Update: Here’s the review!
The last time I reviewed a MT-09 (in 2020), I said that “I wondered if Yamaha’s legal department was on vacation when the MT-09 was in development.” It was a ton of fun, but it lacked refinement in certain areas. This week, I’m in Northern California because Yamaha has revised the model for 2024. What would you like to know about it?
Full disclosure – I did get the chance to ride the MT-09 SP in 2021 and I absolutely loved the upgraded suspension.
And the wheelies. Photo by Nathan May.
I’m particularly excited about the ’24 MT-09 because my (relatively minor) complaints with the previous bike all seem to have been addressed:
– ergonomics: the old bike was great in town but I was a bit of a sail on the highway, it was a nearly upright position that was more suited to the Tracer 9 sport-tourer. The new bike gets lower bars and pegs set further back for a sportier riding position.
– seat: hard acceleration on the old bike would send you sliding backwards on the long bench seat unless you were really clamping on the tank with your legs. Now there’s a hump from the passenger seat.
– tires: the old bike used cheap Dunlop Sportmax D214s, which were no more than adequate. The new bike gets Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S23s, which are a huge upgrade in my book.
– tech: this isn’t nearly as important to me as the above but the last bike I rode did not have a TFT dash and some minor pieces – the new one is more in line with the competition and it has cruise control.
– styling: I’ll leave this one alone, as it’s subjective. But I think the headlight area looks better than it used to? Either way, I think there’s a reason why all of Yamaha’s press photos of this bike are in the dark.
Photo from Yamaha
We’ll see how effective the above solutions are once I get some time with the bike!
Check out what Yamaha has to say about their newest machine, (here’s the SP version) and let me know what I can do for you in the comments!