Intro:
On my quest to find the best brake for me, I managed to land a good deal on a set of MT7s. These are often touted and installed on bikes by users in Europe and I was anxious to see what the fuss was about.
The kit I got was around $380 including two rotors, but not bleed kit, so not an awful deal especially given the overall quality of these brakes
Construction
The construction is fairly straightforward at both the lever and caliper, although with a few interesting differences compared to competitors.
The caliper is somewhat unique in that it uses four total pads instead of two like most 4 piston brakes, so each piston gets a pad. The pistons are also magnetic, which makes placing them easier. I know some have reported installation issues and alignment problems due to this, however I didn't have any of these issues, nor did I have problems with dragging rotors. I suspect this may be due to pistons getting sticky over time and not being cleaned, but I never had that problem so it's difficult to say for certain.
The lever is made of some composite material and users have reported them breaking in a crash, again I didn't have this problem but it's not hard to see how that might be a possibility. The lever uses a press-fit pin to retain the lever blade and there are a number of lever blades, both aftermarket and from Magura, that can be used. I opted for the HC-W blade, not trying others.
Lever blade replacement is somewhat of a janky process, you have to hammer out a small pin then press it back in, something that is kindof scary to do on a brake especially made from a composite material. I would've preferred to see a bearing here instead, but do it properly and you shouldn't have an issue.
The MT7s use "Royal Blue", a Magura branded mineral oil based fluid, and the bleed/install process was very straightforward with no glaring issues.
Lever Feel
The lever feel is very nice especially compared to what I'd identify as their closest competitor, Shimano Saints. It's a consistent level of force required to pull the lever with no heavy spiking or excessive progression in force required. It's extremely consistent and very smooth feeling. I didn't have any issues with lever slop or unwanted movement, the levers were smooth and consistent the entire time.
Unlike some levers, like Saints and Dominions, there isn't a huge change in lever force as you pull the lever. This isn't necessarily a pro or con, but a feel-oriented thing. Personally I liked it, although I didn't try every lever option available, but the consistency in force throughout the lever stroke was something that stood out most to me on these.
If you like levers close to the bar, this isn't a great choice, as the lever position is fairly far out and power comes on late, so you need some lever stroke between the bar and idle position.
Riding
I rode these for a few months between winter and spring during our very inconsistent winter this year, which made for a nice year to test brakes as I could get a feel for them in varying temperature ranges.
The MT7s have a wonderful lever feel for a brake of this design age and nature. I much preferred the feel to the Saints I was using previously; I found no issues with fade or ambient temperature related bite point issues. They were remarkably consistent all the time, with a lever consistency that is rarely matched by other brakes.
Where these fell apart for me was the overall power available and how it is delivered. The power needed is there, but it comes on very late and requires a longer lever stroke. On my first ride, I nearly blew a corner because I grabbed some brake, expecting them to bite faster than they did and I went in with too much speed. That's my fault, but in general I prefer brakes that bite harder faster and these aren't it.
Keep in mind I'm a 220lb rider on a big steel enduro bike, so I think these might work more optimally for lighter riders.
I can't really fault the way these brakes performed and my main beef is going to be subjective. I think they are brilliant for people looking at brakes that handle this way, I just need a bit more out of them and didn't want to go through the effort/cost of pads and lever blades.
Configuration options
I'll admit this review is a little bit incomplete. I ran them in stock form as they showed up. I did not try the Magura race pads, which I hear ramp up the power at the cost of pad life. Similarly, I didn't try any of the numerous aftermarket options.
It's my understanding the HC-W lever is the most progressive in power delivery, but I also didn't try to use other levers. I accepted these as an experiment, so if you are getting a bike that has these or you want to use them specifically for some reason (for me it'd be lever feel), then you have some options available to you that I didn't explore.
Who they are for
As I mentioned previously, if you like your levers close to the bar, look elsewhere. These physically can't get the lever close to the bar and power delivery comes on very late, which means unless you are super light, they won't work out.
If you are a lighter rider and/or prefer more linear power delivery from brakes, I'd strongly suggest these. The lever feel is really good and very consistent, parts are readily available, rotors are well sized, and they were reliable for me.
Where this starts to become more of a question is for heavier riders or those who want a really strong bite point, I think there are better options in stock form. If you are ok risking it and experimenting with pads and levers, there is more tweaking that might make them more powerful and progressive for heavier riders, but I would generally suggest a stronger option for that situation.
The value at the current price point is hard to beat, as well. I'd say these are probably some of the best brakes in the sub $400 price point you can get and that's not accounting for sales.
Comparisons:
vs M820 Saints - The MT7s are superior in every way, although they do share some similarities in both age and fluids. The MT7s are more consistent across temp ranges, easier to bleed, power comes on more intuitively, and there are more tweaking options in terms of levers that you can use. Personally, I didn't find the Saints to be that great, but the MT7s I could see being the right option for a lot of riders.
vs. Hayes Dominion A4 - The Dominions are my goto recommendation for most riders. The main beef I have with them is the longer deadstroke, the MT7s has a shorter deadstroke and more consistency in lever force. The Dominions have a very light deadstroke that ramps up through the pull, however the MT7s remain a bit more consistent as you pull them and has less deadstroke. That said, power comes on slower with the MT7s and requires more engaged stroke to get power out of them compared to Dominions. The Hayes are a little easier to setup and don't require proprietary fluid, although they use DOT which butthurts some people. Both have great aesthetics and a very similar cockpit organization style. The Dominions have alloy levers, which may survive better in a crash, while the Maguras use composite material that is more prone to breaking. They are both great brakes, but for heavier riders looking for a firmer bite, the Dominions are a better choice. If you want a more consistent lever feel through the stroke and are lighter, the MT7s are a better option.
Pros:
Consistent, smooth lever feel
Calipers have a nice aesthetic to them (and can be color matched)
Easy to install, bleed, and work on
Numerous pad compounds, both from Magura and 3rd parties
Good power when you reach it later in the lever stroke
No temperature or fade related inconsistencies that I could trigger
Great value at the current price point.
Cons:
Non-rebuildable calipers
Power delivery in stock form for heavier riders is a little too linear and on the weaker side compared to their counterparts
Some users report alignment problems
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