How to make a person happy? Take something good away from him, and then return it as it was.
Sometimes I think this is the undeniably working method used by motorcycle manufacturers. The next update makes a once good model worse - weaker, less characterful, less ground clearance and all that. Sometimes these improvements are pushed through under the guise of yet another economic norm, sometimes to reduce the cost or split one model into two... and sometimes it looks like pure sabotage, not conditioned by anything at all.
Yamaha MT-09 2022
Every time I try out updated versions of my favorite models, I worry that something like this will happen. To my great joy, I don’t have to report about the Yamaha MT-09 2022 that it has become worse as a result of the update. But whether it has become better is another question.
The landing was made less radical, but at the same time it takes turns better and holds the trajectory more stable. In the city, the motorcycle has become even more convenient, and lovers of modern electronic gadgets will finally have their eyes lit up by this model, but the MT-09 has not become faster. If that’s all you wanted to know, you can close the page, but if you’re interested in the details, as they say, don’t switch!
You can talk about the 2022 Yamaha MT-09 for quite a long time, but I don’t want to repeat what is already known: they increased the engine, made a new frame and swingarm, installed diode lights, and a color LCD instrument panel. Even more has been said about the 2022 version, and in particular, its disadvantages are uneven traction and restless suspension. So I’ll tell you what we did better, what got worse, and what didn’t change at all.
Cons of the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT
And the wormy cherry on the cake of complaints will be a whole swarm of small problems: the panniers are generally excellent, but only the smallest helmets can fit in them. It's unlikely that a couple of extra centimeters would make the panniers too bulky, but they would be more useful. Having a stock center stand is great, especially if it doesn't touch your left boot while you're on the move. A functional device with a unique design and extensive settings would be much more useful if it were not aimed directly at the rider’s stomach. In addition, it is not bright enough for driving with a dark visor and at the same time it produces a fair amount of glare. Usually the problems with devices are the opposite - an excellent screen, a crooked interface and meager customization options, so it’s especially a shame that Yamaha did a good job with the complex part and mediocrely merged the elementary things.
Differences between the Yamaha MT-09 2022 and the 2022 version
As I already mentioned, the main differences between the new 2022 Yamaha MT-09 and the 2022 version are in the frame, electronics and engine. Let's start with the chassis: the steering column on the frame has become lower, which made it possible to shorten the fork stays, at the same time equipping both suspensions with stiffer springs and reducing the yoke offset by 5mm. All this provided clearer controllability when tilted. Further, the frame itself has become, according to Yamaha, an incredible 50% stiffer in the longitudinal direction. Add in a new swingarm, lighter wheels, and new braking components, and the new MT-09 is bound to feel different from last year's version once you're in the saddle.
Yamaha MT-09 2021
This is especially true when shifting the motorcycle from side to side in a series of turns: if the old MT-09 felt frankly flimsy, the new version goes like a glove when tilted, confidently and clearly. The chassis handles uneven corners much more confidently, the connection with the road is more clearly felt, which allows you to ride the MT-09 like a real sports naked bike, and not like a rarity with a dead fork.
I think the bending rigidity of the frame is the main reason for the differences between the 2022 Yamaha MT-09 and the 2022. Plus, the shorter fork stays and stiffer springs create a more rigid structure, providing clear feedback to the frame and rider. The only drawback of the updated chassis is that it now tilts much easier, and many complain that when turning in a parking lot the motorcycle somehow dives too willingly.
Oddly enough, despite the increase in volume to 890cc, the new engine does not seem more powerful. I believed that the already high-torque engine, after increasing the piston stroke, would become even more powerful at the bottom, not to mention the modified intake tract, camshafts, simplified exhaust and improved cooling. And yet, the character of the engine remained almost the same.
One of the reasons for this is, again, the chassis of the 2021 model. The stunted shock absorber of the previous version of the MT-09 sagged during acceleration, and the motorcycle constantly tried to get into a wheelie. Fun, but not particularly necessary from an engineering point of view. Improved shock absorber and stiffer spring allowed the new Yamaha MT-09 to accelerate harder and stand up less.
