Seems very good
The exciting and affordable Yamaha MT-09 has undoubtedly been one of the firm's greatest success stories over recent years. It’s positively flown out of dealerships since 2013, but it never handled as well as it could have - even the fancy ’18 SP version.
But the Japanese company have cured its ills for 2021 with a new engine, electronics and crucially, a more road-friendly chassis. The new MT-09 SP takes those improvements a step further with higher-spec suspension, as well as fancy paint, a more luxurious seat and for the first time, cruise control.
Not only is the MT-09 SP now more refined than before and even cheekier it carves through corners like it should’ve all along, thanks to a lower front end that places more weight over the front wheel. In SP trim, not only do you get a more sophisticated ride, it’s also a lot of exciting naked bike for relatively little money. It still feels like a tall, shimmying supermoto at speed, but it’s always controlled and has impeccable low speed manners when you just want to take it easy. It’s a class act.
Ride quality & brakes
Next up: Engine
An issue with the original MT-09 was its reluctance to hold a line, especially in low grip conditions. It was too high at the front and its forks too gummy, so unless you forced it hard into a corner to put weight over the front wheel, it didn’t want to dig in.
Now the MT-09 and SP have the same lighter, stiffer new frame with a lower headstock that cures its handling woes at a stroke. It goes exactly where you point it and the SP’s fully adjustable KYB forks and Öhlins rear shock add an extra layer of plushness and control.
A crisp-handling, grippy 190kg naked powered a shouty 117bhp three-cylinder engine is about as fun as it gets on the road, especially now the new MT-09 SP handles so well. It’s just as capable and exciting as a big bhp super naked, but for a fraction of the price. You could argue it’s even better - it’s always more involving revving a smaller engine than running around at tickover on a bigger one.
Compared with Triumph’s Street Triple RS and KTM 890 Duke R it’s flightier and more supermoto-like, making it more playful, but it can also be calm and relaxed for normal riding.
Like the standard MT-09, the SP uses the same inline three-cylinder engine, heavily modified for lightness and more sparkle. Capacity grows from 847cc to 889cc, power climbs from 113bhp@10,000rpm to 117bhp@10,000rpm and torque is up from 64lb-ft@8500rpm to 67lb-ft@7000rpm.
The outgoing motor was never lacking but now it’s even more alive with a wider spread of power and more grunt to whip the front wheel up in third gear off the clutch. Fuelling is on the prickly side of smooth, but never a distraction and the Yamaha sounds so angry at full throttle you’d swear it slipped through Euro5 while no one was looking.
MT-09s aren’t just affordable and enjoyable to own, they’ve proved to be durable and trouble-free over the years, too. The engine, chassis and electronics have evolved for the 2021 version, but the changes are modest and shouldn’t affect reliability.
A new ride-by-wire system and six-axis IMU facilitates a full set of rider aids, shared by the standard MT-09 and SP. The Yamaha has traction, slide and wheelie control (which you can turn off for max naughtiness), cornering ABS and a very sweet quickshifter and autoblipper.
Both MTs also have a new 3.5in colour multi-function TFT dash, which may sound small but is perfectly readable and suits the Yamaha’s minimalist style. Unlike the base model, the new SP also comes with cruise control, which on an exposed naked, really helps reduce right wrist ache at constant windy motorway speeds.
