“Go ahead, pop as many wheelies as you want!” yelled the local Yamaha representative as I set off for my test ride on the new MT-09. If there was any indication of a bike’s fun personality, this “riding tip” was probably it. And just as the enthusiasm of the Yamaha rep is uncharacteristic of typical (i.e. overly cautious) marketing folks, the MT-09 is a welcome break from the typical mould of (whisper it) bland Japanese motorbikes.
It looks funky, too, like the love child of a scrambler, a supermotard and a naked bike. It feels weird at first, but straddle the thing and it starts to make sense. The handlebars are high, wide and positioned close to the seat, while the pegs are set nice and low. The riding position has a hint of supermotard, but the low seating (815mm) is relaxing and breeds confidence, especially for shorter riders.
Another aspect that sets the MT-09 apart from other bikes is its price. At less than $20,000 on the road, it undercuts rivals such as the Triumph Street Triple and, to a lesser extent, the Ducati Hypermotard. While cheaper (by a few thousand dollars) doesn’t always equate to cheerful, the Yamaha is one jolly, chirpy child despite its price tag, thanks mainly to its brilliant engine.
An all-new 847cc inline-3 (a triple), the engine is bursting with “torque-ness” and responsiveness. The powerband is so wide that it doesn’t really matter what gear you’re in – just twist the throttle heartily and the bike pulls from low revs eagerly, through a rich and linear mid-range before peaking with a lively top end. Yamaha claims there’s 115bhp of power at 10,000rpm and 88Nm of torque 8500rpm, with the bike feeling every bit as fast and tractable as these figures suggest.
Thanks to its triple motor, the bike is not only slender, it’s light, too. Weighing only 188kg when fully fuelled, it’s even lighter than Yamaha’s own anorexic middleweight sports bike, the R6. Handling, as you’d expect of a bike that weighs less than a bag of chips (forgive my metaphor), is spirited and accurate, with the MT-09 flicking through corners with little more than a blink. To keep costs down, there’s no traction control, but the bike does come with three riding modes: B (softest), standard and A (sportiest). The A riding mode sharpens throttle response to suit one’s riding preference.
It isn’t all perfect, though. The ride quality, while decent, lacks sophistication, but a bigger niggle is the snatchy ride-by-wire throttle. Acceleration “from” a closed throttle is like an on/off switch, which can be unsettling when negotiating tighter, slower bends. While not so prominent in the B riding mode, it manifests itself in the other two modes. This blemish doesn’t blunt the riding experience too significantly, because as I’ve learnt on an old Yamaha FZ1 I used to own, you tend to ride “around” the problem after a few hours in the saddle.
Another problem that divides opinion among foreign journalists is the supposedly vague front end of the MT-09. Because its longer forks offer 10mm more travel than most bikes, they require the handlebars to be set higher above the front wheels, which takes away feel and makes late trail-braking into a turn challenging. I see why this can be an issue for riders who spent half their lives at a racetrack, but for the remaining 90 percent of riders like you and me, it shouldn’t be a major concern.
So what if the MT-09 isn’t perfect? At this price, I would be contented even if the bike came with a leprechaun living under the tank. The minor flaws mentioned don’t take anything away from the fundamental qualities of this Yamaha. It’s fun, engaging and charismatic. But don’t think for a moment it’s just a hooligan’s tool – slap on some side panniers and a windscreen, and you’ll find that the bike’s comfortable ergonomics and flexible engine can easily cope with two-up touring.
The motorcycling world is abuzz with the abilities of the Yamaha MT-09, and who can blame them? This versatile, immensely entertaining and affordable machine is proof that “cheap” and “thrill” don’t have to be mutually exclusive. For bikers on a budget, this can only be a good thing.
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE 847cc, 12-valves, inline-3
MAX POWER 115bhp at 10,000rpm
MAX TORQUE 88Nm at 8500rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed manual
0-100KM/H 3.5sec (estimated)
TOP SPEED 200km/h
CONSUMPTION 20km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE
$19,500