The second reason that the Yamaha MT-09 2022 does not seem more powerful is the gearbox ratios , which have become 3% higher in first and second gear. This means that the wow effect of cravings has decreased by the same 3%. In addition to the Euro 5 econorms, which have already forced manufacturers to add displacement in order to maintain power characteristics, low-end thrust was affected (in a negative way) by a heavier crankshaft, due to which the engine revs more slowly, and the main positive effect of the increase in crankshaft weight is felt in the midrange. rpm and higher.
Semi-official and slightly secret dyno graphs confirm my words: the main increase in power for the new engine occurs after 7000 rpm. Another funny thing is that this engine doesn’t seem fast at all. It is powerful, it pulls well and accelerates the motorcycle perfectly, but it does not scream or make noise, so the updated three does not give a feeling of any wild power. The engine makes a deep, velvety sound and easily lifts the front wheel if the steering wheel so desires - but that's about it. By the way, Yamaha pulled off a clever trick: to increase the piston stroke, they moved the connecting rod journals in the crankshaft cheeks to a larger radius, and, on the contrary, shortened the connecting rod itself. Thanks to this, the external dimensions of the engine remained the same.
Another aspect that could affect the character of the Yamaha MT-09 is the updated e-throttle. Overall engine response is smoother and more linear, the final drive chain is still tight and even, and there is little driveline jerk left. So, the transition from a throttle stick with a cable to a fully electronic sensor was not entirely ideal. You almost don’t feel this during normal driving, but when you start to get weird, the electronic throttle sensor gets weird along with you. For example, at the balance point in a wheelie: I feel in my gut that I need to turn the gas to some angle, but the reaction to this turn is not what you expect. When a computer opens the throttle instead of a cable, it decides how much traction the tires (or the rider's psyche, if you will) can handle.
The simplicity of the Yamaha MT-09 was finally a thing of the past when the model received an inertia measurement device that provides lean ABS, wheelie control (LIF in Yamaha terminology) and slide control (SCS) based on the systems of the YZF-R1 sportsbike. Plus - good old traction control. Three parameters related to engine traction (traction control, SCS and LIF) are built into the engine modes. Modes number 1 and number 2 are preset at the factory, and Manual mode allows you to configure each of the three parameters as you wish. Modes, if necessary, change on the go.
And all this works separately from the Brake Control function - i.e. control of the brake system, which has its own two modes. BC1 is the standard, less intrusive ABS mode, and BC2 works taking into account the angle of inclination. Plus, there are four throttle maps: the first and second are equally aggressive, the third provides a softer throttle response, and the fourth cuts off peak power and makes the engine as docile as possible. Another customizable feature is a clock, and the fuel level scale is also adjustable - by adding gasoline to the tank, of course.
And here’s something else new in the 2022 model: by holding the switch on the main screen of the dashboard, you can turn off all electronic baby monitors, except ABS.
There is something wild about it that I personally like. In general, traction control works quite adequately, tilt ABS is generally a useful thing for many, and all this is good, but the slide control from the R1? For what? Probably, since there is an inertial sensor, then why not... But on the last iteration of the Yamaha MT-09, they limited themselves to traction control with three stages: Wheelie is not allowed, Wheelie is possible, Off. And that was enough.
Yamaha MT-09 2021
Yamaha Tracer 9 GT On the road
And here's the thing: the Tracer 9 GT has manners that are smooth and subdued enough for the city. Its clutch lever is informative and its engine is more than good. It has plenty of thrust, sounds great, and is quite lively and energetic, despite the fact that this version has a heavier crankshaft for more torque.
This engine has always been gorgeous, and if previously it was spoiled by its twitchy character, then in the new iteration this was corrected, it was given new fuel maps, and now this trio is simply a standard.
