New MT-03

[robbo10]

Apparently the MT-03 has not sold as well as they had hoped. Hence the considerable improvements this time. 

[YZEtc]

Hmmm.

It seems I just might be getting one of these bikes after all.

We'll see in February.

[YZEtc]

Update:

I bought a 2020 MT-03 today in the black color scheme.

I traded my 2020 CB300R back in toward the MT-03, and I'll be bringing it home sometime between tomorrow and Saturday.

Once I get a few rides on it, I'll post what I think of the bike and how it compares to the CB300R I rode for 704 miles.

[DewMan]

16 hours ago, YZEtc said:

Once I get a few rides on it, I'll post what I think of the bike and how it compares to the CB300R I rode for 704 miles.

Curiosity question. Why did you decide replace the CB300R after only 704 miles? 

[YZEtc]

7 hours ago, DewMan said:

Curiosity question. Why did you decide replace the CB300R after only 704 miles? 

The MT-03 was my first choice and the CB300R my second choice when I wanted to buy a new bike in October, but since the MT-03 was not yet available then, I bought the CB300R and planned on riding it for the whole 2020 season.

That is, until my local salesman, who sold me the CB300R, said that he'd take the CB300R back in trade toward the MT-03 when it came out.

[YZEtc]

Got a short 8 mile ride on the 2020 MT-03 this afternoon, just long enough to get a sample of the engine characteristics:

Good low-end torque, power comes on around 6,500 RPM, pulls well to at least 10,000 RPM which is as high as I've revved it so far.

[robbo10]

Did you like it, YZEtc?

[YZEtc]

8 hours ago, robbo10 said:

Did you like it, YZEtc?

Yes, I liked it right away.

I'm waiting to put some more miles on it, and then I'll write more details about it.

Edited March 23, 2020 by YZEtc

[Spatt]

On 10/2/2019 at 6:03 PM, cornerslider said:

Just take my ALL my money...... I'm "was" planning on buying a Duke 390 for the street next year. If this comes to the USA, this changes everything. I will own one!!!!!

Unless it has electronic throttle control... it’d stick with the 390. Clutchless up and down shifts ftw

[YZEtc]

OK, I've put 80 miles on the bike since the past two days had good weather. Here's what I think so far:

Engine characteristics are just what I was looking for:
Performance between my 2015 FZ-07 and the 2020 CB300R I traded back in to get the MT-03.
Off-idle torque is surprisingly good and taking off from a stop is easy. From there to 7,000 RPM, there's enough oomph to leisurely ride to your heart's content in this range without fear of getting run over by other traffic. 7,000 RPM is where it gets into the powerband and power noticeably increases, revving strongly to 12,000 RPM. It's a fun little engine and surprisingly quick at times while being very friendly and easy to ride.
Vibration is minimal (practically speaking, I don't notice any while riding), the clutch works well and the transmission shifts well.
Transition from throttle off to throttle on is very good with no sudden application of power when opening the throttle, often called Throttle Snatch. This is something that I had heard was not so great, and I'm happy to report that it is very good, indeed.
No complaints.

The bike cuts up corners on back roads just fine, feeling light yet stable.
The tires are Dunlop GPR300 radials (not bias ply IRCs as some of the initial reports from a few months ago stated, thank God) and they work very well even though the temperatures are not yet summer-like. I imagine they'll be great when it gets a bit warmer.

Brakes are good.
The front is actually satisfactory to me, a relief since some of the reviews that have recently come out say it's crap, so I can't agree there. The stock front brake on my 2020 CB300R? Now, that was crap, although EBC HH pads made that pretty good.
I'll install EBC HH front pads on the MT-03, anyway, since I already brought some.
The rear brake is just fine and dandy.

Suspension is surprisingly good considering it's viewed as a budget bike or beginner bike.
Both ends take the bumps well and maintain traction, and so far, I haven't found anything to gripe about.
If you want to try suspension that will make you gripe, my 2007 Suzuki SV650 did that pretty well with forks that made you feel every square-edge bump and crack in the road, and the rear shock wasn't much better. Race Tech Emulators and an Ohlins did the trick for that bike.
There's a chance I'll buy an aftermarket rear shock for the MT-03 at some point, just because I'm an adult and I can do things like that.

