Lego Yamaha MT-10 SP comes with working pedal-activated gearbox

Lego has released a new large-scale Technic set for recreating a Yamaha MT-10 SP motorcycle. Though impressive in its size and scale, the real party trick isn’t visible once the bike is finished. It’s a working transmission that’s pedal activated, just like on a real motorcycle.

The Yamaha MT-10 SP is the Japanese bike maker’s flagship naked streetfighter. Powered by a crossplane 998cc inline-four with 164 horsepower and an absolutely wicked exhaust note, it begs to be revved to its 11,500 rpm redline. Though there are minor tuning differences, you can think of it as an YZF-R1 without the fairings and one of the most aggressive hyper nakeds on the market when it debuted in 2016.

These days, two-wheelers have just as may electronic features as cars, and the the 2022 update of the MT-10 added a six-axis inertial measurement unit, which allows for rider aids such as lean-sensitive traction control and ABS, slide control, wheel lift control, cruise control and more.

While the regular MT-10 offers a manually adjustable suspension front and rear, the pricier SP version uses Öhlins electronic semi-active units. These utilize spool valve dampers rather than a traditional needle valve for better responsiveness and sensitivity, and were a first for a production motorcycle.

It’s no wonder Lego chose the MT-10 SP as a follow up to its incredible BMW M 1000 RR kit. Both are approximately 1:5 scale, and the Yamaha is only the second in this series, so it would be a good opportunity to start a collection. When completed, the Yamaha will measure 17.5 inches long and 9.5 inches tall.

The real kicker for the Yamaha set, however, is a working transmission. It’s a first for Lego, and likely previews future Lego kits. There are three forward gears plus neutral unlike the real Yamaha’s six, but they’re operated just like a real bike’s – down for first, up past neutral for the rest.

The kit is brilliantly designed, with much of the Yamaha’s details defined by Lego pieces. This is in contrast to the BMW, which relied on stickers to fill in the specifics. We wish Lego would have offered a Cyan Storm option, but then it wouldn’t have been an SP in trademark Yamaha blue.

The Lego Yamaha MT-10 SP consists of 1,478 pieces and retails for $239.99.