Advice on MT-07 mods

[BruceWayne911]

Hey everyone, I'm new to motorcycling and decided to purchase a 2019 MT-07. The first few mods that I'm going to do is get a radiator protector and get frame sliders and axle sliders. I am 300lbs and I've been told that the suspension on the MT-07 is lacking. Which should I do first upgrade the suspension or buy a aftermarket exhaust? 

The exhaust I want is the Akrapovic Carbon Fiber or Carbon Fiber Titanium. Also when installing a full exhaust system are there any extra parts you need to purchase?

Edited April 25, 2021 by BruceWayne911

[ducarmont]

I am probably more biased than most against exhaust swaps, but I think you'd get way more bang for your buck out of suspension work. 

If you're handy, you could just start with fork springs/oil/spacer for relatively cheap (~100 for springs, ~15 for oil, idk for spacer but it would be pretty cheap, plus a couple dollars for random tools you may not have) and a couple hours of your time, and have the front set up pretty well for your weight.  Then do the rear for ~550-650.

You could also spend more on the front for a more adjustable set-up of course, if you so desire.

If you do the work, you would end up all in for less than the cost of the exhaust, and probably see way more benefit, but that's my opinion. 

Quote

Also when installing a full exhaust system are there any extra parts you need to purchase?

Yeah, budget another ~$250 for a tune, 2wheeldynoworks is a goto and forum supporter.

Edited April 25, 2021 by ducarmont

[mjh937]

I would definitely do the suspension first.  The exhaust will just make the bike louder and may or may not increase the power slightly.  Suspension makes a huge difference, especially for us heavier guys.

[D.A.]

Buying the protective equipment you listed is an excellent plan. Those items will likely pay for themselves over time.

Next priority is protective gear for your body. Odds are you are going to drop the bike and/or crash. It's not really a matter of "if" but rather "when" and the only variable is how much damage will be inflicted upon your motorcycle and your skin.

Next on the list is to buy the tools you'll need to maintain the bike. For instance, do you own a complete metric socket set, a set of metric hex bit sockets, a set of metric wrenches, a torque wrench, a set of JIS screwdrivers, a battery tender, an air compressor, a breaker bar, front and rear stands, an oil filter wrench, a chain alignment tool and a factory service manual?

Those items are much more important than an aftermarket exhaust, which I personally consider to be one of the greatest scams ever perpetuated on motorcyclists – a scam people have been falling for for decades. Sure, if you regularly race at a track and are limited to a specific engine displacement, it makes total sense to invest in an exhaust system that can reduce weight and wring an extra 4 or 5 horsepower out of your bike. But why does a first-time rider need a $900 exhaust system?

If your goal is to have a more powerful bike, you're better off forgoing the MT-07 altogether, adding that exhaust money to your shopping budget and buying an MT-09. That way, instead of gaining 4hp on the MT-07 with a $900 Akropovic, you gain 40hp by jumping to a much faster motorcycle (which happens to come with better suspension). Seems to me like a more logical approach.

If your goal is to make the MT-07 louder, drill some holes in the muffler. It costs nothing.

Otherwise, you are really just paying $900 for a fancy Akropovic logo and the bragging rights that go with it.

Suspension is a different issue. Riding an undersprung bike can be dangerous. But is the MT-07 really undersprung for a 300-lb rider?

According to Yamaha, the MT-07 is designed to safely carry 2 riders with a combined maximum weight of 381-lbs (173kg). Based on that data, the stock bike should have no problem carrying you. A lot of people claim the suspension is "lacking" but what they generally mean is 1) it's not adjustable and 2) it's soft (i.e., “bouncy” if you don't like soft suspensions, “plush” if you do).

I've owned a lot of motorcycles over the years and I don't have a problem with the MT's stock suspension. There's nothing wrong with it. Yes, it's soft and that's a disadvantage at a track where the asphalt is near-perfect and a stiffer suspension – like on my Kawasaki ZX-10R – works best when you're riding at your limit. But that ZX-10R is not much fun to ride in urban environments where you feel every thud from uneven pavement, manhole covers and expansion joints. In real life riding, a softer set-up is the better option.

Of course, if the stock forks bottom out when you hit the brakes, that's a problem, but you won't know that until you ride the bike. If that doesn't happen, my advice is that you learn to ride your new bike in stock form. Once you build up your skill and confidence as a rider and can ride at a level where a stiffer suspension becomes a necessity, then start looking at upgrades. Investing that money now is not going to make you a better rider.

Edited April 27, 2021 by D.A.

[DewMan]

The stock suspension was quite lacking in my 200lb+ experience and was the only bike I've owned that I've ever felt needed a suspension upgrade.

It was my first "performance" upgrade and it was well worth the money. 

As you see, there a differing opinions on this. Take the time to ride the bike and get some experience on it. It'll let you know what it needs. 

