Finally....
After some last minute shag & hassle (why don't even the best laid plans go smoothly?) my MT-09 is in my grubby hands.
The last time I rode the demo bike was October 2013 so it was with some trepidation I approached my new purchase.
Would it be as good as I remember or a huge disappointment?
First off, I love the look of the special paint job. Not everyone's cup of tea i'm sure but I love it.
Started it up and the Akra sounds wicked. Reminds me a lot of my old Speed Triple with an Arrow but that's where the similarity ends.
Where the 'Trip was a bit lardy and top heavy the MT-09 reminds me of my old 400RR Baby Blade for light weight and chuckability.
I once read that the first 50 miles are the most important in an engines life and that (for example) just jumping on the motorway at a steady speed to run it in can result in bore glazing and you won't get the best performance.
So although the easiest route home from the dealers should've been jumping on the motorway I had already planned a "scenic route" back where I would be guaranteed varied engine speeds and for the first 50 miles I basically ignore the running in rules and give it a bit of thrash - and i've done this with every new bike i've ever owned and when they've been dyno'd the dyno guys have always say it's the most powerful stock bike they've ever seen so I believe it's beneficial. I'll let you know later in the year when I get this beast dyno'd.
The throttle took me by surprise. It is snatchier than I remember especially off a closed throttle (I only used STD mode today) but it's not that bad, easy enough to ride around and i'm sure once a Power Commander or similar is available it'll be possible to dial it out.
It's a bit of a peach of a motor. Lovely response, lovely grunt and has 'character'. I'm in love with it.
I rode out of the dealers on standard suspension settings. I'll give it a few more miles to assess further but it's going to need some tweaking. As I became more confident on the bike and this mornings ice had started to melt I started to chuck it around a bit harder. Bouncy!
As everyone and his dog has already commented, the suspension is an area that they've obviously made the cost savings to build it to this price.
My plan is to see what I can achieve first by adjusting the standard suspension and then if it's still not great i'll look at improving it next year coz i'm skint now
I had a fantastic morning screaming around on the bike and can't wait to get on it again and isn't that what it's all about? It's bloody good fun!
Glad I took my Scottoiler 365 with me to the dealers and nuked the bike with it before I set off as the bike is covered in crap now!
Also, i'm sooooo glad I had heated grips fitted. I can thoroughly recommend the Datatool hot grips. High heat is very hot but there's good adjustment and it's easy to change settings without taking your eyes off the road.
Can't wait to get out on it tomorrow!
After some last minute shag & hassle (why don't even the best laid plans go smoothly?) my MT-09 is in my grubby hands.
The last time I rode the demo bike was October 2013 so it was with some trepidation I approached my new purchase.
Would it be as good as I remember or a huge disappointment?
First off, I love the look of the special paint job. Not everyone's cup of tea i'm sure but I love it.
Started it up and the Akra sounds wicked. Reminds me a lot of my old Speed Triple with an Arrow but that's where the similarity ends.
Where the 'Trip was a bit lardy and top heavy the MT-09 reminds me of my old 400RR Baby Blade for light weight and chuckability.
I once read that the first 50 miles are the most important in an engines life and that (for example) just jumping on the motorway at a steady speed to run it in can result in bore glazing and you won't get the best performance.
So although the easiest route home from the dealers should've been jumping on the motorway I had already planned a "scenic route" back where I would be guaranteed varied engine speeds and for the first 50 miles I basically ignore the running in rules and give it a bit of thrash - and i've done this with every new bike i've ever owned and when they've been dyno'd the dyno guys have always say it's the most powerful stock bike they've ever seen so I believe it's beneficial. I'll let you know later in the year when I get this beast dyno'd.
The throttle took me by surprise. It is snatchier than I remember especially off a closed throttle (I only used STD mode today) but it's not that bad, easy enough to ride around and i'm sure once a Power Commander or similar is available it'll be possible to dial it out.
It's a bit of a peach of a motor. Lovely response, lovely grunt and has 'character'. I'm in love with it.
I rode out of the dealers on standard suspension settings. I'll give it a few more miles to assess further but it's going to need some tweaking. As I became more confident on the bike and this mornings ice had started to melt I started to chuck it around a bit harder. Bouncy!
As everyone and his dog has already commented, the suspension is an area that they've obviously made the cost savings to build it to this price.
My plan is to see what I can achieve first by adjusting the standard suspension and then if it's still not great i'll look at improving it next year coz i'm skint now
I had a fantastic morning screaming around on the bike and can't wait to get on it again and isn't that what it's all about? It's bloody good fun!
Glad I took my Scottoiler 365 with me to the dealers and nuked the bike with it before I set off as the bike is covered in crap now!
Also, i'm sooooo glad I had heated grips fitted. I can thoroughly recommend the Datatool hot grips. High heat is very hot but there's good adjustment and it's easy to change settings without taking your eyes off the road.
Can't wait to get out on it tomorrow!
