PS-TuneUp – Yamaha MT-09

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PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Mayer

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09

19th pictures

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

1/19
With this TuneUp, too, we couldn’t complain about too little screwdriving work. But the effort was definitely worth it

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

2/19
For the operation on the “open rear part” of the MT-09, we took a workshop crane with us to the test track. Only in this way could the strut tests be carried out in an appropriate manner

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

3/19
We installed all the shock absorbers and tested and evaluated them in practice on smooth slopes and wrinkled asphalt – fast in sport and also in everyday mode

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

4/19
HH Racetec RT2

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

5/19
Mupo AB2

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

6/19
hyperpro 461

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

7/19
Ohlins YA 535

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

8/19
Until the release of the current model, the fork of the MT-09 only had to be adjusted in terms of rebound and preload. The responsiveness and sportiness offer room for improvement

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

9/19
Which retrofit strut is the right one is determined not least by the demands you place on your driving style

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

10/19
Adjustable lever lengths are a good idea in principle. However, sharp-edged, glove-slaughtering areas are less desirable

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

11/19
Grip feel, handlebar spacing, adjustability, length and function are all important aspects for a lever replacement, as is the ease of assembly

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

12/19
LSL

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

13/19
Rizoma 3D

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

14/19
V-Trec

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

15/19
Probrake

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

16/19
The subtle taillight from the Rizoma range of accessories…

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

17/19
…ideally nestles against the slim rear of the TuneUp-Yamaha

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

18/19
Rizoma RRC

PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09
Jakob Meyer

19/19
Pazzo

counselor

workshop

PS-TuneUp – Yamaha MT-09

PS-TuneUp with the Yamaha MT-09
Chassis, brake and clutch

Content of

The generally compatible chassis of the Yamaha MT-09 is the focus of the second part of our Naked Bike TuneUp. There are also levers for the brake and clutch that also fit other bikes.

Jens Hebisch

10/01/2017

The fanfares are in tune, and a safe step on the ride towards the “Dark side of Japan” is ensured (PS 01/2017). Now it is important to bring the dark driving fun to the asphalt – the chassis of the Yamaha MT-09 is being sharpened, and on top of that there are new levers for the navigating bridge.

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PS-TuneUp - Yamaha MT-09

PS-TuneUp with the Yamaha MT-09
Chassis, brakes and clutch

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We set off towards South Tyrol to find suitable test conditions for the four struts and the six pairs of levers that we ordered, despite the pre-Christmas mood. The Renon Pass – Bozen’s designated “sunny plateau” – proves to be the perfect test area and, in addition to dizzying combinations of bends, also provides an extremely selective road surface. From track-like to “war-damaged”, almost everything is offered here. But just like in the garage at home, the same applies here: Screwing comes before “shredding”. It starts with the chassis, which is probably the most important tuning measure on a mid-range naked bike like the Yamaha MT-09 – by which “mid-range” only means performance and displacement, not general quality!

Instructions and data sheet

Since HH Racetech is a pre-series item that HH boss Hubert Hofmann made available to us at short notice, the shock absorber was not accompanied by any papers, so we cannot award any points for it. Mupo provides a description in Italian and English, and the importer Zupin also includes brief, illustrated installation instructions in German. Ohlins and Hyperpro show how it should be and not only provide information on installation and the shock absorber itself, but also a crash course on the subject of the chassis and, above all, how to set it correctly. Hyperpro, however, only in English. All three also include a data sheet with the basic settings for the Yamaha MT-09 shock absorber, which must be checked before the first trip at the latest.

Suspension strut assembly on the Yamaha MT-09

Regardless of which shock absorber you want to install on the Yamaha MT-09, the rear must always be completely relieved. Ideally with a workshop crane. During assembly, only the Mupo part is a bit tricky. Why? Because the upper strut eye is 0.3 millimeters wider than the original and therefore does not want to “slide” into the strut mount quite voluntarily. So we finally have to dismantle the tank of the Yamaha MT-09 in order to be able to exert a little more force when inserting it. Fortunately, the subsequent test for freedom of movement of the shock absorber turns out to be positive. After consulting with the importer Zupin, we were assured that this would be checked and, if necessary, corrected. With the exception of HH Racetech, which does not have a compression setting, the expansion tank attached to the steel flexible hose must also be attached to the passenger peg mount. With Ohlins, the original retaining screws for the passenger peg bracket should be used. However, these then only grip with just under three threads.

Setting options

Let us not be impressed at this point by any maximum possible clicks, because experience shows that when adjusting rebound and compression stages, a handful of clicks in the direction of “open” or “closed” is used. Anything beyond that usually indicates a wrong basic set-up, such as a wrong spring rate. Please read carefully the point “Sources of supply” below!

But there are of course some differences in our test candidates that we have to address here. As already mentioned, the HH Racetech does not offer any compression setting, which will result in a deduction of points in this test environment, but for a pure road spring strut that also delivers such a good basic set-up (see later “Country road response”) in Order is possible.

Hyperpro offers the compression adjustment in high and low speed, which has nothing to do with the speed being driven (don’t laugh, it is also mentioned in the instructions), but with the speed with which pressure is exerted on the shock absorber; A raised, raised asphalt edge, for example, is a case for high-speed damping (short, fast impact), whereas the pressure that acts on the shock absorber when accelerating is regulated by low-speed damping.

Mupo is the only one that comes up with an adjustment option for the strut length directly from the factory and thus offers the option of lifting the rear in order to bring more load to the front. The result of this procedure is an increased handiness of the bike. But be careful – after agile you usually get nervous! The Yamaha MT-09 is not a “stubborn iron” anyway, and therefore this point is more of a “nice to have” for people who like to deal extensively with the subject of suspension and tuning. You can live well with the MT even without this option.

Coordination effort

Important: Because the spring preload is difficult to achieve due to the design, you should definitely order the Hyperpro or Mupo shock absorber for the Yamaha MT-09 with a hydraulic adjuster! The extra euros are sensibly invested, because without this part an adjustment is actually only possible by removing it. Since you usually first have to feel at the correct preload and then occasionally adjust it later – for example because of a load for the tour – the procedure would be very annoying in the long run. For this reason, Ohlins only offers its shock absorber with hydraulic preload. And HH Racetech? The problem is cleverly solved here by positioning the preload nut on the shock absorber.

Spring preload, or the associated negative spring deflection, is a topic that is often neglected anyway. Everyone, whether with accessories or original material, should have them properly adjusted or adjusted to their weight. This is how it works: Attach a piece of masking tape to the rear of the Yamaha MT-09, preferably vertically above the quick-release axle. Then lift the bike completely out of the spring at the rear until the bike loses contact with the ground (using a workshop crane, a strong buddy or pull it over the side stand). Now measure and note the distance from the quick-release axle up to the adhesive tape. Lower the bike, sit on in full gear and depress the suspension a few times. Then when measuring, make sure that the feet only prevent falling over with the tip of the toes and do not really provide relief. Or even better, have someone hold the Yamaha MT-09 in front and put your feet on the rests. Now measure the distance again. The difference between the two values ​​is the negative suspension travel. How long this should be exactly differs from shock absorber to shock absorber and can be found in the documents or can be requested from the manufacturer.

Otherwise, the accessibility of the respective adjustment screws for rebound and compression is not a problem for any of the struts, and nothing stands in the way of personal fine-tuning. Tip: it is essential to note down your own setting values ​​and keep them in a safe place so that you can understand any later changes and, if necessary, reset them. To count the clicks: You always count from “to” to “up”. The zero point is completely turned clockwise. The first noticeable click counterclockwise is 1 and so on (some refer to the first noticeable click as the zero point, please note the manufacturer’s instructions).

Suspension struts for the Yamaha MT-09 in the driving test

On the Ritten, the HH Racetech shows, in direct comparison to the series, how a street spring strut should work properly. Bumps in the floor are perceived, but gently, almost “creamy”. When driving hard, however, the Yamaha MT-09 swings a little on bumps, which is not at all wrong for the country road, as it discreetly informs you that you are slowly penetrating the “red zone” for body, life and limb.

The other three test participants are different. These are not only structurally designed – with the additional option of setting the pressure level – more towards sport. No, with regard to their damping characteristics, you can feel that they primarily want it to be fast. Of course, all three can also cruise, but they only show their true potential when HH Racetech has long since “urged you to be sensible”. The differences between the three are only shown in nuances. For example, the Hyperpro right out of the box is the most tightly coordinated and requires a lot of readjustment. After we have reduced the compression (low and high) and the rebound a bit, the Yamaha MT-09 is much gentler. The Ohlins is closer to it right from the start and is more sensitive in overcoming the bumps. “King of the Ritten” in this discipline, however, is the Mupo. This shock absorber works most sensitively here on the country road and precisely to the extent that there is a lot of trust in God and still provides sufficient feedback on the ground.

Conclusion of the driving test: The HH Racetech is a good choice for the relaxed country road driver and a real improvement on the standard shock absorber of the Yamaha MT-09. However, if the attack is blown, the three sports irons can simply do more.

Fork conversion

The fork of the Yamaha MT-09 also needs some attention. For 2017 the MT-09 got a fully adjustable fork. Our TuneUp model from 2016 still has to make do with the version that can only be adjusted in preload and rebound, which is a bit bad for really sporty attackers. Nevertheless, you don’t necessarily have to go straight to the limit. In our opinion, a targeted and personalized revision with the appropriate fork springs tailored to the driver’s weight as well as the appropriate fork oil and adapted air chambers are completely sufficient for most playgrounds of the Far East warrior. The cost point is well below 200 euros (material, no work). For example, to find in the range of Hyperpro or Ohlins. Here, too, important again: correctly set the negative spring deflection using the spring preload. The procedure is almost identical to the rear, except that here the distance between the upper edge of the fork base and the lower edge of the upper fork tube of the upside-down fork is measured in the fully unloaded and in the loaded condition.

