Yamaha MT-09 2021 and Yamaha MT-09 SP 2021
Yamaha got it right in 2014 with the release of the MT-09: this model pulled the company out of a sales slump. True, the first version of the Yamaha MT-09 turned out to be pretty crude, and in 2022 it was improved, especially in terms of handling. And since October last year, more and more information about the MT-09 update began to appear, and by December we already knew about two new models: the base and SP.
And as much as the first version was crude, the updated 2022 Yamaha MT-09 turned out to be carefully crafted and thoughtful. Almost not a single node in them remained the same: everything was improved, configured, and audited. Among the main updates are an increase in displacement and significant improvements to the chassis.
Part of the MT-09 test consisted of three runs on a 6-kilometer track, including some wet riding at the end of the day and testing the electronics. However, I understood the main thing already after 5 turns from the start: the issues with the handling of the MT-09 were completely resolved.
Yamaha MT-09 2022 on the track
Walking around the motorcycle and noticing external differences, big and small, is a great start to the test. I like to first get acquainted with the features of the new design and construction, try to imagine where the designers were coming from. I rarely comment on the appearance of motorcycles - at most I can share my opinion, and during the time I have been riding motorcycles, I have been deceived more than once: some of them handled better than they looked, while others, more often than not, did the opposite.
The first acquaintance with the Yamaha MT-09 SP 2022 went differently: instead of cutting circles and looking at little things, I rather jumped into the saddle before it started to rain. The fact is that there were many people who wanted to feel the SP, but there was only one SP itself - so I decided to take advantage of the allotted time for driving. Which means, for once, it was a blind test.
