Observations from a rookie

Hi all

Having searched the entire Internet for information before I bought my MT09, I thought it might be useful for all the other less experienced riders out there to read some observations from someone who just done his first 1000 miles on his MT09. I'm not a very experienced rider, neither do I exactly know how damping, spring load, fuel ratios etc. work.....and don't forget: it's just my opinion!

First of all, is it a beginners bike? No, definitely not, but it can easily be driven by beginners. Steering is incredibly neutral and easy and starting in B mode is good to get used to the bike.

What's all that talk about suspension being rubbish? I can see where that is coming from, but trust me: for 90% of the less experienced riders the stock suspension will do. I made the rear suspension a bit firmer and I'm completely happy with it, very comfortable as well. But I can honestly understand that it is a show stopper for the real cracks, the ones that can use the bike up to its max.

What's all that nonsense about a jerky throttle? Now this is an interesting one! When I took it for a test drive the guy enthusiastically put it in A mode....the throttle scared the shit out of me! I put it in standard mode and it even got worse....so I decided to be a whimp and drove the rest of the test drive in B mode. Throttle response in B mode is very modest and easy to control. I stayed on B mode for most of the first 600 miles and that really gave me confidence. After the first service I put it in A mode, got used to it and never ride anything else anymore, not even in busy city traffic. Is it still jerky? Yes, but I absolutely love it now! It's what this bike is all about! Just give yourself some time to get used to it and you also develop some sophisticated throttle/clutch control.

And where is the standard mode for? I really don't know! B mode is just a convenient mode if you want to chill out a bit and A matches the DNA of the bike perfectly. For some reason I think standard mode is the most difficult mode to drive fluently and it also uses more petrol than A mode! It uses full power but it feels like something is holding it back. My advice: get used to the bike in B and switch to A whenever you feel confident.

How fast is it? I can tell you one thing: 0-100mph on this bike is amazing. I don't like it too much over 100mph as it is not the most steady bike then. Maybe a steering damper will help but I also have to get used that when you close the throttle it drops speed very quickly, something that can put you off balance at high speeds.

Fuel capacity is not much, is it? Honestly guys, something that is repeated by the media all the time as a negative point, don't worry about it! I have to fill up my 100 liter Touareg more often. Anywhere in the civilized world you're not far from a petrol station anyway.

So what's it like to drive one on a daily basis? Great, just friggin' great! Seriously, if this bike doesn't get you smiling, you're not suitable for this type of bike. It is a hooligan! It is pure fun. Just rev it up to 10k and it really shows it's true colors.

My mate has an R1 and is a very experienced rider, he bloody loved it when he drove it and didn't want to swap back to his bike for the entire afternoon. He was amazed how fast it was on the first 100mph and that you could get it through corners that fast while sitting up straight and completely relaxed.

Are there any negatives? For me personally, not really. It's a perfect bike for me and I learn a lot from her every day, but remember one thing: you have to respect her every second you drive it as she will bite you in the ass the moment you get sloppy! You don't have to be scared, but you need to respect the character of this bike!

To sum it up: I have never been that happy with red traffic lights, but now I love them!!! Watch the faces of other riders when they stop next to you at the next lights. A few sport liter bikes were completely taken by surprise and couldn't hide their amazement. Love it!


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Excellent post

Welcome, wich part of Holland are you from? I live in the south-west.

Thanks! Amsterdam area!

Just moved back to the country after spending the best part of a decade in London. Miss the Hampshire and Sussex country roads though.


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mt09holland said:

Hi all

Having searched the entire Internet for information before I bought my MT09, I thought it might be useful for all the other less experienced riders out there to read some observations from someone who just done his first 1000 miles on his MT09. I'm not a very experienced rider, neither do I exactly know how damping, spring load, fuel ratios etc. work.....and don't forget: it's just my opinion!

First of all, is it a beginners bike? No, definitely not, but it can easily be driven by beginners. Steering is incredibly neutral and easy and starting in B mode is good to get used to the bike.

What's all that talk about suspension being rubbish? I can see where that is coming from, but trust me: for 90% of the less experienced riders the stock suspension will do. I made the rear suspension a bit firmer and I'm completely happy with it, very comfortable as well. But I can honestly understand that it is a show stopper for the real cracks, the ones that can use the bike up to its max.

