2024 Yamaha MT-09 First Ride Review: MT-09, MT-09SP, MT-09 Y-AMT Ridden!

The sixth corner of the Sodegaura Forest Raceway in Japan is a long sweeping left hander, where you need to go a tad wide and turn into a late apex before straightening out briefly and into a slow and tight, U-turn right hander. One corner later, you’re onto the main straight, accelerating out, the 890 cc, three-cylinder, Crossplane 3 engine of the Yamaha MT-09 singing a sweet song that’s enchanting to your every sense. And then it’s time to work the brakes and the quickshifter in rapid succession, downshifting to take the sharp first corner, with the revs hitting a staccato of new notes. Three laps later, I’m smitten!  

Watch the 2024 Yamaha MT-09 Video Review:

Even the standard Yamaha MT-09 is a true hooligan! Entertaining, exciting and worth falling for its gem of an engine and superb dynamics! 

Earlier that afternoon, when we arrived at the Raceway, around 45 kilometres from Tokyo, one thing became immediately clear. We had all packed the wrong riding gear! The 2.4 km long track is compact, with a couple of nice free flowing corners, but our leathers were left behind at home, in India! And the 2024 Yamaha MT-09 we were supposed to test here promised to be more than just a brief fleeting tryst that none of us possibly anticipated. The special on the menu for the day was the new Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT version with the automatic gearbox. And apart from members of the Japanese media, only five of us from India were the first privileged journalists to test the new Y-AMT and experience what it offered. 

The Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT is conspicuous because of the absence of either a clutch lever or a gear shifter.

Yamaha’s 40-Year Ride In India 

For some of us, who have followed Yamaha’s 40-year-old journey in India right from the beginning, the glory days for the brand were the initial decades in the two-stroke era. Launched in India in the 1980s, the Yamaha RX 100 and Yamaha RD 350 are still considered two of the most iconic motorcycles in Indian motorcycling history. In contemporary times, India is still Yamaha’s second largest market after Indonesia. But those sales volumes aren't from Yamaha's bigger, more premium performance bikes, like the MT-09, but smaller, entry-level models, including scooters.

Muscular, sharp and edgy, the Yamaha MT-09 certainly has presence!

The interest in Yamaha’s 155 cc motorcycles and scooters notwithstanding, Yamaha’s premium motorcycles perhaps have not had that kind of fan following in India. This is not because of lack of good products, but more perhaps, due to the lack of a clear and market-specific pricing strategy, case in point being the new Yamaha R3, which was recently re-launched in India. But the new R3's price remains impractical and unreasonable for many Indian consumers, despite the R3 being a great product.  

Also Read: 2023 Yamaha R3 First Ride Review

The Yamaha MT-09 is characterful, as close as it can be to the visceral experience of Yamaha's two-stroke roadsters from decades ago.

Having owned a Yamaha RD 350 during my younger years, for me though, no other Yamaha roadster launched in India so far has been able to create a similar riding experience or has been as desirable. Will the new Yamaha MT-09 be able to rekindle memories of youth and maybe, just maybe, spark a new romance? And more importantly, will the MT-09 be able to turn around Yamaha’s brand perception in the middleweight naked segment in India and take the fight to very capable European rivals in the segment? Those were some of the questions I had in mind, as we hurriedly geared up to see what the new MT-09 is all about.  

Also Read: Yamaha Files Patents For Upcoming RW Models

The Yamaha MT-09 is now in its fourth generation, and comes with the optional Y-AMT gearbox.

Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT: Engine 

Internationally, the Yamaha MT-09 was launched in 2014, and has seen four model updates, with the engine getting an update in its 2021 model with the 890 cc, DOHC Crossplane 3, inline three-cylinder engine. In India, the Yamaha MT-09 made a brief appearance with its 2017 model, but didn't see much success. Now, Yamaha seems to be keen to reintroduce the latest version, and with more than one trick up its sleeve. The 2024 model boasts of a long list of tech, electronics and features, with one variant also getting what is a new automated gearbox and clutch, called the Y-AMT. 

The 890 cc, CP3, inline three-cylinder engine makes 117 bhp at 10,000 rpm and 93 Nm at 7,000 rpm.

