ROAD TEST – 2019 YAMAHA MT-07LA - JUST BIKES

ROAD TEST – 2019 Yamaha MT-07LA

Words: Zane Dobie

Photos: Yamaha Motor Australia

To find a second-hand Yamaha MT-07LA to buy

I have always been the type of rider who wants to get the most out of a small-capacity bike. For me, there's no better feeling than handing someone on a 1,000cc sportsbike a bit of their ego back at a track day when I pass them on a 250cc. So, coming to the Yamaha MT-07LA and its LAMS-legal, 655cc parallel twin engine, I was a bit biased as to why anyone would want or need more than 400cc while on their P plates.

Little Big Bike

Since it was introduced to Australia in 655cc form in 2014 (followed by the non-LAMS 689cc version a year later), the LAMS-legal MT-07LA has been a strong performer for Yamaha. Over 1,000 of them were sold here in 2018 and it was our third-best selling road bike for the year – impressive in a depressed new bike market.

The ingredients that have made the MT-07LA a winner for Yamaha locally in past years continue with the 2019 version, making it a really hard bike to skip past if you’re looking for an upgrade while still on your P plates.

I stress the ‘still on your P plates’ thing because I know there's going to be the odd person out there who will buy an MT-07LA as their first road bike. Granted, the MT-07LA is pretty easy to ride. but it’s definitely not suitable for the panicky new rider. I don’t want to imagine the extent of a newbie learner’s fear getting whiskey throttle on this machine and ending up sliding down the road on their back.

But it you’re more experienced and are stepping up from a 250cc/300cc/400cc bike, the newfound existence of torque – and lots of it - on the MT-07LA can be a joy. An afternoon of popping the front wheel up at every opportunity obviously isn’t the best idea for P-Platers with only four demerit points, but if you’re on a “private road”, there’s bags of fun to be had with this bike.

So, let this be a disclaimer: the MT-07LA is NOT one of those ‘first bike’ kinda rides. The market for this machine is the experienced motorcyclist - someone who’s returning to riding after a sabbatical and knows how to handle a torquey bike. Those who have held their Learners and Red P’s for a while and are starting to outgrow their current bike are also a good fit for the MT-07LA.

Strength of Styling

Although opinions on design and styling are always subjective, you can't deny that the MT-07LA has some killer looks. Back when I was on my L’s, I rode many bikes – and they all looked like a “learner bike”. I wanted a bike I could take a photo of and put up on my Instagram as a “mean-looking ride”. Instead, I was stuck with something that had the world’s skinniest tyres and looked like it was being used for Deliveroos in the city. Not so with the MT-07LA; she looks like a grown-up!

The chunky 180-section rear tyre is just one element that gives the MT-07LA big-bike looks. Ignoring the licence plate holder, which has to sit where it does due to ADR regulations, the tail light is positioned agreeably on the tail itself and the little cut-outs around the back of the seat complete the good-looking rear styling.

Revised on the MY18 model, the 2019 MT-07LA’s seat has an organic look and wraps around the base of the fuel tank for both aesthetic and practical appeal. It not only looks good but encourages a more “connected” feeling on the bike.

Coming back to the topic that the MT-07LA is made to look like a big bike, the oversized air vents have been integrated attractively into the sides of the fuel tank and fit the bike’s profile nicely.

My only styling gripe is the silver mesh over those vents, which look a bit tacky, but nothing five dollars’ worth of spray paint can't fix!

The zone I love the most on the 2019 MT-07LA is its front end - the headlight in particular. There are little winglets, colour-matched to the tank, under the headlight that I didn’t see at first but when I spotted them, they changed the entire way I saw the bike. Subtle styling cues like this make the MY19 MT-07LA more appealing to the eye than ever before.

The only details worth changing are ADR regulation features like the huge indicators, equally large mirrors and that licence plate holder.

There are three colours to choose from on the 2019 model - Yamaha Blue, Tech Black and the new Ice Fluo. I was rejoicing to the motorcycle gods that Yamaha ditched the Fluo Yellow that adorned last year’s model, but for those that want attention, Ice Fluo is definitely the “out there” colour scheme for 2019.

The Twin’s the One

Like the styling, the running gear and cycle parts on the 2019 MT-07LA are pretty much the same as last year’s model, starting with the 655cc parallel-twin, which is a gem. DOHC, with eight valves (meaning it can breathe nice and easy), the great thing about this engine is the way it performs. There’s no feeling of cut-outs or half throttles, like similar LAMS bikes that have a “high output” version. On the MT-07LA, you twist the throttle all the way and it feels like you’re getting all of the available power, not just half.