What's all that nonsense about a jerky throttle? Now this is an interesting one! When I took it for a test drive the guy enthusiastically put it in A mode....the throttle scared the shit out of me! I put it in standard mode and it even got worse....so I decided to be a whimp and drove the rest of the test drive in B mode. Throttle response in B mode is very modest and easy to control. I stayed on B mode for most of the first 600 miles and that really gave me confidence. After the first service I put it in A mode, got used to it and never ride anything else anymore, not even in busy city traffic. Is it still jerky? Yes, but I absolutely love it now! It's what this bike is all about! Just give yourself some time to get used to it and you also develop some sophisticated throttle/clutch control.

And where is the standard mode for? I really don't know! B mode is just a convenient mode if you want to chill out a bit and A matches the DNA of the bike perfectly. For some reason I think standard mode is the most difficult mode to drive fluently and it also uses more petrol than A mode! It uses full power but it feels like something is holding it back. My advice: get used to the bike in B and switch to A whenever you feel confident.

How fast is it? I can tell you one thing: 0-100mph on this bike is amazing. I don't like it too much over 100mph as it is not the most steady bike then. Maybe a steering damper will help but I also have to get used that when you close the throttle it drops speed very quickly, something that can put you off balance at high speeds.

Fuel capacity is not much, is it? Honestly guys, something that is repeated by the media all the time as a negative point, don't worry about it! I have to fill up my 100 liter Touareg more often. Anywhere in the civilized world you're not far from a petrol station anyway.

So what's it like to drive one on a daily basis? Great, just friggin' great! Seriously, if this bike doesn't get you smiling, you're not suitable for this type of bike. It is a hooligan! It is pure fun. Just rev it up to 10k and it really shows it's true colors.

My mate has an R1 and is a very experienced rider, he bloody loved it when he drove it and didn't want to swap back to his bike for the entire afternoon. He was amazed how fast it was on the first 100mph and that you could get it through corners that fast while sitting up straight and completely relaxed.

Are there any negatives? For me personally, not really. It's a perfect bike for me and I learn a lot from her every day, but remember one thing: you have to respect her every second you drive it as she will bite you in the ass the moment you get sloppy! You don't have to be scared, but you need to respect the character of this bike!

To sum it up: I have never been that happy with red traffic lights, but now I love them!!! Watch the faces of other riders when they stop next to you at the next lights. A few sport liter bikes were completely taken by surprise and couldn't hide their amazement. Love it!


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Click to expand...

Well first let me say "welcome" and secondly can I say wot an absolute load of tripe I just read...! Only joking...! That was as detailed a review as I have ever read. If I was thinking of buying this bike and I came across this forum and that post I wud buy it safe in the knowledge that it has had a normal but serious and in depth person try it and like it.

Well done sir.


MT-09 Wheelie Wheelie mental.....!


www.facebook.com/spudrees

yup, i still got 2 months till mine gets delivered and im champing at the bit to get my hands on it. ill have to don me winter gear and thrash the striple a few times to get me in the mood..................

Triple Trouble said:

Well first let me say "welcome" and secondly can I say wot an absolute load of tripe I just read...! Only joking...! That was as detailed a review as I have ever read. If I was thinking of buying this bike and I came across this forum and that post I wud buy it safe in the knowledge that it has had a normal but serious and in depth person try it and like it.

Well done sir.


MT-09 Wheelie Wheelie mental.....!


www.facebook.com/spudrees

Click to expand...

Cheers!

Forgot to mention how good the engine actually is, never misses a beat, like a Swiss watch! Gear box was a bit clunky in the beginning but that disappeared after oil change. Nearly impossible to miss a gear and it very clever 'understands' when you want to switch to first gear and when to neutral, not sure how that works but it works perfect. Brakes? Top notch as well and remarkably good rear break. Doesn't feel 'budget' at all to me.

Only thing I need to do is fixing the horizontal throttle free play. Easy to adjust the rotating throttle free play by tightening the cable but think I need a spacer to fix the other free play.

Other tip: make sure your throttle cable is not twisted or pressured under other cables. Mine was and after I rearranged the cables the throttle was a lot smoother.


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MT account said:

yup, i still got 2 months till mine gets delivered and im champing at the bit to get my hands on it. ill have to don me winter gear and thrash the striple a few times to get me in the mood..................

Click to expand...

Oh mate, how do you cope!!!! I only had to wait a week and it seemed forever. Dealer told me he's got a waiting list now in Holland but new bikes won't be delivered before late August.


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well, im waiting for no. 2 of 6 red bikes to be delivered to my destination..........i dont mind the wait, ill thrash the triumph in the meantime.

anyone else getting a semi looking at that?.......

