Yamaha never showed its interest in bringing its MT range of motorcycles to India, until now. With the launch of the MT-09, Yamaha India has made a bold statement that it plans to compete in the growing superbike segment.
The MT09 was the flagship naked motorcycle, until the MT-10 made its debut late last year. Designed to thrill in a comfortable way, the MT-09 is a very compact naked street motorcycle. Unlike the other street nakeds, the MT-09 doesn’t go all out in the styling department. The bike follows a more sober design approach to give out a neutral feel. This has been done to attract all kinds of riders between the age groups 18 and 45 years.
Powering this is machine is a 850cc inline three cylinder engine that produces a whopping 115bhp at 10,000rpm and peak torque of 87.5Nm at 85000rpm. This engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The Yamaha MT-09 is built around a diamond frame. The suspension duties are taken care of by upside-down forks in the front, which has a travel of 137mm and link type monoshock at the rear. In the braking department, the MT-09 has 298mm dual disc at the front and 245mm single disc at the rear.
In terms of dimensions, the MT-09 is 2075mm long, 815mm wide and 1135mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 1440mm and a ground clearance of 135mm. With a fuel tank capacity of 14 litres, the MT-09 has a riding range of close to 250kms. The bike tips the scale at 191kg, making it one of the lightest bikes in the segment.
The Yamaha MT-09 competes with the Triumph Street Triple, Kawasaki Z800 and the MV Agusta Brutale 800.