Yamaha 1670 MT-0S 2007 — Specifications

Two hundred units. That is the planned production run for this MT-0S, and that figure says everything about what Yamaha set out to do: not a mass-market product, but a statement of intent. Take an already unconventional MT-01, push it toward café-racer aesthetics, and produce something even more radical. The concept had been unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 2015; the limited-edition production version confirms that the idea was never just a show-stand provocation.

What strikes you first is the coherence of the result. The redesigned headlight nacelle gives the front end an almost intimidating presence — massive without being crude — elongating the silhouette while preserving the stocky proportions of the base MT-01. At the rear, the LED taillight and exhaust outlets maintain the visual tension. Lowered clip-ons push the rider forward, mirrors migrate to the fairing, the tank receives its own cowl, and the handlebar ends are machined from aluminum. Every detail points in the same direction. And Yamaha manages to offer all of this at a price below the standard MT-01, building on the 2016 base machine.

The real subject, of course, is the engine. This 1670 cc V-twin, with its 97 mm bore and 113 mm stroke, is a piece unto itself. It does not belong in the same category as a Japanese four-cylinder honed for high revs. Its 90 horsepower arrives at 4,750 rpm, its 150 Nm of torque comes in from 3,750 rpm, and that is precisely where its character lies. The five-speed gearbox does not need to be worked constantly: the engine pulls from low revs with a directness that unsettles riders accustomed to sharper machines. No progressive power build, no flattering step in the curve. Just immediate, honest traction that recalls a big American custom more than a European sport roadster.

This positioning is both the machine's strength and its limitation. At 270 kg fully fueled, with an 825 mm seat height and a 15-liter tank, the MT-0S makes no claim to the lightness of a Ducati Scrambler or the versatility of a Speed Triple. The 43 mm inverted fork and six-piston calipers on 310 mm front discs make a serious argument for braking performance, but the whole package remains a machine of character before it is a machine of pure performance. The claimed top speed of 210 km/h is attainable, but that is not where the MT-0S expresses itself best. It is on corner exits, pulling hard on a country road, that the V-twin reveals its true nature.

At €12,490 for 200 examples, it targets a very specific profile: someone who already knows the MT-01, who accepts its compromises, and who wants a version with an even stronger visual identity. Not a beginner, not a track-day rider, not a long-distance tourer. Rather an enthusiast who appreciates machines with strong personalities, capable of valuing an engine built for sensation over lap times. For that audience, the MT-0S is a coherent answer. For everyone else, it will remain a motor show curiosity.