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Yamaha has done something special for naked bike riders in the form of its MT-09 SP ($10,999). Based on the MT-09, which was fully overhauled for the 2021 model year, it’s positioned as a special edition up-spec’d middleweight naked bike…

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Yamaha has done something special for naked bike riders in the form of its 2021 MT-09 SP ($10,999). Based on the MT-09, which was fully overhauled for the ‘21 model year, it’s positioned as a special-edition up-spec’d middleweight naked bike.

Editor’s note: We reviewed the ‘21 MT-09 with our 2021 Yamaha MT-09 MC Commute Review and Yamaha Builds A Better Triumph - 2021 MT-09 articles and videos. Take a peek at the 2021 Yamaha MT-09 First Look Preview to get up to speed on the technical improvements.

The SP specification is priced $1,600 higher than the standard MT-09. For that, you get higher-end four-way-adjustable KYB front suspension and an Öhlins gas-charged shock absorber with a clever remote preload adjuster allowing for easy rear ride height adjustment based on rider preference. The SP also gets nice styling details, including the black handlebar, black control levers, and a tinted master cylinder reservoir.

A YZF-R1M-esque polished swingarm and polished stripe on the fuel tank set it apart from the standard MT-09. There’s also a custom-looking suedelike seat and cruise control...

Read the article: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/yamaha-mt-09-sp-review-2021/

