First Test Ride on the MT-09

Here's what one of our customers think of the new MT-09 after being one of the first to have a test ride on this innovative motorcycle. Thanks to Joerg Gruenfeld for this insightful review! 

Source: http://www.offroadclub.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=3724

'Feels a bit odd for me to post in this section as my road riding is very infrequent but after the test ride I had this morning I have to share. 

 

I was in my local bike shop Inverell Motorcycles yesterday, who have been looking after my bike needs ever since I started the old XR250 project, and after making a light hearted comment about liking the look of the new bike they have on the floor Turbo (Mark Turner) the owner smiled and said I should buy it as it would really suit me. Being 6'4" I don't fit well on most sports bikes but I'm not ready to go completely relaxed on a cruiser but Turbo pointed out that the MT-09 was like sitting on a dirt bike and I would probably really like it. Knowing that the budget isn't really in any shape for a nice new toy and all jokes aside Turbo said I should take it for a test spin and see what I think of it. Well with no further arm twisting needed I headed down this morning for a blast.

The MT-09 is a new type of bike in the Yamaha stable and is based on a Motard set-up, running a 3 cyl 850cc engine. Being used to riding small bore dirt bikes and some time on Chyaroh's old VFR750 I was a bit worried about the engine size as the styling of the bike makes it look like it would go like a scalded cat. Turbo warned me before I left that the front brakes work really well and one look at the twin disc front left me in no doubt that would be true, also the bike has 3 ignition maps that can be selected on the fly and a slightly different starter switch (not that the switch makes any difference but it was interesting to note).

First thing I noticed when I got on was how nice the ergos felt for a rider my height but at the same time the bike isn't very tall so a shorter rider would still comfortably handle the bike. The riding position is very much similar to a dirt or adventure bike but with my toes pointing down slightly. The seat is quite comfy despite its dirt bike appearance and suspension felt quite plush as I settled into the sag but I'll come back to that. The factory pipes look good I think and the bark they give when sitting still waiting to pull into traffic is nice (sorry but I like bikes to 'sound' good too) but once moving you hardly hear them which is good. The gauges are easy to read at a glance and it even tells you which gear you're in incase you forget. 

After I pulled out I gave the throttle a blip in second because the turn off was only a little way from the shop and I was caught a little off guard by the jump it gave (only really to be expected but I was still very conscious that this wasn't my bike). Heading up the road the bike showed just how smooth the delivery is and as I relaxed into the ride it was one thing I really loved about the 850, most of the time I kept the standard ignition map on and the power rolled on beautifully and predictably. Likewise the compression breaking as I came up behind traffic meant I didn't need to worry too much about that front brake. Even the standard ignition map is quite torquey so you don't have to rev it hard at all but I can guess that a more aggressive rider wouldn't be disappointed by the bikes ability to jump into action. Turbo said he didn't know much about the mapping before I left so I did try them, map A is a torque/power map with increased bottom end and greater engine braking where as map B was a higher reving map for 'speed' or cruising, with Standard being a happy medium. Possibly on a longer ride map B might give you some better fuel consumption.

The bike is no light weight but it has such a low center of gravity that it's weight isn't even noticable and the MT feels really quite nimble as a result. This combined with the character of the engine make it a very confidence inspiring bike and as I got into the S's coming back from Elsmore I was wishing I was on a more twisty road, like the Gibralter Range, so that I could really enjoy leaning it and putting more right hand into the game. Really by the time I'd done 30 odd kilometers on it I just wanted to point the bike towards the coast for a proper ride. This is one of the first road bikes I've ridden where I didn't feel the need to go more than 100kph just to get it handling which made the ride enjoyable too because when I felt like going a bit quicker it felt really settled and at the same time if I backed off to enjoy the view it still didn't feel like I was muscling the bike around the way the VFR, SVS and CBR-r did when I road them.

Of course there are a couple of things I wasn't entirely happy with but really they are quite minor and quick to fix. When I headed out I was faced with quite a strong head wind and I found I was pushed back on the bike and having to pull myself towards the bars to keep a grip, this is due to the upright riding position obviously but on the ride back I felt no pressure at all, so the first thing was that I wanted to see what it would be like with just a small front screen on it to deflect some of that wind up over me. The other thing was the rear suspension which wasn't as settled as I would have liked. When I hit bumps or rough parts of the road the bike would absorb the bump but then it would lift or float you up (for want of a better word) before settling back onto the road, I am used to bikes that soak the bump and settle back to their ride height, if that makes sense? Given the overall qualities of the bike though I am certain that this is just a case of dialing in the settings for the rebound and compression and I'm not versed enough in that aspect of bike set-up to know if it was because of my weight compared to the weight of riders Yamaha had in mind when designing the bike or not. Like I said though both of these issues I am sure could be easily sorted.

I'm always tentative riding someone elses bike and a test ride is no different, I'm also not a particularly skilled road rider so I know that I didn't get the full performance out of the bike on this ride but I did get enough of an impression that I know it can go on my wish list for when single track no longer attracts my aging bones and I want to still enjoy being out on two wheels. It is definitely a bike that has versatility from being a sporty throw around bike to also putting some overnight gear on and doing a longer tour with. Also bearing in mind that someone stepping up to a bigger bike is going to love building their skills on this bike and an experienced rider will get straight on and have some serious fun, this is a bike worth looking at closely especially when you consider its $12k price tag.'