Yamaha MT-07
The middleweight naked benchmark. Yamaha's CP2 689cc parallel-twin pumps out enough torque to make the MT-07 grin-inducing without being intimidating, the chassis is forgiving but eager, and it can be A2-restricted — meaning new A2 riders can buy one knowing it'll grow with them when they pass their A test. The 2021 refresh sharpened styling and updated lighting; 2023 added a 5-inch TFT dash on the MT-07 LCD-replaced model. The single most-recommended first-big-bike in UK forums for over a decade.
- Engine
- 689 cc
- Power
- 73.4 PS
- Weight
- 184 kg
- Seat height
- 805 mm
- A2 licence
- Restrictable
CP2 parallel-twin 270° crank
wet
The short version
Forecourt score
Value 64 · Insurance 38 · Theft 35
The Yamaha MT-07 is expensive to insure (group 11). Theft risk is high. It can be restricted for an A2 licence. We don't yet hold model-specific depreciation for the Yamaha MT-07; our default estimate is around 25% lost over three years.
A bike-specific blend of value retention, insurance and theft risk (weighted 40/35/25). Bikes carry no MOT reliability data, so reliability isn't scored. Higher is better. The value pillar uses our default estimate for this bike, not a model-specific figure.
Variant: MT-07
Engine
Petrol · 689cc
Power
73.4 ps
Torque
67 Nm
Weight
184 kg
Seat
805 mm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Economy
58 mpg
License
A2 restrictable
The volume MT-07. CP2 689cc parallel-twin with 270° crank for V-twin-like character, 73.4 PS, 67 Nm. 6-speed manual, chain final drive. 184 kg wet. 805mm seat = accessible to most riders 5'6"+. A2-restrictable. The default first big bike.
Tell us about the one you're looking at
Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical clean bike.
Estimated market value
£5,662
Range £5,096 – £6,228
HIGH CONFIDENCE
Holding value
Bikes hold value far better than cars — typical motorcycle 3-year depreciation is 25–32%, against cars' 40–50%. Some bikes (Hayabusa, Gold Wing, classic Z1000) actually appreciate in the 7–15 year zone as cult demand outstrips supply.
New
£7,850
At 5 years
£5,181
At 10 years
£3,831
Value loss by phase
Each band shows the share of original value lost during that window — not cumulative. Appreciation (green, marked +X% gained) is real for bikes that develop cult status.
UK new price by year
How we estimate this
We don't yet hold model-specific depreciation for this bike. The figures above are our default estimate for machines of this kind, currently applied to 2 models in the catalogue — treat them as a starting point, not a measurement of this model. Bike residuals depend heavily on theft history, service-stamp count and crash-damage signatures. Figures assume a clean, fully-stamped example.
What it costs to own
Indicative running costs at 3,000 miles a year — the UK average from DfT travel and traffic statistics. Chain-drive bikes carry a chain/sprocket consumable line; tax (typically £25–£100/yr) and depreciation are excluded — see the section above for value retention.
3-year total
£2,615
Per year
£872
Per mile
£0.29
Service costs assume independent specialist labour and OE parts. Tyre intervals reflect typical UK road riding — track-day usage burns through rear tyres in <2,000 miles. Fuel uses the variant MPG at the current DESNZ pump price of £1.60/L (week commencing 03/08/2026). Electric bikes are costed from battery capacity and published range at the current domestic electricity price; where a bike has no published range we show no energy line rather than guess. Lower-mileage riders see proportionally lower totals; higher-mileage commuters pay roughly linearly more.
Estimated insurance
Group 11 of 17 (high — performance) · Comprehensive · 5 yr NCB
Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this bike. Bike insurance is far more sensitive to licence tier and rider age than cars — pick the combination closest to your circumstances.
Licence
Age
No-claims bonus
5 yearsRisk profile
Estimated annual premium · typical, age 30-39
£1,100/ year
Roughly £92 per month
Typical
Suburban postcode, 3+ years NCB, standard security (Thatcham chain + disc lock), no recent claims.| Age band | Lower risk | Typical | Higher risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 17-21 | £1,815 | £2,420 | £3,388 |
| Age 22-29 | £1,114 | £1,485 | £2,079 |
| Age 30-39Selected | £825 | £1,100 | £1,540 |
| Age 40-49 | £726 | £968 | £1,355 |
| Age 50+ | £660 | £880 | £1,232 |
How we estimate this
Premiums combine licence tier, rider age, no-claims bonus and a risk-profile multiplier on top of a bike-specific baseline. Bike insurance is materially more sensitive to licence tier (CBT / A1 / A2 / A) than car insurance, and young riders pay considerably more than older riders even on the same machine. Always get individual quotes before buying.
Theft risk
Bike-specific · Met Police + insurance reporting
UK bike theft rates are an order of magnitude higher than car theft. Nakeds and supersports lose more to professional gangs; large adventure bikes and tourers are statistically much safer.
Theft risk score · 1 to 4
3/4High risk
High risk
Frequent theft target — appears regularly on UK police hot-lists, especially in London. Expect insurers to demand Thatcham chain + ground anchor + disc lock; tracker can knock 10–15% off premium.Theft hotspot postcodes
Postcode prefixes only; full London hot zone runs across E, N, NW, SE, SW, W boroughs depending on the model.
What this means for you
MT-series bikes are on police's most-stolen lists. London especially. Expect insurance to demand a Thatcham-approved chain + ground anchor + disc lock; without these your premium goes north of £1,400.
