Yamaha MT-09 and Triumph Street Triple tested

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Yamaha MT-09 and Triumph Street Triple tested

Three-cylinder battle in Croatia

The new Yamaha MT-09 is ready for us in Croatia. Can it actually overtake the successful Triumph Street Triple? A comparison test with good prospects.

Click, third gear engages. Now full throttle! The front wheel immediately loses contact with the ground and hovers a hand’s width over the asphalt like on MotoGP bikes. A whistle mixes with the sonorous, scraping soundscape of the three-cylinder engine. That sounds like turbo support – and it feels like it. The rushes with taste Yamaha MT-09 climbs the speed ladder, puts more and more pressure on the crankshaft and devours the intermediate straight in no time. Didn’t they say it had 115 hp? One would immediately suspect more.

Yamaha MT-09 and Triumph Street Triple tested

Three-cylinder battle in Croatia

Pinch your buttocks and anchor hard!

But please don’t forget to drive out of thought! The next curve is approaching. A quick look at the digital speedometer: It shows three digits. Way too much! Now pinch your buttocks together and anchor hard. Just don’t overdo it, after all, the Croatian test machine has no ABS. The radial brake calipers boldly grasp the brake discs, the upside-down fork of the Yamaha MT-09 plunges deeper and deeper. The controllability of the brake is a poem. Certainly not a disadvantage with the non-transparent feedback from the front.

Another look at the speedometer confirms: speed is appropriate, cornering can be initiated. With a powerful steering impulse, the Yamaha MT-09 leans into an inclined position, follows the targeted line stably on the flat asphalt, although not overly neutrally. Is it the tire? Damn, forgot to downshift! But no matter, 2000 revolutions are enough to catapult yourself out of the corner with enough thump. A truly magnificent country road engine is this new triple from Japan.

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Streety’s unmistakable twin headlights flash in the rearview mirror. It literally sticks to the rear of the MT-09.

Will the multiple test winner, the Triumph Street Triple, take the butter off the bread so quickly? Streety’s unmistakable twin headlights flash in the rearview mirror. It literally sticks to the rear of the Yamaha MT-09. But: Is it the moped or the MOTORRAD tester Karsten giving her the spurs??

Reduce the speed, turn on the indicators and head to the next parking lot for the team meeting. After all, this isn’t a race. On closer inspection, the assumption about the tires is confirmed. If the Yamaha MT-09 was still on the latest Bridgestone S 20 tires at the presentation weeks before, Dunlops D 214 are now fitted. Although this tire appears again and again as an original equipment tire for new models (e.g. Kawasaki Z 800), you won’t find it in the product list on the Dunlop homepage. In any case, it is not a brand new construction, you can feel that. Whether that turns into a decisive disadvantage compared to the Triumph Street Triple, which rolls on Pirelli’s Diablo Rosso?

Streety poses confidently and casually on the shores of the Mediterranean. She knows why. After all, the praises of the legendary drive have increased since the start of their series. Even some test professionals have fallen in love with this. With its amazing torque and bold revving, the Triple stirs up the mid-range Naked scene to this day. A displacement of 675 cubic centimeters can also be emotionally staged. They have impressively demonstrated this with Triumph. The desire for a little more displacement nonetheless kept pushing towards Hinckley. After all, there is a rather wide gap in the combustion chamber between the Triumph Street Triple and the Speed ​​Triple with the 1050 cubic centimeter unit. This is exactly where the Yamaha MT-09 stands out. True to the motto “If you don’t dare, you won’t win”, the Japanese are now pushing that three-cylinder with 847 cubic centimeters to the counter that could also fish off customers with 1000 nakeds or 600 all-rounders. Three cylinders, 88 Newton meters and 115 hp sound like a straight country road engine, 190 kilos full of fuel after fast changes of direction. That makes the exactly equally heavy Triumph look a bit pale on paper. Deliciously prepared 106 HP and 68 Newton meters are definitely enough on public roads, right??

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Yamaha MT-09 tempts you to wheel

Motorcycle changes! Hardly set off, Karsten pulls past Triumph Street Triple on the left with his Yamaha MT-09. In the wheelie. Does he have to humiliate the Queen and the Kingdom like that? No, definitely not. But the short gear ratio in the first three gears and the power available when standing still are a great temptation for unicycling. When the whisk is turned vigorously, the MT-09 makes males all by itself.

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On the Yamaha MT-09 the pilot sits deep inside, on the Triumph Street Triple it crouches like a gazelle in standby mode.

The Triumph Street Triple, on the other hand, dashes forward quickly even without acrobatics, with both wheels firmly on the asphalt. On the one hand, this is due to their somewhat sportier gear ratio – the first two gears are quite long, all the others are relatively short. On the other hand, it is the front-oriented weight distribution of the Streety that keeps the front tire on the ground. A whole seven kilograms more weigh on the forehand. With the Yamaha MT-09 there are only two. This gives the Triumph driver a much better feel for the front wheel and benefits from a better roadholding. And this can be used in conjunction with the stiff chassis so that the Yamaha does not leave the coastal road alone. So stepped back two gears in the clean and quietly engaging gearbox and followed the one-wheeled bandit.

