| Author | Message | ||
     Hkwan |
Just read up on that bike (being sold in Africa, Congo) in Motorcyclist mag. That bike has a 1700cc air-cooled v-twin. In many aspect, it is very much like the XB-S. Similar spec (90 hp, 111 ft#) and pricing (~$11K). The MT-01 has the shortish mono seat and a rear shock that is like that on the older Buells (at the bottom of the bike) as well. Some of the comments coming from people who got interviewed was that the bike was very much like the Buell. Race Kit is also offered as option. Some did mentioned that the bike is so different in terms of classification and ride, it might not do well on U.S. soil. In anycase, seems like this bike from Yammy is targeting the XB mkt specifically. Anyone else seen that article? In general, the review was not bad at all. | ||
| Cataract2 |
If you can't beat em, join em eh? Hmmmm, and people complain we're down on hp. 90 hp? Lot's of torque though. Interesting. | ||
| Tucsonxb9s  |
But it's also about 100lbs HEAVIER. I don't think it'll compare handling wise, but it does have a bit of a eye appeal. Looks like a Japanese take on the S-1 if you ask me. | ||
| Geoffg  |
Personally, I find photos I've seen of the MT-01 to be butt-ugly. Didn't Yamaha try something like this before, called a Bulldog? | ||
| Court |
If you like the MT-01 I have a ton of photos I took when it was introduced a couple years ago. I went to a party one night where they had both the MT-01 and the Honda NAS on display. Fun to look at, to look at delight....to get it in consumer form....simply frightful. Honda would have never survived the Intellectual Property battle there was so much Buell stuff on the NAS. Me?...I totally dug it and the free cheese. Court | ||
| Hkwan |
The look is more in the eyes of the beholders. I love the look of the Buell, but some people did comment that it looks "different" with a negative connotation. I don't think the MT-01 looks that bad at all. That bike has more of its v-twin engine shown (comparing to XB), which I like very much. I did forget to mention its heft weight. I think it is more than 100lbs over the XB. Also some people see the XB 12's redline at "only" ~7krpm. This MT-01 is "only" at 5500. The mag. did mention that there is no need to rev the engine to the sky since that is not the intention of the bike. The bike is designed to be useful 90% of the time on the street and with the tremendous torque, there is not need to have a high reving engine. Hey, that is almost exactly what Erik says, word or word. Didn't we know already that the Jap's are good at taking a product from somebody else, copying it, throw bunch of marketing money into it, then improving it (or at least make it a little bit different)? Too early to tell if they are improving it, but it is definitely the classic case of what they have been doing for the past 70+ yrs. | ||
| Spatten1 |
The MT concept bike was very cool looking, but the changes for production really made it much more bland and a little awkward. It is about time that the Japanese cruiser engines made it to a sport-standard. They have taken their 4 in-lines and made some cool sporting standards like the FZ-1, Z1000, ZR1200, and the Honda (can't remember the model name). | ||
| Hkwan |
Oh yeah, and the MT-01 has 190 series rear tire and 43mm inverted fork. With the heavy weight, the wide tire, and the "standard length" wheel base (I think 59" ), I can't imagine how this bike can handle well (Motorcyclist did mention that it handles well...). It might handle on par with other bikes, but I don't know if it really handles well. Well, can't listen to what the mag saids either, since when they tested the XB, they did say they could not dial the XB's suspension in therefore it didn't handle that well. (Message edited by hkwan on January 03, 2005) (Message edited by hkwan on January 03, 2005) | ||
| Brucelee |
It would be fun to take it for a whirl. I wonder how the weight actually feels, balanced or top heavy. 110Lbs of torque could be very heady indeed! | ||
| Cataract2 |
Wait a min. It only has a 5500 rpm redline and the mags are saying that it's not meant to be ridden to red line? We've been saying that for years about the Buells and the mags just bitch about ours but if Yamaha does it everything is fine? WTH? | ||
| M1combat  |
I was thinking the same thing Cataract... F' em. | ||
| Imonabuss |
Of course Motorcyclist will say it handles well; I'm sure they will say it handles better than the XB. That'll make it all the more fun to crush MT01 riders on twisty roads...and believe me, you will!!! | ||
| Ben_jamminvfcc |
A 1700CC motor that produces less power to work with than motors half it's size. Ok...it's really torquey, but the low redline and heavy internals are a huge turn-off. I think any sport oriented bike would take the MT-01 to school in the corners...and any SS would destroy it in the straights as well. Weight is the enemy!  And excessively casual geometry doesn't help either. | ||