How we set this band
Bands derived from Met Police bike-theft reporting (most-stolen lists) cross-referenced with insurance industry underwriting data. Model + postcode are the two biggest factors in motorcycle theft risk in the UK, materially more than vehicle value.
What goes wrong
5 known issues · sorted by severity
Documented failure modes from UK owner forums, dealer service bulletins, and aggregated mechanic feedback. Mileages are approximate — different riders see different intervals depending on use and maintenance. Always address "high"-severity items before resale.
High severity
0
Medium
3
Low / cosmetic
2
| Severity | Part / issue | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| medium | Rear shock (pre-2021) Ohlins/YSS/Nitron common any | £500 to upgrade |
| medium | Final drive sprocket 20-25k mi | £200 (chain + sprockets) |
| medium | Regulator/rectifier Newer R/R units improved 30k+ mi (older bikes) | £200 |
| low | Fork seals 25-35k mi | £150 |
| low | Cam chain tensioner 20k+ mi (rare) | £250 |
How we score severity
High — strands the bike or causes consequential damage if left. Medium — service item that affects ride quality or risks failure. Low — cosmetic or minor inconvenience. Costs are independent-specialist UK rates for parts and labour together; main dealer prices typically run 30–50% higher.
Safety recalls
Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Yamaha MT-07, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.
Check on GOV.UKOpens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.
Variant comparison
UK's bestselling middleweight naked. Cross-shop Honda CB650R (smoother inline-four), Triumph Trident 660 (more premium feel), Kawasaki Z650 (cheaper). The MT-07's A2-restrictable status + strong residuals + characterful CP2 engine make it the default first big bike. Best-recommended in forums for over a decade.
Known issues
- Pre-2021 stock shock under-damped — common upgrade
- Final drive sprocket wear at 20-25,000 miles
- Coolant level on early ABS models — check at service
- Otherwise extremely reliable — CP2 engine well-proven
Strengths
- +A2-restrictable to 35kW — buy now, unrestrict at full A license
- +CP2 parallel-twin: torque-rich, characterful, easy to ride fast
- +Light at 184 kg — flickable, confidence-inspiring
- +Affordable middleweight (sub-£8k new)
- +Strong used market — easy to sell on
Watch-outs
- −Suspension is the obvious upgrade — stock dampers vague
- −No quickshifter standard (optional)
- −Wind protection minimal — long motorway stints tiring
- −Slightly cheap-feeling switchgear vs Triumph Trident 660
Related bikes
Common questions
Yamaha MT-07, answered from the data
- How much is a used Yamaha MT-07 worth?
- A 2023 Yamaha MT-07 in good condition with around 9,000 miles is worth roughly £5,650 (typical range £5,100–£6,250). Dealer asking prices sit higher than private sales, and a full service history, no crash damage and an unbroken theft record are what hold a bike at the top of its range.
- How quickly does the Yamaha MT-07 depreciate?
- We don't yet hold model-specific depreciation for the Yamaha MT-07. Our default estimate for machines of this kind is a loss of about 25% over three years, against a 25–32% norm for bikes generally — treat it as a starting point rather than a measurement of this model. Bikes hold value considerably better than cars, which typically lose 40–50% over the same period.
- Can you ride the Yamaha MT-07 on an A2 licence?
- Only if restricted. The Yamaha MT-07 is an unrestricted category A machine as sold, but it can be restricted to A2 limits. A restricted example is worth checking carefully — the paperwork matters to insurers, and a derestricted bike on an A2 licence is not road legal.
- How much does it cost to insure a Yamaha MT-07?
- Expect around £1,100 a year to insure a Yamaha MT-07, typically £900–£1,400. That assumes age 30, 3yrs NCB, suburban postcode. It sits in motorcycle insurance group 11 of 17. Bike premiums move far more on licence tier, rider age and postcode than car premiums do, so treat this as a starting point rather than a quote.
- What goes wrong on a used Yamaha MT-07?
- The wear and failure points we track for the Yamaha MT-07 are: rear shock (pre-2021) (any, £500 to upgrade); final drive sprocket (around 20-25k mi, £200 (chain + sprockets)); fork seals (around 25-35k mi, £150). We don't publish a reliability score for bikes — the MOT dataset behind our car scores doesn't support one at model level — so treat these as the specific things to inspect rather than a verdict. A full service history and a fresh MOT without advisories remain the best protection.
- What does a Yamaha MT-07 cost to run?
- Expect around 58 mpg, about £376 a year in fuel or energy, £250 for an annual service, £350 a pair for tyres every 6,000 miles, £300 for a chain and sprockets every 22,000 miles. Figures assume 3,000 miles a year, the UK average from DfT travel and traffic statistics, and current DESNZ pump prices. The cost-of-ownership table on the profile breaks this down per year and per mile.
- Is the Yamaha MT-07 likely to be stolen?
- The Yamaha MT-07 is a high theft target. MT-series bikes are on police's most-stolen lists. London especially. Expect insurance to demand a Thatcham-approved chain + ground anchor + disc lock; without these your premium goes north of £1,400. Theft is concentrated in E, N, SE, NW, SW postcode areas. A Thatcham-approved chain and ground anchor, a disc lock and a tracker are what insurers look for, and secure overnight storage moves a premium more than almost anything else.
Answers are generated from this bike's Forecourt data — curated specifications, our valuation model and the week's DESNZ fuel and energy prices — and update with the weekly data refresh.