Motorcycle specifications YamahaMT-09 900 2021 The 3rd wave

At first, a quiver in the back. A little lower, a little more urgent, eager for the slap in the face the new MT-09 is about to give the rider. With impertinence, joy and ardor, and the extra watts Yam has given it.

Let's get straight to the point. The MT-09 has made a name for itself in large part through its engine. It inaugurated the CP3 three-cylinder, and it thrilled the motorcycling world with its character, enthusiasm and frenetic peaks. Today, it wants to become a 900.

A little mechanical surgery is in order. Let's take a look inside the combustion chambers. They've grown by 3 mm at the stroke. A grape seed, enabling a displacement of 889 cm3 thanks to a gain of 42 cm3. Maximum power is boosted by 4 extra horses, or 119 horsepower at the same 10,000 rpm.
The big winner is torque. More than 1/2 mkg less and 1,500 rpm less to get them. The 3-cylinder CrossPlane dispatches a total of 9.5 mkg at 7,000 rpm. You liked it when the MT-09 lifted your ribcage in the mid-range? You'll love the new MT-09's boost, reinforced when it itches.

New combustion chambers mean new pistons. And while we're at it, we might as well redesign the connecting rods. And the camshafts too, and the crankcases, and also the injectors; no longer attached directly to the cylinder head but on the side of the butterflies. This improves combustion and efficiency.
In short, Yam has changed virtually all the main parts. Now that we've seen the power gain, let's see if it has any influence on weight. Yes, 1.7 kilos lighter.

we might as well go all the way, especially as Euro5 requires heavy treatment of polluted gases. New manifolds and dual-outlet exhausts (one hole on each side) also reduce weight by 1.4 kilos compared to the old system.
Reassured of their "cleanliness", how are the 87.5 kW going to express themselves? Firstly, through a revised gearbox, where the first two ratios have been slightly lengthened, the clutch softened and gear shifting optimized thanks to a new fork and the installation of an Up&Down shifter as standard.

Expect punch in every acceleration, choose one of the D-Mode mappings to influence power distribution, feel the beast live its ardor in every relaunch... Will we also need to feel a dose of rodeo like on the old MT-09s? They never showed much rigor in the way of damping, especially at the rear - except perhaps on the SP. Yamaha is trying to correct this with new KYB components. A 41 mm inverted fork with adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping will guide this impetuous horse, while the amorto will do its utmost to transform it into a power-driven machine. There's only one setting for this, and that's preload.
Especially since the wheelbase has been reduced by 10 mm. It's not much, but since the MT-09 has always been a lively motorcycle, it gains watts in 2021, the steering is lowered by 30 mm and the rims have been lightened by 700 gr, we can expect it to be significantly more lively.
Anecdote: these "Spin Forged" wheels are only 2 mm thick, making them the lightest in the Yamaha range.

Lightness is not the word that dictated the design of this 3rd chapter of the MT-09. Rather, the search for compactness, the torture of a bio-ethereal snout, the sensation of being possessed by a ghost in its shell. Harmony has sunk into the torments of Japan's restless streets, the roadster's natural objective. Not a single part of the old model is to be found: the seat, fuel tank, scoops, front mudguards, mirrors, indicators, foot plates and so on have all been modified. Even the number-plate bracket has been moved from its ambiguous position at the end of the swingarm to the rear frame.
Everything used for lighting (headlights, parking lights, etc.) is LED, with a new Y-shaped identity at both front and rear.

underneath , the astonishment continues with a new perimeter frame. Its new shape promises robustness. So does its construction. The manufacturer has beaten its records for wall thinness for this die-cast case, featuring a double-beam layout with increased width. The redesign of the frame has several effects: firstly, lateral rigidity has been increased by 50%. Secondly, a further 2.3 kilos have been saved with the new frame, rear frame and swingarm assembly (- 250g). The banana configuration is a thing of the past. A more classic shape has been adopted, with a different anchoring system to improve chassis rigidity.

These efforts pay off. The MT-09 drops to 189 kilos. Four kilos less than yesterday, and just one more than when it came out in 2014 - when ABS was optional, and all current electronic assistance was a privilege for Italian hypersports.
That time is swept away in one fell swoop by 2021. All-new, modern as fashion demands, the dashboard is infatuated with TFT technology to ensure color, uncluttered graphics and, above all, a much nicer, more coherent visual than the old (psychological?) offset block. Too bad it's not very big - at 3.5" diagonal, it's the same size as the first iPhone. The competition offers better, with 4.3" for the Z 900, 5" for the 765 Street Triple, 6.5" for the F 900 R and up to 7" for the 821 Monster. Has the minimalist design had an influence right down to the screen?
It performs its functions - displaying engine revs, speed, gear engaged, power assist levels, fuel gauge, clock... - in a very "80s video game" atmosphere.

someone else put their experience to work on this MT-09. Not just anyone, the R1! As well as giving it a Ride-by-wire throttle very similar to its own, it influenced and transposed a good part of its riding aids. Starting with a 6-axis IMU inertial unit, but half the size and 40% lighter than that of the sports bike. This small box has a direct impact on the ECU that controls the various modules.
- Tilt-sensitive TCS traction control (already present before), with three modes: 1 for low intervention, 2 for more intrusion, M for manual adjustment.
- SCS slip control (new) for adjusting power when the system predicts rear slippage.
- LIFt pitching control (new) to control front-wheel pitching.
- BC brake control (new) to adjust brake line pressure according to the machine's attitude or inclination.

But for braking, the essential component remains the right hand, brake calipers and discs. Most of the equipment has been retained, including 298 mm front discs with 4-piston radial calipers, and a 245 mm disc with a single-piston caliper at the rear.
It's the controls that change. The Nissin master cylinder uses a radial pump for a more linear action, and we appreciate the presence of a sport bowl, nicer and more in tune with the nervousness of the wheel.

The MT-09 is clearly moving in the direction of an increasingly distinctive personality. Revised in every respect, it presents itself as an unscrewer of principles. A mix of cat, dog and amphetamine. Shake it all up and get the three-cylinder going, and you're in for a good laugh.

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