With a maximum 57.5Nm of torque, you can zoom off the lights pretty easily, but only up to 4000rpm, while the 38.3kW will get you up to 8000rpm before you run out of power.
The MT-07LA is not exactly a big track racer, but if that’s likely to make up some of your riding regimen, a short and twisty track would be ideal, rather than Phillip Island, with its long straights and high-speed corners.

The way the MT-07LA applies its power is much like riding a supermotard with its torquey, fast response, except the seating position on the Yamaha is much friendlier to getting your knee down and hanging off the side of the bike.

As good as the engine is, the suspension is a different story.

Room for Improvement

The MT-07LA is a bike in the $11,000 range, so I find it a little surprising that it’s not graced with an upside-down fork like the 2019 YZF-R3, which felt a little over-engineered for a bike in the 300cc category. I imagine a USD front end would soar on the MT-07LA, since it’s become such common technology.

It’s the MT-07LA’s rear suspension set up that seems to struggle, though.

Whilst it has been revised from last year’s model, the bike’s back end still feels a bit uncomfortable straight off the showroom floor. It comes down to the rebound damping, which was recognised and addressed with rebound adjustability added to the existing preload adjustability last year. Obviously, every rider will have different ideas on what they want from the bike, so the adjustable rebound gives riders the freedom to pick and choose what they want: swap out comfort for agility; or trade mild handling performance for more security if you are using it as a daily rider.

The front shock is a much better unit. As mentioned, it’s not a USD fork, but it still feels strikingly stable when entering a corner at a high rate of speed - even slamming the brakes on doesn’t throw you over the handlebars, since the front end absorbs the force of the inertia as well as the bumps in our “great” Australian roads. It’s not so soft that when you are giving it some lean into the corner, the bike feels unsettled: it takes the corner like a champion and you come out the other side feeling like Rossi.

Seventeen-inch alloys are standard at both ends, fitted with Michelin Sport Tour tyres - a 120/70-17 on the front and 180/55-17 on the rear. This substantial width tyre not only looks cool but will perform well every day in low speed riding, as well as being steady through the corners.

Stop Smoothly

When it comes to stopping, the MT-07LA is a well-mannered package. The front brakes boast a nice pair of 282mm discs with four-piston calipers. And as car drivers often forget they have side mirrors, you can grab the front brakes with confidence knowing you're not going to put a dent in the side of their car.

The rear brake is nothing special: a 245mm disc with a single-piston caliper, but thanks to the standard ABS, it’s kind and smooth to use, especially for someone who’s still perfecting the art of motorcycling.

On test, I couldn’t get the rear to lock up, no matter how hard I slammed the rear brakes on. While riding in the rain, the bike showed confidence in coming to a stop when using front and rear brakes at the same time.

The first few years on two wheels can involve a few rookie errors which may require the need for heavy braking, so having faith in your ABS package is a priority. There’s nothing to fault on the Yamaha MT-07LA’s package.

Upgrades and Add Ons

When it comes to getting a new ride, you’re going to want to make it your own, right? Yamaha gets this, so there’s plenty of goodies at the Yamaha Motor Australia online store - shop.yamaha-motor.com.au - to help you customise your bike.

However, if you are going to start bolting bits and pieces on, make sure you're careful, especially if you’re still on your P’s, as some states have strict laws on modifications for provisional licence holders.

The big wigs at Yamaha Motor Australia allowed us to bling our ride with some slick mods, starting with a full titanium Akrapovic exhaust system. This will not only boost the look of the bike, but wake the neighbours with the yelling parallel twin and not just the sound of the chain.

YMA claim the Akrapovic system will also boost power by 2.2kW @9000rpm, torque by 3.6Nm @ 5350rpm and shed 1.9 kg of weight.

Other modifications, such as a tail tidy, some smaller mirrors, smaller LED indicators and some steel mesh air scoops will be added later on.

The Next Step

While it’s not the ideal first step, the MT-07LA is a good bike to upgrade to - the ‘next step’, if you will. As you’ll have three years and three months minimum on your provisional licence (in most states), that’s abundant time to build your skills and explore everything this bike is capable of delivering.

To simulate the P-plate test, I gave a few slow-speed turns a go and I did struggle a little bit with the torque, grabbiness of the clutch and the wide turning circle, so if I was starting out, I would wait until I got my P’s before I bought a bike like this.

All in all, though, the MT-07LA is effortless to ride. Sure, there are a few things I would change, but I really had to dig deep to find things I didn’t like.

For $11,699 ride away (2019 pricing), you'd be hard-pressed to find anything to match it for the same price.

To find a 2019 Yamaha MT-07LA to buy

CLICK HERE