This Yamaha MT25 user review comes from Indonesia. It has been shared by BikeAdvice’s reader Amit Sakhrani, who is an Indian but he has been living in Indonesia for the last few years. You can also get featured on BikeAdvice. Contact us.
Yamaha MT25 User Review
As promised in my last post, here is my review of the Yamaha MT-25 Master of Torque.
The internet is flooded with reviews of every motorcycle out there, some great reviews and some of people who have barely put their leg over the bike and read out to us the technical specifications. I am sure you know what I mean. So, what makes my review different? Simple Answer, I have owned two Yamaha MT25’s, the first the 2017 model, second a 2019 model. Why two bikes you may ask? Well I was moving within Indonesia and it was easier to buy a new one in a new city rather than transport it and then get all the paperwork done for the transfer. This in itself should be a proof of how good this motorcycle is.
As you are aware, I am an avid biker and love riding motorcycles of every shape and size. I have been in Indonesia for a few years now and after a sabbatical where I could not ride as I dint have a licence etc. I was now in the market to buy a motorcycle and pursue my passion for riding.
After doing my market research I had made a decision that the bike I would choose would be a 250 cc as it seems to tick all the boxes for my need which was long distance touring and also made monetary sense.
The motorcycles that I had shortlisted were:
- Honda CBR 250RR
- Kawasaki Ninja 250
- Kawasaki Versys 250
- Yamaha R25 and
- Yamaha MT25
A quick note on what steered me away from the other bikes…
250 Duke was not considered as KTM has a very limited service network here and it is almost impossible to find parts outside the couple of service center’s in the country capital.
Honda CBR250RR / Kawasaki Ninja 250 and the Yamaha R25 – I was looking for a bike I could ride long distances on. All these are great bikes, but their very sporty seating would cause major back pains and also they are not convenient to have saddle bags attached.
Kawasaki Versys – Being an adventure bike, it seemed to tick most boxes for me. What swayed me away was
- a) the large adventure body meant it was 20 kgs heavier than the MT25 and for a 250cc engine this is a major difference.
- b) the engine and bike’s body don’t seem to match. The body just seems too big for an engine this size, doesn’t seem right and
- c) the touring version of the Versys was 50% more expensive.
Back to the MT25 and specifications of the motorcycle are as follows. I shall not bore you with a load of specs, for more details please refer to the Yamaha’s Indonesian website.
The Yamaha MT25 in a nutshell is a street fighter naked version of Yamaha’s more sport focussed R25.
- Engine – 249cc, 2 cylinder, DOHC
- Gearing – 6 speed
- Power – 26.5Kw @ 12000rpm
- Torque – 23.6Nm @ 10000rpm
- Engine Oil – 2.4ltrs
- Fuel tank capacity – 14ltrs
- Dimensions – 2090mm x 755mm x 1071mm
- Weight – 165kgs
- Clearance – 160mm
- Seat height – 780mm
- Suspension – Front – telescopic forks till 2019 / 2020 now has inverted telescopic forks
- Rear – Mono shock
- Breaking – single disc front and single disc at the rear
After 10,000 kms here is my review on how the bike rides and feels over a wide variety of roads and a wee bit of off-road terrains too.
Fun on this bike starts with turning on the ignition and pressing that starter button. The bike comes to life with a steady purr of a sweet two-cylinder engine revving at 1000 rpm. As soon as you get moving the first bit that surprises most people is this amazing combination of power with the smoothness of ride.
Mind you in 1st and 2nd gear this bike can wheelie very easily too. The bike can be very calm if ridden slow and easy and can quickly show its aggressive side if the throttle is turned. Twist the throttle and the purr quickly turns into a roar. All this said, the MT25 manages to maintain its composure at all times and does not become what we call hooligan bikes. So, if you are looking for a hooligan bike, maybe this bike is not for you.
As you start to go through the gears and pick up speed you instantly have smile on your face courtesy the power that is spread all through the rev range. The ‘Master of Torque’ lives up to its tagline. What makes the gearbox a good fit for this engine is the ease of gear shifts, a soft clutch which doesn’t kill your left forearm by the end of a long city ride.
