Compared to the outgoing Yamaha YZF-R6,
a machine that's about as hard-edged and
focused as a supersport machine could possibly
be, the R9 is up for a bit of a laugh. This is, after
all, a machine based primarily on the king of
hooliganism in the MT-09 naked bike; however,
in sportbike drag, the three-cylinder still has the
performance to match the YZF tagline.
Yamaha's CP3 inline three-cylinder motor is a
very known quantity. Part of the Yamaha family
since the first MT-09 in 2013, it has slowly
been massaged from a snappy, brute of a thing
into
one that is now Yamaha's most dependable
power unit, seeing duty in the MT-09/MT-09 SP,
XSR900, the Tracer 9 GT, and the bike we sadly
don't get in America in the brilliant XSR900 GP.
Yamaha claims 117 horsepower and 69 lb-ft
of torque for the 890cc triple, which puts it
pretty
much in line with the Panigale V2 S we
tested a month ago in Spain.
P112
RIDE REVIEW I 2025 YAMAHA YZF-R9
The USA is the only country to get the red-and-white version. Sometimes it's good to be the special one.
