Yamaha MT-09 SP test: the one we Sought !
The Yamaha MT-09, one of the stars of the French motorcycle market, never ceases to enchant motorcyclists eager for emotions. As playful as she is luscious, one could blame her for a suspension that did not quite live up to her ambitions. In this SP version, the sparkling 2018 roadster receives a new fork and an Ohlins shock absorber. So happy ? First try.
MT-09 SP test page 1 – Static: major change and eyeshadow
From the end of 2013, when Yamaha launched its daring three-cylinder engine concept on the flower beds of the Triumph Street and Speed Triple – but also in the (four) legs of other Japanese roadsters! -, the MT-09 is well born and will not require a real overhaul during its 2017 evolution.
Most old experienced readers remember that the tuning fork brand already marketed, at the end of the 70s, a 750 cc three-cylinder XS. With its contained weight and its assistance, the mechanics which were inspired by it four decades later have in common only its architecture and its legendary roughness.
The MT-09 is part of a family of Yamaha roadsters divided into mono, bi, three and four cylinders. With 1300 additional units sold last year in Europe (vs 2016), it makes up, with the MT-10 extrapolated from the R1, the hyper-naked segment of the brand: a constantly growing sub-family !
To meet the expectations of a demanding clientele, the manufacturer doubled the impressive MT-10 last year with an over-equipped SP version, with semi-active suspensions that adjust while driving. If the new MT-09 SP which comes to support the "basic" version seems less ambitious, it receives a Kayaba fork (whose golden color tickles the imagination) adjustable in preload, rebound and compression now slow or fast on each tube.
At the rear, the shock absorber, the cylinder of which is proudly displayed (a little too much) under the left side of the saddle, is a real Ohlins RSA adjustable in preload (by a large dial), compression (on the side of the cylinder) and trigger (at the bottom of the instrument panel).
Main advances of this model, the fork and the shock absorber alone justify the extension of 1,300 euros claimed for this version SP. Because the rest is only cosmetic, like the handlebars or black levers, the more eye-catching and classy saddle cover with its stitched seams of blue thread, and the dashboard, whose white background turns dark for better readability.
The personalized Silver blue carbon decoration is directly inspired by that of the R1M, already affixed to the MT-10 SP. Undoubtedly, the gray and the blue accentuate the "dark side" desired by Yamaha and sit better on the model than the "remarkable" mouse gray matched with a sparkling yellow for the rims which caused chatting all winter in the cottages! Intended mainly for experienced bikers, the MT-09 SP will not be offered in version A2.
Sired by the Yamaha MT-09: Abseiling
For the rest, the MT-09 SP takes the arguments of the MT-09 2017, which stood out visually from previous vintages by a protruding double-optic, with LEDs as on the MT-10, topped by an LCD block placed on the fog lights. The very complete instrumentation displays speed, trips, rpm by segments, fuel gauge, clock, gear engaged, three driving choices and two traction control (disconnectable for wheelie enthusiasts) with, icing on the cake, an indicator of economical driving to give yourself a clear conscience in these times of scarcity…
The only regret comes from the fact that the display choices are not controlled on the handlebars. Like the design of the tank scoops, that of the saddle had been revised while the cover of the short silencer was bevelled. Under a shortened rear buckle and an elongated passenger seat, a wheel hugger / plate holder appeared in pure "Teutonic" style….
More significantly, the switch to Euro4 was the result of a reworked exhaust and injection without noticeable drop in performance. In terms of technology, the ride-by-wire improved (a little) the response of the CP3 engine which received an anti-slip clutch, also reducing the effort at the lever and a QSS shifter acting on upshifts. The suspensions had already been reviewed last year, but without fully convincing. Yamaha therefore took the bull by the horns this time !
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