The CP3 engine, with its inline three-cylinder layout, continues in its 890 cc displacement, has a claimed output of 117 bhp at 10,000 rpm with 93 Nm of peak torque kicking in at 7,000 rpm from the last generation MT-09. But there are other changes to the 2024 model, with new ergonomics, and an electronics suite managed through Yamaha’s Ride Control System. More importantly, the MT-09 now gets the Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission, or Y-AMT system, with full automatic and manual modes, but without the need for a clutch or gear lever. 

Also Read: How Does The Yamaha Y-AMT Work?

Actuators with shift rod which helps operate the Y-AMT system.

The Y-AMT system has two actuators, a clutch and gear actuator packed into the space behind the engine, and with a combined weight of 2.8 kg. The actuator has a shift rod with a built-in spring which works helps quick disengagement when shifting gears. How the system works is that it begins working prior to gear disengagement, storing up force, and then once the engine torque is disconnected, it disengages the gear as fast as possible.  

The 2024 Yamaha MT-09 has an angry and aggressive face, with a muscular and chiselled fuel tank flanking out when viewed head on.

Design & Features 

The 2024 Yamaha MT-09 has a more aggressive face than its predecessors, and looks contemporary, with its twin-projector LED headlight and muscular and chiselled fuel tank. The overall rider triangle and ergonomics have been revised, with a slightly lowered handlebar which has the rider’s weight angled towards the front of the bike, to give it more weight up front and leverage. Ergonomics-wise, it's friendly and natural, the moment you swing a leg over the MT-09.  

The full-colour display of the 2024 Yamaha MT-09. 

The 5-inch full colour instrument console has good visibility and is intuitive when it comes to scrolling through the menus to choose between the five ride modes - Sport, Street, Rain and two other Custom options, offering more adjustability in individual settings like ABS, traction control and so on. With the limited riding time on hand, we stuck to Sport for the duration of the ride. There’s also a long list of connected features available through the Y-Connect app, including turn-by-turn navigation. 

The MT-09's advanced electronics suite has a comprehensive list of riding aids, including cornering ABS, traction control and wheelie control.

There’s a six-axis IMU which assists the electronics to watch your back with traction control, wheelie control, slide control and more. During our ride out at the track, there were no hairy moments. And it’s always reassuring to know that the electronics will have your back when you’re riding spiritedly, like we did, but still with caution, considering our choice of riding gear at the track.  

My first outing on track was with the 2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP, and in just a couple of laps, I was floored by its performance and dynamics!

2024 Yamaha MT-09 & MT-09 SP Riding Impressions 

My first few laps at the track were with the higher-spec MT-09 SP with higher-spec suspension, and higher-spec Brembo Stylema brakes. The star of the show for me though is the 890 cc, inline three-cylinder, CP3 engine. The sound is highly addictive, and the acoustic amplifier grilles on the top of the fuel tank, will ensure you’re one with the CP3’s intake howl, and will tempt you to keep the engine singing, over and over again, at every corner and along the short straights. The engine has excellent low-end torque with a strong mid-range, with the torque spread out nice and thick. So, in any gear, you will not find the engine lacking in shove. The quickshifter works like a charm and you will be able to effortlessly shift up and down through the gearbox smoothly, and quickly.  

The Yamaha MT-09 SP has Brembo Stylema calipers, and gets an Ohlins shock, with a slightly different USD front fork from KYB. 

The Bridgestone Hypersport S23 tyres mounted on the lighter Spin Forged wheels (casted in Yamaha’s Iwata factory), offer very good grip and feedback and the chassis offers very good stability even when leaned over. The MT-09 comes with fully adjustable suspension from KYB, which is quite adequate. The top-spec MT-09 SP model gets an Ohlins shock at the rear and with a slightly higher-spec KYB fork with gold-finish on the outer tubes. And with both models, the suspension is good for spirited riding and taking on corners, as well as the minor bumps that we encountered on the track surface.   

The Yamaha MT-09 has a near-perfect blend of performance and handling. The best part is that sweet-sounding engine!

There were only a couple of occasions where I felt a very minor weave at the rear, not very concerning, and I reckon some suspension adjustment should be able to sort that out easily.  The brakes work well in shedding speed quickly and the overall suspension damping is near perfect, not too stiff and not too soft, and should offer a comfortable ride out on the street as well. With even the base MT-09, the riding experience isn’t lacking in any way, with the bike offering a level of performance and dynamics that makes riding it similarly impressive.  