Photography: Joseph Agustin
Videography/edit: Ray Gauger

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Category

🥇
Sports
Transcript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 Hey folks, we just got done riding Yamaha's 2021 MT-09 SP.
00:29 I know it's a little bit late for a 2021 motorcycle review,
00:34 but this particular SP is the same vehicle
00:39 aside from exterior color as the 2022 model.
00:44 So there's still a lot of good things to talk about.
00:49 Now this MT-09 SP is the Tuning Fork brand's
00:54 bespoke up spec, almost leader class naked bike.
00:59 This is positioned right above the MT-09,
01:04 which was fully overhauled for the 2021 model year.
01:09 We went into specifics on the improvements
01:13 that vehicle had in our ancillary videos here.
01:17 So make sure to watch that content.
01:21 Now this MT-09 SP is $1,600 more expensive
01:26 than the MT-09.
01:29 And for that added cost,
01:31 you get a more higher end four-way adjustable KYB fork.
01:36 You also get an Ohlins gas charge shock absorber
01:43 with a clever remote preload adjuster.
01:46 So you can easily modify the rear ride height
01:50 of the vehicle with a really easy twist style knob.
01:53 I love that touch.
01:56 This bike also has some really nice styling details.
02:00 We have the black handlebar, the blacked out control levers,
02:05 this nice ghost blacked out master cylinder reservoir.
02:10 We also have the R1M-esque polished swing arm
02:16 and the polished stripe on the fuel tank.
02:21 A very nice looking motorcycle.
02:25 It looks much more high end than the standard MT-09.
02:30 We also have a really nice bespoke looking suede like seat.
02:34 This bike looks awesome.
02:37 But how does it ride?
02:38 Well, I'm a big fan of the Tuning Fork Brands
02:41 redesigned 890 CC inline three engine.
02:46 You can really tell that they studied
02:48 the Hinkley Brands power plant
02:51 when they engineered this engine
02:52 because it has this very similar type of sound,
02:55 very similar type of character,
02:57 but it has a little bit less engine vibration
03:01 and it just works well, especially on the road.
03:05 Now this bad boy puts out right around 107 ponies
03:10 at the business end of the 180 series
03:12 Bridgestone Batlax S22 tire.
03:15 This thing definitely gets up and goes.
03:18 (engine revving)
03:21 I also like that it has a standard electronic quick shifter
03:26 on the up shifts and the down shifts.
03:28 So when you're barreling into corners,
03:30 you can just press down on the gear shift lever,
03:33 no need to use the clutch,
03:35 and that keeps the rear tire just hooked up
03:37 with the asphalt a little bit better
03:39 when you're leaning over in the corners
03:40 and grabbing down shifts.
03:42 Also really like about this motorcycle
03:44 is the handling.
03:46 Now you wouldn't think that a fitment
03:48 of this four-way adjustable fork
03:51 and nice O-ling shock would make that big of a deal,
03:53 but it really does.
03:54 The handling on this motorcycle
03:56 really is exquisite on the road.
03:59 It goes over the bumps really nice,
04:01 delivers a nice, comfortable ride,
04:03 but then when you start getting some in the corners,
04:06 it has the support, it has the feel
04:09 that really make it fun to wail on.
04:12 I also like how easy this bike is to turn in
04:16 from side to side.
04:17 It's noticeably sharper handling
04:19 than the base MT-09, which I like.
04:24 I also like that the fork has four-way adjustability,
04:28 actually has separate high and low speed compression damping
04:31 so you can really tune the dynamic of the fork
04:34 into your liking.
04:36 Now this vehicle has traction control,
04:38 it has slide control, it has wheelie control.
04:41 All these features work fairly well,
04:43 but the interface, the LCD display,
04:47 it's a little bit small for my liking.
04:50 The menu system is a little just too,
04:54 almost, there's not enough adjustability in it.
04:57 There's just the menus are, it's almost too simplified.
05:01 I know that sounds kind of weird.
05:02 Another strike against it is the switch gear.
05:05 The multifunction wheel, while it was really nice
05:09 on the original 2015 R1, seven years later,
05:13 it's downright old and the tactile function of it
05:16 is poor at best.
05:18 Yamaha really needs to upgrade the tactile function
05:22 on the switch gear and put a bigger user interface
05:26 on that thing.
05:26 We need a much bigger display,
05:28 especially for the price of this bike,
05:31 which is $11,100 for the 2022 model.
05:38 Now this bike has always on ABS,
05:42 which augments the function of the triple disc brakes.
05:47 I like the brakes on this motorcycle.
05:49 They do get a little hot
05:52 when you're using the front brakes aggressively
05:54 and they do fade a little bit.
05:56 I'd also like if Yamaha motor would allow you
05:59 to manually disable the rear ABS.
06:02 That would be a really nice feature.
06:03 Unfortunately, it's always on.
06:06 There's two braking modes,
06:07 brake control one, which is the least restrictive
06:11 brake control setting and brake control two.
06:14 Now cornering ABS, Yamaha doesn't say cornering ABS,
06:17 but this bike has it, but it only has it
06:21 in the more aggressive brake control two setting.
06:25 So brake control one, even though it's less aggressive,
06:28 it doesn't have cornering ABS.
06:30 So just keep that in mind when you're riding on the street.
06:35 Ergonomics, now that is one area
06:38 where Yamaha really nailed it on this motorcycle.
06:41 The seat height isn't too low, isn't too high.
06:45 The riding position is aggressive
06:46 without it being too aggressive.
06:48 The handlebar is a little bit narrow
06:51 in terms of width for my liking, but it's not bad at all.
06:55 And this motorcycle does a really good job
06:58 of slicing through traffic.
07:00 It's comfortable, you can ride it all day
07:02 and it doesn't beat you up,
07:03 yet it still has enough sporting aptitude
07:07 where it's fun in the corners.
07:10 I also like the headlamp on this motorcycle.
07:14 Even though the headlamp looks very small,
07:17 it does a very nice job of illuminating
07:21 the roadway after dark.
07:24 Now, even though this is a sport naked bike,
07:27 you can absolutely ride this motorcycle
07:31 at the racing circuit during a track day.
07:35 We rode it at the track on a track day
07:38 with the OE fitted Bridgestone Batlax S22 tires,
07:43 and it's certainly a fun motorcycle to ride
07:46 at a track day, but it doesn't quite have
07:48 the same level of handling capability
07:52 as a Yamaha YZF sport bike.
07:57 But still, if you're looking for a motorcycle
07:59 that you can do a little bit of street and track,
08:03 and it's still gonna have a high degree
08:06 of comfort on the road,
08:08 I think you're gonna do pretty good
08:10 with this up spec MT09SP.
08:15 I really like this motorcycle.
08:16 If I was in the market to buy
08:19 a almost leader class naked bike,
08:21 I certainly would consider this motorcycle.
08:25 It goes 4,000 miles between oil changes,
08:29 and a whopping 26,600 miles between valve inspections.
08:34 That's pretty good.
08:36 When you're buying a tuning fork brand bike,
08:38 you're buying Yamaha's legendary quality
08:40 and attention to detail, and it's worth noting
08:43 that this bike is still manufactured in Japan.
08:47 Well, folks, that's a wrap of our review today.
08:50 Make sure to surf on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com.
08:53 That's where all of our written content
08:56 on these vehicles live.
08:58 And give this video a thumbs up if you liked it.
09:01 Please thumbs it down if you didn't,
09:03 and we'll see you next time.
09:04 Thanks for riding with us today.
09:06 (upbeat music)
09:08 (upbeat music)
09:11 (upbeat music)
09:14 (upbeat music)
09:16 (upbeat music)
09:19 (upbeat music)