Yamaha 850 MT-09 SP 2018

Okay, I’m not going to paint you a marvelous portrait of the MT-09. There is no need. A great engine, a playful motorbike, a viper’s mouth and spurts of sensations. No need for further explanations to legitimize its success. However, the MT-09, yesterday and today, still suffers from a flaw: a rear suspension that can be routed..

With a little Öhlins, the SP version intends to ward off this. And not that.

Do not need 10 minutes before starting to do the c … the happy pilot on the handlebars of the MT-09. On the first version, it took even less time to damage the chassis when we started to attack. Version II has arranged things well but a degraded coating or the big arsouille are likely to exceed the capacities of the rear shock absorber..
The MT-09 SP arrives to satisfy the bloodsuckers who attack with vigor. The big highlight of this bike is the adoption of a shock absorber Öhlins S46HR1C1S. Beautifully crafted gear, with multiple settings, the wheels of which prove to be the most accessible. The rear being finally held with adequate rigor, let’s see what it is up to the front. The fork does not change but we can further refine the settings because each tube can be adjusted in rebound and compression. On the standard MT-09, this is a tube function. Thus suspended, this machine will be able to give a nice dose of whip to the road. The 115 horsepower 3 cylinder is waiting for generous hands to express itself, effectively supported by its 3 driving modes, its shifter and traction control..

Yamaha wanted to mark the occasion. A symbolic decoration adorns the MT-09 SP. The Silver Blue Carbon color is directly inspired by that of the MT-10 SP, itself derived from the R1M. Having Yam’s top sportswoman as a reference is sobering. The endowment also includes a saddle with blue stitching, a handlebar pack – black levers – fork clamps, and a display of onboard info in negative. Unlike the MT-09, the instrument panel here presents the data in white on a black background.

There are those who will welcome the arrival of this MT-09 SP as a judicious version "Performance" the star Yamaha roadster. There are others, like wam, who will think that the SP should be THE base version of the MT-09, as this bike deserves quality damping. Let’s not sulk the approach and even salute her because this special series is a very beautiful machine. And this time we’re gonna have a hard time finding any criticism.

M.B – Builder media