The engine hangs perfectly clean on the gas, turns, accompanied by a grumpy soundscape and the buzzing primary drive that takes getting used to, freed by the wide speed spectrum. It is fantastic how evenly and always controllable the performance unfolds. The same thing, just more powerful, is the CP3 engine of the Yamaha MT-09. It also responds cleanly and shines with low load change reactions. However, only if the supposedly tamest of the three engine mappings has been inserted. The A and standard modes are so aggressively matched that even careful throttle application is answered with a hard throttle response. Even if the B mode differs from the other mappings by nine PS in terms of peak performance, nothing speaks against engaging it on the moderate country road lap and now enjoying the buttery smooth throttle response.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s second or fourth gear

As on the Yamaha MT-09, it is up to the driver on the Triumph Street Triple which gear to surf out of the curve. Regardless of whether it is second or fourth gear, the engine responds equally to it with robust propulsion. On the intermediate straights, however, you have to muster up the courage to let the gas stand in the five-digit range, otherwise the MT rushes out of sight. But why muster up courage? Well, the Triumph is not exactly a quiet step, screeching from 7000 tours over to the nearby islands that the combustion chambers have to work hard. Fortunately, however, the route now leads away from the coast, up the Stara Vrata pass.

From long, fast corners to the slow 180-degree bend, everything is now included and the Street Triple in its territory. It circles completely neutrally through all kinds of radii, reacts promptly to spontaneous course corrections and whistles about bad road conditions. The non-adjustable upside-down fork and the shock absorber, which can only be adjusted in the spring base, respond cleanly and smooth away potholes as well as successive bumps. You can concentrate fully on the line and enjoy the playful handling. Fold down, fold down, cock the tap. Changing curves is so easy and dynamic.

MT-09 tail pumping inclination

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Click, third gear engages. Now full throttle with the Yamaha MT-09!

The gap to the Yamaha is getting smaller. The MT-09 cannot show its displacement advantage in the winding terrain. This is not due to a lack of handiness, but rather to the combination of an older tire construction with the more comfortably designed chassis. This is expressed on the one hand by a somewhat stubborn steering behavior that requires a strong pull on the handlebars to bring the Yamaha MT-09 into line. On the other hand, it is the shock absorber that cannot prevent the rear from pumping, even when the rebound stage is closed. But if you slow down just a little – and this is by no means referring to a sightseeing mode – everything fits perfectly, the limits of the spring elements take a back seat, and you enjoy their good responsiveness.

Bent over on the Street Triple

Triumph Street Triple and Yamaha MT-09 have reached the top of the mountain at 955 meters. When you change again, the different seating arrangements come to light. On the Street Triple it crouches like a gazelle in stand-by mode. Not too aggressive, so that all muscles are just waiting to be let off the leash, but also not so cautious that you can’t quickly switch to attack. The legs have a sporty angle, the handlebars are positioned at the optimal height so that the upper body is bent slightly forward.

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The test drive is coming to an end. Congratulations! The Yamaha MT-09 immediately duped the Triumph Street Triple thanks to its bearish pressure and fulminant revving. Despite everything, the Triumph delivered a clean performance.

The Yamaha MT-09 is completely different: Here the driver sits deep in the moped. The seat height of just 810 millimeters in conjunction with the high handlebars results in a seating position that is more reminiscent of travel enduros than naked bikes. The MT-09 is piloted in an upright and relaxed position. If your classy drive arouses the athletic ambition of a sprint runner, the seating position conveys the sovereignty of a cosmopolitan. At the end of the day, this has a positive effect despite the very narrow seat cushion. Even after many hours of test driving, you still sit relaxed in the saddle on the MT-09, where things are slowly getting uncomfortable on the Triumph Street Triple.

Thanks to the low consumption of both bikes of 4.6 liters each, stages of 300 kilometers are no feat. Above all, the Yamaha MT-09 with its significantly larger displacement deserves great praise. An engine with so much smoke and yet so frugal: It’s contemporary and saves money. Either way, it is a bargain. For a price of 7495 euros without and 7995 euros with ABS you get a super processed motorcycle with a grandiose three-cylinder. This is undoubtedly also offered by the Triumph Street Triple, but costs almost 500 euros more including ABS. In return, it lures with the stiffer chassis, even if it is only adjustable in the spring base.

Triumph Street Triple

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The Streety is optically still a brisk sweeper. On the engine side, it doesn’t have to hide in any way. Your triple is a pleasure in pressure and revving.

