2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP Review

I had never had the pleasure of riding an MT-09, SP or otherwise, so when my local Yamaha dealer, Moores Motorcycles, lent me their demo bike I was eager to see what these bikes were all about.

The new MT-09 SP has an array of tech that the previous model does not have such as the addition of track modes, smart key system, self cancelling indicators and emergency stop signalling.

To allow every rider to have a more engaged riding position the handlebar is now lower and features two customisable positions. The new footrests are also adjustable enabling you to set the bike in the right riding position for you.

Although the SP is only available in one colour, Icon Performance, it does suit the bike and the blue from the bike is matched with the wheels. This is certainly one cool looking bike 😎

A Few Specs for you:

• Weight: 193 kg
• Seat height: 825 mm 
• Latest EU5+ 890cc CP3 engine
• 93 Nm @ 7000 rpm, 119 bhp
• 6 speed
• 5” TFT display with 4 themes to choose from with smartphone connectivity 
• 4 riding modes: Rain, Street; Sport; Track
• Yamaha Ride Control + 6 axis IMU which controls rider aids
• Cruise control
• Up and down quickshifter
• Self cancelling indicators
• Fully adjustable front and rear suspension
• Brembo Stylema calipers
• Ohlins shocks
• Smart key system 
• Colour: Icon Performance from £11,806 

Engine

The MT-09 SP has the latest EU5+ 890cc CP3 liquid cooled 3 cylinder engine pushing out 93 Nm @ 7000 rpm and 87.5 kW @ 1000 rpm giving you 119 bhp. 

The fuel injectors offer increased efficiency with the optimised gear ratios and refined assist and slipper clutch matching the high output of the engine.

The third generation up and down quick shifter comes as standard and has two settings:

• One for seamless upshifts under acceleration and downshifts under deceleration;
• Two for clutchless downshifts while accelerating and clutchless upshifts under deceleration. 

There is cruise control for those motorway riding moments which is easy to use and set using the buttons on the left bar.

The back slip regulator offers stabilisation when the rear wheel locks under excessive braking by controlling the level of torque produced. 

There are specifically designed air-intake ducts which accentuate the high frequency sounds which are then emphasised especially at higher speed by an acoustic amplifier grille on top of the fuel tank which delivers the vibrant note of the engine to you. How cool is that!

I really like the seating position on the MT-09 SP, the bike itself feels light (wet weight is 193 kg) and compact and the engine is smooth, the bike feels stable especially during sporty riding.

When you drop a gear for an overtake, the noise of the engine and exhaust combined with the acceleration soon have you grinning under your helmet.

Chassis

The frame is a compact lightweight CF (controlled filling) die cast aluminium frame and its design is a modern take on the iconic Deltabox layout to give you a high level of chassis stiffness, stability and feedback from the bike.

The chassis is light and slim and the optimised swingarm pivot structure gives the bike a more laid back feel to it. I found the MT-09 SP to be such a sporty fun bike to ride.

To me, the bike feels short and I could feel that it is light both when moving it around and riding the bike which is perfect for me.

The MT-09 SP sports new Brembo monoblock Stylema® calipers featuring the very latest technology. The calipers have a slimmer piston and brake pad area and are lighter and more rigid which, according to Yamaha, offer enhanced control in braking input with the larger diameter pistons for increased braking forces taking braking performance to the next level.

Although, thankfully, I did not experience the new ESS (Emergency Stop Signalling) feature whereby when the system detects sudden braking the hazard lights will come on, the brakes were very responsive especially when they needed to be.

There is fully-adjustable suspension on the MT-09 SP. The 41 mm DLC coated KYB forks and Öhlins rear shock have a higher spring rate to give you stability during more sporty (or spirited 😜) riding. 

You can adjust the set-up to suit different riding situations with the forks fully adjustable for preload, rebound and compression damping. The Öhlins shock has a remote preload adjuster to enable quick and easy changes.

I thought the ride on the MT-09 SP was very comfortable, the lumps and bumps in our roads were soaked up very nicely.

Ride by Wire Throttle & Modes

There is a responsive ride by wire throttle on the MT-09 SP so instead of having a throttle cable connected to butterflies in the inlet, it will all be controlled by electronics and the twist grip just sends an electronic signal to the ECU. 

There are four riding modes: track, sport, street and rain. With sport, street and rain you can select the engine power characteristics with different intervention levels and there are also two custom programmes so you can set these to suit you.

The track mode has 4 customisable extra patterns to suit certain track scenarios with the option of two engine brake management settings with the ability to alter the level of brake control. You can also turn off the rear ABS in track mode.

The rider aids on the MT-09 SP include 3 mode traction control; brake control; slide control and front wheel lift control systems. 

The modes and settings are navigated using the button and arrow keys on the left bar and can be changed when riding along with the throttle let off or by using the MyRide app.

