2021 Yamaha MT-09 revealed – 889 cc, 117 hp

2021 Yamaha MT-09 revealed – 889 cc, 117 hp

After yesterday’s teaser on the Yamaha Europe website, full specifications for the 2021 Yamaha MT-09 naked sports have been released. While several upgrades have been made over the previous generation Yamaha MT-09 (RM47,388 in Malaysia), the biggest change comes in the form of the frame.

Completely new, the die-cast aluminium frame – 2.3 kg lighter – draws on Yamaha’s Deltabox frame building experience and comes with a die-cast aluminium sub-frame 1.5 kg lighter that the previous steel unit. Yamaha says increased the frame stiffness in the new MT-09 gives the rider more feedback while increasing stability.

For the engine, the same inline-triple Crossplane 3 engine configuration is retained but displacement has been bumped up to 889 cc, giving the MT-09 a listed power output of 117.3 hp at 10,000 rpm and 93 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm.

A redesigned intake tract and exhaust, along with new fuel injectors located in the intake are responsible for the power increase, up from 115 hp at 10,000 rpm and 87.5 Nm of torque at 8,500 rpm on the old model with the whole affair now Euro 5 compliant. The driveline on the MT-09 is still the same, with power going through a six-speed gearbox and assist and slipper clutch with chain final drive.

An up-and-down quickshifter is now standard, an improvement from the previous model MT-09’s up only quickshifter. Fuel capacity remains the same at 14-litres in the tank while weight has seen a reduction from 193 kg to 189 kg, ready to ride.

The new three-cylinder, DOHC, liquid-cooled, 12-valve engine is now 1.7 kg lighter than before, along with the exhaust system – now an under belly unit – losing 1.4 kg. Weight savings of 250 grammes are also realised in the swingarm, which now comes with a straighter profile as opposed to the previous model’s asymmetrical shape with the swingarm pivots now located within the frame’s structure compared to outside the frame line as before.

2021 Yamaha MT-09 revealed – 889 cc, 117 hp

Big changes in the cockpit, with all the rider information displayed on a 3.5-inch, full-colour TFT-LCD screen, including variable colour bar graph tachometer, gear indicator and other necessary data with everything controlled by switches on the handlebar pods.

Technology also trickles down to the MT-09 from the larger R1 super bike in the form of a 6-axis inertial measurement unit. This gives rise to a comprehensive suite of riding aids including traction control with three modes, slide control, front wheel lift control and brake control – the latter two equating to wheelie control and ABS.

Styling wise the single projector LED headlight with DRLs is a major difference, compared to the twin unit found in last year’s MT-09. At the back, the LED tail light now forms a ‘Y’ shape, a departure from the twin row LED tail light and the previous swingarm mounted mudguard has been relocated to a more conventional underseat unit.

Also major improvements in the running and stopping gear for the MT-09, one of the previous generation MT-09’s shortcomings. For 2021, the MT-09 gets adjustable upside-down forks, 41 mm in diameter while the adjustable monoshock has revised settings along with a revised linkage to improve suspension performance.

Wheels are now forged units, giving a weight reduction of 700 grammes over previous with the moment of inertia in the rear wheel reduced by 11%. This will allow the MT-09 to roll a little faster and improve cornering as well as hoist wheelies with ease, a trait familiar to owners.

Braking is now done with a new radial master cylinder but actuating radial-mounted four-piston callipers grabbing twin 298 mm brake discs, identical to the outgoing model’s braking setup. Seat height sees a slight increase of 5 mm to 825 mm, with the outgoing MT-09 putting the rider 820 mm off the ground.

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Mohan K Ramanujam

Coming with diverse and extensive experience in heavy engineering, Mohan enjoys making anything with wheels go fast, especially motorcycles. His weapon of choice is the Desmoquattro engine, and he has a penchant for anything with a dash of Italian design. Strangely enough, he insists he's a slow rider.

 

Comments

  • More power, and less weight is always good news !

    But why does it have to be so ugly ?
    ( yes i know looks are subjective. i do find previous model is alot easier on the eyes. )

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 3
  • azrul on Nov 02, 2020 at 10:07 am

    expectation price??

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Richard Schultz on Apr 12, 2021 at 5:29 pm

    Are any dealerships selling the updated 2021 MT 9 yet?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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