Yamaha MT-07 (2025 – ) review

The looks may be familiar from the recently restyled MT-09 but this is, clearly, A Very Good Thing for those who felt previous versions of the MT-07 (for all their talents) looked a little too ‘street tracker’. Off the back of the necessary Euro5+ engine tweaks the bike also gets uprated upside-down forks, radial brakes, a more nose-down ‘super naked’ stance, fresh bodywork and much-improved interaction with the tech through a new screen and switchgear. The result is far sportier and more stylish than before, but also roomier, better handling, more premium and now available with Yamaha’s Y-AMT semi-automatic transmission. It’s not quite perfect but this improved MT-07 doesn’t feel as dinky and budget as it once did, and has more than enough about it to remain top of the class.

Significantly revised, and this is a good thing, too. As with the MT-09 the previous MT-07 had a slightly confused, upright ‘street tracker’ attitude but both have now adopted a more conventional sporty naked stance. Tweaks to the bar position sound minor at 22mm lower, 9.3mm back and with a bit more rise and width while the seat is the same 805mm as before but narrower at the front while the pegs are set 10mm lower. None of which sounds much but combines into a sportier and roomier seating position, especially for taller riders like your 6’ 3” tester for whom previous MT-07s felt just a bit too small.

You know what you’re getting, and if long-distance or pillion comfort are important you’ll be better off with its Tracer derivative for the fairing, longer seat and greater choice of luggage and other options. The MT-07 is, says Yamaha, more geared to city commuting and spirited Sunday blasts, which it nails with some style. It’s easy to ride, unintimidating for relative newcomers but also engaging and entertaining enough for those who’ve been around the block a few times and now comes with more accessories including a fly screen and a basic luggage option. The Y-AMT should broaden its appeal further, especially for commuters for its scooter-like twist-and-go convenience.

On-paper performance is essentially unchanged, but there was nothing much wrong with it in the first place. Yamaha’s modular Crossplane – CP for short – engine family has been a star of the MT series from the start, the combination of strong performance and characterful mid-range punch as appealing to newbies as it is experienced riders. The 73.4 horsepower CP2 version used here adopts Yamaha’s Y-CCT ‘throttle by wire’ to help nail those emissions numbers and permit increased range for the Street/Sport/Custom rider modes. It also allows for cruise control, which is standard on the Y-AMT and optional on the regular bike. Same goes for the quickshifter that is part of the semi-auto system, all versions now getting a new slip and assist clutch. Braking has, meanwhile, been significantly upgraded with new radial calipers up front with noticeably improved power and feel.

New preload adjustable 41mm USD forks are among the most conspicuous upgrades to the new MT-07 but the whole chassis has been improved with what’s described as the biggest evolution since the 2014 original. Headstock aside, the tubular steel frame has been thoroughly worked over for added strength and rigidity, there’s a new swingarm and even the wheels are now lighter SpinForged items. Even with another 4.5kg of extra kit the whole bike is actually a kilo lighter overall, as well as being stiffer. On the road the bike feels sportier and on the nose but, thanks to the new forks, also more secure and refined. On the tight mountain switchbacks of our test route you couldn’t wish for more, whether your tastes are to exploiting the sense of agility or simply cruising and carving. Ridden any which way the MT-07 is comfortable, calm and controlled.

MT-07s have always been affordable. But they’ve also been frugal and cheap to run as well. This one – despite its more premium feel and extra features – should be no different. At launch the regular bike is a useful chunk under £8,000, the Y-AMT version just a fraction over with PCP deals on both for well under £100 per month. Fuel consumption will be in the mid-50s and, unless you ride like a loon, its appetite for consumables like tyres, chains and brake pads shouldn’t be excessive, either.

It’s difficult to be certain simply because the Y-AMT option is still so new, so we’ll have to hold judgement there. In standard form as there are no significant extra performance demands and the MT-07 in all its guises has now been around for a decade with virtually no reliability concerns, we have no real cause for concern.

Like many Yamahas, the new 2025 MT-07 comes with a standard, manufacturer-backed, three-year warranty with the option to extend at extra cost if required. While it’s got new control systems the CP2 engine is as before, so sticks with the 6,000-mile/annual service intervals with the expensive valve adjustment check every 24,000 miles.

MT-07s were traditionally pretty basic but not anymore. Along with those upgrades to brakes, suspension and frame this new one also gets a new 5.0-inch Bluetooth dash through which you can connect the MyRide app for Garmin powered navigation, music and more. This is combined with more substantial and tactile switchgear, which is generally an upgrade even if the jury is still out on the new ‘see-saw’ indicator switch. On top of that the range of options has also expanded to include that quickshifter, cruise and a range of 96 accessories, of which nearly a third are new. These include luggage, screens and, for the first time, an Akrapovič silencer. But the biggest news has to be optional semi-auto shifting via the Y-AMT system. While seemingly a little Heath Robinson in the sense it’s a bolt-on combination of electronically controlled actuators for clutch and shifting it works impressively well, and is perhaps more relevant here than on the MT-09 we rode previously. In operation there’s no clutch lever, simply the choice of standard D or sportier D+ modes from which you twist the throttle and go. Sure, it doesn’t always shift exactly when you want but that’s where the ‘MT’ bit comes in, with the option to choose gears yourself via finger-operated paddles on the left-hand switch pod. It may not be for everyone but Yamaha is expecting an 80 per cent take-up, and it’s easy and fun to use to the point we found ourselves happy leaving it in auto for most of our ride.

All the old reasons for buying an MT-07 remain. But this version also moves the game on substantially. The new Iron Man influenced nose cowling is a big improvement and the bike’s entire spirit is sportier and more engaging. It’s also better equipped, more premium in feel and built on stronger foundations with the improved frame, suspension and brakes. It even sounds better. Y-AMT is the real ace up its sleeve though. It might not be for everyone (and you don’t have to have it) but it’s impressive enough it might actually be the one we’d buy.