Yamaha MT09 Talk to me...

[Easy-X]

There's a slidy-pictury-thing here:

https://autobala.com/2022-yamaha-xsr900-announced-for-europe/232185/

It looks like the same engine but everything else is new: frame, swing arm, forks, etc. I think I prefer the old one
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[Easy-X]

[Ayrton]

[bacon]

I had a 2016 MT09 for a few years, sold it last year. It was the updated model, (identified by the black frame, TC and ABS etc) and I really liked it in stock form.

Great engine (best bit about it), great seating position even for a short arse like me, get the comfort seat as it's a worthwhile upgrade for your behinds sake, lovely wide bars, poor wind protection (I tried a few screens but none were brilliant), stiff rear shock (couldn't get the required sag I needed and it had soft front forks with poor rebound damping, I'm 11 stone in gear. Your experience may vary.

It had the ECU/fueling updated by Wiz Performance before I bought it, but I'll be honest I never had any issues of poor fueling, I do prefer a cable operated throttle, but as far as throttles go it was fine.

All 3 maps were useful, I left it in standard mode most of the time.

Power wheelies were easy in second with the roll on/off approach, not that I'm any good at them!

I did upgrade the suspension all round to ktech kit at considerable expense, got a bit caught up in it all ...

I fitted IDS20 internals with springs to suit my weight up front, carefully selected the correct oil to use in each fork leg, slightly lower viscosity oil in the compression leg for example. Set it all up with the recommended air gap and found it all very stiff on bigger bumps, it felt like it would lock up, I tried increasing the air gap but it didn't help. I think the issue was with the shim stack being set up too firm and more suitable for a bike on track. Not that I'd be tracking an MT09!
I fitted a KTech Razor R at the back, this was superb.

I did remove it all before I sold it, if I was to do the custom suspension setup on any bike in future I think I'll just go to Maxton.

But overall opinion of the MT09 are that it is a bargain of a bike with great performance, the street triple though is a better all round package and would be my choice if going for another triple again.

Cheers

[grr666]

[DJP]

Well, I had good 50 mile test ride on the MT09 the other day and frankly, I'm not sure.

It's a nice enough bike: Easy to get on with, comfortable enough for me (apart from the overly firm suspension, but I could live with that). Nice fuelling, dripping with tech and decent performance (although not as fast as the claimed power and weight figures might suggest).

I've ridden the XSR900 and several previous incarnations of the MT09 and the 2021 is the best yet. Gone are the fuelling glitches, odd riding position and wayward handling. Yamaha have undoubtedly addressed all of the previous shortcomings of the model and it's a much better bike.

But, well... I dunno. Maybe I'm a Luddite, but I was kind of put off by all the tech and it just felt a little bit... well, cheap. Except that it's not cheap at over £9k.

If I'd liked it just a bit more, I'd have opened the chequebook there and then but as it stands I'm not sure that I like it that much. Which is a bummer 'cos I'm not sure what I'm going to do now.
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Suzuki Bandit 1250
https://deejayp999.atwebpages.com/index.html
That's http not https

[bacon]

I had the 2013 street triple and test rode a 2018 765 street triple R, both much more refined than the 2016 MT09, not as lairy but much better suspension and slightly sportier riding position. Ideal A road machine.

I'd happily have either engined model of the street triple next.

[DJP]

Sadly, the striple is a bit small for me.
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Suzuki Bandit 1250
https://deejayp999.atwebpages.com/index.html
That's http not https