The MT-09 competes against the Triumph Street Triple, the Kawasaki Z900 and the MV Agusta Brutale 800. It is intended to restore Yamaha's fortunes, as the factory has in recent years lost its reputation for innovation. The MT-09's product manager, Shun Miyazawa, said Yamaha had considered parallel-twins, inline-threes, inline-fours and V-twins, but that the inline-three gave the "best solution" of power, torque and low weight. Comparing the MT-09 to the Street Triple, he said the Triumph was a streetfighter, but the Yamaha was a "roadster motard". Both the frame and the double-sided swingarm are made of lightweight alloy which are cast in two pieces. The frame castings are bolted together at the headstock and at the rear, but the swingarm parts are welded together. The MT-09 is the first Yamaha motorcycle since the XS750 and XS850 to be powered by an inline-three engine. Both are shaft-driven motorcycles produced from 1976 to 1981. In 2017, the MT-09 was updated with fully adjustable suspension, traction control, ABS, slipper clutch, LED headlights and new styling.
Tracer 900/FJ-09/MT-09 Tracer
The Tracer 900 is a sport touringmodel introduced in 2015 based on the MT-09. From 2016, in Europe and the United Kingdom, the name changed to Tracer 900 from MT-09 Tracer. It differs from the MT-09 in a number of ways, including that it has a partial fairing, a larger fuel tank, ABS brakes, handguards, centerstand, a 12-volt power socket, traction control, revised fuel map, drive-by-wire throttle mapping with three selectable riding modes. The display is very similar to the XT1200Z Super Ténéré's. It also has LED headlights and taillight.
Related models
Shun Miyazawa said buyers are moving away from the supersport bikes, adding, " aim to create an older and younger brother and cousins - maybe the same capacity, but a slightly different concept". This was translated into the creation of the MT-07, the XSR700, the XSR900 and the MT-10. Yamaha recently introduced younger brothers of the MT-09. Yamaha MT-03, MT-15 and MT-125. They are the naked street-fighter/ hyper naked motard variations of YZF R3, R15 v3, R125 respectively.
Reception
In Motor Cycle News, Michael Neeves said "The MT-09 starts an exciting new era for Yamaha" and "The MT-09 is a roadster for all occasions. It’s fun". However, the ride-by-wire throttle was criticised as "snatchy". Cycle Worlds Kevin Cameron describes the styling as "V-Max meets Transformers Robot", "like a Supermono" and "an up-to-the-minute streetfighter, no bland revival of a 1970s' UJM. Call it a new synthesis." Cycle World named the FZ-09 'Best Standard' of 2015. In an MCN 5-bike group test in 2015, the testers felt that the MT-09 Tracer was a better bike and better value than its four competitors, namely: a Triumph Tiger 800XRx and a Tiger Sport, a Honda Crossrunner, and a Ducati Hyperstrada.
