Mt-01

There is not many sports riding enthusiasts or super touring freaks around here, but I thought you might be interested in reading this review about the Yamaha MT-01 that definitely blurs the line between cruisers and sport bikes. This is the next step after the RoadStar Warrior that was introduced a couple years ago.
MT-01 Review

Yeah, Ross, I read the "motorcyclist" article on the MT01. It sounds like a bike that didn't quite get thought out in as much as it's not a really practical bike from the standpoint of every day use. It could be, I mean, with a Ventura rack/pack system, but those pipes look like they wouldn't do well with soft bags draped across them. It's a cool concept and great to have another sit up sport ride out there. I won't buy a pure sportbike, just too impractical on the street. I'd appreciate your feed back on the bike, Ross, as to how hot those pipes get and whether the cooling system (forced air with a fan?) works well enough to allow for soft bags. I realize, however, you won't be seeing one for a while since they won't be available here this year. Really and truely, I'd much prefer a down pipe or a completely inclosed under seat pipe ala CBR600F4i.

At this point, and not being one who's hung up on long stroke OHV V twins, I would have to say, and especially for the price difference (assuming the MT01 will be available here in the future) I'd prefer the FZ1. The FZ1 is a much more practical bike for the sport/touring roll as naked sport bikes go. I bet the MT01 handles quicker dispite the weight of the thing, though. The steering geometry numbers looked pretty quick and the suspension and brakes is R1 stuff, inverted cartridge fork. THAT'S cool!

Goose,
have you ever ridden the FZ1? I think it is awesome and still mostly undiscovered.

Most I've done is sat on it. It felt light, lighter than sitting on the ZReX or Bandit 12. It's got the motor. But, what I really like about it is that Rifle makes a windscreen for it, taller, better for touring. Also, it's capable of easily toting soft luggage without interference from pipes. The suspension is a little more crude and the handling has been described by the 'zines as slow to turn in. The suspenion can never-the-less be dialed in (as easily as my SV) with maybe a new shock on the rear from Ohlins and quickness of steering can be adjusted through changes in chassis geometry. Ohlins shocks allow the rear ride height to be raised and the front can be dropped if needed. I'd want to put a steering damper on it if I'm going to quicken up the steering, but all that is doable and I think the basic bike is superior the the naked competition for what I'd use it for, frankly, which would be droaning down I10 in search of Arizona canyon roads. When I've had the Wing out there, it's been nothing but WORK on tight roads and I'm back in the sport tour mood after my last trip. I found a LOVELY road on the way to Tucson, most fantastic 23 miles of tight switchbacks I've ever ridden in my life! I wanna go back there with the SV, my goal. I'm getting the SV set up to where I think I can stand it on a long ride, taller bars on it now. I have a gel seat on it. But, what I really need next is to buy a set of standard (not the sport SV650S) rear sets. They are 1" lower and with the addition of my gel pad which raises my butt a little, I think they'll help me battle leg cramp on really long rides. I've done 400 miles on the thing fine, just that my first day out of here when headed to Tucson is a 750 miles ride, normally. That's not even that comfy on a friggin' GoldWing, ROFLMAO!

I also found out on the SV that a ZX636 Kaw rear shock fits, gives a bit stiffer springing and fully adjustable damping and raises the rear some which will quicken what is already quick steering. I'll need a steering damper, but I have this old Kaw H2 damper I've used on a couple of race bikes. It ain't pretty, but I can fab some brackets to mount it under the triple clamps out of sight. It has click adjustable damping to allow fine tuning, really good damper. Of course, for 150 or less I can get a new steering damper, but I'm a cheap bastard.

Is that road close to Tucson, if so, where? I am going there soon to visit a riding bud.

Okay, I'm coming in on I10, so look at a map and when you get to Bowie lookf for 191 north before you get to Wilcox headed west. Look on the map for Artesia just south of Safford which is at 191 and 70. Just north of Artesia is a place called "Swift Trail Junction". There is a road, 366, that heads off into a little mountain range. This is it, given by God for the motorcycling public, has to be, because it is absolutely the most beautiful mountain roade I've ever ridden. You don't run that fast up this road, very twisty, lots of switch backs. It's beautiful stuff for a big thumper or a light bike of that sort. The SV would be awesome on this road and I WILL do it, I swear! It's absolute torture on the Wing, ROFLMAO, and I was sore through my back and arms wrestling that thing, but grinning the whole way!

