Hello all,
I was keen to join the group having just taken delivery of my aging MT-01 last week. I have been vacillating about an MT-01 for a few years and finally decided it was time since my backlog of restorations was not likely to get finished before I was too old to ride them. I won't lie, I'm and '80's man at heart with a passion for Katanas and GSX's owning both a 750 S3 and a GSX1100ESD both up on blocks. I discovered a real love for the V-Twin after ending up with a TL1000 in a swap with a mate. Fabulous bike but played hell with the sciatica and had to go.
The MT ticks all the boxes and even if mine is a little tired having done 32,000 mile they are such a joy to ride if you’re a big bloke with no flexibility.
I’m desperately trying to resist the temptation to start some minor restoration but wondered if any of you might advise me on a throw-over pannier option which would go on a single seat conversion with Akrapovic pipes and guards? I didn’t buy the bike for it’s practical qualities but it’s so much fun I can’t resist using it for the commute and have to carry gear on occasion.
Attached is original pic used in the Advert, the orange is growing on me and the roar when you open her up is to die for 😊
Welcome to the club. I think the single seat kit reduces your options quite a bit, but
@TimR manages to carry some luggage on this on the seat hump if I remember right.
A Tank Bag perhaps?
See separate thread.
I like the orange, looks good. You could try a Ventura rack/bag system, the advantage is that you can take the rack off easily when you don’t need it and replace it with a grab handle which makes moving the bike around quite a bit easier. It works for me and can easily carry gear for a 10 day Euro trip.
I could never bring myself to use throwovers on mine for fear of marking up the exhaust shrouds so it was a good excuse to buy myself an XT1200 to go with the MT for when I need to carry camping gear etc.
Hi and thanks for the ideas. I think like you Saint Rob, I'm resistant to throw-overs having melted a pair many years ago and likewise, I'm luke warm with tank bags having had one with magnets that came with my TL and promptly marked the tank. I'm sure the technology for secuting them has moved on a bit but I really like the open tank area and find them a bit cumbersome.
Having commuted to a course for work this week and clocked up a good 400 miles I've just gotta say "what a bike". I have had to spend most of the last two weekends finding broken things and replacing missing bolts but that's V-twins for you
. I'm even laughing at having to fill up at about 100 miles but after a day or two, I worked out how not to get caught and compelled to use the motorway services.
I just can't stop grinning at that yawning torque and it is just so easy to flick about on the bends.
Like you Rob, maybe I'll just have to pull my finger out and get the GSX 1100 ESD back on the road for its carrying capacity. I have also been reminded of the value of a fairing having tanked along at 90 in a headwind.
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This picture shows the Ventura rack and bag, it really does work well.
The SW Motech tank bag attaches via a locking ring bolted to the fuel filler, very unobtrusive when you don’t have the tank bag on and no contact with the tank.
Believe it or not the little fly screen over the headlight and in front of the clock seems to do a reasonably good job of deflecting wind over my lid.
Hi Rob, Many thanks for posting the pic and I think the Ventura rack and bag is probably the way to go for me. After 4 days blasing up and down the M1 and M69 to Warwick last week, the screen is something I might have to look into as well then. I really like the MT riding position but it wears you down at high speed of course. I have looked at a few options but a lot of the generic ones look quite ugly where yours is unobtrusive. Great pic and fine looking bike. I envy you your pristine engine cases
As you say the riding position is great, my longest day on the MT was 879 miles with about 400 of them done on German autobahns so high speed riding doesn’t come much quicker than that. No real adverse effects afterwards but of course there were frequent fuel stops ( she can be a thirsty beast when ridden hard) to stretch the legs as well as a 90 minute channel crossing
I forgot to mention that if you do go for one of the Yamaha fly screens like mine, you need to get hold of some of the stainless steel brackets from Germany rather than the original ones which are made out of cheese and break fairly quickly
Ho Rob, respect
, nearly 900 miles is a serious days ride.
I'm mulling over a trip to see my mate in Italy but I suspect I'll whimp out, fly, and hire when I get there. I'm begining to accept my limitations in my late '50'a.
I'll look into the German Brackets. I've plumped for ordering a carbon screen plus some other bits from one of the few places still making (made to order) MT-01 bits, MDI Carbon Fiber in the USA. I suspect they might have been the source of your short screen as they offer one just like it but I've gone for a larger one just to see if I can deflect a bit more air. I'll see how poor their brackets are and look into the German option. I'm a bit gutted how few people are producing MT bits these days, but i'd guess it's because there aren't too many out there. I stripped off a load of bits jesterday just to remove my rear mudguard/hugger to give it a bit of restoration and saw how corroded my exhaust collector section is. Looks like a project for winter but if it can be saved, I know a man who can treat and coat it with ceramic paint. If you've never looked into it I'd recommend it, it's proper tough, helps disperse heat, and adds a couple of horses which can't be a bad thing.
Cheers,
donnermeister.de used to be a good forum, not visited there for a while. You have to register to see anything but I remember there were some good sources of info and links on thee
Rob, I hope you are still enjoying your MT01
I’m a (not new) MT01 owner near Derby, but due to too many other 2 wheeled commitments mine hasn’t been used much over the past 2 years. I also have the Ventura rack
Agree x 1
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