Last issue Zane Dobie found Yamaha’s MT-07 offered great performance while still being legal on a restricted licence. Now he’s upped the ante.
I’ve always been the one to throw every single piece of bling I can on my bikes. Most of the time it’s just a barrage of cheap parts off eBay to get the maximum amount of coolness for minimum dosh. But thanks to Yamaha’s Y-Shop, for the first time in my (poor student) life I didn’t have to cheap out on go-fast bits. And the best thing is they are all genuine Yamaha accessories, so I know the quality is going to be just as great as the factory-assembled bikes.
The oil stains creating a masterpiece on my garage floor prove I’m no qualified mechanic, but when it comes to installing these parts, I reckon you could throw away the instructions and still have no trouble fitting them.
Tail Tidy
Since Yamaha has to pass strict rules to get a bike registered in Australia, you can end up with a bunch of plastic bits that are pretty unappealing, and the licence-plate holder is one of those things. Installing a tail tidy will make the rear of the bike look heaps neater, and it’s one of the easier modifications you can do. With just a few steps you will be on your way.
Pop the seat off and unbolt the surrounding plastics. Remove the four bolts securing the plate holder, then unplug the wires that run to the indicators and licence-plate light. The whole unit should then drop out with ease.
Slotting the existing indicators through the new plate holder and plugging them in is all relativity straightforward. The only thing I can see a beginner having trouble with is cutting the plug off the old licence-plate light and putting it on the new one. But if you’re not confident with soldering, some crimps should work a charm.
The mod cleans up the rear end nicely and transforms the whole look of the bike.
The tail tidy was the only piece of the puzzle acquired outside Yamaha’s Y-shop, and was supplied by Mustard Bikes who stock a range of tail tidies for most new bikes.
Axle Protectors
I tackled the axle next.
For those who have never come across axle protectors, the title is self-explanatory. In the unfortunate circumstance you drop your bike, which happens to all of us, the axle protectors stick out further than most of the bottom end of the bike and take the brunt of the fall. Apart from the seat, axle protectors would have to have been the easiest install of all the new parts I received. All the rear protectors needed were the long thread passed through the hollow rear axle and held at the other side, the end caps taken off with a small Allen key and then twisted on by hand. The front protectors only needed to be pressed into the front axle and tightened.
The instructions had torque specs but I found just nipping them up with an Allen key until they were tight worked a charm.
They haven’t fallen off…yet.
Led Indicators
The big, bulky blinkers are part of another unfortunate regulation Yamaha has to follow when meeting ADR (Australian Design Rule) standards, and one of the first things I rip off whenever I get a new bike.
The LED indicators from Y-Shop are not only brighter than standard, they streamline the look of the entire bike. Installation requires a little patience as there’s a bit of messing around, and the new ones don’t come with plugs on the ends of the wires.
Just like the tail tidy, you have to remove the seat to gain access to the wiring underneath. If you’re installing a tail tidy too, it’s probably best to tackle both at the same time. It’ll save you pulling the plate holder off twice.
After removing the plate holder, all you have to do is unplug the blinkers, pull them out from the plate holder, cut the old plugs off, crimp them onto your new rear indicators and do all those steps again, but in reverse.
The front is almost the same, except you have to:
- Remove the air ducts from the front to gain access to the plugs
- Unplug them and unbolt the side of the radiator plastic surround, and
- Slot your new indicators in and crimp them up.
After all that you can step back and marvel at your work while pretending to your gullible friends you’re some sort of auto electrician.
Akrapovic Full Titanium Exhaust System
The holy grail for any motorcycle owner is a performance exhaust.
A Yamaha disclaimer which stated ‘This system should only be installed for track use’ got me frothing. I knew it was for me! I expected it would deliver a meaty sound on my daily ride as well as impressing the neighbours all the way down the street whenever I left the house. It may seem a bit daunting to be installing such a large part onto your bike if you’re a beginner, but with some help from friends who know their way around the tools you should be able to knock it off in no time.
Unbolting the headers from the motor is probably where I struggled most, as the radiator was a little bit in the way. But with some help from my friend (a can of WD-40) it came off with ease.
Moving down to the O2 sensor, you will just need to loosen it off with a shifting spanner and place it out of the way. Unbolting the footpeg assembly will give you access to the bolt holding on the muffler. Loosen the bolt then pull it through and the whole exhaust system will drop down to be removed.
The install of the new system is pretty much the same since it all fits up nicely due to it being made specifically for the MT-07. The most important thing to remember is to tension up the bolts to the headers evenly, like you’re putting on a car wheel, to ensure you have no leaks.
The Akrapovic system makes the bike sound absolutely amazing.
Wrapped Up In A Perfect Lams Package
The last thing thrown on the bike was the ‘comfort seat’, which seemed to help with the MT-07’s uncomfortable rear shock.
But after these simple modifications I have ended up with an ideal bike for my Provisional licence, and a bike that I would want to hang onto when obtaining my full licence. Looking back on the photos of when it was completely stock, it looks 10x better and I already thought it looked great in stock form.
Modifying your bike is a great way to get your head around basic maintenance to your machine and just getting to know your bike better, especially if you have an older one prone to breaking down a lot. But after putting some good quality parts on this bike, it looks and sounds a treat. I can see why a motorcycle owner would spend the extra dollars to bling their ride. It gives enormous peace of mind knowing your way around your bike as well as looking good on the road.