[klx678]

I'm nobody special, but spent some time now playing with the XSR.  I'd agree with what everyone said.  Spend the $900 on a shock and a fork kit.  They will be far more noticeable than the exhaust, and as they also said, at 300 lb you will definitely notice it.  

I've done an exhaust, but I did it with a lower cost Delkevic unit and knew, before hand, that it didn't need a reflash, which was important to me.  I did it for the looks (full length stainless can) and a bit better tone without high volume.  Which it did perfectly,  It was totally unnecessary, and purely cosmetic for me.  But - I already had a shock on the shelf (now on the bike) and a fork kit (still to be installed) which came first.  

I came to decide it was suspension first.  That is because the suspension is used and noticed (if bad) virtually all the time, where a few extra horsepower is seldom really noticed.  I also knew for years now, that a loud exhaust can be annoyingly noticeable on longer rides.   I learned that when selling bikes.  We had a sweet CBX with a Kerker six-into-two that gave it a sweet ripping tone like a V-12 Ferarri.  Totally awesome... until I went on a ride to flat track races about 200 miles away.  It was like I was riding beside a two stroke diesel semi.   No more loud exhausts.  I even contacted Delkevic about the dB volume of the pipes and got the "quieter core" when I got it, just in case.  No way I wanted that drone in my ears again.   

Sum it up - buy the suspension, the sliders, and, as said, spend some good money on helmet, gloves, boots, jacket, and even pants - in that order.  This video says it best:  click here

 

[Triple Jim]

Keep in mind that the new MT-07s have stiffer suspension than the older FZ-07s did, by a fair amount.  What was needed for the FZs may not be needed now.

[rushdewalt]

I totally agree with the others that good fitting safety gear should be the first purchases along with a riders course if they are locally available.  You'll need to spend some time on the bike in order to determine if and to what degree you will need to modify the suspension. In my case I haven't felt the need to change from stock yet. I don't track or stunt my bike and down here the roads are so rough that a little softness isn't all bad. In the future I may firm it up some but I wouldn't consider stock unsafe for a normal rider. Again, that's something you'll have to determine for yourself with some seat time.

 

I have to somewhat disagree with the comment below. I have one of those fancy Akropovic Ti exhaust on my bike and I didn't buy it for bragging rights or others approval. I bought it because  a) I enjoy the sound much more than stock. A little more aggressive without being offensively loud (baffle in). Not everyone wants to raise the dead, lol.  b) I think it looks better than stock. Especially with the Akropovic  logo removed. c) It works great in combo with a 2WDW flash. Not so much for the horsepower as much as for the refined power band. Makes for a much more enjoyable ride. d) It certainly doesn't hurt that its significantly lighter than stock. e) Its a quality piece of work. Is it expensive? Yep. Would I buy it again? Without a doubt. But that's just my opinion. 

7 hours ago, D.A. said:

Otherwise, you are really just paying $900 for a fancy Akropovic logo and the bragging rights that go with it.

Edited April 25, 2021 by rushdewalt

[ElGonzales]

I rode my original 2014 rear shock. Its ok if you are a light guy like me who learns to roll around. As soon as you start to demand more speed,  some faster corners, the bike becomes a rocking horse. Engine beats suspension. Replaced it by a 2019 rear shock, that was really better.  Rear wheel sometimes jumped a little bit on bumpy roads, but ok... would have kept it, but it wasn't completely legal.
And  so  replaced this by a Wilbers rear shock, produced according to my own specifications. We have a proverb "drives like on rails", it's again an improvement. No more wobbling after hard braking, just exactly defined down - up - nothing more.

I think you can live with a stock 2019 shock....for some time, like the first or second season of riding. Try  it.

Edited April 25, 2021 by ElGonzales
your a -> you are a

[Triple Jim]

1 hour ago, ElGonzales said:

I think you can live with a stock 2019 shock....for some time, like the first or second season of riding. Try  it.

I haven't found any reason to change my 2020 suspension, but I'm 170 lbs. without gear.  I'm going to spend a week with it at Deals Gap shortly, so I'll know more about it after that.  Between the hairpin turns of the Dragon and the sweepers of the Cherohala Skyway I'll get a better idea of any shortcomings it has.

[myfootisdumb]

I would just do the dave moss fix and increase the preload on the rear shock, the suspension gets better.. if you think its good enough for you then buy the exhaust(cuz it is swweeeeet)

[BruceWayne911]

Thank you everyone for the advice. This is my first bike so I will take my time and learn how to properly ride first. The only mods I will do day one is the radiator protector and the frame/axle sliders. I'm not a gear head yet but I am also looking to invest into a rear stand to perform maintenance on the bike. When searching for rear stands it seems as though "Pitbull" is one of the best. These rear mounts seemed bike specific. Do they make universal rear/front stands? I dont want to keep buying new equipment for every new bike I buy.