The looks and styling of the bike is one area I feel is so-so.
It's not bad, but the CB300R definitely had much better styling to it. To me, the MT-03 reminds me of something from 1995, especially in the all-black color that I chose (didn't care for the fluorescent orange wheels on the other color choice).
One part of the MT03 styling I like is the LED headlight and two running lights. They look pretty sleek without being dumb, and I imagine at some point somebody will ask me where I bought the aftermarket headlight.
I haven't ridden the bike at night yet, so I can't comment on how the headlight works on shedding light in the darkness.

So, there you go so far.
If you want to know more,  just ask.

 

 

[bornagainbiker]

How big are you and how does the bike fit you physically?

[YZEtc]

I'm 5'5" and 150 pounds.

The bike fits me well, the seat is very comfortable, and the seat height is lower than some other bikes.

[robbo10]

Thank you, YZEtc. Very interesting write-up.  This could be my next move as I move down the bike weight league. But not yet. I like the styling but I have not seen one in the 'flesh'.  And I have quite taken to coloured wheels so orange would do me fine.  Glad to read that the seat is comfortable.  Well done. Enjoy!

[klx678]

Is there a chance that the MT 03 rear wheel might fit the MT 07/XSR700?    I would like to fit a narrower rear tire, 140 or 160 flat track tread,  on my XSR and it was a thought.   Or any suggestion of a similar rear wheel in the width to suit the 140-160 wide tire that has been fitted on a Yamaha that may fit.  Just thinking at the moment.  

[cornerslider]

11 hours ago, klx678 said:

Is there a chance that the MT 03 rear wheel might fit the MT 07/XSR700?    I would like to fit a narrower rear tire, 140 or 160 flat track tread,  on my XSR and it was a thought.   Or any suggestion of a similar rear wheel in the width to suit the 140-160 wide tire that has been fitted on a Yamaha that may fit.  Just thinking at the moment.  

Not likely.... The axle is a smaller diameter on the MT-03.

[klx678]

Bummer.   It was an interesting thought.    I have wondered about doing the reverse of the rim widening process too, getting another wheel and having it narrowed to 4.50 or 4.25.  But again, just a thought at the moment.  If I had a couple grand I'd just buy a couple wheels.

Edited March 28, 2020 by klx678

[YZEtc]

Put a few more miles on the bike yesterday after making a few changes:

I installed a different throttle tube (plastic part the throttle grip slides over) that I had from one of my previous Yamaha motorcycles. This one has a larger-diameter part where the throttle cables attach, changing the ratio of how far the throttle must be twisted to open the throttle fully. It now takes a bit less rotation.

I then installed some Renthal grips (although other brands would have worked, too) because I felt the stock grips were not very grippy and felt a little too large in diameter for my taste. These feel better.

I then installed EBC HH front brake pads. These have been proven to give more braking power with other bikes I've owned, and it is the same with my MT-03. The stock front brake was good, and now it is very good, something that is a must in order for me to really enjoy my motorcycles.

[YZEtc]

Update on my 2020 MT-03 experience.

Since last post, I have:

1) Removed the throttle tube I had installed and replaced it with an actual 2006 R6 throttle tube so that I would know for certain what it came from and so I would know I'm using the Real McCoy R6 throttle tube.

2) Removed the Renthal grips I'd installed and put on some Pro Taper Half-Waffle MX grips.

3) I turned the rear shock spring preload down one notch to better-suit my 150 pounds body weight.

4) I adjusted the shift lever height up 5 millimeters to make it easier to get my Sidi boot under it.

5) The rubber shift pedal tip got cut off and replaced with another Yamaha part that looks like the original one, but is made of softer rubber that actually feels much better. The original one felt like hard plastic in comparison.

I now have about 710 miles on the 2020 MT-03 and I've had some good rides over the month in some great, warm weather, the kind of conditions that bring the best out in sport tires.

I can see why Yamaha Motor Corp., USA claims the YZF-R3 is their best-selling motorcycle here in the USA: This 2020 MT-03 feels great going into and exiting corners, and the 2020 MT-03 is a 2019 or 2020 R3 with less bodywork and taller handlebars. Many of the parts are exactly the same on both bikes, like the R&G Tail Tidy and Exhaust Hanger Bracket I recently ordered (the Tail Tidy to improve appearance and the Exhaust Hanger Bracket to remove the passenger pegs).

The bike feels as stable as any other Yamaha sport bike I've owned with 321cc maneuverability. That's a great combination and, I'm happy to report, the 2020 MT-03 is feeling and performing as I hoped it would:

Very good, indeed.

