MY2021 brings a ground-up rebuild for the existing Yamaha MT-09. The factory doubles the “09” lineup by adding the top-drawer MT-09 SP to the mix. A new engine rides in a new frame with new suspension components and ride-quality electronics to make this a genuinely new version of Yamaha's second-largest “Master of Torque” model.

2022 Yamaha MT-09 Performance and Capability

The newly-rebuilt engine powers both of the entries in the MT-09 bracket, the MT-09 and the MT-09 SP. It's an inline triple-banger with newly-ground dual over-head cams that actuate a quartet of poppets per combustion chamber. New pistons, fracture-split con-rods, and a new crank all come packed in a new crankcase.

The factory stretched the stroke by three mm to a total of 62.1 mm with a 78 mm bore for a total displacement of 890 cc with a medium-hot, 11.5-to-1 compression ratio. Power figures as stated by Yamaha for the MT-09, measure 117 horsepower and 69 pound-feet of torque with MT-09's top speed around 136.7 mph. This is plenty enough to get yourself in a whole heap of trouble.

The new engine rolls with a robust electronics suite. A six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit logs the forces operating on the machine and supports some of the other gadgets. A ride-by-wire, Accelerator Position Sensor Grip, and YCC-T reconcile the difference between rider demand and engine capability for seamless transitions throughout the range.

The traction control feature comes with a trio of profiles – two premade and one for manual inputs – and is lean-angle sensitive for extra traction protection. Slide Control and wheelie prevention also come stock and operate hand-in-glove with the IMU for even more confidence when operating near or at the top of the range.

A slipper clutch couples engine power to a six-speed transmission for another layer of safety with a two-way Quick Shift System to bang your way up and down the range like a boss sans clutch action.

Engine & Drivetrain

Engine:

890 cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, inline 3-cylinder, 4-valves per cylinder

Bore x Stroke:

78.0 mm x 62.1 mm

Compression Ratio:

11.5:1

Fuel Delivery:

Fuel injection with YCC-T

Transmission:

6-speed; wet multiplate clutch

Final Drive:

Chain


Design

Yamaha's aesthetic changes to the MT-09 start right up front with a revised front fender. It has a drip edge behind the foil-shaped uprights that steer the incoming air around the USD fork tube to lower drag and prevent it from accumulating road grime.

Blackout fork stanchions and similarly dark triple clamps carry over from the 2020 MT-09, but the revised headlight housing dropped the dual lights in favor of a two-in-one cyclops lens. The new headlight uses a number of LED projectors to shape the light field in front of you.

Position lights and turn signals finish the forward lighting, all with bright LEDs that are clearly visible, day or night. On the downside, the front turn signals are still mounted in the same place as prior models, but the LED lightbars have a much cleaner look, more so than the old bulbous style to give the new model a fresh visage.

Updated instrumentation rides in a new, 3.5-inch, color TFT display, but that's just the beginning of the revisions. The new triple tree rides lower on the steering head, and very tall risers make up the handlebar height difference. This maintains that relaxed upper line and concurrent upright riding position. If you don't like the shape of the rider's triangle, both the handlebar and the footpegs are adjustable to suit.

A reimagined fuel-tank hump changes the overall look more, though it carries the same, 3.7-gallon payload as before. The tank maintains the strong upper ridge that flows into the dual intake scoops to show a more integrated continuity of design.

The rider's saddle puts your butt 32.5 inches off the deck. That is a little tall for shorter inseams, but the narrow waist allows for a direct path for your legs from hip to ground.

As for the gear in the rear, the factory opted for a subframe-mount mudguard/plateholder this year. It moves weight off the swingarm but perhaps doesn't look as good as the single-side hugger out back that the 2020 model carried. A redesigned taillight lens rides up under the tip of the tail as usual, and like the rest of the lighting, it comes with LEDs for maximum visibility from the rear.

Yamaha MT-09 Specs

L x W x H:

82.3 in x 31.3 in x 46.9 in

Seat Height:

32.5 in

Wheelbase:

56.3 in

Maximum Ground Clearance:

5.5 in

Fuel Capacity:

3.7 gal

Fuel Economy:

49 mpg

Wet Weight:

417 lb, SP: 419 lb)


Chassis

Weight savings was clearly a front-burner topic for the MT-09 design team that manages to pare eight pounds off the heft. It now weighs in at 417 pounds. The new die-cast aluminum frame and box-section swingarm increase chassis rigidity by as much as 50 percent for greater stability underway. That's backed up by the die-cast aluminum subframe to finish off the standing structure.

