Yamaha MT-09 First Look Review

With the MT-09, Yamaha is entering the middleweight league in the superbike territory. It is a light and fast motorcycle, with a new wave three-cylinder engine.
The MT-09 has been a huge success internationally and with the Indian launch, Yamaha is planning to see if this motorcycle will appeal to buyers here. The Japanese manufacturer, however has priced the motorcycle significantly higher in India when compared to internationally. Which also means that it goes up against the Triumph Speed Triple in India, which is a bigger and more powerful motorcycle.

The MT-09 is part of a new generation of motorcycles - the three-cylinder generation. This generation came into being because of the increasing demand of flexibility from performance motorcycles. The motorcycle is designed to be docile enough to commute on, as well as edgy enough to put a smile on your face when you twist the throttle.

In terms of looks, the MT-09 has very mature design language. The motorcycle is a naked street and a compact one at that. Unlike the other street-nakeds, the lack of fairing and plastics on the MT-09 adds to its nakedness. The front of the motorcycle features a sharp jutting out headlight, with a floating instrument cluster. The tank has an aggressive design and has two forward mounted scoops on both sides. The simplistic design of the rear of the MT-09 is a subject of debate. The mature styling from Yamaha could only mean one thing - Yamaha wants prospective buyers from all age groups to feel comfortable on the motorcycle.

Powering the MT-09 is an 847cc three-cylinder engine that makes 115bhp at 10,000rpm and 87.5Nm of torque at 8900rpm. The engine is designed to ensure a surge of raw, linear torque which is available instantly throughout the rev range. It also means this motorcycle can be ridden around in a commuter-ish fashion.
The slim and lightweight die-cast aluminium frame, asymmetric die-cast aluminium swing arm and lightweight 10-spoke alloy wheels all add up to make this motorcycle significantly lightweight. The class-leading horsepower and low weight give the MT-09 a leading power-to-weight ratio in its class. The non-ABS version of the MT-09 weighs in at 188kg which is lesser than a Yamaha YZF-R6.

In terms of electronics and braking, the MT-09 gets YCC-T (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) and D-MODE electronic control systems. YCC-T actively controls the volume of intake air being drawn into a high-revving engine in order to control the fuel-air mixture in a way that enables response that reflects the sensibilities of the rider at a high level. The D-MODE electronic control system lets the rider choose between three different throttle-valve control maps, "STD" Mode, "A" Mode, and "B" Mode. The three different modes have different power-providing maps to use in different scenarios. The motorcycle comes with dual 300mm discs up front and a 245mm single disc set up at the rear.
The Yamaha MT-09 is only available with ABS in India and will be CBU. Yamaha has launched the motorcycle at Rs 10.2 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It will take on the Triumph Speed Triple, Triumph Street Triple and the Kawasaki Z800 in India.