Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1533905
P120 RIDE REVIEW I 2025 YAMAHA YZF-R9 get pushed as hard as it would in the dry but initial impressions were good. Aesthetically, the new R9 is an evolution of what we saw with the R1, with its winglets claimed to reduce front wheel lift by seven percent when you get hard on the gas in a straight line. Yamaha, conversely, claims the lift is reduced by 10 percent when you've got the bike leaned over in corners. I feel Yamaha's done a decent job of trying to incorporate the catchy new winglets without making them too gaudy, but they do substantially increase the frontal area of the bike. A trim R6 with no wings still looks better in my book. The R9 is by far the most important machine Yamaha has launched in the better part of a decade. The tuning- fork brand was once the king of the supersport class but, over time, has seen its dominance eroded by the European brands, and they seem to have hit the nail on the head with race results so far on the world level. But for mere mortals, the R9 represents a massive shift in sportbike thinking. The more relaxed ergonomics make this a far easier machine to get the most out of compared to a razor- sharp R6, as does the torquey CP3 motor. It doesn't have the traditional soundtrack of years gone by, but progress, especially in the supersport class that never saw any of it for what feels like decades, is a good thing. I don't know about you, but I like to ride and not feel too beat up at the end of the day. I did the best part of 60 laps at Sonoma and felt perfectly fine at the end of it. I can't say that about many other bikes I've ridden in the last five years. The R6 may be gone, but it has a worthy successor in the R9, and that's about the best compliment I can give Yamaha's new superport weapon. CN 2025 YAMAHA YZF-R9 ($12,499) ENGINE Inline 3-cylinder VALVETRAIN 12-valve, DOHC, 240° firing order COOLING SYSTEM Liquid DISPLACEMENT 890cc BORE X STROKE 78 x 62.1 mm COMPRESSION RATIO 11.5:1 MAX POWER (CLAIMED) 117 hp @ 10,000 rpm MAX TORQUE (CLAIMED) 68 lb-ft @ 7000 rpm FUEL SYSTEM Electronic fuel injection system YCC-T with ride-by-wire system EXHAUST 3-2-1 TRANSMISSION Six-speed CHASSIS Cast aluminum twin-spar FRONT SUSPENSION 43 mm KYB fork, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION KYB shock, fully adjustable FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 4.7 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 2.6 in. FRONT BRAKE Dual 4-piston Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers, 320mm discs, ABS REAR BRAKE Single-piston caliper, 220 mm disc, ABS FRONT TIRE 120/70 ZR17 Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 REAR TIRE 180/55 ZR17 Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 RAKE 27° TRAIL 3.7 in. WHEELBASE 55.9 in SEAT HEIGHT 32.7 in. FUEL CAPACITY 3.7 gal WEIGHT (WET, CLAIMED) 430 lbs. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S