Yamaha MT-07 0-60 mph 3.73 Seconds

Yamaha scored a big hit when they released the MT-07. It has been hugely popular with first-time and experienced riders of all ages.

Yamaha likely took a leaf out of Suzuki’s book after the massive success of the SV650.

That bike was light, powerful, and featured an evocative twin-cylinder engine that made all the right noises and delivered strong performance when asked.

While following the general theme of Suzuki’s SV650, Yamaha took a slightly different route with a parallel-twin engine configuration instead of a V-twin.

Interestingly, just like their TRX850 from the 1990s and even their current flagship YZF-R1 and MT-10, Yamaha altered the firing order of the 689 cc parallel-twin water-cooled engine.

This change gave the motor a distinctive character and injected far more personality into what are normally quite bland-sounding engines.

While it is not quite as delightful as a sporty L-twin in my opinion, the 270° firing order gives the engine an incredibly unique and enjoyable character.

Yamaha’s “Crossplane” design offsets the crank pins by 90°. In simple terms, this layout reduces the inertia from the pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft, allowing the rider to feel more of the torque produced by combustion.

The result is a lumpier, more characterful delivery that feels far more desirable than a conventional parallel-twin engine.

Most importantly for me, it sounds considerably nicer than a typical parallel twin.

Stock, the 689 cc engine is not the best sounding. At idle and low speeds, it can sound a bit like a cement mixer.

But once you work it, load it, and drive the engine hard, it becomes appealing and properly guttural. With a free-flowing exhaust, these bikes sound pretty apocalyptic anywhere in the rev range.

Yamaha MT-07 Dyno Curve

The Yamaha MT-07 engine delivers particularly good performance for its class, even if it is not the most powerful.

The MT-07 occupies several different classes depending on your region and licensing laws, but it is most often compared with bikes in its immediate segment.

These include the SV650X, Z650, and CB650R. It is also frequently stacked up against larger machines such as Yamaha’s own FZ8 and MT-09, as well as Suzuki’s GSR750 and similar models.

The MT-07 faces a wide range of competitors but holds its own very respectably.

As mentioned, its engine performance is not class-leading in outright power, and it cannot match the bigger bikes it is sometimes compared against.

If you have ridden an SV650, you will have a good idea of what to expect from the MT-07.

However, the MT-07 actually makes more power and torque throughout most of the rev range and only loses out to the SV650 between 8,000 rpm and 10,000 rpm.

Yamaha MT-07 Thrust Curve

Think of the Yamaha MT-07 as a gruntier, less rev-dependent version of the Suzuki SV650, with in-gear performance that is very close.

This holds true even though the SV650 has slightly lower overall gearing – the MT-07’s monster engine more than makes up for it.

Peak power for the Yamaha MT-07 is a very respectable 70 hp at 9,000 rpm, with peak torque of 47 lb/ft arriving at 6,500 rpm. These are solid numbers.

Speeds in each gear at 5000 rpm

Peak power is a little down on the SV650 and many of its rivals, such as the CB650R and its faired sister that shares the same engine, the CBR650R.

However, thanks to the Yamaha MT-07’s excellent spread of power and torque, the engine never feels lacking on the kinds of roads you will actually ride, whether alone or with friends.

In fact, in most normal riding situations, the MT-07 engine feels a lot more potent than its rivals and can even punch harder than some larger-capacity motorcycles that make more peak power.

Here we compare the CBR650R with the MT-07

Yamaha MT-07 Acceleration Review

Now to the interesting part.

The Yamaha MT-07 is a solid performer with particularly strong acceleration below 100 mph.

Like all unfaired motorcycles in this power class, it lacks both the power and the aerodynamics to set the world on fire above 100 mph.

However, anything under that speed offers more than enough acceleration to match most bikes and embarrass plenty of sports cars.

After many attempts, the Yamaha MT-07 clocks 0-60 mph in just 3.73 seconds. It would be slightly quicker if it weren’t for the necessary gear change into second to reach 60 mph.

We must not forget to mention that the Yamaha MT-07 constantly wants to wheelie.

This makes launching it very fun, but a little tricky when chasing optimum elapsed times.

The MT-07 covers 0-100 km/h in 3.85 seconds.

It keeps pulling strongly and reaches 100 mph in just 8.14 seconds — impressive performance for this class of motorcycle.

With a perfect launch, a light rider, and everything aligned, the MT-07 can dip under twelve seconds in the quarter-mile.

Our best time was a fantastic 11.973 seconds at a terminal speed of 115.8 mph.

That is very impressive for a naked, learner-friendly motorcycle. Running under 12 seconds is the absolute optimum and requires a lightweight rider plus perfect launch and shifts.

Most average-weight competent riders will run in the mid-to-high twelves with terminal speeds around 110 mph.

You also have to resist revving the MT-07 all the way out in each gear if you want the quickest acceleration times.

To be fair, the bike we tested benefited from a decat exhaust and an ECU flash. A completely stock machine would likely be a little slower, probably closer to 9 seconds for the 0-60 mph run.

Yamaha MT-07’s top speed is 133.6mph

Keep feeding the MT-07 gears, and you will eventually reach a top speed of 133.6 mph.

You will need to make yourself very small with elbows tucked in, as there is almost no wind protection. Above 100 mph, it becomes a real struggle to hold on.

Remember that, as the Yamaha MT-07 is a naked motorcycle, your top speed will vary depending on your size, how well you can tuck, and whether conditions are favourable or not.

For the best acceleration results you should not rev the MT-07 right to the redline, as this will hurt your times.

On a stock motor, shift between 9,700–9,800 rpm in the first three gears and at 9,500 rpm in fourth and fifth.

This is important because power tails off sharply. Changing up earlier actually produces more acceleration thrust, as clearly shown in the thrust curve below, where the lines overlap between gears.

The Yamaha MT-07 is a strong performer that makes excellent use of its 70 hp. It is an incredibly fun machine that will put a smile on your face while also being a capable weekend scratcher.

If you prefer something with a more retro style but similar performance, Yamaha has you covered with the XSR700. 

Yamaha MT-07 Specifications