There is something very pleasing about getting your kicks from an over sized engine with so much bottom end torque it should be illegal and not from a high revving modern day screaming racer.
In the past if you wanted your kicks in bucket loads of speed and power there has only been one choice, a modern day racer with all the add ons and expense that goes with it.
There are only 3 - 4 bikes on the market to compete with the Harley-Davidson big V Twin. The first of these was the Buell who made a serious attempt at genuine high performance from a low revving big torque engine. The slightly obscure shape and makeup of the Buell with its highly tuned Harley Davidson V twin was over shadowed by its poor reliability issues and a lack of comfort.
Another bike in the mix is the Aprilia Tuono 1000 with its great looking Italian lines that has become a favourite amongst riders worldwide. Not only is it reliable with a big hitting V Twin engine it can perform and compete against most modern racers. The other Italian V Twin is the new Ducati Diavel (meaning Devil) has been described as the Power Cruiser. Up to now it has outperformed all expectations but with a price tag of Ă‚Ĺ 15,895 it may well be too rich for some.
There is however a forth bike that up to now has been keeping a low profile and has only just started to make a serious impact on the V Twin market place. A muscle bike with looks and attitude too match. The Yamaha MT 01 may well be the answer with a massive 1670 cc V Twin engine.
The MT 01 has been around since 1995 and over the years it has refined its muscle bike status with improvements to weight, brakes and accessories. The 1670cc V Twin has been taken from the Road Star Warrior and pushes out 89bhp. Its air cooled pushrod engine comes in at around 525lbs.
The MT 01 isn't the lightest of machines and when compared to the Buell with its 395 lbs it's a heavy beast. What the MT 01 does have is an abundance of Torque. This engine produces as much Torque at idle as most other V Twin bikes do at their peak. It's impossible to stall the MT 01 so even the heaviest handed riders will have no problem with pulling away on this beast.
The MT 01 has a sound like no other V Twin and is meaty from the moment the engine starts. To add to the great sound Akrapovic do a great line in after market pipes for the MT01.
This machine isn't a missile and may not appeal to the R1 enthusiast, this bike is all about Torque and at 525 lbs it's not going to break the quarter mile record. What it does provide is quality and character from a well proven air cooled V Twin. This muscle bike will outperform any of the big cruisers in the same engine size category on the road.
One of the big talking points about the mighty MT 01 is its thunderous vibration. For most riders its all part of the muscle bike experience and isn't a problem. Some riders have experienced pins and needles but only after some serious time in the saddle.
Yamaha have built a bike aimed at those who still want a bike with attitude and character, a rider who wants to be noticed and appreciated on the road. With the clamp down on riders across Europe and the UK, it's impossible to take full advantage of today's super bikes on public roads. The average rider today is getting older not faster; the niche market of the muscle bike is growing in stature and appealing to a much bigger audience.
The MT 01 will growl at passersby and thunder down the road, with its low down revving engine it will pull away in any gear and pull all the way through the rev rang. Its styling is unique as is the power. The suspension works well and has plenty of room for adjustment. Yamaha have placed four piston, radially mounted callipers on the MT 01 to accommodate the power and weight of the machine.
This bike is all about style and attitude, looking like it should be on the set of a Mad Max film is just the start. There is no question about its performance, it's the way it is delivered in such an unlike Yamaha way. It's a brute of a machine with looks to match with a massive engine block and air intakes on the side of the tank, like an old Mustang.
The MT 01 will cruise at 70 mph all day and every day, it's very much an old school bike with modern day values.
