The Yamaha MT-01 first appeared as a concept motorcycle at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show. Due to considerable public interest in the machine, Yamaha developed a production model first released in 2005.
It was a muscle bike manufactured from 2005 to 2012 and available in the Australian, New Zealand, European, Indian, Japanese, and parts of North American markets. The bike was powered by a Yamaha Warrior XV1700 modified engine but also driven and stopped by Yamaha R1 suspension and braking systems.
In 2006, Yamaha released the MT-01 in the same package as previous models, without any significant modifications. It was offered with three different tuning kits developed with Akaprovic, where Stage 1 was street legal and Stage 2 and 3 were only available for track use.
In 2009, Yamaha released a special production version of the MT-01 that packed Ohlins suspension, Pirelli Diablo Rosso tires, and a specific color scheme with red and white paint and a black and red seat.
The 2007 Yamaha MT-01 took its muscles from a 1,670cc four-stroke air-cooled V-twin engine fed by a fuel injection system, delivering a power output of 90 hp at 4,750 rpm and 150 Nm ( 111 lb-ft) torque at 3,750 rpm.
The power generated by the engine was handled by a five-speed manual transmission and a final chain drive, pushing the bike to a top speed of 208 kph (129 mph).