Yamaha’s popular parallel twin powered MT-07 gets  updates for 2021, including fresh style and a Euro 5 compliant motor.

• New styling inspired by MT-09

• Slight drop in power figures

• Gets bigger brakes

Yamaha recently took the wraps off a heavily reworked MT-09, and this has been followed by an update for the smaller MT-07. Where the Yamaha MT-09 received far more upgrades, including a bigger motor, the changes to the MT-07 aren’t as extravagant.

Yamaha MT-07 stye

The most noticeable change comes in the styling where the MT-07 gets a similar, highly polarising face as its bigger brother. Behind the new LED headlamp, the fuel tank has been restyled, the mirrors are different and the radiator shrouds appear to have been tweaked as well. The bike gets new LED indicators and a new LCD instrument cluster. While the handlebar is now 15mm wider. Behind the fuel tank, things remain more or less the same in terms of the shape of the seats and the tail unit. 

Yamaha MT-07 Engine

The MT-07 sees very few changes made to its revered parallel twin engine apart from being able to meet Euro-5 emissions norms. The company has achieved this via a revised intake, a new exhaust design and a new ECU. Power has dropped slightly from 74.8hp at 9000rpm and 68Nm at 6500rpm to 73.4hp at 8750rpm and 67Nm at 6,500rpm. The performance drop is low enough that it probably won’t be noticed, but Yamaha says that this bike has a more linear power delivery, so the riding experience might feel slightly different.

Yamaha MT-07 Chassis

Not much has changed on the simple diamond chassis, but Yamaha has increased the size of the front brake rotors from 282Nm to 298Nm. The company has also moved to Michelin’s highly rated Pilot Road 5 tyres for this bike. The updated bike is slightly taller and wider than before, but the seat height remains accessible at 805mm. Meanwhile, the kerb weight has increased from 182 to 184kg. 

Yamaha MT-07 in India

The MT-07 has never been sold here, although the bigger Yamaha MT-09 was sold in India, albeit at an unreasonably high price. The MT-07 in India would have made a great fit (at the right price) because it would have gone up neatly against the Kawasaki Z650. As for prices, the MT-07 has always been priced closely against the Z650 in International markets and in the USA, the 2021 models cost just $100 more than the bike it replaces.

There is further incentive for a Yamaha MT-07 India launch because the all-new Triumph Trident 660, will launch in India in the first quarter of next year. The Trident has been designed specifically to compete with bikes like the Kawasaki Z650 and Yamaha MT-07 and it could be a hot seller for the British brand if it comes in at a good price.

Let us know if you’re keen to see Yamaha’s parallel twin bikes  like the MT-07 and acclaimed Tenere T7 go on sale in India next year