Motorcycle specifications YamahaXT 660 X 2011 XT becomes Supermotard

remember Paulo les gaz's XT (Joe BAR Team); a diabolical tool for the city. Yamaha is taking advantage of the new version of the XT, the 660 R, to offer a supermotard variant. It's a great way to have fun in town, and why not try your hand at the races for which Thierry Van den Bosch is famous. To go from R to X, the XT adopts 17" wheels fitted with road tires. The front brake disc is 320 mm in diameter, and features a Brembo 4-piston caliper. Seriousness and power. In the spirit of the XT's more muscular use, the fork springs have been hardened without altering travel. Yamaha should do very well, offering an affordable supermotard in an often elitist market.
Will the future be the home of the Supermot'? No one can be categorical, but Yamaha's initiative to take the concept to the streets is to be applauded. Yamaha is introducing the Supermotard for all. Why so good when it's cheaper? With the competition, you'll find more watts, higher-quality damping, competition braking... but don't be fooled: it's pure sport and quickly exhausting. The XT X is less extreme and almost as enjoyable. Not to mention the Yam network. Vertemati fans don't have as many dealerships to choose from.

test Ride - By Olivier Quinten - manufacturer's photos :

i'm not who you think I am

"10 days alone, I'm hooked on the photo, but will I still like it when I'm on it? "

that's a thought a web surfer might have on the eve of meeting his beautiful stranger, but no, you're reading Moto xxxxx and the beauty in question is the Yamaha XT 660 X.
It's already been in the catalog for 2 years, and I must admit that after a first visual contact at the last Brussels Motor Show, I've always wanted to get on it and ride it a bit.
On tires, in its black and grey livery, it attracts me even more (another blue and grey version, which appeals less to me, is also in the catalog). Handsome, tall, broad-shouldered and broad-assed, with a 320 mm front disc clamped by a four-piston caliper, sporty with its black Excell rims and two raised exhaust pipes, it's a real eye-catcher.
I'm itching to file the soles of my boots around roundabouts and other crossroads. So I pull out my cross-country helmet and sit on the handlebars.
The instrument panel in front of me is complete (apart from the absence of a lap counter): meters, 2 trip meters, clock and the usual array of indicators: headlights, indicators, neutral, reserve and Jehovah's Witness (no, I'm just kidding!)
Contact, the little whistle reminds me that the 660 (4-valve and double ACT) is now equipped with fuel injection, which unfortunately somewhat erases the legendary kick in the ass of the big mono (like the famous XT 500!).
The engine! The engine's water-cooled pom pom is still very, perhaps even too discreet; a good pair of adaptors would give the bike a sound worthy of the bike, and lighten the rear end.
In the saddle, despite the adoption of 17-inch radius treads, seat height peaks at 875 mm (if you're under 1.70 m tall, don't forget your platform soles). After looking for the ideally placed footrests, I shift into first gear and take off on a heavy trickle of throttle, to avoid calling (ah, that damned injection!).
The 5 gears shift with ease and the engine proves torquey at medium revs, but runs out of steam fairly quickly. On greasy surfaces, this makes it easy to chain together short glides from the rear, as the bike naturally repositions itself when the engine reaches maximum revs (6,000 rpm). On dry roads, however, don't expect this kind of styling trick: the engine develops just 48 hp/din for 173 kg unladen weight, which is a guarantee of safety but, from second gear onwards, makes it difficult to achieve even the slightest whelling and other traverses on corner exits.
The large Pirelli Dragon tires (120/70 on 17 at the front and 160/60 on 17 at the rear) aren't just there to impress the crowds, they also have incredible grip that allows you to take impressive angles. But they need to be at the right temperature and evenly worn (especially at the front), because as soon as the tire wears out squarely, the bike becomes unstable at speed (for the XT, that's over 140 km/h!). So the pace quickly quickens. In town, the turning radius and torque of the engine make it easy to weave in and out of traffic. The suspension travel (200 mm at the front and 190 mm at the rear) swallows up the holes and bumps in our roadways with suppleness.s soon as you follow the instructions, i.e. don't hesitate to twist the throttle, you'll think you're Fiorentino: we'll be braking from beyond the grave, aided by the well-designed (but unfortunately non-adjustable) suspension and fork stiffener.
On the downside, fuel consumption is around 6 litres, giving a range of 180 km (15-litre tank including 3.5-litre reserve) before the reserve light comes on. A handy little detail: from that moment on, one of the two totalizers goes to zero, so you can see how many kilometres you'll run out of fuel!

so, what do we think of this XT after 10 days?

Well, there's the absence of a rev counter and the lack of a hand guard, as well as concerns about the exhaust pipes which pass under the bike, despite the 205 mm ground clearance.
What about power? Yes and no. I admit that a certain lack of power can sometimes be felt when overtaking or riding as a duo. But when you stick to the original idea of this bike, i.e., muscular touring, the power is more than enough to have fun, and if you really think it's too short (the power!), a Dutch tuner has apparently grafted an 80 hp Raptor engine onto it...
This test ride was particularly rich in emotion: excitement at first, a little disappointment during the first 10 kilometers and then, after a few days, the discovery of a doubly endearing motorcycle: sold for around 1.500 less expensive than most other super bikes, and which will turn your daily commute into a daily superbiker...

M.B and Olivier Quinten
(manufacturer's photos)