YAMAHA MT-09 (2013 - 2020) Review

With the standard rear shock the bike wallows, fit the Ohlins shock and the ride is transformed. Brakes have never given any concern and the abs adds a level of confidence.

Best engine I have ever had. Torque everywhere and heads for the red line with smooth power. Fitted a quick shifter, that works well.

Only failure was the clutch cable that has had 2 modifications to stop premature breakage at the lever end, fit the latest version and no further problems.

Service is very easy. As soon as it was out of warranty do it yourself, even with genuine parts it's less than £50. Worth doing the air filter every other service as it does get a bit grubby. Never miss the valve clearance check at 25,000 miles as the exhaust valve clearance can be outside tolerance.

The standard rear Dunlop was reduced to 1mm of tread in the 1st 1600 miles by which time we were in Switzerland, fitted roadsmart 3 tyres and get around 8,500 miles out of a pair, with quick warm up and good grip in the wet

The engine is an absolute peach.. The stock seat is like sitting on a ironing board and ruins your backside..

Power delivery is that of a sports bike, torque wise low down.. It teases you to pin the throttle every time you get on it..

Typical Japanese nonsense reliability..

120 miles from a full tank.. It's definitely smiles per mile..

It's very basic out the crate.. A, Standard and B modes and ABS.. Get a tune, a new seat, a new exhaust system and then your golden..

The seats not comfortable, but the riding position is and the pegs are low enough and not too far back to be comfortable.

Fantastic bike for the money, superb engine. I’ve owned mine for four years now and ride the wheel off of it, yes the suspensions crued , the quick shifter may miss a few times, the throttle response is a bit iffy, but for 8 knew and the look of this machine is fantastic. The only fault I’ve had with the bike is the stop switch, which was sticking and burnt out the starter solonoid. This bike has made such an impression on me, that I will keep it, having just brought an aprillia Tuono V4 Factory. Value for money and smiles per hour, the MT 09 has it in bucket loads love it

Amazing bit of kit and a great sound once you change the exhaust. Replacement race filter will help breathe Bridgestone s22 tyres acropovic titanium exhaust and money could easily be spent on the suspension.

Seat is bit uncomfortable after 100 miles or so but regular stops/breaks soon eases any aches.

Quick and smooth. Plenty of power.

Stored for 6 months over the winter for the last two year and it always starts first time when the bike is ready for spring/summer use.

Stops as it should, no issues as yet. Not ridden with pillion yet, but my lad will be out with me in the summer.

Beast, beautiful smooth powerful engine. Never ridden a bike with such power and smooth delivery.

Cant really comment on this as only had since Feb 2021, but as yet no issues at all.

More expensive than my z750 to service but only by £20, I average 46mpg, but probably could get more but it's hard not to give it some 😁

Because the mt09 is my daily commute I will be fitting Michelin Pilot Road 2 on it,plenty of mileage and a great tyre, never had an issue with this tyre so will be sticking with them. Get a rad guard radiator bit vulnerable without it, also a clear tank pad to stop scratching the tank, r&g rear bobbins so you can use your paddock stand, I will be getting short levers, front bobbins, crash protectors, shock protector and probably a new exhaust, but I am worried if government bring in these sound cameras, I'll be keeping an eye out for these 😁

Suspension , especially the rear shock is the only weak point

Super smooth and torquey

Dash can be difficult to see in sunlight

suspension upgrade a must or take to a suspension specialist to get the right setup for your weight and riding style does improve it greatly.

makes you want to go hard all the time with that engine note.Stock exhaust very quiet,but full system required if you want a change,pretty pricey ..

pity the quickshifter is up only,but its such a buzz as is. Bridgestone Tyres are a bit hard feeling but ok.put a puig screen on,very good or you will have your head ripped off above 80kph,especially on motorways.Bike is so responsive and as good as supersport without the aches and pains that come with those.

Stock suspension was horrid. Upgraded Adrianni fork kit and a new rear shock and it's a whole different beast.

Love the triple, love the crossplane. Terrific package with a unique sound.

Like: engine, electronics Dislike: suspension, throttle feels like you're either accelerating or engine braking, takes some getting used to. I like the q3+ tire on this bike for riding in the twisties, pilot road 4 for commuting. HEAVILY suggest suspension mods, and a reflash of the ECU.

It is a well known fact the seat is very hard and in all the reviews this has been mentioned. After 3 thousand miles i would say that mine is okay now. In the beginning I was thinking of buying the alternative seat they sell. Its good the sales people suggested to stick with it for a while. Brakes are very good and could be one finger pressure. I have fitted adjustable levers which aid comfort. Abs is a nice addition which means if ever you stamp on the brakes it will not lock up the brakes.

I enjoy the quick response due to the gearing. The acceleration is awesome. Yamaha uses their expertise with all the models to make a great motor.