Yamaha Tracer 9 GT
And being quite compact in the city, the Tracer willingly devours kilometers outside the city. At 120km/h the tachometer reads around 5000rpm, which is low enough to allow you to drive for hours, but high enough in the rev range for a powerful blast. His top end is excellent and he is quite capable of riding it in top gears. The riding position is a plush mixture of sporty composure and everyday comfort, and the Ducati-style adjustable windshield is excellent (though the range is a little short). The throttle response is very good at any speed, the suspension is elastic, the cruise control is intuitive, the brakes are good, and the seat does not make its presence felt at all, which is the best characteristic for a motorcycle saddle.
Finally, the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT handles the twisties well: it's balanced, responsive, comfortable, holds its line well through corners without shifting weight, and shifts easily. Trail breaking? Yes, easily, with ABS. A little wheelie from the clutch in second gear when exiting a corner? Easily. An excellent quickshifter, up and down, at the bottom and at the top, at a brisk pace and rolling up to a traffic light.
The new Tracer handles just as well as a passenger, thanks in part to clever cutouts in the saddlebags that allow you to sit more comfortably. The passenger handles are in the right places, and the seat for the second number is exactly the same as the driver’s - you sit down and don’t think about it. The Tracer makes for excellent travel for two, consuming about 6 liters per hundred and making a pleasant whine in the process. In many ways, the new Tracer is the optimal motorcycle. But.
Remember the second and third parts of the Matrix? This is not to say that these are completely bad films - they just spoil the very idea, the very story told in the first part. They no longer have that element of miracle that was in the first one, but the joy of commercial success was felt. In much the same way, Yamaha's three-cylinder engine seems to have been watered down for the commercial success of the Tracer 9. It has become poppier and less exciting, and new technologies further constrain and smooth it out. So does its weight: the new Tracer 9 GT weighs 222kg without panniers, which is 14kg more than the original FJ-09 and 35kg more than the current MT-09.
Yamaha Tracer 9 GT
The extended swingarm also increased the wheelbase, which became 6 centimeters longer than on the first generation FJ-09. This increased straight-line stability and reduced the Tracer's tendency to wheelie, which is unlikely to please road hooligans who love such tricks, but it also gave the motorcycle a heavy and imposing feel. In addition, the gears of the current version of the gearbox are good for the MT, but a little different for the Tracer: the first and second are three percent higher, and the top two should be made a little longer for a quieter ride. This would reduce the consumption and smooth out the vibrations in the passenger seat, which are quite noticeable around 120 km/h. Unfortunately, the passenger footrests are all metal and transmit these vibrations with crystal clarity.
Next is the electronically adjustable suspension, which is not impressive. Two versions of the auto-adjustment algorithm do not allow the rider to adjust the smoothing in any way. The softer setting, A2, is more pleasant when riding solo, but even in this position the fork compression damping is too harsh. With a passenger, the rear turns out to be too soft, which is barely compensated by tightening the preload and switching the automatic to A1 mode, and this increased the rigidity of the fork, and what’s worst is that an extremely unpleasant goat appeared on large smooth speed bumps - the passenger is thrown out of the saddle. The fork compression is too tight, the rebound is too harsh at the rear, and absolutely nothing can be done about it.
The paradox of progress Yamaha MT-09
Well, I've had some criticism of the new Yamaha MT-09, but fortunately it's just petty grumbling. They didn’t spoil anything majorly, and even significantly improved some things. So, the brakes on the old version could not be called bad, but the new Nissin radial master cylinder and powerful ADVICS calipers do a much better job of stopping the Yamaha MT-09, which, among other things, has shed almost 4 kilos.
And most importantly, Yamaha engineers really figured out the slurred handling of the previous model. The new version is so much more assembled, so well tuned that these motorcycles seem to be playing in different leagues.
Yamaha modestly remained silent about some improvements to the MT-09. Thus, the quickshifter has become somewhat more intelligible, it works at low speeds, and almost always easily shifts up two gears in a row. And the dashboard is worth praising - it seems modest for today’s times, but it’s quite readable and customizable. For example, two small modules in the center can display any of the important parameters from the fuel level scale or trip meter to the ambient temperature, and by clicking and scrolling the wheel on the go, you can change the displayed parameter. Simple but elegant.
