THE moment I’d clapped eyes on the concept drawings of the MT-01 in the specialist motorcycle press I was like a junkie wanting his next fix.

It just oozed power, muscle and everything you’d associate with a V-twin, air-cooled 1,670cc.

Dropping off the YP400 scooter and then getting straight on to the MT-01 was in itself rather daunting.

The MT-01 appears a tall bike, but the Yamaha designers have gone for an optical illusion. True the tank is high, but the clever bit is that the saddle is some six to eight inches lower so you sit "in" the bike rather than perched on the top.

Again my initial journey was round the M25, this time, the weather was perfect. Just how do you control the right wrist to keep to 70mph? It’s difficult when the motor is just spinning at 2,500 rpm in fifth and doesn’t redline until 5,500rpm.

A huge dial represents the tacho with all the other relevant info LCD readouts

The plumbing for the upswept exhausts is a work of art. Both exhausts exit high up as per Ducati’s 916 styling and the exhaust note is something everyone should hear.Handling was good – if not excellent bearing in mind the height and wheelbase of the bike.

The MT-01 is not about top speed (although it will easily top three figures) but about cruising and torque - and for torque read lots!

Owning and running an MT-01 won’t be cheap but neither is running a Porsche or Ferrari. It’s not a practical everyday bike, but if it’s exclusivity you want then the MT-01 is up there with the best of them.