2021 Yamaha MT-09 debuts, check all the details here

KUALA LUMPUR: Yamaha MT range is one of the brand’s most successful product line-ups in the European market and the MT-09 is a shining gem of this family. To keep the middleweight streetfighter fresh and appealing, Yamaha has given it a massive overhaul, with almost every piece of the bike restyled for next year. This means less weight, more power, and certainly more hi-tech features.

Out of the several changes over the previous MT-09, the biggest one can be observed in the form of the frame. The bike’s new die-cast aluminum frame is a modern take on the company’s Deltabox frame building experience, which is 2.3 kg lighter than the earlier one. The aluminum sub-frame also weighs 1.5 kg less than the steel unit. According to Yamaha, the new frame gives the rider more feedback, stability, and dynamic riding window.

Talking about the design, the narrow twin headlights are replaced by a large, centrally mounted LED light flanked by two slim LED day-time running lights. In the tail-section, the 2021 Yamaha MT-09 flaunts redesigned tail lamps and a tail-mounted plate holder that replaced the previous swing-arm mounted unit.

Yamaha also ditched the ongoing side-mounted instrument cluster in favour of a new larger TFT panel that sits in the middle. The 3.5-inch LCD screen displays a variable colour bar-graph tachometer, gear indicator, and other essential info with everything controlled by switches available on the handlebar pods. The bike rides on 10-spoke spin forged wheels.

The rest of the styling shows the inner workings of the MT-09. The designers stripped back the bodywork to reveal the bike’s engine, suspension, and ancillary systems, lending an overall stance of a compact and neatly proportioned machine. The headlight, fuel tank, and exhaust are placed near the new powertrain that lends a mass-centralization impression.

At the heart, the 2021 Yamaha MT-09 gets a new 889-cc engine in place of an 847-cc unit, which is Euro5 compliant and makes it the most powerful ever. Power has boosted to 119 bhp at 10,000 rpm, and torque is increased to 87.5 Nm at just 7,000 rpm. The engine gets a new ride-by-wire fuel injection setup and an all-new exhaust system. However, the driveline is still the same with a six-speed transmission and slipper clutch with chain final drive. The whole powerplant is around 2 kg lighter than before.

In terms of technology, the new MT-09 gets a new 6-axis inertial measurement unit from the larger R1 superbike. It brings a comprehensive suite of riding aids comprising traction control with three modes, front-wheel lift control, slide control, and brake control.

The bike also gets major improvements in the running and stopping gear and for better braking performance, there lies a new radial master cylinder.

Yamaha has yet to announce the new 2021 MT-09 price, however, its deliveries are expected to commence next year in Europe. The 2020 MT-09 is priced at RM 47,388 in Malaysia.

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