A difference between the base and the “SP” model is in the suspension. The “09” rides on inverted KYB forks that deliver adjustable preload as well as compression and rebound damping. A KYB rear shock with adjustable preload and rebound damping.

The “09 SP” rocks USD KYB forks, as well, but with high- and low-speed compression damping control for a little lagniappe. Instead of KYB out back, the top model carries an Öhlins shock with the full trinity of tweaks on board. No matter which you choose, you can count on 5.1 inches of travel up front with 4.8 inches out back, which is plenty for civilized roads.

Spin-forged, 17-inch aluminum hoops round out the rolling chassis. Since the wheels lost weight ahead of this year, they generate less inertia so they are more eager to dive into a turn and then stand back up out of it.

Both models rely on a radial-mount Nissin front master cylinder to deliver a linear brake response that requires very little pressure to bind the front wheel. Dual, four-piston calipers bite 298 mm front discs with a single-pot anchor and 245 mm disc out back, all with a stock ABS feature across the board.

Chassis & Suspension

Suspension, Front/ Travel:

└ MT-09:

41 mm inverted fork, adjustable preload, compression, and rebound/ 5.1 inches

└ MT-09 SP:

41 mm KYB inverted fork, adjustable preload, high/low-speed compression and rebound/ 5.1 inches

Suspension, Rear/ Travel:

└ MT-09:

Single shock, adjustable preload and rebound damping/ 4.8 inches

└ MT-09 SP:

Öhlins single shock, adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping; 4.8 inches

Rake:

25°

Trail:

4.3 in

Brakes, Front:

Dual 298 mm hydraulic disc; ABS

Brakes, Rear:

245 mm hydraulic disc; ABS

Tire, Front:

120/70ZR17M/C

Tire, Rear:

180/55ZR17M/C


2022 Yamaha MT-09 Price

Yamaha's new base model MT-09 costs $9,399. It comes in Storm Fluo, Matte Raven Black, or Team Yamaha Blue. If the MT-09 SP version is more to your taste, you can expect to shell out $10,999 and you'll have to wait till March to score one.

Pricing

Warranty:

1 Year (Limited Factory Warranty)

Colors:

└ 2021:

Storm Fluo, Matte Raven Black, Team Yamaha Blue (SP: Raven/Liquid Metal)

└ 2022:

Cyan Storm, Team Yamaha Blue, Matte Raven Black

Price:

└ 2021:

$9,399, SP: $10,999

└ 2022:

$9,499, SP: $11,099


Competitors

As a member of the Japanese Big Four, Yamaha has no shortage of domestic competition so I didn't have far to go to find a worthy competitor in Kawasaki's900.

Kawasaki Z900

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As usual, Kawasaki's entry has oodles of that Kawasaki look perhaps best described as angular aggression. The blackout treatment runs throughout, and in that, these two share a common thread through Kawi lofts its pillion pad to provide stadium seating for your passenger and it has an impact on the fly line that sets these two apart visually.

Like the MT-09, the Z900 has a somewhat relaxed rider's triangle that lets you push off to give your wrists and shoulders a break but maintains the room you need to tuck in or throw some English in the curves. The Z900's stems fall behind a bit with less adjustability, but its brakes are just a skosh larger and ABS is constant across the board.

Kawasaki gains an edge in displacement with its 948 cc inline-four engine, and while it comes with Riding Modes, Traction Control, and Power Modes, the Yamaha definitely takes the cake with its lean-sensitive tech. Kawi claims 73.1 pound-feet of torque for another small victory, and I do mean small, but Kawi backs it up with an $8,999 sticker for another slim margin in its favor.

He Said

“Yeah, I'm thinking that the Master of Torque wins the above quite handily. The price difference is not enough to pass on the higher electronics Yamaha brings to the table on its new MT-09, and neither is the slight performance gain. As a matter of vanity, I like the look of this particular model, my complaint about the rear fender notwithstanding.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “The MT-09 has been a favorite in the Yamaha naked stable. It's been a nice overall bike for under $10k. This update makes it more so. New for 2021 we find the new 890 cc engine with a whole host of internal improvements. The MT-09 came back from fat camp with a new frame and new suspension with an eye on improved performance and handling that makes the popular MT-09 an even better choice for the under-$10k category.”

Further Reading

Read more Yamaha news.