P116
COMPARISON I MIDDLEWEIGHT NAKED-BIKE SHOOTOUT
tion and funkier colors (our test
bike was actually a 2024 model,
so the colors are a little different
for 2025).
The Yamaha also has the best
electronics package with every
-
thing standard—variable ride
and power modes, cruise con-
trol, cornering traction control
and ABS, brake control, launch
control, and the quickshifter—so
what you pay for is what you get.
It also features the best user in
-
terface for navigating electronics,
utilizing the five-inch TFT and
left-handlebar switchblock.
When the speeds really begin
to increase, the Yamaha's chas
-
sis can get a little flighty, espe-
cially compared to the rock-solid
chassis of the Triumph, but the
Yamaha enjoys supreme agility
in slow- to medium-speed riding,
which is where most people will
spend their time. Front-end feel
on the Yamaha is exceptionally
good under brakes, allowing you
to load that front Bridgestone
up and rail through long corners
while having greater side-to-side
agility for slow switchbacks.
Yamaha claims 426 pounds
fully fueled for the SP, but we
measured it at 431 pounds,
making it the second heaviest of
the test behind the 40-pounds-
heavier Kawasaki. Despite this,
it doesn't feel it. The Yamaha is
light on its feet in corners, and
the ergonomics and relatively
comfortable seat mean you can
ride the MT for longer than the
other three bikes on test without
getting too pained.
Yamaha has stuck to its guns
by slowly refining the MT over
time, rather than constantly
updating it (like the KTM). That
provides two advantages: devel
-
opment remains on a consistent
path, and the customer knows
what they're buying, as the cur
-
rent MT SP has a direct lineage
to the very first MT, which was
introduced over a decade ago.
That buyer trust means a lot
these days.
Although the Yamaha didn't
stick its neck out in any one
particular area, it was good in all
of them. If you want the hooligan
bike, go for the KTM. If you want
the racer-boy ride, the Triumph
is your bet. If you want an old-
school Japanese naked with
edgy styling and a brute four-cyl
-
inder motor, the Kawasaki is the
go. If you want a combination of
all three, plus the best electron-
ics, value for money and dealer
backup, there's only one win-
ner—the Yamaha MT-09 SP.
CN
