MIDDLEWEIGHT KNOCKOUTS
Let’s be quite upfront about this. We wanted a road test befitting this, the 700th issue of MSL, to help celebrate the historic landmark. So after much debate and discussion (that’s a lie!) we decided to go the distance with a trio of naked 700s and have a short spin on three more to get the full picture. These were all to be machines with a near-700cc engine capacity, or failing that, at least the number seven included in their model names.
As it turned out, deciding on half a dozen bikes in this category wasn’t the easiest thing ever, but in the end we actually came up with six quite different and interesting machines.
The full review was done on the Yamaha MT-07, Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen and Suzuki GSX-S 750. To widen the perspective we also had a quick spin on the Ducati Monster 797, KTM 790 Duke and Moto Guzzi V7 III Carbon. The selection gave us a range of bikes with a mixture of engine configurations, looks, characteristics and levels of sophistication. Not all roadsters are alike.
Yamaha MT-07
I must be the very last journalist to ride Yamaha’s much praised and hugely successful MT-07, but it was well worth the wait. The parallel twin made a positive impact on me almost immediately. I don’t think it’s perfect, and in my book it could do with one particular issue sorting out to get a full score. But it’s a good bike.
Within yards of the first 40-mile outing I made on it, I used the F word: FUN. Fun is an overriding impression you get with the MT, and it’s got bags of the stuff. The super-friendly bike’s pretty damned competent at all the more serious stuff too.
Two key points encouraged my own positive feelings for the bike coming so readily. Its light weight