I was very upset that one day on the way to work, it rained so hard that i was soaked through plus a engine management light appeared. When I spoke to the local service dealer, he mentioned another bike had been jet washed and it was a sensor that set it off. He then mentioned it would be a chargeable item. To me this seemed to be an issue with the design and upset me now end. I turned up at the dealers one Saturday and asked if they could fit me in. After a long discussion they managed to look at it and found a O2 sensor which failed. A reset cleared the engine management light and i was back on my way. A couple of hundred more miles and it has not returned. I intend to do the work myself as it seems not everyone wants to put the same attention to detail. I have already taken the brake calipers apart, used red grease on all the floating joints to ensure they work one hundred percent. I also fitted a Scottoiler which in 3 thousand miles i have not adjusted my chain yet.

The bike should be serviced at 600 miles first service then every 6k or one year. I have only just over 3k on my bike.

The engine seems very responsive and quick. The gearing has a large amount of this as the top speed is brought lower with the benefit of very quick acceleration. I use the bike to commute to work and go through town onto the motorway. I find it fine with the gearing at both situations.

Suspension is the weak link, not to bad if you're riding is on fairly well surfaced roads at moderate speed but soon goes south when you pick up the pace on bumpy back roads. The rear is harsh and lacks damping and the front fork springs are to soft allowing it to dive to much on the brakes. A new shock and front springs work wonders and is not to costly. Brakes front and back are good, the back brake is one of the best I've used as they seem to be more for decoration on a lot of bikes.

The engine is fantastic, miles better than a speed triple including the new version. Pulls hard from the minute you drop the clutch and just keeps on pulling. This is the easiest bike I've ever owned to wheelie and I've owned most versions of Triumph's triples and a 990 Superduke. Love the instant throttle response and use mine in A mode all the time as I can't see the need for the others.

Seems well put together and no faults so far

Servicing should be no worse than anything else in this class and fuel consumption is good, gettting over 50 mpg most of the time.

Has everything you could need on this type of bike. I bought mine used a couple of months back, 3 years old and only 1400 miles in the clock. It came with heated grips, tail tidy, Yamaha fly screen and a Scottoiler. All of them are great additions to the bike and works well. It had Bridgestone S20 tyres fitted that were excellent but were done by 2400 miles so fitted Avon Storm XD sport touring tyres for a bit more mileage. So far the Avons have been great in the wet and dry. Safe and secure in all conditions so can recommend them for this bike.

Abs kicked in multiple times in slippery conditions, soft suspension great for uk potholed roads

Outstanding torque rips your arms off

None yet, header exhaust had rust forming until polish.

Getting easy 55 mpg during run in

Traction control, abs, rider modes for a £6k new bike forgetaboutit.

Hard seat

I love the slightly softer set up and the very relaxed riding position. The breakes are as good as the suspention can cope with. My only fault would be that the ABS kicks in way too soon.

A great engine with loads of managable power, cant think of a better bike for road riding and and having fun. Very easy to conserve front tyre wear ;-)

Good quality and very reliable even in the worst of Scottish weather.

Only extra cost is back tyres dont last long when you like to make progress but well worth it. Use the bike in B mode and tyres and fuel last for ever.

The bike is well equiped especially for the price.

Fine hacking around town and country blasts not sure about anything longer.

Brilliant engine and sounded great with the Akroprovic exhaust.

No issues but only had it 10 months,

Not brilliant on fuel and tank is only 14 litres

Brakes are superb. Ride quality is not an issue as this is not meant as a tourer.

Performance is epic (I am a 'born again'). However, the way the performance is delivered can be very tiring in anything other than 'b' mode. Loads of power, loads of torque - but very snatchy delivery.

Given a 5 as it has given me no problems yet....

This is probably the fastest-steering bike I've ridden yet it's super-steady at motorway speeds. With the firmer suspension it really inspires confidence through the twisties. I'm happy with the brakes but I've not taken it to the track, yet.

I would give this engine 6 stars if I could. It is brutal and responsive from the very bottom and once spinning, it's frightening. The three power modes really make a difference; standard with a passenger or through traffic, B mode in the rain and A mode fleeing the cops.

Early days yet but looks good to me. I've heard of some rusting on other MTs but mine is for dry days only

The bike is still too new to have any servicing done so this sum represents the money I've spent correcting Yamaha's shortcomings. Even having spent that money, I still fell this bike is excellent value.

I've given it 4 because even though it's simple and unfussy with the very useful engine modes, I'm furious with Yamaha for choosing to move the horn button. This may sound weird but it's so counter intuitive and infuriating that I've got to mention it. Imperative mods are a replacement shock and fork springs, a remapped ECU and exhaust system and some new foam in the seat. Aesthetically you may want a screen and tail tidy to finish it off.