Never seen a red one in real life, they didn't even had one at the motor fair here, only the European colors. Looks great though!


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mt09holland said:

Never seen a red one in real life, they didn't even had one at the motor fair here, only the European colors. Looks great though!


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Click to expand...

yup, its well sexy....................and to think that 2 months before i found out it was being imported i almost bought a hyperstrada...................a lucky escape there.....

Good write up, mister Holland! I can only agree with you about everything you've said.

I'm a new rider too (and not ashamed to admit it!) - I had never sat on a bike prior to 10 August 2013. I did my CBT (a test we have to do in UK to be allowed on 125's), bought myself a CBF125 and then passed the full test 2 months later and ditched the 125 for this beast. Couldn't have picked a better bike in my view.

I wouldn't have known about the bike if the instructor hadn't have asked us what bikes we'd be getting and saying that there was a new Yamaha out, called MT-09. I decided to check it out online and the moment I saw it I just fell in love and knew that it was my bike and I HAD to get it!
I was lucky enough to get one of the few orange ones that got imported at that point (there were only 67 registered MT-09's in November 2013 in the whole of UK). Arranged the finance and picked it up 2 days later leaving my beloved CBF125 at the same dealership (as sad as it was).

Is it a good beginners bike? Probably not but who is there to say. Depends on who you consider a beginner. If the criteria of separating beginners from seasoned riders is time then yes, I am a beginner and this bike isn't for me, however I think it's all about the person and their attitude to life. Some people would be able to ride a litre bike as their first bike and others would be reluctant to do it after 5-10 years of riding. I've always been more mature than my friends so the prospect of jumping from a 11.5bhp bike to a 115bhp one didn't scare me. It was exactly the contrary, I couldn't wait because while doing the preparation for my full test I rode an XJ6 and even though there was plenty of power for a "beginner" it just lacked something. Probably a character or 50-odd horsepower for my liking but I knew that even though something like an XJ6 would have been the most sensible choice for a first bike, it wasn't the one that would have made me happy every morning.

I have to admit one has to be careful with the bike, especially if they have as little riding experience as us two but as with all things in life - as long as you're thinking with your head you should be fine (unless some nob takes you out when doing a u-turn).

Speaking about the suspension - like you I can't really comment on it as I haven't had 10 bikes over the years to compare to but to me it works fine. The springs compress and rebound. The ride stiffness is just the way I like it. The front springs are probably a tiny bit too soft but not enough to make me worry about it. CBF was much softer which to me made it very hard to control as it didn't feel planted (never mind the lack of weight). MT-09 on the other hand is stiff enough to have a firm, planted feeling on the road without feeling every bump and drop. My plan is to ride for a year, take part in rideouts, ride on more interesting roads than Central London, maybe even do a trackday and try to understand what I like and what I don't so that I can then have my suspension adjusted but for now I have no complaints whatsoever.

Speaking about the weight - I think 180kg is the perfect mass for a bike. CBF was 130kg or so and it was just too light to be comfortable at higher speeds or bad roads. XJ6 being 230kg was on the other hand a bit too much making it less nimble and harder to filter with through traffic. I'm 175cm/65kg and I can easily flatfoot it. A bit taller and it would be too tall, a bit lower and it would feel like a lowrider. Again, for me - perfect size/height/weight.

The modes is another interesting topic. Again, just like you, I did quite a few miles in B mode, probably around a 1000, but mostly because the only environment I get to ride in which is Central London where B mode was more than enough. Or so I thought.
I did try A mode a few times during my introduction period but I found it too jerky to be ridable or let alone fit for filtering. Standard mode felt pretty much the same so I kind of stuck to the Bollocks mode.

One day, while going to work, I decided to try something different and flicked it into STD mode to see if anything had changed as the B mode started to feel a bit underpowered. To my surprise it didn't feel as jerky as it did before and from that point I started leaving it in STD when turning the bike on. Got used to it but wasn't totally happy as it wasn't as smooth as it should have been. Tried A mode one day on my way home thinking that it's a sports mode and it's madness to use it in the city but imagine my surprise when it felt so much smoother than STD! This is where I have to totally agree with you - I don't see the point in having the standard mode. B is fine for wet and slow city traffic, A is if you want instant response and lots of power and STD just doesn't fit in. Anyway, it's not an issue as I'd rather have 2 useful modes and one useless than just one useless. Needless to say, I've not used B mode since. A mode just gives me the instant response I need at traffic lights and when overtaking suspiciously behaving cars.