[Joaoduarte]

I saw that in a yamaha dealer here in Portugal first thing that came to my mind was if those front suspension would be plug and play on our mt07 like and easier r6 front suspension upgrade. I think the next mt07 will follow that idea resembling a bit the r1/mt09 robotic face

[robbo10]

Thanks for the write-up, YZEtc. Looking very good.

[YZEtc]

Update:

My 2020 MT-03 now has 1,200 miles on it. 

After I've been riding a particular motorcycle for a while, it starts to leave an impression on me and I begin to think of it in a certain way. The way I think of this MT-03 is that it a sleeper. That is, it's not much to look at with it's so-so styling, but the feel of the handling and great performance of the engine belie it's looks.

I feel that I actually got more than I bargained for with this bike.

Edited June 11, 2020 by YZEtc

[Kiwii]

On 3/28/2020 at 3:31 AM, YZEtc said:

I'm 5'5" and 150 pounds.

The bike fits me well, the seat is very comfortable, and the seat height is lower than some other bikes.

Yzetc:

can you comment on the weight difference between the fz07, cb300r and mt03? I know it was mentioned that the mt03 wasn’t that much lighter than the FZ07. How was it to wheel around into garage or loading it on a truck?

also how’s the stock exhaust sound compared to other bikes?

fuel economy doesn’t seem to have increased at all. Any comments there over the FZ07?

I think this bike would be a great one for the Mrs. if she ever took up riding 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2020 by Kiwii

[YZEtc]

On 8/4/2020 at 11:43 PM, Kiwii said:

Yzetc:

can you comment on the weight difference between the fz07, cb300r and mt03? I know it was mentioned that the mt03 wasn’t that much lighter than the FZ07. How was it to wheel around into garage or loading it on a truck?

also how’s the stock exhaust sound compared to other bikes?

fuel economy doesn’t seem to have increased at all. Any comments there over the FZ07?

I think this bike would be a great one for the Mrs. if she ever took up riding 

 

 

 

 

The MT-03 weighs more than the CB300R and weighs less than the FZ-07, as you would expect. The MT-03 feels noticeably lighter than the FZ-07, both when pushing it by the handlebars and while actually riding it. Pushing it around the garage is pretty easy. Loading it into a truck is no problem as that's how I got mine home from the dealer.

The CB300R is noticeably lighter than the other two bikes mainly because the engine is physically smaller being a single-cylindered unit. If someone were looking for the lightest 300 class street bike as their main criteria, this would be a good choice. Myself, I enjoyed the CB300R while I rode it, but did want a bit more power as well. That's why I eventually ended-up with the MT-03: It fits between the FZ-07 and the CB300R.

The exhaust note of the MT-03 is average, in my opinion. It is quiet and non-obtrusive, like other street bikes with the original muffler. 

I have not measured the MT-03 MPG, but my gut feeling is that it's a bit better than the FZ-07 if I were to ride both bikes in a similar manner. Both were/are satisfactory to me in that department.

 

[fivepointnine]

Old thead, but my wife also has an MT03 we bought new in the crate last spring.  She is 5'0 tall so we had to put a trex lowering kit on it (and dropped the forks an equal amount) and she can rail corners on that thing (tires are worn all the way to the very very edge).  Hers also has the TST worx kit with velocity stacks, SAI removal/block off, race air filter, modified airbox covers, Yoshimura race exhaust and the matching tune...something like 43whp now.  It is surprisingly quick. 

Only problem we have had is parts availability, she laid it down in the rain when she was cornering over  crosswalk paint and she broke a rearset and scratched the air scoop.  I ended up having to get a used rearset from an R3 since and have yet to get an air scoop since the parts have been on backorder for 3+ months now.

[YZEtc]

Update:

Still riding my 2020 MT-03, and I'm still impressed by it. The odometer reads about 10 miles short of 3,000, and I still look forward to each time I ride the bike.

I'm still impressed with the performance of the engine. It has a great spread of torque and power that make riding easy and fun. The handling of the bike is fantastic, even though you may not get that impression looking at the bike, it's list price, and the spec. sheet. This bike handles - it is the naked version of the YZF-R3, after all. Even the suspension is fine, surprisingly so considering the bike is the lowest-cost MT.

Very satisfied with the bike, even more so that I thought I would be.

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by YZEtc
spellin'