All Comparisons – MT-09 Vs Street Triple Vs Z800 e: the 3-legged Yam ‘against the roadster references! – Full of sensations!

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MT-09 Vs Street Triple Vs Z800 e: the 3-legged Yam ‘against the roadster references !

All Comparisons - MT-09 Vs Street Triple Vs Z800 e: the 3-legged Yam 'against the roadster references! - Full of sensations!

To return to the front of the roadster scene, Yamaha is refocusing on the fundamentals of the category with a new light and responsive bike, the MT-09. MNC opposes the brilliant Triumph Street Triple and the bestseller Kawasaki Z800… Comparative !

Full of sensations !

The Z800 e version pulls out of the game thanks to a perfectly controlled injection, coupled with a "clutch-box" assembly that is the most precise and the most pleasant to use of the three. The Triumph is on par in terms of smoothness and precision at the level of the connection between the accelerator and the rear wheel, but loses some lengths in terms of selection, drier than on the Kawa.

Regarding the Yamaha, the results are much less positive on these specific points: the gearbox still goes a bit rough and noisy when cold – the "Yamahists" are used to it – and the passable progressiveness of the clutch, but impossible to close your eyes on the injection jerks generated by the electronic ride-by-wire accelerator.

Even after several hundred kilometers spent on its handlebars, the brutal reactions of the MT-09 to the resumption of the gas trickle remain difficult to pinpoint, so from there to put up with it … The electronics which manage the opening intake butterflies sorely lacking in progressiveness and transparency, sometimes making a simple stroll at very low speeds chaotic.

The phenomenon is more or less accentuated depending on the driving mode engaged: the "Standard" mapping ultimately seems the most appropriate, the more castrating "B" being reserved for difficult conditions (rain, tricky roads). As for the "A" mode, with which the engine response is the most immediate, we can be ironic in summarizing "with an "A", like Aprilia", in reference to the catastrophic first versions of the ride-by-wire crest of Noale (read in particular our) !

This lack of focus does not however manage to eclipse the fabulous potential of the new three-cylinder developed by Yamaha: hyper flexible and available, it offers an exciting consistency from the lowest revs. It doesn’t matter which gear is engaged or the number of revolutions minutes displayed on the instrument panel: screw on the right grip and the MT-09 immediately catapults you with no downtime forward, leaving behind the Street Triple and the Z800 e version..

Penalized by its lack of displacement (675 cc against 847), the vigorous 3-legged English tilts without any real surprise at low and mid-speeds. More lively, it nevertheless manages to keep the Yamaha in sight thanks to its reach and its explosiveness in the towers. By whipping it – what it encourages to do! -, it is even possible to prevent the big ten meters conceded by the Street Triple when accelerating from multiplying by ten before the next turn !

Provided, however, that the pilot of the MT-09 does not adopt the same type of edgy behavior! Because even if its acceleration is more linear and tends to settle slightly in high speeds (clamping requires), the Japanese "3-legged" pushes hell: in seconds from 6000 rpm, a frank rotation of the throttle irresistibly propels the front wheel into the air, without even resorting to the clutch! For once, MNC got intoxicated…

Relegated good last behind these two furies, the Z800 e version requires to be maintained in the towers to stay in contact: despite its good range of use and its very short final transmission, the Kawasaki 4-cylinder does not have as much responding. An even more glaring "structural" deficit on this "A2" version, which gives 18 hp to the Z800 "quite simply" but also 7 Nm of torque (83 against 76 Nm). Finally, the additional 40 kg that it must tow compared to the two "triples" does not promote its dynamism..

Whether under acceleration or in curves, this overweight weighs very heavily against the two "gazelles" with tapered legs which are explained far ahead … In "arsouille" mode, the Kawa thus tends to move away towards the outside curves, a phenomenon that worsens on the bumpy due to a less efficient suspension tuning.

More restless from the rear than the "short" Z800, the e version is also less good braking: its two piston calipers do the job correctly, but without equaling the bite and power of its two competitors.

Despite its "simple" axially mounted calipers, the Street Triple takes precedence over the radial mount systems of the MT-09, which offer neither the same sensitivity nor as much precision early in the race. Still, the instant bite of the Triumph’s front brake requires tact in the event of the unexpected, where that of the Yamaha is more tolerant – front and rear. A "detail" to take into account before purchasing, especially if it is oriented towards a motorcycle without the ABS option !

In sporting use, the Street Triple retains its title of "queen of virolos": the front axle of the Triumph bomber is literally riveted to the ground, which makes it possible to enter the bends at Mach 12 and come out even faster. ! The common DNA with the Supersport Daytona is no stranger to it … and its reduced wheelbase of 1410 mm either (1440 for the Yam ‘and 1445 for the Kawa).

When the pace increases, the "special" ergonomics of the MT-09 and its important mass transfers require a little getting used to: extremely stressed by the engine, its rather flexible shock absorber sinks generously under the load, before the oil does not begin to be effectively slowed down by the valves. The trick is to carry weight on the front by tilting the torso towards the handlebars to contain the trim movements.

At the same time, adopting this "arsouillesque" position allows better control of the front end and thus naps its tendency to want to play the air girls at high speed. Especially in cases where the pilot "clings to the branches" under the incessant – and intoxicating – thrusts of the triple Japanese !

Same thing at the front, where the significant travel of its inverted fork (17 mm more than the Z800 and 27 mm more than the Street Triple) causes sharp dives during very heavy braking. Fortunately, Yamaha has correctly calculated the resistance offered by the springs and the laws of hydraulics: the fork is flexible – but not soft – at the start of the race, then it firms up enough to offer the precision and efficiency necessary to the attack. A very nice balance !

Verdict: MT-09, zero blah-blah and a lot of hassle … for its competitors !

When it comes time to take stock, the very interesting dynamic compromise of the MT-09 encourages you to tip the scales in its favor: more comfortable than the Street Triple and barely less rigorous in curves, it eclipses it especially on the mechanical level. . Which is not a small compliment insofar as the Triumph 675 cc three-cylinder has so far dictated its rule in the category, even against the toughest! On the other hand, the Yamaha block also has an advantage of 172 cc…

Pleasantly sober (we measured during this test a minimum consumption of 5.2 l / 100 km while driving without dragging and passing the reports on the couple), this new engine appears however filled to the limit of the overflow. The MT-09 indeed requires a minimum of experience and composure to be tamed, especially as the lively reactions of its chassis are to match! In this, the new Yamaha is radically different from its "sister" FZ8, smoother in temperament and therefore more universal.

Let us also hope for the blazon of Iwata – and its dealers – that this "double offer" leads to the expected commercial result, namely to cast a wider net by attracting bikers with different profiles. Because the risk that the MT-09 does put a brake on the career of the FZ8 is not negligible, insofar as the novelty is at the same time more modern, lighter (of 23 kg) and less expensive (of 600 euros excluding specials)…

The Street Triple retains its status as a beast of curves, a distinction it owes to the sportier orientation of its cycle part and its mechanics. But the real tour de force of Triumph is to have succeeded in maintaining its degree of dynamic performance at such a high level while making it more frequent on a daily basis: practical aspects – apart from the absence of warning and a lug crutch too small – it outclasses the Yamaha and especially the Kawasaki, neglected on this point.

Faced with its stormy rivals and their 3-cylinder inflated block, the Kawasaki Z800 e version tilts without being able to really fight in dynamism and sensations. A defeat due to sporting skills generally in decline, especially in this variant "A2 approved": "while maintaining a very sporty character, the Z800 e version is easy to learn, even for beginners", recalls Kawasaki by emphasizing the" general public "side of this variation.

Still, by dint of betting everything on form while avoiding reviewing the substance, Kawasaki is exposed to an inevitable decline in interest in its "goose that lays golden eggs" … Because its stylistic developments will not hide forever its deficiencies in terms of comfort (hard saddle, vibrations) and practical aspects (tiny trunk, no gear indicator engaged). Just as they struggle to justify its price…

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