| Hkwan |
"A 1700CC motor that produces less power to work with than motors half it's size. Ok...it's really torquey, but the low redline and heavy internals are a huge turn-off." That's pretty much the same comment the Jap bike owners say about the Buell. Let's see what the MT-01 can do. At the very least, it has 45% more torque than the XB12. If we think the XB12 is fun due to the torque factor, the MT-01 can't be that bad. If that bike is half way decent in the corners, then that could also be a fun bike also. I'm open to a head-to-head comparison by a magizine. I wouldn't go trashing any bike too badly before even seeing it in person. | ||
| Buells Rule! (Dyna in disguise)  |
Article claims Yamaha has 3 different kits for the bike, with the stage 3 adding cams & an exhaust that brings it up somewhere around 110 hp or so. Still a heavy little pig though. | ||
| Hkwan |
Yeah, 3 stages of kits. I won't even consider Stage 1 as anything since stage 1 is mainly cosmetic (C.F. parts and all). So, basically performance wise, there are 2 Stages. I think Stage 2 is exhaust and race ECM. Stage 3 is what Buells Rule! has listed. | ||
| Ben_jamminvfcc |
That's true...but while the Buell engine isn't like a Jap Sportbike...it's not precisely a direct cruiser transplant either. And one thing that impresses me about the Buell engine is how the Buell engine has been tuned for a clean and total combustion cycle(allowing the lack of cat) and the improved internals. I just know for me personally...I'd never want something so heavy and tank-like, and I'm not sure which demographic/category it's aimed at. Power cruiser?- Not very cruiser-like, and too little power(compared to say...V-max or V-rod) Sportbike- too heavy, conservative, and underpowered Streetfighter- Eh....maybe.... I say...give the MT-01 the V-max engine and a diet plan. That'd be sick, I think we all can agree. | ||
| Hkwan |
They did mention the MT's engine came from one of Yammie's cruiser model... man, forgot which one. For sure it needs to lose about 20% of its weight, but I hope one of the Brit mag. would do a head-to-head comparo soon. That would be hella interesting. I don't want American mag. to do the write up since they are not familiar and are not used to the XB/MT type bike. This style of bike is popular over the other side of the ocean. | ||
| Buells Rule! (Dyna in disguise) |
Its the Warriors engine & there are actually a lot of performance parts out for that bike. The motor can easily be setup to produce some very nice hp & torque figures. Still have that huge weight penalty to deal with though. | ||
| Court |
Let me say this, having had the chance to fondle and play with it....this is the UGLIEST motorcycle made and I can prove it. I'd be embarrassed, even it was 912HP to own this. I am convinced it was a joke.    | ||
| Hkwan |
Looks like the pic's you've posted is the blinged-out version of the MT=01. The street/production version is a bit more mellow. I still don't think it is that ugly. It has the muscle/street fighter look. | ||
| Court |
>>>It has the muscle/street fighter look.  Wanna fight?. . . . meet me in the alley. | ||
| Lpowel02  |
Let me say this, having had the chance to fondle and play with it Court - did u get to ride it? | ||
| Lpowel02 |
oh wait...it's not coming to the US..I guess you didn't...did you? | ||
| Joele |
The Yamaha has a hefty price tag at more than 10k which is over the top if you ask me. | ||
| Ben_jamminvfcc |
Let's just put it this way...it'd take more than a few beers for me to go home with her...and by then, I certainly shouldn't be riding anyway. | ||
| Hkwan |
What Joele, if over $10k is over the top, then the XB12's are definitely way over the top, yeah? Looks like Yammie priced it to target the XB's fans. | ||
| Craigster |
The engine is from the Road Star Warrior. About 75 hp on a Dynojet. With the speedstar hot rod goodies the Warriors are putting out about 89 to 95 hp. Aftermarket parts (Patrick Racing, and Orient Express)can squeeze a good 150 hp. They also have a SEVERE problem with supplying those speedstar parts...cams for some reason have been an issue. Folks have plunked down their cash and been told 'two more weeks' for the past year. That and the recall (trany lock up) make me say a big NO WAY. I worked in a shop when Yahaha shat on V-Max owners with stretched rods. Fortunately mine wasn't one of them. The way yamaha has treated the Warrior owners makes me shy away. The same engine in the MT-01 makes me think twice. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Uggggg... That is an ugly ugly bike. Looks like the MT-01 fell out of the ugly tree hitting every branch on the way down. That's one thing the Japs seem to screw up over and over is how the design looks in the end. It takes them a number of tried to get it right. | ||
| Joele |
"hat Joele, if over $10k is over the top, then the XB12's are definitely way over the top, yeah?" I thought XB12s could be had new for around 9k? |
