Rennie Scaysbrook | November 16, 2015
Yamaha’s Dark Side of Japan platform just got a lot darker (or florescent, depending on where you look), as the company unveiled one of the surprises of the EICMA Show in Milan, the MT-10.
This is the first four-cylinder machine in the MT (branded FZ in the U.S.), line-up, and is a return to the ethos of the extremely popular FZ1 machine, a nakedbike that borrowed its powerplant from the YZF-R1.
As such, the new MT-10 is powered by a derivative of the crossplane crank engine found in the 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1, a machine that itself came out with a host of revisions at the start of this year. It’s more than just the engine, as the Deltabox chassis and suspension is both taken from the superbike.
Yamaha is keeping closed lipped about the horsepower and torque figures, although don’t be surprised if the MT punches out north of 150hp at the rear wheel considering the YZF-R1 is good for around 165hp. That’ll make for serious one-wheeled fun with wheelbase reported at 55.1in.
Yamaha has also fitted a cruise control system to the MT that engages above 32mph, three variable riding modes, three-stage traction control, four-piston front brake calipers ABS, a slipper clutch and seriously edgy styling. However, the new MT does not get electronic suspension like the YZF-R1M, and will have its suspension taken care of by 43mm fully-adjustable forks and a rear monoshock.