I'll find some pix and post 'em for you. When you get to the 191/366 junction, there is a federal prison, just so you'll know you're there. When you get to the top of it, there is the most beautiful overlook the road runs along. You can see forever off that cliff. It's gorgeous! The pavement ends and gravel continues and I wasn't willing to follow to the little lake that it showed on the map. I sure wanted to, and at that point I started thinking an "adventure tourer" would be a desirable motorcycle, but I wasn't gonna take that old Wing down a gravel road. The sign said the lake was something like 16 miles further on.

When I got to this road, they'd just repaved it and literally they were picking up the last construction sign. It was PERFECT pavement all the way up, not a ripple! I said a prayer of thanks that evening for giving me the inspiration to explore what that road was when I saw it on the map. I had some time to kill before I had to be at CDs place and figured I'd explore. Saw it on the GPS, actually, first. Stopped for gas at Bowie to buy a map with some more detail to see what it was and got inspired. I'll go to my death bed remembering that road!

Ross, since these pix are big and I can't size 'em for the thread with HTML, I'll just post 'em as links. Just click and enjoy.

http://img136.exs.cx/img136/9343/img00200hd.jpg

http://img136.exs.cx/img136/7983/img00224cf.jpg

http://img136.exs.cx/img136/5169/img00249ih.jpg

http://img136.exs.cx/img136/5098/img00267gi.jpg

Hey Goose

Hey Goose, why not add the images to your gallery? http://biketalk.directparts.com/photopost/

The road your talking about is the one going to Turkey Flats? That's the Mount Graham road. A lot of timber burned up there last year.

If you think that is twisty, try the Coronado trail from Clifton to Hannagan Meadow. The road has just been completely repaved and it is one tight, twisting son of a gun. One heck of a blast to ride on. Used to be route 666 but the devil (religous freaks) made them change it to 191. SK, Bob and I rode it on last years Bike Talk ride and we had a blast. BTW, Bob and I were just kicking around maybe going back and basing out of Springerville again this year. The motel was nice and it is a quiet town.

good pics!!!

I'd love to get the Geezer Glide on that stretch of asphalt. It reminds me a little of the Coronado Trail. And Goose, if you get a chance you should take an FZ1 out for a ride. It ain't no RZ350 but it is a seriously fun bike ti ride. When Yamaha was bringing this type of bike to Sturgis I took one out for a romp. Light, comfy and fun and waaaaaaaaaaay more motorcycle than this cowboy can handle. Just after I bought the Ducati ST2 they put a bunch of nnon current FZ1's on for stupidly cheap money. Had I not bought the duc I would have bought one of those. I love the Ducati but it is not a cheap bike to ride. Ross, I hope the snow is better where you're at than here..right now I'd say it sucks.
Cd bounced the idea of going back to the same area for the Bike Talk Ride '05. There is some good riding there, the motel is reasonable. I've got lots of time to get there and enough time to get home. hopefully Kev and Goose, Ross and some otheres can make the trip..it's a good time.

Yeah, I need to explore that picture thing.

I rode the Cornado trail from Alpine down to Clifton coming back from Laughlin (was a while back) on the VX and it was awesome! However, it was icy! It'd snowed 6 inched out of Alpine and I followed a snow plow down to the twisty stuff on the edge of the world, LOL. One slip and WOAHA! So, I was a might careful and didn't really enjoy the twisties. Not a gaurd rail or shoulder, just off the cliff if you slip.

After the Kanab ride, I came back that way again intending to ride the trail, but you guys had told me to avoid it due to the pavement was cracking up and when I rode into alpine I headed back down to Reserve like I did with Grif that time. This time I was going to ride down the Gila valley into Silver City and on down to I10, but the road was under construction and it was raining and muddy and there were upteen kajillion motorhomes headed down that road at 100 mph pulling trains consisting of one jeep, one trailer with deer stand on it and a trailer behind that with the four wheelers. SO, I went on to Reserve and across to Socorro and south from there into El Paso.

