Yamaha Teases MT-01 V-Twin Motorcycle

This was the motorcycle shown in concept form at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show. The production MT-01 seems likely to follow it fairly closely.

Yamaha's MT-01 sport cruiser (or is it a cruiser-powered sportbike?), first seen as a concept bike at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show is headed for production, according by a site that the company has set up to tease the bike. Yamaha calls the radical machine a "Torque Sports" motorcycle. It is powered by a hot-rodded version of the Road Star 1700 air-cooled, pushrod V-twin engine, which seems like an unlikely match for the exotic high-tech chassis design, which features a unique rear suspension with its single damper laid next to the engine, which allows the engine to be kept very low in the frame. Unfortunately the MT-01 will not be coming to North America.