Pulling a surprise for all fans, Yamaha unveiled the naked version of the new generation R1 called the ‘MT-10’ at the 2015 EICMA Show that really left the audience thinking. This is a new segment that Yamaha tends to enter with the MT-10 that shares a lot of technology with the supersport offering. Quirky, futuristic and a head turner, the MT-10 is a desirable as the Japanese offering gets and we can’t wait for it to come to India.
Yamaha has kept a lot of things common from the ongoing R1 which includes the main chassis, swingarm, suspension, electronics (excluding the IMU), wheels and basic engine platform that has been re-tuned for getting better performance numbers yet keeping it a stable rider. The MT-10 comes loaded with a 998cc CP4 engine seen in the R1 models and the company has worked upon the intake, exhaust and fueling systems with maintaining a decent crank balance for better torque delivery. The official power figures are not yet revealed, but we expect it to have nearly 170 BHP.
The MT-10 seems to be a real cracker for the buck as it features almost everything that we can find in a car like a three-stage Traction Controls System, Cruise control, Different riding modes for different road conditions, Assist and Slipper Clutch for smoother and faster gear shifts, ABS as standard, a lightweight ultra-short wheelbase aluminium Deltabox chassis, YCC-T (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) and a newly designed LCD multi function instrument panel. The super naked gets the shortest wheelbase in the segment at 1400 mm, giving it superior handling power.
Yamaha has ensured that the bike can perform at its best throughout any terrain it comes through, with various riding modes like the Standard mode providing smooth power delivery on the overall RPM band, the A mode providing the bike its much needed enthusiastic performance for the low to mid range speeds for high performance and the B mode delivering a neutral performance for slippery areas and tight corners.
The 2016 Yamaha MT-10 has a lot of competition to fight against including BMW S1000R, Kawasaki Z1000, KTM 1290 Super Duke R and Suzuki GSX-S1000 in the segment and will be posing as a tough rival with its striking looks and loaded tech wizardry. However, the new MT-10 will be anything but cheap with a price tag over Rs. 17 lakhs (ex-showroom) expected on the Indian model.
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