Yamaha MT-03 review New Zealand
There is something very cool about having a motorbike in your garage. For me it’s part of my childhood dream of having the car the bike and the boat. So when Yamaha began helping me on my journey of getting a bike licence it was obviously quite the thrill.
In truth, gaining the first set of certification and in turn my learners licence wasn’t the hardest feat, the basic handling skills was taxing but not terribly so and the multi choice questions more of a refresh than having a completely new ‘language’ to learn.
But all things said and done, I was proud to be presented with a bright and shiny new blue learners licence.
But what next? It’s all well and good having the certification but what I really needed next was some bike time and based on my past efforts on a bike – lots of it!
Once again it’s been Yamaha to the rescue – with the launch of their new MT-03, I now had the perfect stallion to continue my riding experience – unfortunately the weather hasn’t been advised of the programme.
The MT-03 is the ideal beginner’s bike, it looks cool, the seating position is upright, the centre of gravity is low, it’s light, has a 321cc – 2 cylinder engine, electric ignition, has ABS for braking confidence and did I say it looks cool?
It has been the perfect addition to my garage for over a month now and my 5 year old son has spent a lot of time on its low saddle making raspy engine noises! Like I said, the weather has been against my bike riding time (and yes I have probably been using this as a bit of an excuse) but there was no way I was going to venture out on the road in the rain or gusting winds.
Anyway, juggling family life, chores, weather and confidence aside, I have actually managed to garb up and sneak out of the house for some alone time on the MT. With a little (ok a fair amount) of trepidation; I ventured onto the main road and off into the great the thing called traffic. Notwithstanding my abysmal co-ordination of brake, clutch, indication and throttle, I did manage to make my way to a very large (and vacant) car park near to my home. What I desperately needed to do was master the take-off.
The MT-03 is ingenious in this area, it automatically increases the revs slightly as you begin to pull away, so stalling is a thing of the past – which of course is a handy thing. My first few attempts were (let’s say) rough but time, practice, frustration and frequency has meant that I am now proficient in the art of pulling away from a standing start – I’m not too bad at stopping either!
It’s surprising how much your confidence level can grow by simply spending some time alone in a car park – I highly recommend it, as I highly recommend the MT-03. I am well on my way to conquering the urban landscape from the saddle of a motorbike – next up, traffic lights and roundabouts!
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