.
Yep we have looked at the Versys but only because it was next to the Z750 and evan the ER 6n grabs me looks wise, but maybe we should have a closer look, my heart goes with the more retro looking bikes (Aprilia Moto was the 1995 Strack designed bike) I am wondering about the Triumph Scrambler, but fear the reliability might not be that of Japanese bikes.
Niki
I passed my test in November 06 and have had a second hand Suzuki DRZ400sm since then (39bhp 135kg). Most of my riding is on fairly twisty country road on the Yorkshire Moors at evenings/weekends for fun.
As a second bike, I’m looking for a bit more faster than the DRZ, more comfortable seat, bigger tank capacity, lower seat height. I want it to be manouverable and fun. I’m 6 feet tall and am arranging a test drive shortly. I love the way it looks.
My budget is £5,000 is this the best bike for me?
Thanks.
I’m going to buy a bike before the end of September, and after a lot of thinking I ended up between the Aprilia Strada and the Yamaha MT-03. I was hoping that maybe you could help me choose?
The main usage is going to be driving around heavy traffic jams inside the city, but I want to be able to go for a long trip every once and a while.
I like the design of the MT-03, but it doesn’t have a fuel gauge where the strada has instruments with every single detail. Then my second worry is depreciation. I think the aprilia will drop it’s value a lot after 1 year of ownership than the yamaha. Also parts would be more expensive for the aprilia?
Don’t know that much about Aprilia cost of ownership etc. But I wouldn’t worry that much about a fuel gauge. You just reset your trip meter when you refuel, and you will very quickly learn your range. I never had a fuel gauge, just a reserve indicator, and it works like a charm.
Best advice I can give you is, go for the bike you like most. You’ve come a long way and narrowed it down to two. What is separating them now is details, that each motorcycle rider will have different opinion on.
Oh!, and by the way. Check insurance rates for both of them as well if you haven’t already done so.
Good luck mate, and happy riding.
im well excited i ve been ridin about on a honda slr650 but i ve traded it in 4 a yamaham mt03 im getting it in a week and its brand new im seriously excited wot a lovely lookin bike ive read a lot of reviews and all saying same stuff fab bike roll on sat
Hey Jesper! Just thought I’d throw in my belated thoughts!
I’m 59 and recently back to work after having a new valve put into my heart!
I used to ride an FJ1200 B4 that a 1000RX and two further 1000 Kwackers B4 that. My girlfriend rides a 650 Bandit (soon to be sold for something a bit lighter, though. May be an ER6N, SN650 or similar) so in order to spend more time with her I decided to get another bike. I didn’t want anything mega-fast (Been there; done that!) So I read your comments here and in a few other online places and two weeks ago went out and bought a black one! Now I am a DoT Approved Motorcycle Instructor who hasn’t ridden a bike for 15 years, so I had to re-learn a few things! The first thing that I noticed is how forgiving the MT-03 is. It’s also quite comfy in the short term and pulls like a train! There’s a lot of perceived grunt here for 45 ponies and it’s very gratifying to be able to go away from “the lights” at a very respectable rate!A bit different to the British singles that I grew up around! This bike I would recommend to anyone who doesn’t want/need a 130mph screamer. It is superb as it is. It does what it says on the tin. Its cheap to insure and the only improvement on the horizon is a gel insert in the seat. If you like the look of it- get one: You won’t be disappointed!
Thanks for listening folks!
Thanks, for the wise input, Jeffers. I had a feeling this bike was good. Hearing it from a rider with your experience makes me sure. I’m very certain your comment will be appreciated by a lot of people who consider buying a MT-03. Thanks
lovin it lovin a little head turner my mt03 seriously fab lookin bike growls away n nippy .had fn ridin it all ova north n mid wales some crackin roads to ride fn factor 100 per cent
Thanks for the review ! I helps me to make up my mind. The rear shox is the main attraction on the MT-03. Seems like a convenient way to set it up just as you like it, what say? My riding is mostly in the city so I appreciate the upright stance and low-down grunt. Thanks.
Purely by luck i can tell you all that Ilias bought Aprillia. By coincident i read this article and i remembered that one guy asked me on the street the same questions about the MT03 because i ride one, and he had the aprillia strada. I am e new rider and the mt03 is my first bike. i choosed it by instinct and i can tell you it was the best decision in my life. Every ride is a pleasure.
No freakin’ way! What are the chances? lol
Drive safe and enjoy!
My strada doesn’t start since the day before yesterday. I hope it’s just a hick-up and it will revive it self magically.