Edited April 26, 2021 by BruceWayne911

[Pursuvant]

1 hour ago, BruceWayne911 said:

searching for rear stands it seems as though "Pitbull" is one of the best

"Good enough" is all you need on peripheral stuff, tools, etc  Even on personal safety gear, find out the level that is "correct" not perfect, but make it and riding school priorities. Become the best, safest rider you know

[Nealsmo]

I had a Pittsburgh (Harbor Freight) rear stand given to me.  Works great and they're cheap.  It's adjustable, so pretty much universal.  Unfortunately the MT07 doesn't come with the threaded holes on the swingarm for spools.  There are plenty of options though, including ones that are frame sliders that run though the rear axle. 

[shinyribs]

Another vote for the Harbor Freight stand. I have other more expensive stands, but I always use the Pittsburgh. It's solid. 

 

And all stands are universal. Some hardware on the stand may be required to fit your specific bike, though. For example, all head lift stands will be universal, but you'll need the right pin in the stand to fit your bike. All rear stands are 100% universal, but not all bikes come compatible with spools to engage the stand. Not all rear stands use spools, some use paddles/arms that just fit up under your swingarm. Unfortunately, a paddle style stand won't work on these bikes, which is kinda odd. These swingarms aren't symmetrical, so the bike will lift crooked and slip off the stand.

Edited April 26, 2021 by shinyribs

[Triple Jim]

Are we talking about the Harbor Freight "swingarm stand"?

1000 Lb. Capacity Motorcycle Swingarm Rear Stand

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[shinyribs]

Talking about this model of Harbor Freight rear stand.

 

Low Profile Rear Spool Motorcycle Stand

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The stand with those little platforms won't really jive with these bikes. 

 

 

 

[myfootisdumb]

On 4/25/2021 at 8:47 PM, BruceWayne911 said:

Thank you everyone for the advice. This is my first bike so I will take my time and learn how to properly ride first. The only mods I will do day one is the radiator protector and the frame/axle sliders. I'm not a gear head yet but I am also looking to invest into a rear stand to perform maintenance on the bike. When searching for rear stands it seems as though "Pitbull" is one of the best. These rear mounts seemed bike specific. Do they make universal rear/front stands? I dont want to keep buying new equipment for every new bike I buy.

I use the pitfall stand, the Mt-07 doesn't even need spools..  Maybe you could find it cheaper else where.. This was the first tool for my bike, used it on my first bike and now the MT-07

 

Pit Bull Standard Rear Stand | MotoSport

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Pit Bull rear stands fit a variety of sport motorcycles. The Standard Rear Stand lifts non-spool equipped bikes by supporting the swingarm with rubber pads. The Pit Bull rear motorcycle stand was...

 

 

 

[BruceWayne911]

Do you have to retune or ecu flash when you add a full system exhaust?

[Nealsmo]

You don't HAVE to, but you should to avoid lean running from the increased flow.  A tune would unlock some more power too.

[BruceWayne911]

38 minutes ago, Nealsmo said:

You don't HAVE to, but you should to avoid lean running from the increased flow.  A tune would unlock some more power too.

I want to remove the baffle also, does this help or hurt the bike? I personally love loud pipes.

[7fold]

5 hours ago, BruceWayne911 said:

I want to remove the baffle also, does this help or hurt the bike? I personally love loud pipes.

If you remove the baffle without a tune, you might get some burbles and pops if that's what you're into. With a tune, it could help or hurt depending on what the tune is for - when I reached out to 2WDW when I got my Graves, they told me that removing the baffle would net me a bit more power, but I'm sure they could come up with a tune should anyone want to leave a baffle in whatever exhaust they choose. 

[BruceWayne911]

9 hours ago, 7fold said:

If you remove the baffle without a tune, you might get some burbles and pops if that's what you're into. With a tune, it could help or hurt depending on what the tune is for - when I reached out to 2WDW when I got my Graves, they told me that removing the baffle would net me a bit more power, but I'm sure they could come up with a tune should anyone want to leave a baffle in whatever exhaust they choose. 

Yeah I'm just gonna call some shops and ask. I'll reach back out to everyone here just to make sure I'm not getting ripped off. I love the sound of loud pipes so baffle out is the way for me unless it hurts the bike.

[BruceWayne911]

Just bought the Yoshimura exhaust for my MT-07. I called my local shop and they said install would be $175, power commander $309 and retune $229. I'm going to try and install the exhaust on my own, I've seen some YouTube vids and it doesn't look to difficult.

Is $309 for a power commander a good price? Are there any specific ones you would recommend?

 

Yoshimura R77 Race Exhaust System Yamaha FZ-07 / MT-07 / XSR700 | 20% ($139.80) Off!

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Developed with Yoshimura's AMA teams, this exhaust packs race-level...

 

[mjh937]

@BruceWayne911, if you are even slightly mechanically adept installing the exhaust will be easy.  I would replace the gaskets too.  A lot of guys do not and have no problems but I figure why not do it right and not have the slim possibility of a leak.