Due to the Yamaha YZF-success R25's among Malaysia's younger riders, Hong Leong Yamaha Motors upped the ante by introducing the 2020 Yamaha MT-25 naked sports last 2 years. We were certain that the MT-25 would perform admirably when we handed the keys to the review unit despite the fact that this particular segment of the local motorcycle market is quite competitive in terms of pricing and performance.

The we has always, always enjoyed little Yamaha engines, particularly those under a quarter liter. If there is one thing Yamaha does well, it is building small displacement engines that produce a lot of power, relative to their size, and never fail to put a smile on the rider's face.

The MT-25 and its full-fairing sports bike brother, the YZF-R25, have established a sort of standard for the Malaysian quarter-liter market in this regard. The R25 is incredibly well-liked among young riders of all races because of its strong turn of speed and respectable handling for its class

Yamaha Malaysia may be trying to replicate the success it had with the R25 with the MT-25. It is irrelevant that the Kawasaki Z250, both in twin and single-cylinder versions, dominated the local market for the first part of previous decade.

The MT-25 2023 has arrived, giving the Malaysian naked sports market another choice in the here and now. But can it emulate its more athletic sibling, and is it perhaps even more entertaining than the R25?

Sports bikes that are completely exposed reveal nothing to the rider by nature. There is no engine hidden beneath a fairing, and there is no plastic bubble to hide behind when speeds get out of hand.

After 40 years, Yamaha's fast UJM quarter-liter road bike has potentially found a spiritual successor in the MT-25. The Yamaha MT-25 borrows heavily from the Yamaha "Darkness" design book in terms of appearance, while the Yamaha MT-10 and even the entry-level MT-15 bear a striking resemblance.

Although some people might not enjoy the Japanese manga-inspired style, the young shaver in the house revealed that the boys tearing up the city streets like it. The MT-25 has a noticeable visual mass due to the airbag inside being inflated by the functional air scoops on either side of the tank.

The review model we is extremely attractive and does give the MT-25 a simple, utilitarian appearance, which everyone truly liked.

There are no surprises here because the MT-25 shares the parallel-twin mill's mechanical design with the R25. The MT-25 is a peaky engine that enjoys revving, producing 35.5 horsepower at 12,000 rpm and 23.6 Nm of torque at 10,000 rpm. For better power plant longevity, please pay attention to routine oil changes.

Shorter riders may find the 780 mm seat height easy to manage, but longer riders may find their legs slightly spread due to the fuel tank's width. The pillion seat, a pad on the tailpiece, has a noticeable hump to simulate a race cowl, and the rider seat is cut narrowly in the front so most people won't have trouble planting a foot level on the ground.

We will assume that the MT-25 does not place a high focus on passenger comfort given that everyone we offered a seat for a pillion ride to rejected. Some riders can find the split seat design to be constricting because it places the rider in a large pocket between the tank and the tail piece.

Check for fit before you buy because, due to the moderate length of the reach to the handlebars, tucking in on the tank if you are much taller than 182 cm will resemble an exercise in origami.

The MT-25 is not a "huge" bike, but it is neither physically small nor large, and it does have a presence. With this model, Yamaha obviously catered to younger riders and, in particular, the Asian market, where many riders' first "serious" bikes are quarter-liter motorcycles.

Despite the size of the tank, moving the MT-25 around will reveal it to be lightweight. The 2015 Kawasaki Ninja 250SL tips the scales at 151 kg, while the KTM 250 Duke weighs 151 kg and the Husqvarna Svartpilen weighs 154 kg. These rivals in the class have claimed kerb weights that are higher than the 169 kg wet weight of the MT-25.

However, as they say, the real test of the pudding is in the eating, and we thought the MT-25 was quite delectable. The MT-25's engine doesn't get going until around 8,000 rpm, much like its two-stroke progenitor, but it lacks the peaky two-stroker power band.

What you do get is this fair to average amount of power, which, if you're in the appropriate gear, will be sufficient to get you around on city streets and other urban highways. To keep up with the acceleration, you blast the throttle open and tap your left foot.

No, it won't exactly bash your eyes out of your skull; it just has two cylinders and 249 cc. The lack of a fairing, which puts the rider directly in the path of the wind blast, is probably what helps the MT-25's engine response to be slightly better than the R25's. However, the MT-25 is quick and quick with it.

There is nowhere to hide, so you must ride it out until the MT-25 achieves its top speed, which is about enough. On the highway, you won't have any trouble maintaining the standard highway speed, and there is still enough power in the engine to do overtakes if necessary by shifting down one or two gears.

If anything, riding the MT-25 will teach you the value of always keeping the kettle on the boil and the criticality of matching gear to engine speed. There is no torque, so there is no use in dragging the engine in a high gear and letting it speak for itself.

The MT-25 checks all the necessary boxes when it comes to relocating the rider's soul thanks to its upside-down suspension, non-adjustable, and back monoshock with preload adjustment. This is when we encountered the MT-25's first weakness.

In order to produce motorcycles at this price point in a fiercely competitive industry with narrow profit margins, some costs must be reduced. The MT-25 lags behind the MT-09 of the preceding generation in terms of suspension.

The MT-25 bends quite well and tips in neatly while taking fast turns as long as you keep to the speed limit on the highway. The MT-25, however, begins to feel uneasy as soon as the speed of the vehicle increases, with the front end seeming as like there is simply too much rebound occurring and the back end slightly wallowing.

A planted feeling is provided when riding at high speeds at the top of the rev range thanks in part to the MT-25's weight. The MT-25 will slice and dice through the lanes faster than you think it will, so changing direction quickly while keeping the throttle open requires some consideration.

The brakes are another component of the MT-25's arsenal that is deficient. Despite having two-channel ABS, which performed flawlessly and was so inconspicuous that you couldn't tell it was there, the MT-25 could need a little more stopping force, especially up front.

The situation was slightly alleviated by the addition of the rear brake, but we can tell you that the MT-25 dislikes trail braking when it is heavily heeled over. Get all of your braking done while moving straight ahead, then tip it in and maintain turn speed.

Which is ultimately what quarter-liter bikes are all about. Put your foot on the gas, brake aggressively, shift down two gears, and corner as if your life depended on it. Which it does, as riding a tiny bike quickly is more enjoyable than a big bike slowly.

Another problem we encountered was engine vibration, which was more pronounced here than it was on the R25. The handlebars and foot pegs vibrated enough to make us consider what may likely occur during incredibly long distance journeys, but this will have to be a narrative for another time, when cross-border travel is permitted.

Speaking of travel, we were able to cover roughly 300 kilometers between fill-ups with the 14-liter fuel tank, for example, you can travel for two hours before stopping to rest and refuel.

Who then needs a Yamaha MT-25, which, dare we say it, is a lot of fun, much like practically every other naked sports bike we've rode in the previous five years? The MT-25 is a clear pick for the novice rider and will teach them about corner speed and late braking.