Based on how easy or hard you are riding your gear changes are smooth. For example an easy ride step into 4th at 30 kmph and there is no knocking of the engine or if you are riding hard, step into 4th at 60 kmph+ and the bike continues to pull strong through the rev range. Moving on you can engage 6th at as low as 50 kmph and once again the bike does continue to pull without any knocking sound although getting into 6th at around 60 kmph feels a lot better.
From the power perspective the bike has all the power you need and more to zip around town or go on a long tour. You can cruise at 100 kmph all day long without pushing the bike. Top speed is claimed to be 170 kmph. I, have, however done 150 kmph when you really start to feel the wind and I started to run out of road. The bike certainly had more in it to go even faster. Overall this engine makes riding in the city and the highway a pleasure.
Average kitna deti hai? The favourite question we all love to ask. At an average the consumption ranges between 25 to 30 kmph in the city and highway. The good news in Indonesia is that 93 octane fuel costs only INR 45/- per litre.
As you settle into your ride you start to feel the advantage of a more upright posture and wide handlebars. In terms of posture, naked, street fighters are somewhere in between adventure bikes and sports bikes. What I like about the MT25 is that it is comfortable of long rides and also suited for those few times you want to tuck in and test your riding skills around the corners.
The well placed foot pegs are not adjustable, hence placed to do both well. The one thing you certainly don’t get is wind protection as with any naked. This lack of wind buffering is a negative when you start to ride at over 130 kmph. I remember a time I was fast and was hit from the side by a strong wind which can certainly scare you. All said the riding posture is really good and minimizes fatigue on long rides.
The 2020 upgrade has addressed one of the few negatives this bike had by replacing the front telescopic forks with USD forks which has certainly helped feel when you push the bike around corners. For most other times I don’t feel much of a difference between the old and new suspension setup. The rear suspension is setup to give you a comfortable ride at the same time not being too soft. If you plan to take this bike for a track day, a change to stiffening up the rear is highly recommended.
The diamond chassis is rugged and works well on Indonesian roads which can range being excellent to mud and muck in the space of a couple of kilometres. As mentioned previously, lot of similarity to our roads in India.
Braking can be described as good. After all the riding on this bike, I would love to see the rear brakes have more bite and increased stopping power. The front brakes though do well at all times and have certainly saved me a couple of times. Needless to say the dual channel ABS does its job.
Tyres – 110/70 up front and 140/70 at the back are the perfect size and width for a bike looking to do it all i.e. a city and touring bike. IRC tyres though which come as stock are average. When the bike comes up for a change moving to superior brands such as Michelin, Pirelli or Metzeler would be a good idea.
Technology, the 2020 version now has a full digital dash replacing the mix of an analogue and digital dash giving it a fresh look. It’s nice but certainly inferior to the dash on some Indian bikes like the KTM Duke 390 etc. The information provided is just the same as the older model and misses Bluetooth connectivity etc. From a tech perspective the bike is nothing more than average, missing riding modes etc. This I guess has been a conscious decision to help keep the pricing of the bike reasonable and frankly I would much rather have a sweet twin cylinder rather than some of the gimmicky tech etc.
Yamaha MT25 User Review – Conclusion
Overall, the MT25 seems to tick all the boxes. Its good in the city, great on the highways, has great power combined with smoothness and it crunches kilometres with ease. If you are looking for the one bike that seems to do it all, it is difficult to beat this one.
The bike has an awesome engine which is mated to a great gearbox, a solid chassis, suspension and basic technolog. MT25 is an overall solid package priced well at 2.75 lakhs INR on road in Jakarta making it an excellent value for money. It has offered me thousands of kilometres of joy doing in all conditions and I can see myself riding it for a long time to come.
For all you readers, if you get a chance to get your hands onto an MT25 or MT03, grab it with both hands.
My request of Yamaha India. We understand that you have the single cylinder 250 cc in India to help manage costs. Although it’s a great bike, I think the Indian market will love the MT25 or MT03. It shall sell substantially more than the R3. Please bring it to India.
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As I sign off, in these unforeseen times, stay safe and once the world gets back to normal let’s continue to ride safe, ride long and ensure the fun never ends.
Amit Sakhrani