Thinking about it

[Devilman]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to decide on a new bike for next year and I'm torn between the 2020 Ninja 650 and the MT-07. Just a quick back ground on me, I'm 43 and just started riding last April. I bought a Rebel 500, great starter bike and I have put 3700 miles on it so far. It is a great bike but I want a little more ooph. LOL. I do not have anyone around me that rides so I have taken a class and learned alot on youtube. I did test ride two 2020 Harleys at the end of summer. I learned I'm not a cruiser person. I like the flickability (if that's a word) of my Rebel. I also loved the 2017 FZ-09, but way too much power that I need. I cannot do a sport bike other than a Ninja 650 or 400 because 20 yrs as mechanic in the Air Force my wrists and shoulders are shot. LOL. But I never have rode a fully fairing bike. I do a little bit of highway driving. Once a month I'll take an 1.5 hr trip to my parents house and its all highways. How much difference does fairings make? Dealerships here do not like to test drive so I have no idea. I drive the Rebel and its is naked other than a small windscreen. Any opinions would be appreciated. Thank you.

[DewMan]

The MT-07 should be on your short list with your given criteria. 

[klx678]

The 700 engine is awesome power.  If you saw Cycle World's dyno graphic you'd see the power spread is huge, a big flat plateau of torque at at least 80% max from around 3000 rpm to redline.   

I have the XSR700 and have no regrets what so ever.     I doubt you would find any problem with the power of the MT07.   From there it is purely if you like the rest of the bike.   The reviews all the 689cc powered Yamahas have never had any negatives and usually superlatives about the way it works.  The MT is considered a serious bargain for what you get.  I went with the XSR because I liked the layout and style more.  

Edited January 4, 2020 by klx678

[cornerslider]

I think you would like the FZ/MT-07 platform. I never really liked a windshield much, except on long touring type rides (which I no longer enjoy). Last summer I did a 347 mile ride without a windshield, and I got a bit uncomfortable around the 275 mile mark, not from the wind- but the seat. I ride the FZ-07, but I think the MT-07 has a slightly more comfortable seat? The CP2 engine is an absolute joy to experience. I've had "sport bikes" in the past that all the power lives north of 10,000 rpm. That's NOT fun for me, and for street riding is just plain silly. The CP2 motor makes power/torque from 3,000 - 9,000 rpm which is more manageable for newer riders-

[phanomenal07]

Being that I am someone who have alot of experience riding both I can tell you that the fz07 is no doubt a better bike. The fz is more powerful, lighter, and way more flickable.  The 650 is slightly more comfortable but not enough to make up for the rest of the short coming compared to the fz. 

[Devilman]

21 minutes ago, phanomenal07 said:

Being that I am someone who have alot of experience riding both I can tell you that the fz07 is no doubt a better bike. The fz is more powerful, lighter, and way more flickable.  The 650 is slightly more comfortable but not enough to make up for the rest of the short coming compared to the fz. 

What about fairings? Does it make a big difference on the wind? Never drove a faired bike so I have no clue. LOL

 

[phanomenal07]

For me I dont mind riding the fz all day long with no fairings and a simple wind screen helps alot on the fz. I rather not have the wind protection when its summer time and you'll be just as cold in the winter time on the ninja. 

[cornerslider]

36 minutes ago, Devilman said:

What about fairings? Does it make a big difference on the wind? Never drove a faired bike so I have no clue. LOL

 

Most "sport bikes" with fairings/bodywork don't really offer much in the way of wind protection. Unless you're in a full tuck blasting down a racetrack, they are pretty much useless in my opinion. They look pretty, and they sell a lot of bikes, but that's about it-

[mt7fan]

Also a benefit of the mt07 : a great forum here.

 

[1tondriver]

FZ/MT in my opinion is the best “blank slate” bike out there. You can literally have it function as a race bike, tourer, adventure, commuter and so on with various mods. I find it in its stock form still a great all around bike. 
Unless you are putting countless highway miles on it every day I don’t think you can go wrong. 
Take a look at some members bikes in the gallery and see what some members have done to theirs. 
Best bike and most fun on 2 wheels I have had bar none. 

[robbo10]

The MT-07 is, IMO, an exceptional bike. Yamaha have sold nearly 250,000 of them. That opinion relates mainly to the engine. It is the most smile inducing bike I have had.  I have ridden a Z650 (is the Ninja version ok for your wrists?) which was very pleasant, comfortable and sort of a soft version of the MT; not for me.  All the signs over 5 years are that the MT  has quality.  If you do look at the gallery, might you message some who have a screen for opinions?  There are discussions of screens on here. (My MT's partner is a Rebel 500 - very different!)

[Devilman]

Thanks to all the responses.  The MT-07 is on the top of my short list. I've seen alot of aftermarket parts for it and I like that option. I have a Rebel 500 and tinkered with it as much as I could. Exhaust, Grips, lights, highway bars and etc. After that there was not alot to do. I like to modify my stuff, except I don't want to dig into the engine. LOL!

Thanks robbo10, you ride a Rebel 500 and now I know that a MT-07 is a complete different animal. That's what I'm looking for. I have to learn by trying or asking about different types. I know I'm not a sport bike guy (ergos and not a complete speed demon) or straight cruiser. I like corners. LOL. 

[robbo10]

Here is a site that helps with working out ergos:

http://cycle-ergo.com

 

 

[kylerhsm]

Have you considered the MT07 Tracer? Maybe it's not available where you're from but it definitely ups the comfort on the naked MT07.