Instrument Display

There is a 5” TFT display and 4 themes from which to choose the display you want to see. The screen is easy and clear to read and shows you what you need to see – speed, revs, gear and mode, trip, fuel gauge and a clock.

You can change what you see on the screen easily by using the navigation keys on the left bar and this can be done whilst riding along.

The display has smartphone connectivity which comes as standard allowing you to link your phone to the bike via the MyRide app and there is full map navigation available through the free Garmin Street Cross app.

Making an appearance on the MT-09 SP is a smart key system and is the first to appear on Yamaha’s hyper naked bikes. 

The engine is started by pressing and turning a switch provided that the smart key or fob as I would call it because there is no ‘key’ is within a specified range of the bike. The ideal place of course to keep the fob is in your pocket.

The switch also features a lock and unlock option for the fuel tank cap thus meaning no key is needed to unlock the filler cap. This I think is a great idea.

I am not a fan of the smart key system, in my humble opinion, the best place for the key to any bike is in the ignition, you know where it is then. 

What if you start the bike before you are on it whilst putting your helmet etc on, and the fob is on the wall/fence and then you ride off without the fob! Eeeek!! The phrase ‘Oh darn, I seem to have left the fob behind, what a nuisance’ might spring to mind or words to that effect 😜

Tyres

The Yamaha Spinforged wheels, which are extremely light, are fitted with Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 tyres.

Bridgestone describe these tyres as:

• A sports radial motorcycle tyre for street use that’s engineered to meet the requirements of the ever evolving modern-day sport bikes.
• This tyre is the latest in Bridgestone’s premium motorcycle tyre range and features increased levels of exceptional dry and wet grip performance, employing a newly-designed compound and updated pattern design.

I like these tyres. I was impressed with the confidence I had in these tyres and how solid and stable the bike felt. For me, that is so important in a tyre, if I don’t have confidence in the tyre then that follows through to the bike and your ride.

I have Michelin Road tyres on my personal bikes as they are good all year, all round tyres that suit me and my riding. I think tyre choice is very personal and when you find a tyre that suits you, you do tend to stick with them.

LED Lights

There are LED lights all round on the MT-09 SP. I thought the headlight was reminiscent of the new XSR 900 GP although I can’t decide if I like its housing. I think a fly screen is needed to finish off the front end. A fly screen would also cut down on the reflection you get on the tft screen.

Intuitive turn signal function, or self cancelling indicators, make an appearance on the new MT-09 SP and very welcome they are too. I absolutely love this function and I really don’t know why they are not standard on all bikes as they are on cars.

I know I have left my indicators on after turning on more than one occasion (okay, many, many, many more times than one occasion 😜) and I am sure you have too. Surely they are a basic safety feature.

A soft click of the indicator switch will flash the turn signals three times which is particularly useful for when changing lanes on the motorway/dual carriageway.

A full click of the indicator switch makes them flash continuously. The indicators will self-cancel once 15 seconds have passed and the bike has travelled for more than 150 metres. 

Also featured on the MT-09 SP is an Emergency Stop Signalling (ESS) feature whereby when the system detects sudden braking the hazard lights will come on.

The rear light is neatly housed and is in keeping with the style of the bike. Although it is not big in design, it is very effective when in use. Putting a tail tidy on would neaten up the rear end perfectly.

What’s The Yamaha MT-09 SP Like To Ride, I hear you say?

Nice 👌

This is the first time I have ridden an MT-09 and I have to say I am very impressed. I can certainly see what all the fuss is about with these bikes. They are genuinely a very nice bike.

I do love the styling of this bike, it screams fun just by the way it looks.

The riding position is fairly upright and with a seat height of 825 mm and me being 5’6”, I did think it was a little on the tall side personally but of course when you are riding, this is not an issue. It’s only when trying to move the bike around or putting your foot down when there’s a camber in the road, for instance, that you might encounter difficulty.

The CP3 engine on the MT-09 SP is incredibly smooth and along with the quickshifter, which is probably one of the smoothest I have encountered, makes riding this bike so easy. Gear changes are effortless and you really do feel at one with the bike when you’re in the twisties and you are up and down the quickshifter in the corners.

I would need to change the exhaust on this bike, it really is not loud enough. The tone of the engine is not coming through enough for me and it really is better when other road users can hear you coming!

The MT-09 SP certainly has that grin factor. Every so often I would catch myself grinning under my helmet. 

I like the way the bike makes me feel when riding and I liked the way the bike obviously liked corners, it was very solid and stable in them and this filtered back to me giving me confidence in the bike and also the tyres.

Thank you to Moores Motorcycles for the loan of the MT-09 SP, I really enjoyed my time with this bike, I definitely need one for longer …..

BK

Here’s a link to my YouTube video review of the Yamaha MT-09 SP:

https://youtu.be/IYHpyqdfGKw?si=ImSLB0LP_o2RjDAd

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