Data and measured values

engine

type design
 Three-cylinder four-stroke-
In-line engine
injection Ø 44 mm
coupling
 Multi-panes-
Oil bath clutch
Boron x stroke  74.0 x 52.3 mm
Displacement 675 cc
compression 12.65: 1
power
 78.0 kW (106 hp)
at 11850 rpm
Torque 68 Nm at 9750 rpm

landing gear

frame
 Bridge frame
made of aluminum
fork
 Upside-down fork,
Ø 41 mm
front / rear brakes  Ø 310/220 mm
Systems assistance
 SECTION
(optionally available, 400 euros)
bikes 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17
tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17
Tires Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa

mass and weight

wheelbase 1410 mm
Steering head angle 65.9 degrees
trailing 95 mm
Front / rear suspension travel   115/135 mm
Seat height * 810 mm
Weight with full tank * 190 kg
Payload * 187 kg
Tank capacity 17.4 liters
Service intervals 10,000 km
price 8090 euros
Price test motorcycle 8.758 euros **
Additional costs 395 euros

MOTORCYCLE readings

Top speed² 226 km / h
acceleration
0-100 km / h
0-140 km / h
0-200 km / h 		 3.5 sec
5.7 sec
12.9 sec
Draft
60-100 km / h
100-140 km / h
140-180 km / h 		 3.6 sec
4.1 sec
4.8 sec
Consumption highway 4.6 liters
Reach country road 378 km
² manufacturer information;
* MOTORCYCLE measurements;
** Incl. ABS (400 euros),
Instrument cover
(219 euros) and
Fork protector (49 euros)

Yamaha MT-09

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There was probably no role model for the Yamaha. It is all the more remarkable what the engineers and designers have dared to do with the MT-09. Its appearance is unmistakable, and for many its engine is a dream come true for the country road.

Data and measured values

engine

type design

 Three-cylinder four-stroke-
In-line engine
injection
 Ø 41 mm
coupling

 Multi-panes-
Oil bath clutch
Boron x stroke 
78.0 x 59.1 mm
Displacement
 847 cc
compression
 11.5: 1
power

 84.6 kW (115 PS)
at 10,000 rpm
Torque
 88 Nm at 8500 rpm

landing gear

frame

 Bridge frame
made of cast aluminum
fork

 Upside-down fork,
Ø 41 mm
front / rear brakes 
Ø 298/245 mm
Systems assistance

 SECTION
(optionally available, 500 euros)
bikes
 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17
tires
 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17
Tires
 Dunlop D 214 "L"

mass and weight

wheelbase
 1440 mm
Steering head angle
 65.0 degrees
trailing
 103 mm
Front / rear suspension travel  
137/130 mm
Seat height *
 810 mm
Weight with full tank *
 190 kg
Payload *
 155 kg
Tank capacity
 14.0 liters
Service intervals
 10,000 km
price
 7.495 euros
Price test motorcycle
 7.495 euros
Additional costs
 170 euros

MOTORCYCLE readings

Top speed²
 210 km / h
acceleration
0-100 km / h
0-140 km / h
0-200 km / h
 3.4 sec
5.4 sec
11.9 sec
Draft
60-100 km / h
100-140 km / h
140-180 km / h
 3.3 sec
4.0 sec
4.4 sec
Consumption highway
 4.6 liters
Reach country road
 343 km
² manufacturer information;
* MOTORCYCLE measurements;
** Incl. ABS (400 euros),
Instrument cover
(219 euros) and
Fork protector (49 euros)

Performance measurement and conclusion

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The Yamaha MT-09 builds up more pressure than the Triumph Street Triple.

First things first: The performance of both motorcycles was measured on a test bench in Croatia that was not standardized by MOTORRAD.

Therefore, please neglect the absolute values. The difference between the Triumph and the Yamaha shows what you can feel on the road. The MT-09 shows its displacement advantage over the entire speed range. Since it is governed at 210 km / h, it does not run up to maximum speed in the last two gears.

But it is not necessary because there is always pressure. The small hang between 5000 and 6000 revolutions is barely noticeable. The curve of the Streety continues to be a splendid example of even power delivery. Between 6000 and 12000 tours, the Triumph always presses over 60 Newton meters on the crankshaft.

Conclusion

TRILLION

The performance measurement of the Yamaha MT-09 and the Triumph Street Triple.

Yamaha MT-09
Congratulations! This three-cylinder from Japan duped the opponents straight away thanks to its bearish pressure and fulminant revving. The comfortably tuned chassis and the upright seating position make the MT attractive to a very broad group of buyers. That’s also the price: for 7,995 euros including ABS you get a hell of a lot of motorcycle.

Triumph Street Triple
No other engine in its displacement class combines liveliness and propulsion as well as that of the Streety. For the sporty driver, thanks to the taut chassis and the front-oriented weight distribution, it still remains the measure of all things. Clean performance!

Price comparison of the Yamaha MT-09 and the Triumph Street Triple

Used Yamaha MT-09 and Triumph Street Triple

The Yamaha MT-09 and the Triumph Street Triple duel not only on the street, but also on the used motorcycle market. There you can get the two bikes cheaply, in top condition and in large numbers: Used Yamaha MT-09 and Triumph Street Triple 

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