Extreme Machines.

Now as always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the MT-01 certainly looks better from the right-hand
side where the striking V-Twin motor is showed off to its best advantage and the bike looks a little more
integrated. While the left-hand side with its oil tank on the side of the engine looks like a collection of
bits added on for functional and aesthetic purposes!But, when you start analyzing this bike that was built for "more mature experienced riders that wanted
something with some soul," you begin to see where the parts came from and realize it is really a bit of a
parts bin special!
Take the engine for instance, a long-stroke 1,670cc air-cooled OHV powerplant and the biggest V-Twin ever
built by Yamaha. It is based on the proven 48-degree V-Twin unit that is featured on the extremely successful
US-market model, the Road Star Warrior.
Yamaha claims that although it is outwardly similar in appearance to the cruiser powerplant, the MT-01 engine
has been considerably re-worked. (One of the main development goals for the MT-01 engine designers was to
create a powerplant with maximum intake and exhaust efficiency in order to achieve remarkably high levels of
low- to mid-range torque.)
The MT-01's bore and stroke dimensions are 97 x 113mm, and the four-valve cylinder heads feature a pentroof
design and twin spark plugs. Cylinder walls are ceramic-composite plated for reduced frictional losses and
enhanced heat dissipation, and this massive V-Twin runs with durable forged pistons and a compression ratio of
8.36:1.

One of the most significant features on the MT-01 engine is the adoption of a new lightweight crankshaft
assembly, which uses a new flywheel with less mass. The lighter crank makes for instant pick-up and rapid
acceleration, and completely transforms the performance characteristics of this massive V-Twin engine.
The engine is fed by a 40mm downdraft-type twin-bore throttle body which is mounted laterally so that it fits
into the narrow space between the 48-degree Vee of the air-cooled cylinders. This system ensures instant
throttle response and strong standing start and roll-on acceleration. A new 7-liter downdraft-type air cleaner
box featuring a variable air intake valve system has been developed for the MT-01, and this large-capacity
unit gives reduced air-flow resistance, which ensures an efficient intake system.
At the other end of the process, we see Yamaha's EXUP exhaust system moving to a new home. It has in the past
been confined to four-cylinder supersport machines, but now this torque-boosting system is used for the first
time on a twin-cylinder bike. But due to the exhaust forces and pressures involved on the MT-01 engine being
greater, a much stronger valve has been developed to cope with them. This compact system features the variable
valve positioned where the two exhausts merge into one, and this constantly adjusts the internal diameter of
the exhaust to match engine rpm.Yamaha claims that a great deal of effort has been made to ensure the MT-01's
throbbing exhaust note and massive power pulses would not be diluted by noise and emissions regulations.
Therefore, the catalytic converter features a 'hot tube' positioned immediately after the EXUP valve, while
the honeycomb-type catalytic converter is placed at the beginning of the titanium up-mufflers. By positioning
the components in this way, the massive power pulses and the deep, powerful exhaust note are maintained and
the exhaust gases still clear Euro2 emissions standards.
The system ends in dual titanium mufflers which are made a focal part of the overall styling along with the
big-bore exhausts with their large radius curves on the right of the engine. (The silencers are equipped with
a forced-cooling fan that ensures efficient heat dissipation to help keep the rider and passenger cool in
traffic.)
A five-speed gearbox with relatively high gear ratios for a relaxed feel is driven through a newly designed
compact clutch assembly. Final drive to the rear wheel is via a heavy-duty chain running along the right side
of the swingarm, unlike the Road Star Warrior's engine which features a transfer unit connected to a belt
drive running along the left side. Eliminating the bulky transfer unit has allowed the chassis designers to
develop a short wheelbase chassis with a relatively long swingarm for neutral handling characteristics.
Moving onto the chassis itself, this was newly designed to ensure that the engine took the main attention when
the bike was viewed from the side. Yamaha's chassis development team therefore had to create a minimalist
structure that would also give good handling characteristics. They achieved this by using the very latest
controlled-fill die-casting technology, an exclusive process patented by Yamaha and first used on the YZF-R6.