Yamaha MT-07
was the surprise package of 2014. So unassuming was this little parallel twin many wrote it off before it even arrived. A 689cc twin with just 75hp and a decidedly budget price tag? Surely best suited to commuters looking for a solid if uninspiring hack. The reality was a very different. Not only did the MT-07 prove an absolute riot to ride, the engine was stacked full of spirit and the £5,349 price tag ensured it sold out all over the UK. In fact, the MT-07 was also a smash hit everywhere and was one of the top three best selling two-wheelers in Europe. It's fair to say Yamaha got it spot on and for 2015 it has upped its game with the MT-07 Moto Cage.
The Moto Cage is basically just a tarted up MT-07. As well as getting ABS as standard (the stock ABS MT-07 is £5,749) the Moto Cage features a host of bolt-on extras to make it look like a stunt bike. As well as brush guards, the Moto Cage comes with radiator shrouds, an adjustable screen, crash bars, an exhaust protector plate and some cool stickers. Gaudy, perhaps, but carried off convincingly enough not to just look like a cobbled together special. And for just £550 more than the stock MT-07 ABS it is certainly excellent value.
Like the Triumph Street Triple the MT-07 is one of those bikes you can't help but enjoy riding. If you want to gently potter around the smooth parallel twin makes it effortless, the riding position is nice and relaxed and the suspension soft and compliant.
Yamaha worked very hard to ensure the MT-07 would appeal to newer riders. In addition to the low seat height the bike weighs just 164kg, ensuring it never feels intimidating or at all cumbersome. It's an ideal 'first big bike' but the key to the MT-07 is that, as your confidence increases, it just gets better and better. As an experienced rider I love the fact you can play the fool on the MT-07 and properly go bananas on it. True, you quickly start to treat the throttle like an on/off switch and the suspension can get a bit bouncy when you put the hammer down, but that doesn't interfere too much. And the Moto Cage quite often makes you laugh out loud.
I know it is just a few extras, but the fact the Moto Cage looks like stunt bike is a green light for wheelies - something the MT-07 is bloody brilliant at. Honestly, this is one of the best wheelie bikes around and even novices to one-wheeled activity can very quickly become masters with the MT-07. The fact it has ABS makes stoppies a bit trickier (there is a fuse you can whip out to disable the ABS but the soft forks don't appreciate very hard braking) but I don't find them half as much fun as wheelies. That said, burnouts are always funny and skids are cool... As long as you practice in a safe environment, the MT-07 is a brilliant stunt bike and the Moto Cage even comes with some much-needed crash protection!
Worth the money?
Speaking as someone who owns far too many bikes, I'd love to add an MT-07 to my collection as they are such fun to ride. Yamaha's PCP plan means that after a £1,500 deposit you can have one for £95 a month (with a £2,780 balloon payment after three years) and to me it is worth every penny of that. Come on, £95 a month, that's hardly a sacrifice. If I thought there was any way at all I could sneak a Moto Cage into my garage I'd be down to a Yamaha dealer like a shot. While the brash Moto Cage is certainly a bike whose styling will split opinions, if you want something a bit subtler then go for a stock MT-07. It's equally as good - just a little easier on the eye.
YAMAHA MT-07 MOTO CAGE
Engine: 689cc parallel twin
Power (hp): 75@9,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 50.1@6,500rpm
Top speed: 145mph (est)
Weight: 164kg
MPG: 55mpg (est)
Price: £6,299