Australia’s Biggest MT Meet

Yamaha’s MT model range may have one of the newest owner’s clubs in Australia, but based on response to the first-ever all-MT gathering, it’s also one of the most devoted. That gathering, dubbed ‘Australia’s Biggest MT Meet’, was held at the Grey Gum Café at Putty, NSW, on Sunday, 26 August.

Sure, the title may have been a little cheeky, but it was accurate, as, to the best knowledge of event organiser, Leon Cutts, no “MT only” gathering has ever been conducted here before. “I know how popular the bikes are and realised that no-one had organised an event for the many passionate owners,” explained Leon, who’s also the administrator of the MT-10 worldwide Facebook group.

A 31-year-old diesel mechanic from Singleton, Leon previously owned an R1 that he’d turned into a streetfighter, but when the MT-10 debuted, he just had to have one: “I’m on my second now... and I love them.”

Leon figured there must be others out there who love both their own MTs and the broader MT range as much as he does, so he put the word out through the Facebook group about Australia’s Biggest MT Meet, and the response he got was both positive and plentiful.

More than 200 registered for the inaugural event, but bad weather on the day saw only around 100 MT owners actually made the journey to the Grey Gum Café for a feed, a chat, some live music, a chance to win some cool Yamaha merch, check out other MTs and just generally bond over their shared affection for Yamaha’s Maximum Torque range.

“I was still over the moon with the turnout,” Leon said. “We had a great band and Yamaha dealer Bikebiz showed up with a display of models.”

Bikes in attendance covered the full gamut of MT production; from the first MT-01 to the latest Tracer tourers. Most of the punters’ bikes were in stock trim or mildly modified, but a few wilder versions stood out amongst the pack, including an MT-09 with Candy Red rims, a carbon silencer and custom brake lines, an MT-10 swathed in carbon fibre and a café racer-styled XSR 700 that, while not a part of the MT family, was still welcomed in because it looked so darned cool!

Of course, devoted motorcyclists, regardless of whether they own an MT or not, don’t need an excuse to ride the Putty Road, one of the great riding roads in NSW, so Leon picked his venue well, knowing that MT owners would enjoy the journey just as much as the destination.

Buoyed by the reaction to the first Australian MT gathering, Leon’s already planning the next one, which he says will be bigger and better. A possible location change - to the Gold Coast in Queensland – is also on the cards, so keep up to speed on all the developments via the MT-10 owners Australia Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/476795112517142/

Photos: Yamaha Motor Australia