Eitherwise I’ll make a chalk circle around it and stab some voodoo dolls. Changing the spark-plug didn’t help.
Aaah… the sadness…
been riding my liquid bronze mt-03 for four months now and have a trip planned at the end of may 08 with another three mates one on a cbr 600 another on a buell 1200 and the other will be on another mt-03 leaving bristol then holyhead to dublin then to belfast and over to stranraer straight up to inverness back down to my hometown of dundee then down to blackpool and on to bristol the trip will take place over six days. we have planned the route so that we will use no motorway all a,b and duel c/way this will be an ass breaker but i trust my mt-03 so much that im sure i will have a stunning time.
OK!! I’e had the MT-03 for a few weeks and ridden quite a bit (but not as much as I’d like due to annoying things like work and crap weather!).
All I have written in my above post still holds true.
In order to get a gel pack put in the seat and not lose the use of the bike for that period I thought I’d simply by another seat….so I rang my main dealer nd got a pleasant surprise! New front seat £45!! Can’t be bad! The only other thing I’m going to do is fit a centre stand which I got from a great German company, for £120.
The bike is a delight! My main dealer
(Magnum’s in Gillingham) are nice people
and all in all I’m a happy bunny.
For those people like CAS in Wales who would like to talk to other owners….here’s a link. It’s fun and it’s FREE:
http://www.mt-owners-club.org.uk
Now you know!! Thanks to Jesper for his initial road test….Take one out for a week-end mate!!
hey jeffers can you send me the link to where you got your centre stand from and did it fit first time or did you have to mess around to get it on. i had to have my mt-03 lowered as i am only a short ass 5′3 so that left the side stand to high so in turn i had to chop and weld the side stand so the bike wouldnt fall over but i just dont trust it now i would rather it was on a centre stand.
Here you go M8!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CENTER-centre-STAND-Yamaha-MT03-year-2006_W0QQitemZ110089679324QQihZ001QQcategoryZ10490QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQtrksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem
It’s on eBay. It comes from Germany and it’s great quality. Arrives with adequate fitting instructions. It took 36 hours to get to me from the time I ordered it til it arrived at my door.
Hi folks,
Nice reading about you thoughts on the MT03. yesterday went to the local motor dealer and checked out some bikes.
I instantly fell in love with the MT03…
at first i was looking at ducati monsters but the cost secondhand as much as a brand new MT03…
so i think in a couple of days i’ll cant stand it anymore and buy the bike
one question, how is it on long rides? 400 - 500 km?
hey chris like i said i have a long trip planned in may so i have been out and about putting the miles on and getting my backside used to the saddle i find that the bike will ride about 150 miles before needing a fuel stop and i can do this quite easily in the saddle. although having said that i don’t ride motorway very much and if i do it is only short distance.i would say go for it.one great feature is that i can get the exhaust to pop when i want it to now rather than it doing it when i don’t expect it (good for head turning)
Hey theweecannyjock
please could you update me after you’ve done your trip, I’m quite keen on the bike but would also like to do long trips and would like to know how it performs. any news would be great!
queria fotos da yamaha mt 03
Goddammit!! I knew I’d be pushing my luck joining the MT Owners Club! You see they have lots of members with MT-01s and one came up for sale at a good price and it would have been churlish not to buy it!! So I did! Not a beginners bike at all…but I have my skillz back and I’m lovin’ it!
One thing tho’….I now have an MT-03,
in black with 705 mi on the clock and nearly £100 of extras up fer grabs. Jesper this could be the chance you’ve been waitin for!! Best offer over £3k!
http://www.mt-owners-club.org.uk/
Look in the For Sale section…pics and everything!!
ummmm….That should read nearly £1000
worth of extras!! Sorry Jesper!!
hi brad.
im back from the trip and just as i thought it was fantastic. i could not fault the bike. in total we did 1500 miles in six days the weather was great and the roads even better. the mt 03 handled like a dream and kept up with the cbr 600 no problem. the only mod i have made to the bike is a screen from givi i fitted this in about 20 mintes and it offered me good protection on the long straights of the a82 and the a9 in scotland.
because the bike handled so well i have decided to keep it for at least another year as the machine i have in my sights is the bmw gs 800. when i do part with the mt 03 i will have fantastic memories of the miles i will have done. all in all it is a great machine. first class on a and b roads. loads of low down pulling power and even better on twisty roads keeping up with the sports bikes. stunning in traffic and very nimble for filltering. anyone looking for one will not be dissapointed.
roll on the next trip thats what i say.
Going to pass, Jeffers. I have plenty in the two bikes I have right now.
But thanks for the offer