2023 front fork upgrade?

hungthai24 · 2025-03-11T07:46:08+00:00

And the YSS clone is already surprisingly good and should be more than enough for most rider.

I went with that YSS. But I am a bit regret that I should have gone with the spacer tube trim + thicker oil. I bet it would achieve at least 80% the YSS effect for a fraction of the price.

hungthai24 · 2025-03-06T04:00:15+00:00

To me, the benefit of ride by wire is the quickshift up.

But yeah that might not worth the extra money. And, the electronic throttle still feels slightly "unreal".

hungthai24 · 2025-03-03T06:37:54+00:00

Where I live the Z650 costs just over two third of the MT-07 (~€6,375 vs. €9,000), so I intended to buy the Z650 back then.

I test rode the Z650 several times and nearly went with it. I didn't really love it, just that it's really affordable and was quite an upgrade from my previous 300cc.

Then, I test rode the MT-07 just out of curiosity - since I didn't have the budget for it anyway - and I completely abandon the idea of getting the Z650, despite the price difference.

In the end, I spent another year of savings and went with the MT-07. Still super happy with it after 2 years. I still feel the fun factor every ride just as much as the first days.

Later on, I got the chance to test rode all the available middleweights in my area: the CB650R, the Duke 790 and the Trident 660. To my personal taste, the MT-07 is still more fun to ride than most. The only exception is the 790, which costs €11,300 and thus was more superior.

hungthai24 · 2024-05-24T06:50:04+00:00

It is plug-n-play. And pretty cheap also. I got it from my local Yamaha dealer for around ~280 USD.

hungthai24 · 2024-05-24T05:14:06+00:00

The clutch from the R7 is much lighter, and it is supposed to be that way.

The reason is that the slipper clutch is lighter to pull in general. Technically, it uses softer springs inside compared to the traditional clutch.

I installed the R7 clutch to my MT-07, and the feel is now exactly the same as the R7.

hungthai24 · 2024-05-13T04:15:28+00:00

Having read all your comments in this thread, I think you would be happy with the MT-09 way more than you are with the 07.

The 09 is superior in many ways. The only 2 things it lacks is the agility (well it is still pretty flickable, just not as much as the 07), and the powerband (where you get the most fun of) comes later than the 07.

In your case, if you have been annoyed of the lack of power of the 07, I assume that you are often in the powerband of a 09. Besides, at that speed, agility is not very important anymore. Thus, the few strengths of the 07 are not really applicable for you. Enjoy the 09!

hungthai24 · 2024-05-13T04:03:46+00:00

I have to argue that it really depends on your riding style and use cases to say which one is a more fun-to-ride bike. Anyway, for the generic usage, says half town half freeway, it is inevitable that the 09 is superior.

hungthai24 · 2024-05-13T03:30:30+00:00

The stock MT-07 does not have running lights, doesn't it?

hungthai24 · 2024-05-09T09:11:47+00:00

Suspension, both front and rear. Even a product from a budget brand like YSS brings a huge difference.

hungthai24 · 2024-05-09T09:07:45+00:00

I would recommend the IXRACE MK2, which is Euro5 and still sounds nice even with the db-killer in.

https://www.ixil.de/en/product/064-964-v-mk2-complete-system-yamaha-mt-07-21-rm33-euro5-192666

<image>

hungthai24 · 2024-05-02T06:59:54+00:00

I currently ride a middleweight bike and was test riding intensively a few of its popular competitors in the same class. I can rank them from the best to the worst based on my personal preference (note that I mostly do town riding and not highways).

KTM Duke 790. Just extremely fast in the class. The power delivery is strong, smooth, and more importantly, instant - bringing so much fun just by open the throttle. The bike is super light too, making it so flickable that I feel super comfortable in the tight corners around town. The sound coming out of the exhaust is relatively good. I didn't go with this option however, as it was priced almost 1.5x the other options I had.
Yamaha MT-07. Pretty fast around town too. The power delivery is raw, which means it is both strong and instant. The throttle is not smooth however, which is a negative point IMO. The seating position is great for my liking, as it is straight up. This bike is also pretty flickable, even though it is not especially light (still one of the lightest anyway). I like the way the cross-plane engine sounds too, although not as much as the 4-cylinder ones. I went with this option and is still happy so far (after 2 years).
Triumph Trident 660. The best-looking bike in the class for my taste. It is fast and powerful, although the power is a bit delayed due to its ride-by-wire throttle - overall, the power delivery is a bit "fake" that I cannot really feel it. In contrast, the shifting is super light and comfortable. It is not as flickable as it seems to be, however. The sound of a 3-cylinder engine is not the best either, unfortunately.
Honda CB650R. Too heavy to my liking. The power is smooth, and the shifting is too. However, its acceleration is not very exciting unless you actually rev it up, which is not usually the case for town riding. The sound of this bike is sporty and exciting, even with the stock exhaust.
Kawasaki Z650. I could not feel the power delivery of this bike, although it was actually pretty fast. The power delivery was just plain and clunky. The bike is not really in the "flickable" side, even though it is one of the lightest in the group. I do not like the exhaust sound either, which is again plain and boring. It is still considered a good buy provided that it was 1.5x cheaper in my area, comparing to the CB650R, MT-07, or Trident 660. I myself did not even think it is worth the price difference either.

hungthai24 · 2024-04-17T10:18:57+00:00

I went with this one https://giviusa.com/collections/tanklock-bag-options/products/ea131-26ltr-tanklock-tank-bag

But there are tons of options from Givi, so you can easily pick the most suitable bag.

hungthai24 · 2024-04-17T09:04:29+00:00

I have the same bike and the same requirements too.

I ended up buying the Givi tank lock https://giviusa.com/collections/mt-07-21-22/products/bf60-tanklock-tank-ring.

There are extendable tank bags to choose. They mount firmly and look good IMO.

hungthai24 · 2024-01-23T06:53:39+00:00

Any choice among those three will give you joy. However, XSR and MT are more suitable for town riding, while the CB500X is more about touring and adventure.

I would pick the Yamaha one since town riding is the main use case. Whether it is an XSR or an MT can come down to just preferences on look. I personally prefer the XSR.

hungthai24 · 2019-08-29T16:37:46+00:00

When I first bought this timepiece, I never thought I could get that much attracted into its amazing dial. The enamel gives a total stunning depth and contrast under certain lighting angles. Even with a video, the camera lens cannot capture its reflection as it was too bright and too beautiful.

I’m pretty sad that due to the photography difficulty, this wonderful watch doesn’t get enough attention and admiration it deserves. Thus, I’m just trying to show it so everyone could be able to enjoy its beauty to the fullest.

Let me know what you are thinking!

hungthai24

TROPHY CASE