2021 Yamaha MT-09 first look

2021 Yamaha MT-09: The details

The big news here is the engine, which uses updated cases to hold new connecting rods, pistons, and cams, and adding 43 cc of displacement (via three mm of added stroke, 59.1 mm to 62.1 mm) for a total of 890. There’s a new intake and fueling system, too, which Yamaha claims makes the engine more efficient despite being larger, connected to a revised ride-by-wire setup that eliminates cable hardware. With emissions regulations and style evolving constantly, the exhaust is new, as well.

Paired to the new mill is an updated transmission, with taller first and second gears, and an up/down quickshifter to snick through the gears. If you must use the clutch, Yamaha says it’s been updated to have lighter pull.

I say the engine is the big news, but only because it’s always been such a gem. The MT-09/FZ-09 chassis has always been the question mark for many riders, and it seems like the tuning-fork brand is trying to heed the call — a new frame and swingarm are paired with an updated KYB fork and shock. Crucially, Yamaha says the lateral rigidity of the frame has been increased by 50 percent. The headstock has also been lowered in the frame by more than an inch compared to the outgoing model, and the fork tubes are shorter to match. Overall, the frame is “more compact” (European outlets are reporting 5.5 pounds lighter) and it seems the general chassis attitude has been retuned to be a bit sportier. That’s good news.

Yamaha also threw a gaggle of new electronics at it. The new MT-09 gets a six-axis inertial measurement unit, for starters, and what appears to be a more basic application of the 2015 YZF-R1’s safety suite, meaning the IMU informs intervention control systems for traction, slides, and wheelies. There’s also “braking control,” a system that works with the ABS to “independently control and modulate the front and rear brake pressure.” Three levels of TCS are available — 1, 2, and M — with each mode integrating three of the control parameters into its setting, mode 1 being less conservative than mode 2. The Manual mode allows the rider to choose what they want on or off. Controlling all of the many settings happens via a full-color TFT dash, a first on the MT-09 and seemingly an all-new, 3.5-inch unit.

New styling and LED lighting add the final touches to the 2021 MT-09. A tiny, Y-shaped headlight is the new face of the bike, and gone is the swingarm-mounted rear fender from the previous generation. The styling is just a little bit smoother, with gentler curves and fewer busy angles in the plastics. It looks lighter and it is, by eight pounds, despite adding a bunch of technology and features.

The takeaway

Obviously I’m not going to sound off on what the bike’s like to ride just yet, but I will say that I’m encouraged by the direction Yamaha is taking here. From the get go the FZ-09 was a thunderbolt in motorcycling — surprising and energetic, yet affordable and comfortable — but it has had some chronic problems. The current bike’s suspension is low-spec and the brakes are soft. Even with lots of modifications the bike never had the same planted, confident feel on a twisty road as, say, a Triumph Street Triple. Digging down far enough to make the chassis stiffer and the fork shorter makes me think that this new MT will actually feel sharper. I hope it does.

And I don’t think that means it will lose its charm as an urban-assault machine. I really hope the reboot of this engine doesn’t ruin it. It’s a treasure of modern motorcycling, and if Yamaha can’t fix the choppy on/off-throttle fueling then I hope it just feels mostly the same. My hope is that the engineering team has taken the time to make it right, foremost because the MT-09 has become a middleweight flagship for the brand and also because the engine will definitely make its way into other Yamaha platforms. I’m expecting the same burly torque and sweet sound, with a more mature tune.

Speaking of sound, this line from the release of information discussing the new intake and exhaust struck me: “These systems are designed to enhance the sense of acceleration and torque when the rider is accelerating.” Designed to “enhance the sense” of acceleration? The document goes on to explain that the intake noise becomes “more dominant and heightens the feeling of acceleration” as the revs rise. Considering the bike is supposed to be lighter, and have “increased performance,” it’s interesting to me that the marketing leans so hard on the bike sounding and feeling faster rather than actually being faster. Neither here nor there, I just hope intake noise isn't the only thing we get when we finally get to open the taps.

A couple of other worthwhile notes. Suspension travel has been reduced, by 0.3 inches front and rear, but the seat height is 0.2 inches taller. Maybe the seat is a lot thicker? The wheelbase is also shorter on the 2021 model, meaning in total the bike is slightly shorter and seemingly taller. That bodes well for wheelies, not that the MT-09 has ever needed any help with that. Another nifty item is some amount of ergonomic adjustability. Details are thin, but we’re told the handlebar clamps are adjustable for position (hopefully more than usual, if Yamaha is claiming something new), as are the footpegs.

To conclude, finally — it seems what Yamaha has done to the MT-09 will improve it in every way that people have been asking for since the bike’s inception. I will cross my fingers every evening before bed that the engine hasn’t changed too much. I’m not sold on the color dash and full IMU functionality. Even if I understand that those are widely accepted as improvements, I refuse to admit that every bike should have it.

I don’t want the MT-09 to lose its roots too much. The combination of brawn and simplicity has always been what makes it so attractive. Right, and price. But c’mon, 400 extra bucks for a total revamp seems fair, doesn’t it? And it should leave Yamaha squarely in the fight with any other brand from Japan or Europe for the best medium-sized naked on the market.

	2021 Yamaha MT-09	2020 Yamaha MT-09
Price (MSRP)	$9,399	$8,999
Engine	890 cc, liquid-cooled, 12-valve, inline triple	847 cc, liquid-cooled, 12-valve, inline triple
Transmission, final drive	Six-speed, chain	Six-speed, chain
Claimed horsepower	NA	NA
Claimed torque	NA	NA
Frame	aluminum twin-spar	aluminum twin-spar
Front suspension	KYB 41 mm fork, adjustable for spring preload, compression & rebound damping; 5.1 inches of travel	KYB 41 mm fork, adjustable for spring preload, compression & rebound damping; 5.4 inches of travel
Rear suspension	KYB shock, adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping; 4.8 inches of travel	KYB shock, adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping; 5.1 inches of travel
Front brake	Nissin four-piston calipers, 298 mm discs with ABS	Advics four-piston calipers, 298 mm discs with ABS
Rear brake	Nissin single-piston caliper, 245 mm disc with ABS	Nissin single-piston caliper, 245 mm disc with ABS
Rake, trail	25.0 degrees, 4.3 inches	25.0 degrees, 4.1 inches
Wheelbase	56.3 inches	56.7 inches
Seat height	32.5 inches	32.3 inches
Fuel capacity	3.7 gallons	3.7 gallons
Tires	Bridgestone Battlax, 120/70-R17 front; 180/55-R17 rear	Dunlop Sportmax, 120/70-R17 front; 180/55-R17 rear
Claimed weight	417 pounds	425 pounds
Available	January 2021	Now
Warranty	12 months	12 months
More info	yamahamotorsports.com	yamahamotorsports.com