My advice would be the same - use B at first, even if you are experienced enough. At least for the first few miles just to get used to the bike and then flick it into A when you're confident enough you know what the bike is capable of and, more importantly what YOU are capable of. And yes, it seems to use less fuel in A mode than it does in B mode. Go figure...

How fast is it? Fast! Every time I manage to go onto A roads and open it up it just doesn't stop surprising me how fast the numbers on the speedo are increasing! This is the point where less experienced riders should be careful though and respect the bike because if you keep twisting the throttle the bike will just keep accelerating. I'm still getting used to the fact that whenever I take off at red lights I never see anyone in my mirrors leaving me wondering if I jumped the lights.

Regarding fuel consumption - I was very disappointed initially as I was only getting about 32mpg or 8-9L/100km, which is like a big family car, however, it improved after the first service and then improved again after I started using the A mode. It is now around 36-38mpg which I think is around 6.5L/100km. That though is while commuting in heavy London traffic so I'm not really complaining any more. I'm filling up once a week and I manage to do about 90-95 miles on the tank (either before the last bar starts flashing or soon after), which ain't too bad. I did run out of petrol once 16 miles after the F-TRIP started flashing so I don't want to tempt the fate again and always fill up before it's too late.

On a sidenote however, I can't keep quiet about the fact that I'm constantly having mechanical issues with the bike. First my camchain tensioner failed at around 300 miles and was fixed during my first service only to fail again some 50 miles later. It eventually got replaced with the revised part, which seems to have fixed the rattling chain issue. Annoyingly I now have a new noise coming from the (this time) left side of the engine. It is like a clicking sound which seems to have appeared at the same time as two other side effects which I'm a bit worried about. One is - if I engage the clutch and then release after a second or so the gear clicks back as if I was changing it. What I mean is if I'm in e.g. 3rd gear, engage the clutch fully, release it without touching the gearbox it goes CLACK as if the gears in the gearbox would fall into places. It wasn't happening in the first 1500 miles so to me that's a defect which needs fixing during my yet another visit to the dealership next Saturday. The other issue is the clicking/clacking noise at around 3000-4000 revs (this time left side as I mentioned). It almost sounds similar to the camchain noise I had before but this time it's cleaner. If the camchain noise was TRRRRRRRRR then this noise is click-click-click-click very fast. Last but not least, it sometimes feels like something's grinding in the engine/gearbox and it's so pronounced that I can feel the vibrations in my handlebars. It appears randomly at no specific speeds or revs and I have a suspicion it could be related to the noise and I hope I'll find out next week. It usually lasts for a couple seconds and then goes away but it's still worrying.

After all these issues it almost feels like I've not ridden this bike when someone wasn't grinding, clicking or clacking. Other than these problems, the build quality seems to be good and the bike feels like a quality product. Apart from the brake hose rubbing the paint off on the swingarm...

To sum it up, I love this bike to bits. I would love it even more if I for once would have no noises coming from the engine but hopefully that's all temporary and fixable. I'm definitely planning on keeping this bike for years to come as I don't think many naked bikes come quite close to it in performance and fun factor. If you know you can't quite control yourself and are relatively new to biking - this bike is not for you because it brings the worst out in you and it's an easy way to earning your 6 or 12 points and lose your license. If, on the other hand, you have head on your shoulders and can tell the difference between a situation where it's safe to race and where it's not then what are you waiting for! Book a test ride and see if you like it. It's definitely worth it as I've not met one MT-09 owner who wouldn't say they loved their bike. Lots of people notice it and stop to ask questions about it, which is also nice.

Thanks for reading! Over and out!

P.S.
Apologies for the random compilation of thoughts but I'm too tired to organise sentences in a nice way

Great read Cypher! Glad I'm not the only new rider who chose this bike ;-)

I have no mechanical issues at all.....yet!

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MT account said:

yup, i still got 2 months till mine gets delivered and im champing at the bit to get my hands on it. ill have to don me winter gear and thrash the striple a few times to get me in the mood..................

Click to expand...

Well u can start by coming to the Ace Cafe meet lol

twas a great write up cypher and interested to see you got off the learner and right onto a beast! if youre coping with that then you'll be good to ride anything you fancy. im interested in the 'twitchy' throttle thing as ill be doing a lot of heavy town riding amongst some of the worst fuqtards in the world. im thinking B mode would be the 1 for riding home after 20 bottles of san miguel in the local gogo bars...

is the ace cafe in perth?