Road test of YamahaMT-09 850 2015 Evocative impulses

a few months ago, Oli the Belgian introduced me to Yamaha's latest innovation... the MT-09.
I fell in love with this beautiful roadster from the first moment I saw it. I hadn't had the chance to try it out at the time, but today I'm going to.

On this particular day, the weather was very mild for the season, and rays of sunshine were even breaking through the slightly gray sky.

I was surprised to see the same Yamaha, but with a flamboyant orange fuel tank.

in a hurry to get on this little machine, I put on my suit of lights and, hearing the deep, expressive sound coming out of the exhaust on start-up, I felt transported to other spheres.

So here's what I thought after about forty kilometers:

design

the frame designed by the Yamaha team has been subtly thought out to give the machine a very compact and slim "wasp-waisted" look. This makes the seat very comfortable, despite the somewhat hard saddle, and makes it easier to put your feet flat on the ground. Personally, I find the headlight a little too prominent and bare, especially as it's so bare, but with a small windscreen as an accessory, it should give a completely different look. The exhaust system is very original and very well designed.

the driving position

it's been a long time since I've found such a pleasant and comfortable position on a motorcycle. The position is relatively upright, with the feet in line with the buttocks. When you sit behind the tank, the straight handlebars give you the impression of sitting on the front wheel. But the handlebars and tank are well positioned, and there's plenty of legroom.

handlebar controls

the controls are fairly easy to use. There's just one small flaw on the left-hand commodo: the direction indicator and horn are very close together, so they'll be harder to manipulate with winter gloves on. The dashboard is very original, not centered, and displays the following information: gear indicator, fuel gauge, average and instantaneous fuel consumption, and an Eco indicator for more eco-friendly driving.e, an Eco indicator for more eco-friendly driving, the different modes (A for "A donf" = very sporty (which I didn't test following Oli's "wise" advice) - STD : standard - B for "bobonne" = soft or wet), engine temperature, outside temperature.

riding the bike

the bike is very easy to handle, thanks to its overall slimness and low weight. The handlebars fit perfectly under the hands, while their width lightens the steering and, as they are set fairly high, they don't put any pressure on the wrists. Comfortable suspension makes the bike surprisingly city-friendly. One obvious observation from the first few kilometers is that the engine is full of torque at low and mid-range revs. In terms of acceleration, it's a real handful, and I found that overtaking a vehicle in 6th gear was easy, even at low speeds.

The Yamaha is very nimble, and cornering is a real pleasure, as you can feel how well it adheres to any surface. It perfectly combines pace and safety, which adds to the fun factor. The 3-cylinder engine delivers extraordinary acceleration, but the injection system is a real problem, with jerky acceleration and deceleration, especially in town.

small faults

on the subject of minor faults, because not everything can be perfect... although... i'd like to mention the brake attack, which is a little rough, especially when you only want to do a very short braking maneuver; and on the footbrake, a cover slightly hinders braking, i.e. the ankle hits this cover when braking.

conclusion

how to define this little technological gem in a few adjectives? Very simply, the Yamaha MT-09 can be described as: agile, light, easy, intuitive, rigorous and stable. It's a versatile motorcycle with a real character.

This machine is a real paving stone in the mid- to large-displacement roadster market, because priced at around 9,000 euros with ABS, it offers great potential.

Versatile yet sporty, it can also be upgraded through an extensive catalog of accessories, allowing you to choose the look and personality you want to give your MT-09. A sort of "à la carte" roadster, that you can adapt to your own style.

A motorcycle of this quality, with this displacement and offered at this price when it was launched, it's fair to say that there's enough here to trigger the impulse to buy... and I've got that impulse... and I can't wait to see my roadster arrive, just for me, at the beginning of March.

SCALLE