In terms of investment, you can get rid of quite a bit of budget, and so all four manufacturers also offer complete cartridge solutions. With these, the pressure level is adjustable, but you have to calculate around 1,100 euros extra. For ambitious pilots of the Yamaha MT-09 who want to target the watch on the track under fire, certainly worth considering. In view of our MT test approach, “courageous rural road lighting”, however, is not quite so necessary.

Sources of supply

When it comes to the subject of suspension, it is definitely worth going to a authorized dealer or a specialist workshop. First of all, the material is not “sold off” online, and secondly, the local dealer uses the few euros to finance his on-site support, which is immensely important in the area of ​​the chassis.

When ordering, the competent dealer asks for the rider’s weight including gear, in order to order the shock absorber for the Yamaha MT-09 or the fork springs in the correct hardness and thus guarantee the best performance of the material. He is also available to answer questions about chassis problems and help with the set-up. If you don’t know where, you can also contact the manufacturers or importers directly and ask for suitable contact points. “Support your local dealer” – for a lot of driving fun and a safe ride!

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Brake and clutch levers for Yamaha MT-09

The levers on the navigating bridge are certainly not as “intensive in consultation” as the subject of the landing gear. Nevertheless, there are a few points to consider and we noticed a few things in the test persons.

Assembly: No rocket science, but on the coupling side of the V-Trec, LSL and Rizoma’s “RRC” you should be careful not to over-tighten the guide screw and thus clamp the lever in the bracket. The consequences would be more difficult actuation and the lack of the necessary play in the clutch cable, since the lever does not return completely to its starting position by itself. With the other levers, this is not possible due to the design (the guide bush is above the material of the lever).

Setting options: When adjusting the lever width, almost all of them work on the same principle: an adjustment lever on the top, with which six different levels of distance to the handlebars can be selected. Only Rizoma’s “3D” regulates its 15-step width adjustment via an adjusting screw that leads into the lever from the front.

In addition to the distance to the handlebar, the V-Trec and Probrake can also regulate the length of the lever via a two-part design. At first glance a nice feature, but that didn’t really convince us in terms of performance.

Performance: The feeling of the individual levers on the hand, and whether you are good at it or not, is very subjective. But there are also “hard facts” to be assessed here, such as the problem with the length adjustment of the V-Trec and the Probrake. There is no stress in the short version of the length-adjustable lever, but as soon as you extend it and expose the sharp milling edges between the two components, you should seriously worry about your gloves in the long term.

And how does it look if you want to regulate the lever width while driving or quickly at the traffic lights? Here the LSL pair works in an absolutely exemplary manner, and Probrake and Pazzo can also be adjusted easily. However, something went wrong with Probrake’s design on the clutch side: the lever is already too far away in the basic position and is impossible to stick out steeply from the handlebars. The manufacturer should make improvements here. At LSL, too, we would like a more detailed basic position. The current setup fits perfectly for size M gloves. But if you already have an adjustment option, it would be nice to have something for S at the start as well. Rizoma’s pairs of levers, Pazzo and V-Trec, come between 0.5 and one centimeter closer to the handlebars in the basic position.

Crash protection

When the Yamaha MT-09 goes down, you usually have more worries than having to afford a new lever. When evaluating this point, however, it is less about the high-speed departure and more about the “stupid” fall-over, in which the broken lever can severely spoil the day or even the tour.

Rizomas 3D and the V-Trec, both of which have folding levers, get full marks. Probrake also has a folding function, but this must be secured again after use by replacing a locking pin (available as an accessory). LSL and Rizoma’s “RRC” provide predetermined breaking points at the ends of the levers, which at least give hope that there will be enough material left over to continue driving. Pazzo also has a predetermined breaking point, but also offers a folding function for a surcharge of 20 euros per lever. LSL and Pazzo also offer their levers in short versions – also with approval.

Nice to have

In the last PS we already relieved the rear of its clumsy license plate holder. If you are still bothered by the standard rear light of the Yamaha MT-09, you will surely like the Rizoma counterpart. The part fits so perfectly into the rear that, after the problem-free assembly, one could think within a very short time that your own MT never looked any different. Information and dealer addresses for the e-checked and spotlessly processed part are available at www.rizoma.com.

And at the end of the MT-09 TuneUp, a “Nice to have”, which, in addition to Petrus’ generous sun donation, made this chassis test possible in the first place – Metzeler’s M7 RR. Especially in less than perfect conditions (sometimes just over ten degrees), constantly changing asphalt and sometimes damp spots in the shade, the part is still a guarantee for controlled ignition. Super grip and the crystal-clear feedback on the nature of the surface make it a real tip for the Yamaha MT-09.

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