2021 Yamaha MT-07 First Look

For 2021, Yamaha is updating the MT-07 with new bodywork, larger front brake discs, a broader handlebar, and other minor changes. The all-new MT-09 may steal the headlines in 2021, but the MT-07, though mildly updated, will likely continue to be Yamaha’s top seller.

The most obvious update is the MT’s edgier styling, capped off with a new headlight assembly that utilizes an LED headlamp, position lights, and turn signals. Yamaha has previously explained that the MT’s design language becomes more fully realized (read: edgier) with each step up in the model line—the MT-03 being the most accessible, and the MT-10, as the pinnacle of the family, being the edgiest, or most “MT-iest.” Yamaha says the MT family has always been about defying convention stylistically, and we’ve already seen the 2021 MT-09 continue in that vein. The latest generation MT-07, thanks to that new headlight assembly, resembles its three-cylinder sibling more than ever. However, in other ways it promises to be the same friendly little bike that we’ve always loved.

The 2021 MT-07 uses the versatile crossplane twin that powered the previous generations, but Yamaha is updating the air intake, giving it a new exhaust system and new ECU settings. Additional changes include higher abrasion-resistant valve seats on the exhaust side, and gear dogs with different cut angles to make the transmission slicker shifting. The 2021 model will conform to Euro 5 standards, but there’s no official word if the updates change power figures.

Additionally, for improved braking performance, Yamaha is replacing the outgoing model’s 282mm front discs with larger 298mm discs.

In the past, some riders have described the MT-07 as feeling slightly shrunken, due in part to a relatively narrow handlebar, so for 2021 Yamaha is giving the new bike a 32mm-broader bar, which it hopes will accommodate a wider range of rider sizes.

Other features include a new-look LCD dash with updated handlebar switches, different color engine covers, and new colors and graphics. MSRP is $7,699: just $100 more than the 2020 model.

Everybody loves an MT-07. It’s a simple, fun motorcycle that punches above its weight. Which is why we’ve always wanted to see a sportbike version à la Aprilia RS 660. Yamaha must not have been listening because it made an ADV bike instead. Which is also great, it turns out. The point is, you know a motorcycle is a great platform when riders want to use it in more serious ways—both off-road and on the track. The MT-07 is just that winsome.

Is winsome enough? Do Yamaha’s updates keep the MT-07 on pace with the just-announced 2021 Triumph Trident? For just a few hundred bucks more, the Trident includes two ride modes, a TFT display, more classic styling, and an extra cylinder (not that that makes it superior). The MT-07 has been the highest-selling bike in Yamaha’s lineup for good reason; the Trident has a point to prove. Which sounds like the makings of a great shootout—just one more reason 2021 can’t get here soon enough.

Expect the 2021 MT-07 to appear in US dealerships beginning in January.