The Yamaha YZF-R1 has always been a poster favourite since it's release in 1998. The raising of the gearbox input shaft and allowing the gearbox output shaft to be placed beneath it was a brilliant idea, making the 998cc sportsbike even more compact. The wheelbase could be shortened and the centre of gravity was now more optimised, the YZF-R6 followed in 1999 as a 600cc version of it's bigger sibling. This is the same thinking behind the current crop of 'hyper naked' bikes being release, take the scalpel laser focused track setup with learnings from the top racers and create a naked unfaired hoon of a bike for the street, and tune it for low down grunt and torque, keeping the road riders happy (you'd be hard pressed to keep your licence for long riding like a motogp rider on a race bike for the street) and wafting along on the midrange grunt of a naked? Just what the Doctor ordered!
Lets talk looks, the bike looks great from almost any angle, apart from the front (in our opinion), we're not quite sure why Yamaha has held on tight to the bug eyes, but they don't affect you as a rider and don't affect your ability to see so, we wouldn't right it off!
This Hyper Naked sports bike is only motorbike worldwide to have an Ohlins 6 mode electronically activated spool valve suspension. The semi active mode controls the force to suit the riding environments in order to provide the best precision when slowing and speeding up. The MT-10 SP parts include a braided brake hose which is mounted to the front and rear calipers to experience the extreme pressures when riding; its slick appearance has a sports logo premium colour. Blue coloured rims and an aluminium type look for the fuel tank. This bike also comes with a standard size screen 4.2 inches for information, controls and monitoring speed. Moreover, the MT-10 SP has a small but simple to use cruise control with speed limit control features.
A quick shifter upgrade comes with an alternative clutch material allowing a smooth and soft gear change. One thing noticeable is the heaviness during leaning over to one side and there is not much movement of the handlebars until the steering lock intervenes. Although, a stable bike altogether and it is quite fuel efficient. An updated CP4 EUS engine with a 998cc capacity and 6 alignment IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) aids dominating whilst braking and sliding. The crossed planes within the crankshaft provides an irregular boosting system in order for the torque to accelerate rather fast. In addition, the ECU communicates with the bikes high-tech rider aids to continue full control of the bike’s power. Also, the 2023 additions including the bigger intake ducts and natural amplifier vents encourage a powerful noise impacting the body for an exciting ride
When we rode it we noticed the evident pull above around 4000rpm, and as the valves begin to open, that's where we had it most of the ride, we managed to quickly disperse half a tank before we handed the bike back to Yamaha!
Priced at £16,500(We've seen £16,000 too), and this is the special edition SP? That's quite a bargain.
Main Competitors:
BMW S 1000 R
KTM 1290 SuperDuke R
Aprilia V4 Tuono 1100
KTM 1290 SuperDuke R
Aprilia V4 Tuono 1100
Key Features:
Yamaha YZF-R1 derived inline-four engine
Six-axis IMU with multiple rider aids
Lightweight aluminum chassis with fully adjustable suspension
Find parts for the 2017-2022 Yamaha MT-10SP
Rider: Brett Moore
Writer: Amy Clark
