(Above) Yamaha
didn't just repurpose
an MT-09 chassis in
the R9. It's its own
dedicated unit; the
same goes for the
swingarm. (Below)
Mountain roads
are a joy on the R9,
especially if they're
long sweepers
like this one.
lates to a bike that's uber-stable
once it's on the side of its Bridge-
stone S22 tire. In much the same
style as the R1 superbike, the R9
will hold its line for as long as the
corner continues. When it comes
to fast direction changes, the R9
can't hold a candle to its dearly de
-
parted brother, but having size and
muscle has its advantages, too.
That enlarged three-cylinder
motor and the soundtrack that
follows it offer the R9 rider a
completely different experience
from that of the R6. There's a
claimed 20 lb-ft more torque on
tap from the R9 motor, although it
does suffer from a severe emis
-
sions-induced flat spot at 6000
rpm, right at the point where you
want to be building solid corner
exit drive. Clear that little hurdle
at around 7000 rpm and the R9
takes off with gusto, but you've
only really got about 2500 rpm
more to play with before torque
completely falls off a cliff.
That's not such a big deal on the
road because you're rarely doing
those engine speeds unless you're
running from the cops while trying
P80
RIDE REVIEW I 2025 YAMAHA YZF-R9