[Bigturbomax]

^^^he said Air Force so im guessing the states....which sadly did not receive the tracer 700

[Bigturbomax]

I also have shot shoulders (ex auto mechanic) and find the FZ07 ergonomically comfortable. Seat leaves something to be desired on longer rides tho. My buddy has a Z650 and weve switched bikes a few times on rides. I always wanna get back on my FZ cuz i miss all the torque and he always says he wishes hed bought the FZ instead of the kawi. Your mileage may vary but thats my take. 

[Bigturbomax]

Oh and also ive found even on faired bikes the wind wants to whoop your butt. For me a naked bike with a decent screen is just as good as a faired sport bike. Obviously a goldwing would offer real wind protection....but then so does my car lol. Its hard to find serious fault in the FZ/MT given what else sells for the same price.

[1tondriver]

If I ever start ground pounding highway miles again I am going to get another FJR1300. That bike was so nice to cruise on the highway with. Those fairings and adjustable windshield were great! No wind issues and could do 600 miles comfortably. Probably should have never sold it. 

[klx678]

Cool dogs in the avitars.  

[Devilman]

Yes I live in the US so no Tracer for us. 

[shinyribs]

On 1/4/2020 at 4:08 PM, Devilman said:

What about fairings? Does it make a big difference on the wind? Never drove a faired bike so I have no clue. LOL

 

I've never owned a bike with fairings or a windshield, but I have ridden quite a few of them. Like  cornerslider said, the fairings help the bike go through the wind, but do nothing for you. Windshields seem to cause more wind turbulence than they help, in my limited experience. If your jacket and helmet fit properly snug you will glide through the air with ease. There are some open stretches of road around here where I can cruise at pretty irresponsible speeds for remarkably long distances...I can sit on a naked bike at 100mph all day long.  Oddly enough, the 07 keep the wind off your legs really well...and I'm not sure why. Days when I just ride in jeans vs riding pants I noticed early on that this is the only bike that my pants legs don't whip around on on the highway. The wind on these bikes ain't bad at all. 

As for your shoulders, the stock bars on the FZ have the weirdest bend I ever saw and were super uncomfortable for me, but otherwise it's a very standard seating position on these bikes. No weight on your wrists or shoulders. The stock bars just put my wrists at an odd position that gave me some shoulder pain, but a $20 pair of steel dirt bike bars can fix that right up. So, give one a test ride and see how you like the engine and the handling, but don't let some easily adjusted ergos scare you away if it feels a little funny at first. Coming from a Rebel, your legs are probably gonna feel real folded up, but give it a few miles on a test ride and see if it will work for you. 

[robbo10]

On 1/5/2020 at 12:37 PM, robbo10 said:

The MT-07 is, IMO, an exceptional bike. Yamaha have sold nearly 250,000 of them. 

My mistake -that No. is for whole MT range.

[cornerslider]

19 hours ago, shinyribs said:

The stock bars just put my wrists at an odd position that gave me some shoulder pain, but a $20 pair of steel dirt bike bars can fix that right up

I agree about the bars, they always felt awkward. I put some Renthal "ultra lows" on mine. They are only slightly lower than stock, but the bend is much more comfortable-

[Devilman]

shinyribs, how much wider are the Rebel handlebars compared to the MT-07? Is it that much narrower? 

[EZrider]

Hey @Devilman

Roughly 3 and 1/2 years ago, had (almost) exactly the same dilemma:  Narrowed down my choices to 2 bikes:  FZ07 and the ER6N (which is basically the same as the Ninja 650, but without the fairings) and I never rode any bikes before - FZ07 was my 1st - and also am roughly your age, and motorcycles dealers here (Canada) are also not too fond of road tests lol

So after LOTS of reading on the net, pulled the trigger for the FZ07, and never regretted my choice since!

If you like muscle car sounds, can't go wrong with the FZ07 + aftermarket exhaust (sounds a bit like an old V8!).  If you also like the "flickability" of bikes, with barely 400pounds wet, can't go wrong with the FZ07!  Also had a chance to try out my friends FZ09 (and he drove my FZ07) and after the test ride, he offered me to trade bikes as is! lol  He basically said that my Fz was more fun to ride than his '09!  And I might add that the "fun bike to ride" is always a comment that's coming back up in a lot of reviews, for both new riders and experienced riders (having rode 1000+cc's bike), and I think that fact alone says a lot!

Fairing wise, if you're not on a racing track looking to gain milliseconds, I don't think it'll change anything for standard street (and speed) use, but, like others mentionned, a small windshield helps greatly the FZ07 on highways, got the Puig sports model, which is fairly small, but was a world of a difference confortwise vs the wind on highway speeds (60-65mph).

And also, if you like torque, our beloved bike is a torque monster starting as low as 3000-3500 rpm and in my opinion, much more useful for standard street use vs "pure" sportsbike that you need to rev in the 8000+ rpm range to get full potential of the engine's capabilities.

Confort wise, did a 4 days trip in the states (we also did mount Washington during that trip), we rode roughly 5 to 7 hours a day, had no ackes whatsoever (considering that we stopped 5-10 minutes for each hour - hour and a half).

The only "downside" of the FZ07 is if you're very tall, it's rather a small bike and *might* be uncomfortable for you.  But that being sais, I'm 6'1'' (but roughly 36'' of inseam, which is a lot for my height) and the bike is on the small side for me, but still ok.  But if you're +-6'3'' or more, I don't think you would be confortable on this bike, but again, ymmv.

With all of this being said, I've also had the chance to ride +- 6 bikes (amongst those a 1200 or 1300'cc BMW, custom bikes, etc.), and I was always happy to come back on my FZ07, never once regretted my choice :)

My 2 cents 

Good luck on your dilemma!