As one of the fastest growing bike sectors through the past three years, the Supermoto division again sees the brilliant Yamaha XT660X line up in revised form. Sporting the dual exit pipes and sharp tailpiece and mudguard designs, the 660X is arguably the best looker in its class. Colour choice for 2007 sees typical Yamaha Black or blue options, or an unusually KTM orange. Its style suits the city, and will have heads rolling down O Connell Street as you purr by.
Performance figures show 48bhp at 6,000 Rpm. Not to bad for a midrange single cylinder motor, however it has over 10bhp than Honda's diminutive FMX650. Its snappy and lively through stop go riding, partly due to the low engine gearing though also its style of engine. There is a lag in midrange, though nothing to fling your socks over. Pity it's so quiet though! Grab some aftermarket, Akrapovic pipes and that's all you'll need. This has to be the quietest single released since meatloaf got laryngitis!
Smooth handling onroad due to its compact design, long travel suspension setup and onroad rubber, sitting on 17inch excel rims. Taking to the secondary roads is highly enjoyable, more so than running main roads with long straights, as top speed isn't one of the XT's finest traits. Due to the lack of a rev counter it can be slightly hard to gauge were the engine is sitting through a corner, however with time spent riding it and an educated ear, you’ll eventually get the hang of it.
Normally the thought of spending time on an off-road bike would see your tush turned to mush. Having spent time coasting the XT on both secondary and main roads, it is quite the comfortable ride. Slim and trim is the key to supemoto success, and Yamaha have lived to this motto very well indeed. We feel the XT is one of the best commuting options, if you end up sitting in traffic 40 miles away from your house on frequent occasions. Extras worth thinking about are the sump guard and a rear rack for a top box,as throw-over luggage could be a problem with the high sit exhaust system.