Anyhow, I couldn't make the ride last year primarily due to money, lost my job and all that. This year, my wife and I have just opened a new business. We're working for a fellow (the money source) running a bail bond office here and the money is going to be there. If the office isn't flush by March or whenever the hardware store wants me to wrench for the spring rush again, I'll go back to work over there, but I'm really hoping the business gets going pretty quick. We've only been open a week, but there's an established office in the big town up the road, Victoria, and they'd been losing a lot of business because nobody wanted to drive over there to do the paperwork, thus our local office. We're on commission, so we don't make anything unless we're bailing crooks out of jail, LOL, but so far it looks like a deal.

At any rate, one way or the other, I should have the money this time and I WILL make the time. I'm committed to racing two endurance series' with a mini racing team out of Houston, but if I have to skip a round, they can find a sub I'm sure. I ain't gonna be so serious about the sprint points this year. I need to get out in that mountain air!

One thing I remember about that ride down the Coronado trail was when entering Clifton, there was this sluce going over the road with some sort of really yucky slurry running in it and it leaked. YUCK, brown CRAP all over my riding jacket!

You need to ride the Coronado Trail again Goose..the road's in great shape. Labor Day weekend shouldn't give up much in the way of weather problems, though we did have a bit of rain the day before we rode the trail. I'd love to go back to the same area again next year. It's further than Kanab for me from Las Vegas, but a heck of a lot closer than most of you will ride to get there. So my vote's for Springerville again (it's close to Alpine).

Now I want to ride that 366 road. Sounds like the views are unobstructed from what CD says.

Just to let you know.........................The Snow in Jackson really sucks right now. I go out for exercise.........that is it!!!

Jeez, Ross, we got 12 inches of your snow down here in Victoria over Christmas. It was beautiful, though. I'd never had a white Christmas before. It was festive.

Yeah, I really want to do the Coronado trail in good weather. It's no fun with ice patches on it. But, it's a riding experience I'll never forget, LOL! It was really pretty. I don't get to see snow all that often. That is one BEAUTIFUL scenic ride! I just wish they had more shoulder or places to pull over cause I couldn't really find anything in the best places where I could pull over and get some pictures until I got down to a highway department gravel stash which was just up from Clifton. By that time, I'd come down in altitude quite a bit. And, you know, that road 366 isn't far from Springerville, either. If memory serves, just head west on 70 and down at 191 a piece. I think Show Low is in there somewhere, pretty town, and doesn't your brother live in Show Low, CD?

QUESTION FOR ROSS

ROSS, question, do you ship parts????? I'm rebuilding a little race motor for a guy, a YSR60 (YSR50 bored with port work) that has a trashed crank and need to order a crank for it. Figured if you ship, I could give you some business. Never really thought about it, but when I need parts for a Yamaha, you'd be as convenient as anyone else. We have a dealer here, but they've moved out on the north side of Victoria and I don't like riding over there unless I have to, so I usually just mail order from a shop that ships. E-mail me this week at goose50@hotmail.com if you can ship. I just got the bolts I ordered from Fastenall in for my case splitter, so I'll split the cases and inspect the crank today, but it has a little big end slop which normally means the big end is gonna trash soon and there's some fiction/dragging in the crank that feels like a bad crank bearing, so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need one, bearings and seals and all. Bored to 60cc and ported with a carb and new pipe, those things run like a friggin' 60cc motocrosser, but they're air cooled and hard on top ends and they're terribly hard on cranks that are only built for 7 horsepower, LOL. This guy wanted to race this thing and it's competitive, but he's a novice and HE'S not competitive. I told him he needs to run something stock and learn to ride instead of spending money on parts, but you usually can't get through to guys like that. They have to learn the hard way, like I did. LOL They think throwing money at the bike is gonna make 'em win. Whatever, it's his money I guess.