Yamaha MT-03, anyone got one?

[Reppyboyo]

Hi,

Just been to my local stealers as im looking for a new ride and the MT-03 caught my eye, quite a quirky looking bike.

Just wondering if we have any owners here that could share their experiences with them?
Reliable? fun? economical? etc

Stepping down from a Speed Triple as I want a smaller bike again.

Cheers.

[AngelGrinder]

I had one last winter, and really enjoyed it, almost sad I got rid of it, only reason I did was the 675 was my dream bike, and the price was too good to miss!

Great laugh, had no chicken strips left in December, just feels so stable. Little country lanes at night - nothing will touch you, it feels like a BMX. Main beam and headlights are really good. Couldn't get mine much past 105mph, but it felt alot faster anyway.

Motorways nowhere near as bad as everyone would make out. Vibrations not bad enough to be noticeable.

Fit some noisy cans (I had carbon fibre arrows) and it will have you grinning from the crazy noise it makes + the most frequent and load backfires you could imagine.

Pillion seat is reasonable, handles great, never had any problems with engine or mechanics. Exhaust downpipes seemed to dislike salt, but may just be becuase they are so visible I noticed more.

Any specific questions let me know and I'll try and answer, but I'd highly reccommend it - I came from an R6 onto it and didn't regret it one bit!
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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

[Tango675]

A mate had one as a first bike and he was very happy with it.

The only comment he had was that he was always hitting the rev limiter and he needed a bit more power.

I had a little go and it was a good ride, comfortable.

They don't seem in demand so don't hold there value well.
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Somebody give that windup merchant a torque wrench..

[AngelGrinder]

[G]

You could always just restrict and down-gear the speed triple .

[Reppyboyo]

What mileage/mpg were you getting?

Any 2-up riding?

G, restricting the Speedy would be a crime against biking.

[G]

[AngelGrinder]

[The Original Muzza]

[Reppyboyo]

[mr_s81]

Mate, I know you've been around here longer than I have, but if I'm reading G's comments I believe this to be another of example of him "extracting the proverbial"!

I think he's suggesting the creation of the MT-03 bike itself is a crime against biking as opposed to just restricting one!

HTH

[Capt Castle]

I'm enjoying mine, although it's my first 'big' bike so I have nothing to compare it to other than the CB500 and CB600F I did my lessons/test on.

I fitted a wee screen and find it's comfortable enough on long motorway trips (230 miles being my longest) with plenty of oomph left in reserve when pottering along at 70/80.

It's very pokey at low speeds too, and the single sounds rather nice however you ride it.

I do a lot of 2up riding with my girlfriend and I'm more than happy with how it runs (still has enough torque with 2 to scare her into punching me )

Fuel wise I get roughly 100 miles to the warning light (about 85 miles if I do a lot of riding with a pillion) and warning light to full is about £9/£10 (really must work out mpg).

Edit: chuck me a pm if you go for it and I'll send you an electronic workshop manual
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Bikes: GZ125>CBR125>Yamaha MT03>Triumph Sprint ST 955i
CBT: 06/06/08 DAS:14/07/09

[G]

[craigs23]

Doesn't help much with the query, but a friend of mine recently got a brand spanker for £4k - in white, which would have been my colour of choice.

Can't wait to blag a go on one, was thinking of purchasing one myself not too long ago.

[Reppyboyo]

Any idea where he got that from craig?

[craigs23]

I'll email her... think it was before the price increase of recent months though - although the bike is on an 09 plate.

[Reppyboyo]

Cheers, worth a look as they do seem a little pricey around here.
Second hand ones are somewhat reasonable at 3k however.

Started looking up a Versys now as well, ahhh choices.

[AngelGrinder]

[The Original Muzza]

Autotrader has one for £2.2k. Shame it's many lightyears away from my locale, I quite fancy trying a 660 yamaha, and SZRs aren't common and XTs are heavy with apparently worse handling, (G: Don't read this next part) also the MT-03 looks so damn sexual, I'd love to parade around on my good looking tractor.
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Current Bikes: Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 (2020)
Former Bikes: Honda MSX125 (2014), BMW Funduro (1996), Honda VT500 (1983), Yamaha FZR250 (1989), Suzuki GZ125 Marauder(2005),:Triumph TT600 (2002) (stolen)
From then on, I and the bicycle feelings deeper.

[AngelGrinder]

Like I say, on paper it doesn't add up. Underpowerd, overweight etc.



But....


Dammit I loved it, and I'd have another in a shot (if I wasn't into trackdays and loved the 675 so much!)

It was just pure fun! If the weather was crap, I was still hooning about, if I was bored, I was making the most rediculous noise down the highstreet and giggling at every backfire it ever did.

If you have some little 1 track country lanes near by, you will head to them at night (you can tell nothings coming as you can see the headlights around the corner) and you will be faster than everything (bar a supermoto).

What I'm trying to say is.....don't knock one until you've had a go.

As Craig has found out, power doesn't mean fun!

And as I have previously say, I think I learnt huge amount on it, no chicken strips left in Nov/Dec is something I could only dream of on the Daytona

I wish I had another for this winter
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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

[G]

The XT is still lighter than the MT-03. I quite liked the idea of the SZR, but really don't see the attraction of the new ones.
I shall have to blag a go on one sometime (though I do seem to have a knack of annoying their owners), however I can't see them being much different to the other similar bikes I've ridden around that style.

Angelgrinder; have you ridden big singles that are lighter?
I've ridden heavy big singles and light big singles, the light ones I've pretty universally preferred. Though, an over-all heavier bike does seem to smooth out the engine as well as the riding.

As I've done before, I would question if you will be faster or *feel* faster on those tight country roads. In my experience, while the lower powered bikes tend to feel faster, which is more fun, the reality is that the faster bike, is, well, faster, most of the time .

[AngelGrinder]

[G]

I've had a ride on the Duke and still prefer my lighter/less refined 690 Enduro with supermoto wheels on - a few differences in geometry and the lighter weight on my bike; engine is very similar.
The duke seems an obvious 'better at everything' version of the MT, but then of course if the reasons you like the MT are it's 'failings' (ie the lower power, which is the fun bit for me), then it may not be so much better.

Sounds like you were a faster ride than your brother to me - or at least perhaps your brother didn't really understand using gears and and keeping the motor spinning. Perhaps also someone not too confident with countersteering (something I need to do more actively on track, at least, I know.)

[AngelGrinder]

[Reppyboyo]

The street triple is just outside my budget sadly, unless I can get the Speedy sold quickly. (I need a bike to get to work, so this is difficult).

Also, I would have to replace the suspension on it as from what I remember of my test ride it was rubbish for me as Im quite weighty.