By Mxolisi Mhlongo
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Yamaha is known for manufacturing a lot of things including golf cars, boats, audio equipment and a whole bunch of other electronic equipment, however, on this article, we will be looking at their motorcycles which they are also well known for.
Yamaha’s latest offering is the, which is a beast making an impact on the hyper-naked scene. After coffee and some breakfast at the GQ Motoring festival, a walk around the bike was a first for me. Looks are such an individual thing and are extremely important to most riders. For us, aside from the classics of the 1980s and 1990s, I don’t go for looks.
The oil cooler stands out and every time you look at the bike that is where your eyes are drawn. We get the theme and it clearly goes with the other MT bikes but somehow misses the mark for us that the MT-07 and MT-09 hit so well by the Yamaha family. So we hop on and things change. The bike looks completely different and feels Yamaha familiar. There are no bits hanging off that you can see, only clean lines and neat bodywork plus the dash. So from a cockpit POV the motorcycle gets a 10 but from any other angle, it’s a seven from me. Of course, quality is typical Yamaha high spec stuff. Security is good too with the standard immobiliser.
Now, the important thing – what’s the bike like to ride? Our test loop was brilliant and a top move by Yamaha when it came to showcasing the versatility of the MT-10. It included everything from freeway cruising, which gave us a chance to test the cruise control and highway comfort, to full noise cambered smooth blacktop and even some snotty bumpy loose roads where we could test the ABS, suspension and traction control to their limits.
Info is presented in an LCD multi-function instrument panel that includes a digital speedo, bar display tachometer, fuel gauge, odometer, gear position indicator and more. A shift timing indicator light can be adjusted to suit the rider’s individual preference, and there is a range of pictogram lamps that clearly display cautions, warnings, and functions that are in use. The dual LED headlights sit beneath a compact mask and screen, and the whole front assembly is mounted directly to the frame to accentuate the feelings of agility and lightness.
Both the front-end and tail-end incorporate a series of deliberately exposed fixtures that illustrate the customising opportunities the MT-10 offers, from the fitment of different screens through to side bags and more.
