2017 Yamaha MT-09 launch review

The MT range of nakedbikes has been a boon for Yamaha, and the two models which have led the trek to market domination are the MT-07L (as in LAMS) and the MT-09. The company says they are the right models at the right time at the right price, which just about says it all. If 'accessible fun' has a real meaning, then the MTs are some of the best purveyors of the craft.

And the public is in on the act. In 2013, Yamaha had one machine in the nakedbike top 10 in Australia, the XJ-6NL, and in 2016 that grew to three bikes: the MT-07L in first position, the MT-09 in fourth position, and the MT-03 in fifth position. Yamaha nearly owns half of the nakedbike category now. And the MT family now includes the MT-10 and derivatives such as the MT-09 Tracer.

Bikesales' MT indoctrination (with apologies to the MT-01) began with the MT-09 three years ago, the new in-line three-cylinder machine revisiting an engine configuration that was last utilised with the XS series in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Solid grounding
The MT-09 was conceived as an everyday sporty triple, and its capacious riding position, compact design and slim waist made for a comfortable ride – but the real elephant stamp for us was the torquey and responsive engine. As we said at the time: "Engines like this make a habit of bypassing the normal get-to-know-you protocols, as they are just so manageable."

All that "combustion torque" meant the MT-09 even compared very favourably to supposedly more sporting middleweight nakeds in the torque-to-weight stakes – so even more halo effect for the new machine.

So a bike that nailed the prosaic stuff beautifully also had a sporting flair as well. If you need a reminder of why the MT-09 has sold so well, that sentence says it all.

Four years later, the second-generation MT-09 has arrived, and we've ridden the popular roadster not only on some of the best roads on north-east Victoria's books , but also a half-day on a nifty little racetrack – more as a self-indulgence than anything else…

And we did it hard in 40-degree temperatures on both days – the things we have to go through!

We understand now
When Yamaha first announced updates to the MT-09 during the international show season in 2016, we didn't think too much needed fixing. There wasn't per se, but Yamaha has seemingly honed in on areas where the MT-09 wasn't making massive waves: looks and electronics.

The MT-10 has inspired the MT-09 to try harder on the styling front, and the new twin-eye LED headlights are a major improvement over the old, while to give it more of a lithe look Yamaha has trimmed the subframe by 30mm and also sliced some length off the tail cowl section.

The seat is flatter and 5mm higher than before, and there's now an all-new swingarm-mounted rear fender and registration plate holder which, to put it bluntly, is an eyesore. Luckily, Yamaha has some accessory plate holders in its official catalogue. Other accessories include windscreens, luggage and titanium bits.

And, finally, there's now switchable traction control fitted as standard, as well as a quickshifter and a slip and assist clutch. The complete 2017 MT-09 package retails for a very appealing $12,299 plus on-road costs.

Track time
The half-day track outing was on a tight and twisty 1.6km circuit at Barnawartha near Albury/Wodonga, which has quickly become a hot spot for riders in that part of the world to have some fun without breaking the bank. It's a real 'run what you brung' type of affair at the Wodonga TAFE-owned facility. And Bikesales' sister websites at Carsales also use it a lot for automotive track tests.

The MT-09 is certainly not a hyper naked, and shouldn't be critiqued as such, but the nature of the layout suited the punchy triple beautifully with its wide spread of linear torque and predictable power delivery. The quickshifter was awesome, and the wide, aluminium tapered bars tailor-made for a winding layout.

It felt like I was up to speed on the track (well, my speed…) within five laps, such is the taut nature of the MT-09 and the minimal effort required to get the 193kg (wet) machine humming along. The only fine-tuning during the rest of the outing was tinkering with the traction control and riding mode settings.

However, I definitely felt more comfortable around the track on the 'standard' and 'B' riding modes as opposed to the full-house 'A' setting. Mind you, they all produce the same performance whack, 115hp (84.6kW) at 10,000rpm and 87.5Nm at 8500rpm, but Standard and B just felt a little more comfortable punching out of the slower turns at a lower rpm. If my corner speed was a little higher, A may have been the darling.

