How Fast Is The Yamaha MT-07? A Look At Its Top Speed And Acceleration Times

The twin-cylinder Yamaha MT-07 is the cheapest naked bike you can buy from Yamaha with enough speed to carry it beyond "Starter Bike" territory. While the MT-07 is a good bike for beginners, it's also fitting for intermediate riders or could be a long-term ride for those looking for a calmer bike lacking liter-class sportbike power.

Labeling the Yamaha MT-07 as a beginner- or intermediate-rider friendly motorcycle doesn't mean it isn't fast. A few years ago, Rider Magazine put a Yamaha MT-07 on the dyno and found its 689cc parallel twin engine, six-speed transmission, and chain final drive delivered 68 horsepower and 46.5 lb-ft of torque to the 180/55ZR17 rear tire. The "Z" in the tire description, indicating tires rated for up to 149 mph, is our first clue of the MT-07's potential speed.

Yamaha doesn't provide performance data like zero-to-60-mph acceleration times or top speed. However, many online videos show MT-07 zero to 60 hovering around the five-second range, while the best times, including a report from ReevyMotovlogs, come in closer to 4-seconds. Most video reviewers had trouble keeping the front wheel of the MT-07 down while trying to accelerate from a standing start.

FastestLaps reports an estimated 0-60 time of 3.6-seconds and top speed at 129 mph, but it would take perfect road conditions and a seasoned rider to get those results. YouTubers like Moto Top Speed and SaltxThexWound each posted Yamaha MT-07 speedometer-indicated top speeds of 199 kmh, or 124 mph, on public roadways.

Some of the most popular alternatives to the Yamaha MT-07 that aren't Yamaha are the Suzuki SV650, Triumph Trident 660, and Kawasaki Z650. While these options all have smaller displacement engines, the SV650 and Trident 660 make more horsepower, and the Kawasaki Z650 has nearly the same power.

For the sake of uniformity, we'll consider FastestLaps' projected acceleration and top speed values for comparison. At our baseline, the Yamaha MT-07 had an estimated 0-60 time of 3.6-seconds and top speed of 129 mph. FastLaps reports the Suzuki SV650 values at 3.5-seconds 0-60 and a 127-mph top speed.

FastestLaps only lists the Triumph Trident 660 acceleration values in kph. Its zero-to-100-kph time is 4.0-seconds, but since 100 kph equals 62.1 mph, the Trident's 0-60 should fall under 4-seconds slightly. Top speed estimates come in at 122 mph.

Rated at 67-horsepower and 47 lb-ft of torque, the Kawasaki Z650 is the closest of our three alternatives to the MT-07's power ratings. Again, FastestLaps only lists acceleration values for the Z650 in kph. With its zero-to-100-kph estimated at 3.9 seconds; it's quicker than the Trident 660 and likely comparable to the MT-07. However, its top speed is only rated at 119 mph, the slowest of our group.