Yamaha Motors unveils a new litre-class naked street bike, MT-10 at this year’s EICMA show in Milan. With the new Yamaha MT-10, the MT brand line-up is now complete with offerings ranging from the small-displacement 125 cc MT-125 up to the 1000 cc litre-class.
Teasing us with the ‘Dark side of Japan’ clips in the recent weeks, Yamaha have revealed their dark side with the MT-10. The 2016 Yamaha MT-10 is developed with the YZF-R1 as its donor. The MT-10 features the 999 cc in-line four-cylinder engine with the cross-plane crankshaft from the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1.
Yamaha says: “Having already created some of the most innovative and successful models in the European market, Yamaha have developed an all-new one-litre motorcycle that has the potential to challenge all comers in the naked bike class. The radical new MT-10 is ready to exceed expectations and appeal to those riders who are looking for a new kind of connected riding experience that can be enjoyed on any road, any time and at any speed.”
The aggressively styled 2016 Yamaha MT-10 features a natural and versatile forward leaning riding position with wide and upright tapered single-piece handlebars. The styling is in-line with the iconic MT family DNA with a lean and athletic look to the bike. The front has dual transformer-styled powerful mono-focus LED headlights below a sharp split fly screen. It features a muscular sculpted tank with a small side fairing below it. The LCD multi-function instrument panel is completely newly designed.
The tank side-shields also feature the intake for the RAM-air system. The mass forward body design utilises a lightweight aluminium Deltabox main frame with well optimized balance between strength and rigidity. The new MT-10 features the shortest-in-class 1,400 mm wheelbase for agile and neutral handling.
The suspension of the Yamaha MT-10 is also derived from the YZF-R1 which is revised for street usage. The brakes at the front are dual 320 mm discs with four-pot callipers which come with ABS as standard. The light weight 5-spoke cast aluminium wheels of the MT-10 are shod with specially developed Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport tyres. It has a decent fuel tank capacity of 17 litres.
The engine from the YZF-R1 means that the MT-10 will also get some of the R1’s electronics which include a three-level traction control, riding modes and also a slipper clutch mechanism. The 2016 Yamaha MT-10 will feature cruise control for the last three gears which would be welcome for long distance riders. Track enthusiasts will be excited with the Quick Shift System which will be available as an option on the MT-10.
The all-new 2016 Yamaha MT-10 is currently on display at the 2015 EICMA in Milan.