The MT-09 really kicks on from about 6000rpm, and a few times I continued onto the soft-action rev limiter at 11,000rpm. No real need to work the 1000rpm overrun from peak power though, as the MT-09 will keep churning away while short-shifting through the six-speed gearbox.

The slipper clutch didn't cause me any hassles, despite some quick-fire downchanges, while there's two-way traction control on the MT-09. Traction control can also be disabled – unlike the ABS which is a permanent arrangement.

The only heebie-jeebies on the track were probably a function of the back-end squatting a little too much and causing the front-end to get a little flighty. Probably a damping issue, but there's only so much external tweaking that can be done with a fairly straightforward suspension package.

The shock absorber features almost horizontal alignment and is adjustable for rebound and preload, while the 41mm forks now have compression adjustment as well.

Time to hit the road
Who's looking forward to Russell Coight returning to our screens in 2017 with that very saying? Well, it was certainly nice to peel out of the leathers and into some cooler protective gear for the day two road ride, even though it was another scorcher.

After a short commute through Albury's peak-hour traffic, we were soon out in the open, which is where the MT-09 really shines. Sporting middleweight nakeds devour twisty roads, and the MT-09 is no different. I felt tucked in and ready to ride from the get-go, and once that soft-action clutch was released it was straight down to business.

It was spirited riding, but not once did I feel that I was going beyond mine or the MT-09's tipping points – it really does like to play as much as commute.

We traversed a brilliant piece of bitumen (Granya Gap) a few times during the day, and I know where I'll be heading back to when the next middleweight naked comparo comes around. Just brilliant.

The quickshifter remains as fundamental to the MT-09 equation as it does on the race track, and even when I wasn't accelerating with as much vigour the gear changes were still fluid, albeit just a little heavier. And we're lucky in Australia, as some markets don't offer the quickshifter as a standard item.

Comfortable and upright ergonomics are right up my alley these days, and I like the flatter seat as well. The MT-09 also looks roomier for pillions these days, but we'll be trying that out at a later date.

At 100km/h, the MT-09 is doing about 4000rpm, so in the zone where you’d expect a roadster of this ilk to be purring along that.

The more causal pace – at least compared to the race track – also allowed me to survey the scene a little bit more. The LCD dash has also been updated for 2017, and is now mounted in the headlight assembly. There's a digital tacho, and plenty of space for all the prominent information to be displayed, such as the gear position indicator, traction control and engine mode settings.

I also like the smallish switchblocks on the MT-09, which is a good match for its lithe new appearance.

Back to base
Even though air flow isn't a problem on the MT-09, riding through 42-degree hear is still a challenge, so we returned slightly early to the hotel for a dip in the pool.

I then hit the road in my car, heading south on the Hume Highway – past the scene of the race track 'crime' the day before. That got me thinking: for the coin, the MT-09 delivers a wide gamut of sensational fun that sets it apart most other roadsters. That's the MT-07's stock-in-trade as well, so it's not hard to see why they are the current darlings of the Aussie nakedbike scene.

Yamaha has added some icing on an already heady package, and the next few years are looking very prosperous indeed.

The MT-09 is available in three liveries: Tech Black, Race Blue or Night Fluo.

SPECS: 2017 YAMAHA MT-09
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke DOHC, 12-valve in-line three-cylinder
Capacity: 847cc
Bore x stroke: 78.0mm x 59.1mm
Compression ratio: 11:5.1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 115hp (87.5kW) at 10,000
Claimed maximum torque: 87.5Nm at 8500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Diamond steel
Front suspension: 41mm upside-down fork, adjustable for preload, rebound and compression, 137mm travel
Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable for preload and rebound, 130mm travel
Front brakes: Dual 298mm discs with four-piston radial calipers
Rear brake: 245mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Wheels: Alloy, front 3.50 x 17, rear 5.50 x 17
Tyres: Bridgestone S20F 120/70-17, rear 180/55-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 25 degrees
Trail: 130mm
Claimed wet weight: 193kg
Seat height: 815mm
Ground clearance: 135mm
Wheelbase: 1440mm
Fuel capacity: 14 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $12,299 plus on-road costs
Colour: Tech Black, Race Blue or Night Fluo
Test bike supplied by: Yamaha Motor Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres