Yamaha R9

[KungFooBob]

Apparently the team manager at Ten Kate has been told by Yamaha they'll be providing them R9's for WSS in 2025 rather than R6's.

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new ... upersport/

Which means there must be a R9 road bike on the way... and hopefully a proper sports bike rather than a shopping bike with a fairing like the R7.

[weeksy]

hopefully a proper sports bike rather than a shopping bike with a fairing like the R7.

Nope... it'll be built to a budget like all bikes these days. It'll have some nice bits but the suspension will be low spec and the power will be 115bhp... does that make it a proper sportsbike... Not really.

But it'll be a good bike for sure.

[KungFooBob]

I'm hoping it's more than just an MT-09SP with a fairing.

[weeksy]

I'm hoping it's more than just an MT-09SP with a fairing.

What exactly can it be then ? I don't get where you're going with this. The engine is 115bhp, there's a limit to what a 900 triple will make.

It ain't going to have Ohlins on the base model and it'll come with TC, QS, blipper and IMU.... but i don't know what you think may happen that'll make it more than the reality will be.

[KungFooBob]

MV claim 148bhp for their 800 triple, but I think MV are prone to a tiny bit of exaggeration.

To homologate for WSS they could put some peaky cams in it, some ram air maybe. I'm sure Yamaha make the CP3 as it is to fill a market segment, there's bound to be a bit of overhead available?

[weeksy]

MV claim 148bhp for their 800 triple, but I think MV are prone to a tiny bit of exaggeration.

To homologate for WSS they could put some peaky cams in it, some ram air maybe. I'm sure Yamaha make the CP3 as it is to fill a market segment, there's bound to be a bit of overhead available?

Sure, maybe... but not in the production road bike.

FWIW i had a drag with an MV 800 at Silverstone on the straight, 6 laps, each time it destroyed my XSR900. I caught him in other places, but on the straight, it was RAPID !

[Couchy]

Another version on a theme, every version of the MT09 has been made lower at the front as all models got slated for rubbish front ends. If this is the same frame or a variation on it it’ll be interesting to see what they’ve done to make it compete against proper sportsbikes. Yamaha can make a sportsbike whether they bother with this who knows, problem is if they do make a proper job it’ll be R1 priced as engine aside that is what a sportsbike chassis is. I don’t have much faith as having hired an R7 on a track day I handed it back after two sessions it was rubbish

[Bigjawa]

There's nothing slow about a 115bhp bike, it's comparatively slow compared to something like a new R1, but 115bhp is roughly what the original blade made.

Yamaha won't care if the suspension isn't great as people who ride quick enough to notice the difference will be going aftermarket anyway.

[wull]

There's nothing slow about a 115bhp bike, it's comparatively slow compared to something like a new R1, but 115bhp is roughly what the original blade made.

Yamaha won't care if the suspension isn't great as people who ride quick enough to notice the difference will be going aftermarket anyway.

But back then that was mega, you didn’t have 200+ horsepower bikes to compare it to, 115 on a bike that is as heavy as the original blade is so lacklustre now you wouldn’t get out of bed for it. But on a bike that’s maybe lighter, more nimble then yeah, the fun that can be had on a twisty track is mega.

Slower bikes have the potential to be relatively quick on circuit as you don’t have to scrub off as much speed ( unless you’re that walloper that thinks he can brake later on his Gixer thou ) and can get on the gas sooner, that’s why the CB boys have so much fun.

For me the absolute best package for track especially tighter circuits are the supersport bikes that have anywhere from 115-130bhp. Thats the kind of bike I’d aim for as a dedicated track bike, depending on funds of course.

[Supermofo]

It's such a nonsense to have middleweight 'supersport' bikes which are 100cc less than the Superbikes. The only reason for doing it is cost and emissions.

I get it, no one wants supersport 600s anymore. Which is fine, the reason why no one wants them is they are single minded race focused bikes and everyone got old and fat.

So call this the streetbike cup or something, cos an MT 09 is not a supersport bike. It's a budget big capacity roadbike, it makes the same numbers as a 1992 Fireblade with the same CC, hell they have more torque but only make the same bhp as the last batch of proper 600cc supersports did over 10 years ago. In the meantime an R1 has gone from 130-200 bhp in not much less time. A proper R9 would be not much down on an R1, have a complete redesign and not sell cos it'd be too focus and be as expensive as the faster R1. It's what killed the 600cc class in the first place, they went from 80bhp allrounders to 120bhp racebikes for the road and wrote themselves out of existence. So what this will be is the same hatchet job as the R7, just an MT09 with a faring.

[mangocrazy]

It's such a nonsense to have middleweight 'supersport' bikes which are 100cc less than the Superbikes. The only reason for doing it is cost and emissions.

I get it, no one wants supersport 600s anymore. Which is fine, the reason why no one wants them is they are single minded race focused bikes and everyone got old and fat.

So call this the streetbike cup or something, cos an MT 09 is not a supersport bike. It's a budget big capacity roadbike, it makes the same numbers as a 1992 Fireblade with the same CC, hell they have more torque but only make the same bhp as the last batch of proper 600cc supersports did over 10 years ago. In the meantime an R1 has gone from 130-200 bhp in not much less time. A proper R9 would be not much down on an R1, have a complete redesign and not sell cos it'd be too focus and be as expensive as the faster R1. It's what killed the 600cc class in the first place, they went from 80bhp allrounders to 120bhp racebikes for the road and wrote themselves out of existence. So what this will be is the same hatchet job as the R7, just an MT09 with a faring.

Everything you say is true, but... (you knew there was a 'but' coming, didn't you?)

If there was a base model to create the (as yet mythical) R9 from, I'd much prefer the XSR900 as the starting point, in fact I'd raid the parts bin for both the XSR900 and the MT-09 SP. Use the longer swingarm from the XSR and the fancy fork and Ohlins shock from the SP. Stick a proper full fairing on it (and don't charge extra for the fairing lowers, you c*nts) and give it 'relaxed' ergonomics, not clip-ons down by the wheel spindle. I'd buy one.

It will never happen, of course. Or if it does it will be priced stupidly.

[Supermofo]

and give it 'relaxed' ergonomics, not clip-ons down by the wheel spindle. I'd buy one.

I was watching the Bikeworld review of the new GSX8R and I noticed that the bars look not far off mandlebar height, although angled differently. So Suzuki have gone for the comfort route


In comparison the R7 has a much lower position

[mangocrazy]

The Suzuki GSX8S bars certainly look far more oldgit-friendly than the R7s, so while the (alleged) looks of the R9 would be preferable, I can't imagine the riding position would be. I quite like the method of attachment of the GSX8S bars to the top yoke - not seen that before.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I quite like the method of attachment of the GSX8S bars to the top yoke - not seen that before.

Unitrak GPz1100s were like that, I think the same era Suzuki GSX750ESD might have been as well.

[The Spin Doctor]

I was watching the Bikeworld review of the new GSX8R and I noticed that the bars look not far off mandlebar height, although angled differently. So Suzuki have gone for the comfort route

The GSX-8R bars remind me of the original GS500E... This is a 92 model, I think - my early 90 had lower risers.

Suzuki GS500 bars.jpg (211.04 KiB) Viewed 1063 times

And the front fairing and side-on looks are XJ6-F...

I guess it saves money in the design stage.

[KungFooBob]

And the front fairing and side-on looks are XJ6-F...

Glad I'm not the only one thinks it looks like the late model Divvy.

[Bigjawa]

I was watching the Bikeworld review of the new GSX8R and I noticed that the bars look not far off mandlebar height, although angled differently. So Suzuki have gone for the comfort route

The GSX-8R bars remind me of the original GS500E... This is a 92 model, I think - my early 90 had lower risers.

Suzuki GS500 bars.jpg

And the front fairing and side-on looks are XJ6-F...

I guess it saves money in the design stage.

They changed the GS bars to normal ones around 1999 ish.

[The Spin Doctor]

They changed the GS bars to normal ones around 1999 ish.

They did indeed when the bike became the GS500F... it had a bung up the exhaust and as a result barely hit 100 mph (the earlier bikes were around 15 mph faster) and I doubt it got near the 35kW that Suzuki claimed (the minimum for a DAS bike at the time). They also added a shedload of weight - back to back with our earlier models at the training school, the 99-on F was incredibly heavy to wheel around.

[A_morti]

I get it, no one wants supersport 600s anymore.

That's the reason no one wants supersport bikes in general anymore, not specifically 600 supersports.

You just can't have high horsepower 600/4s anymore. They use too much fuel and spit out too many unburned hydrocarbons and there's no amount of catalysts you can add to get around the problem.

And even as a recent purchaser of an fz6 I ask: why would you want one for street riding anyway? A 900 triple with the same horsepower will have a lot more guts in the low revs, use less fuel, and just generally be a nicer bike to ride.

There's still something about the sound of a smallish IL4 though

[Supermofo]

I get it, no one wants supersport 600s anymore.

You just can't have high horsepower 600/4s anymore. They use too much fuel and spit out too many unburned hydrocarbons and there's no amount of catalysts you can add to get around the problem.

You sure, both Honda and Kawasaki have just released high horsepower 600/4s as 2024 bikes.

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/r ... 024-review

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/r ... 024-review

Plus IL4 litre sportsbikes not only exist they now put out over 200bhp whilst still being euro 5. So it's possible, although harder than it used to be. I believe weight from cats etc is more an issue than bhp.

Your point about having a 900 with more torque and comfort is more valid. As I said people fell out of love with supersport bikes.