The 2024 Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT doesn't get either a clutch lever or a gear shifter.

2024 Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT Riding Impressions 

In the next session, it was time to put the Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT through its paces to see how the automatic clutch and gearbox works. In the first three laps we were instructed to use the drive mode D, and initially it felt a little odd, not to have a clutch lever to work on, or a gear shifter, which comes naturally to most of us. The Y-AMT works quite well when it comes to shifting gears while accelerating out, but muscle memory and years of riding experience is biased towards more personal rider control, particularly around fast corners. 

The left handlebar switches are somewhat of a busy place, with the Y-AMT version.

D+ offers sportier performance, holding on to higher revs and a lower gear than D. For me, D+ was the better Auto mode, with more engine braking and higher revs to explore. You can switch to full Manual mode as well, with a shift lever on the left handlebar offering the choice of upshifting with the index finger pressing the “+” lever and downshifting with the press of your thumb on the “-“ lever. You can also flick the index finger outwards on the “+” switch to downshift. 

You can just use the “+” switch of the “see-saw” shifter with the index finger for both upshifting and downshifting, or use the thumb to press the “-” on the other side for downshifting.

The downside of the Y-AMT is that on occasion, it’s too eager to upshift and can take you by surprise by shifting up mid-corner, when you would want to stay in a lower gear. This was felt on more than one occasion, and for riders who want a sporty experience, sticking to manual mode will be helpful. Yamaha also doesn’t offer an optional gear lever for its Y-AMT version. For many of us, overriding D, D+ or simply riding in manual mode, it’s more intuitive to use a gear lever on the foot, than to operate switches on the handlebar. Perhaps with more familiarity, this may not be an issue, but an optional foot-operated gear lever certainly would have been something which would have made the ride experience that much better.

Even with the Y-AMT version, the MT-09's sweet performance, and dynamics cannot be overlooked. 

But there’s no denying the impressive and addictive performance of the MT-09’s 890 cc, inline three-cylinder engine. It’s perhaps one of the sweetest sounding engines on any production motorcycle right now, with a stock exhaust, and that’s saying something! Coupled with excellent dynamics and performance that’s highly entertaining, without being overwhelming, in my book, the Yamaha MT-09 makes the cut as one of the most entertaining middleweight performance nakeds available right now. 

The 2024 Yamaha MT-09 is an impressive motorcycle no doubt. And the Y-AMT version offers the convenience of an automatic gearbox without the need for a clutch lever or gearshift lever.

2024 Yamaha MT-09 Verdict 

The Yamaha MT-09 has a lot going for it. It has a brilliant engine with a soundtrack that is instantly likeable and comes with a level of intuitive handling and dynamics that makes it an all-round impressive middleweight performance naked.  Loaded with electronics and features, the MT-09 certainly makes the cut as one of the best motorcycles in its segment. It will be a hoot to ride on the street, and its impeccable road manners are difficult to ignore. And that’s more than one reason why anyone looking for a performance naked should take a test ride, along with its European rivals, before arriving at a decision. The only challenge could be the price tag, which we don’t know of yet. The 2024 Yamaha MT-09, with all its three variants is expected to be launched in India, sometime in early 2025. If India Yamaha can begin CKD assembly of the MT-09 here, it will offer a competitive price tag that will definitely make it a winner! 

We wish Yamaha will introduce the 2024 Yamaha MT-09 with the manual transmission as well, and what will be key to its success in India will be pricing. 

Price it well, Yamaha. You may have quite a few takers in the world’s largest motorcycle market for the MT-09, with or without the Y-AMT. In fact, Indian streets have a good chance of becoming a concert venue for that crossplane engine symphony, just like the two-stroke reed valve whine did, back in the ‘80s. And for a few of us, it could well be a ticket to offer that spark of romance to relive our teens, and possibly deliver us from the dark side of mid-life blues. Turns out, that brief first date in Japan with the Yamaha MT-09 was more than enough to start thinking about it a lot and wanting to spend some more quality time with it. After all, motorcycling is also about heart, and the Yamaha MT-09 certainly has mine. 

A brilliant engine, superb dynamics and a motorcycle full of character. The Yamaha MT-09 has a lot going for it!

2024 Yamaha MT-09 Key Specifications: