2024-08-12 - One session on a Yamaha MT-09 SP

ChampSchool had brought their fleet of Yamahas to the 2Fast track days for August 12-13 and Don Williams graciously set me up with one to ride solo in the intermediate group. I had already ridden 3 or 4 sessions on my Daytona 765 and struggled with a fair bit of traffic so I was looking forward to mixing up my day with something different.

On paper the MT-09 SP looked really interesting—the famed 900cc Yamaha triple engine, Ohlins rear and Showa BPF front, electronics, Stylema brakes, etc. Upon sitting on it, I can’t say I dug the ergonomics, at least for track. I kept having visions of riding a giant praying mantis, holding on up high to its antennae. I set the riding mode in the most aggressive settings while retaining TC/WC. Given that it was on DOTs that had been cold all day (I was the first person to ride it that day), I knew I’d take it easy for the first couple of laps, being sure to keep lean angle in check but accelerating and braking hard while up and down.

I went out toward the back of the intermediate group since I knew I’d need to warm up the tires first and it gave me time to figure out my body references on the bike and get a feel for power delivery and braking nature. After that first couple of laps I was ready to dial it up and see how it felt with a bit more pace.

To note, when I’m trying out a new bike, what organically comes to mind for me are deficiencies or characteristics that aren’t intuitive to me. Looking back at my session on it, brakes, lower body position/ergonomics, and handling didn’t really stand out to me meaning that those aspects were to my liking, at least at the pace I was going (~2:05 at the Ridge with the chicane). Things that did stand out:

Gearing - the bike is geared quite a bit shorter than I would have liked. I don’t know if it was the final gearing or transmission gears. Either way, I found myself hitting the rev limiter several times and needing to switch up to 4th in areas I wouldn’t have on my Daytona. Not a big deal, if it were mine, I might go with a shorter overall gearing, but probably not because…
Power Output - It’s been a couple of years since I last rode the MT-09, and the engine has been upgraded since then. I was expecting more torque the the ‘Master of Torque’ delivered. The power band was narrower than I would have imagined, though certainly nowhere as peaky as the R6. Even though I was in the right gear for my exits I frequently felt like I was waiting for the bike to respond to my throttle input and shortly after the power arrived, I’d have to upshift sooner than I expected or I’d hit the rev limiter.
Upper Ergonomics - I fully understand that this is NOT a track bike, however my previous Street Triple RS and my current Tuono V4 Factory are also street bikes and the handlebars are far more accommodating for track riding. I was very much in the ‘sit up and beg’ riding position. I kind of got used to it but if it were mine, I’d be looking into a lower and possibly flatter bar. I also had no objection to the lower bars on the Street Triple and Tuono for street riding, I honestly prefer it. The MT-09 SP felt as high, maybe higher, than my BMW R1250 GS. As a result of the bars being so tall, side to side transitions can be awkward, wind resistance on the front straight is significant, and most importantly, I felt very disconnected from what the front end of the bike was doing.
Dash/TFT - Either the dash is too small or the important graphics are difficult to see. I couldn’t readily see the gear position indicator and the tachometer is a fairly small graphic. It would be great if there were a dash option that put more focus on these items.
Suspension Setup - the bike was not set up for me or my pace and it was really soft. Without having it setup to my liking, I can’t fairly criticize it—maybe it can be setup with stock components to my taste, maybe not. It was pretty soft and I’d often have to wait for the bike to settle before I could move to my next control usage and I couldn’t condense the braking or turning the way I would have liked. I never felt like the suspension was doing anything weird or out of sync between the front and back so I think there’s potential there.

I know some things changed on with the current iteration of the MT-09 SP and this current version doesn’t feel as much the hooligan that the one I rode a couple of years ago was. That one seemed to want to wheelie everywhere and the electronics cut in prematurely. The new one felt much more refined, but nowhere as exciting to ride. I don’t recall all the changes to this specific variant of the MT-09 family but I seem to recall a longer swingarm as well as the revised engine. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were electronics changes too.

Getting back to aspects that didn’t come to mind when I rode—I never once felt the ABS intervening, which was a pleasant surprise since stock ABS on most Japanese bikes can be frustrating, lacking the less-intrusive nature of the European ABS systems. I was perfectly pleased with the brakes—nicely progressive and no fade at the pace I rode it. Foot and seat placement felt fine and didn’t come to mind. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not once did I mis-shift due to this being standard shifting and most of the bikes I’ve ridden on track this season are race shift.

I think it’s a really nice bike and storied Japanese reliability and nice features make it attractive. If I didn’t have good dealer support from Triumphs close by, it would be a great bike for me once I fixed the handlebar situation and possibly addressing gearing. It might also be a matter of a pipe and a tune, though I’d rather avoid tuning a bike unless it really needs it. Given a choice between the MT-09 SP and a Street Triple RS though, for me, the STRS is a slam dunk, particularly the latest 2024 (US) model. It just feels sportier, has ergonomics I prefer, and needs nothing out of the box. The biggest thing working against the Triumph is a dash that ‘evolved’ in 2020 to one that is virtually unusable at pace with a goofy tachometer display and other components on it are almost impossible to see even on the highway.

A big thank you to ChampSchool and Don Williams for letting me take it out. I love riding other bikes on track and figuring them out.