Yamaha YZF-R9 Overview
We’ve been speaking about this bike for the previous 5 years, principally ever since we heard Yamaha was truly going to construct it. The Yamaha YZF-R9 is thus most likely probably the most eagerly awaited sports activities motorbike for the reason that bike it replaces within the wonderful YZF-R6. The legendary R6 was a hard-edged supersport thrasher that’s gained extra races and titles the world over than anybody can depend, and signalled a gateway drug into the world of high-powered sportsbikes for anybody who desires of clips-ons and low screens.
Personally, I believed the R9 would have come on the finish of 2023, however I assume good issues come to those that wait, and wait, and wait…
The supersport class goes via a seismic change proper now. Much less aggression and extra practicality had been by no means phrases you’d use to explain the category, but when sportsbikes want to keep on our roads, they have to be tailored to go well with the shopping for public’s urge for food. Make no mistake, it’s the shopping for developments of the buyer which are driving this modification.
The primary bike off the ranks on this new mind-set was the Ducati Panigale V2 S, which was to this point faraway from the 2024 model that it was arduous to consider the identical firm made it. Larger bars, low pegs, much less horsepower and, importantly, much less weight took the bike in a totally completely different course. Now, Yamaha has adopted go well with by taking their redoubtable MT-09 as the bottom and fashioning a brand new supersport steed out of it.
In a lot the identical guise because the Panigale, the R9 is attempting to present riders a higher diploma of consolation that permits them to experience sooner for longer by way of a extra relaxed using place, extra space between your knee bend and fewer weight in your wrists.
In comparison with the outgoing Yamaha YZF-R6, a machine that’s about as hard-edged and targeted as a supersport machine might probably be, the R9 is up for a little bit of amusing. That is, in spite of everything, a machine based mostly primarily off the king of hooliganism that’s virtually unavoidable within the MT-09 nakedbike, nevertheless, in sportsbike drag, the three-cylinder nonetheless has the efficiency to match the YZF tagline.
Yamaha’s 890 cc CP3 inline three-cylinder motor is a identified amount. A part of the Yamaha household for the reason that first MT-09 in 2013, it has slowly been massaged from a handy guide a rough, brat of a factor into one that’s now Yamaha’s most reliable energy unit, seeing obligation within the MT-09/MT-09 SP, XSR900, the Tracer 9 GT, and the XSR900 GP. Yamaha claims 117 hp/87 kW and 69 lb-ft/93 Nm of torque for the 890 cc triple, which places it just about according to the Panigale V2 S we examined a month in the past in Spain.
In comparison with the outgoing four-cylinder R6, the R9 has considerably extra torque, 31 Nm extra to be actual, however extra importantly it spreads that over such a large rev vary. Throughout our day at Sonoma in California within the pouring rain, this got here in very useful as you didn’t must consistently shift gears to maintain the revs sky excessive for reliable efficiency.
The CP3 nonetheless suffers from the dreaded flat spot between 5-6500 rpm, which is because of inescapable emissions laws. No matter your place on the twist grip, the ECU simply gained’t let the throttle butterflies open as fast as you’re asking them if you happen to’re on this explicit level of the rev vary. A fast have a look at the information confirmed this, however if you happen to do go and choose up an R9, stick an aftermarket pipe on and take it to a very good tuner and they’re going to largely have the ability to eradicate this engineered-in EU downside.
The CP3 motor is mated to Yamaha’s six-speed gearbox with fairly extensively spaced ratios. This hints to the streetbike nature of the machine, versus a short-ratio race-inspired six-speed unit.
You may thus maintain gears for a very long time (at the least within the moist), retaining the motor browsing its buxom torque curve and retaining the bike driving ahead. Racers might discover these ratios not aggressive sufficient, though Stefano Manzi would most likely disagree, having taken the R9 to victory lane on his and the bike’s very first try at Phillip Island.
The efficiency, as typical, is metered via the Bosch six-axis IMU-fettled electronics and the expansive Yamaha rider suite system. In it sit three modes in Sport, Avenue and Rain, a few customisable experience modes and an additional 4 racetrack modes. These offer you entry to the engine energy modes, slide, traction, launch and wheelie management ranges, ABS that may be disengaged on the rear and your quick-shifter ranges. And for the highway riders on the market, don’t overlook you get cruise management as customary.
All this performance is accessed by way of the five-inch TFT sprint that additionally provides you entry to the Yamaha app during which you need to use to essentially delve into the information, comparable to throttle place, monitor mapping, together with the place and when sure techniques had been activated.
Seeing as our experience was virtually fully within the pissing down rain, traction management was registered on the upper aspect to what I’d usually use, however the digital intervention is so easy as of late. Gone are the times when these techniques had been a hinderance, their effectiveness being confirmed by the truth that nobody crashed on a day during which the Yamaha execs would have been very happy if solely two bikes went down.
The R9’s Deltabox chassis is a bespoke unit. The secret right here was elevated stiffness for racetrack potential, in comparison with the flexi-frame of the MT-09. Yamaha engineers gave the R9 16 % higher lateral stiffness, 18 % extra torsional and 37 % extra longitudinal stiffness, plus a 2.1° steeper rake angle at 22.6°. The wheelbase can be barely shorter as nicely at 1419 mm to the MT-09’s 1440 mm.
Regardless of this, the R9 is extremely steady, particularly below brakes. Yamaha has lastly ditched the Advic brake calipers for Brembo Stylema monoblocs with streel braided strains and braking efficiency has improved out of sight (at the least Yamaha is now on par with just about everybody else, whereas earlier than they had been critically missing).
The using place additionally helps braking stability. With Yamaha putting the handlebars 8 mm increased and 10 mm ahead, it helps you get the load over the entrance wheel simpler and extra comfortably. Load that (moist) entrance tyre up on the entry to show 4 at Sonoma and let the chassis maintain the remainder.
The R9 doesn’t steer as rapidly because the R6, but it surely’s not meant to. It’s extra steady and forgiving, extra approachable in the way it goes about making quick lap occasions.
KYB has graced the R9 with its separated rebound and compression damping forks, and a brand new KYB shock that helps easy out the primary 10 % of compression makes for an especially easy experience. Once more, as we had been solely testing within the moist, the suspension didn’t get pushed as arduous as within the dry, however preliminary impressions had been good.
Aesthetically the brand new R9 is an evolution of what we noticed with the 2025 YZF-R1 with its winglets claimed to cut back entrance wheel elevate by seven % if you get arduous on the gasoline in a straight line, though Yamaha didn’t disclose at which velocity the ten % further downforce was attained.
Yamaha additionally claims the elevate is lowered by 10 % if you’ve acquired the bike leaned over in corners. I really feel Yamaha’s accomplished an honest job of attempting to include the catchy new winglets with out making them too gaudy, however they do considerably improve the frontal space of the bike. A trim R6 with no wings nonetheless appears higher in my books.
The R9 is by far a very powerful machine Yamaha has launched in the perfect a part of a decade. The tuning fork model was as soon as the king of the supersport class however over time has seen its dominance eroded by the European manufacturers, they usually appear to have hit the nail on the pinnacle with race outcomes to this point on the world stage on the R9, profitable two of the 4 races held on the time of writing.
For mere mortals, the R9 represents a large shift in sportbike considering. The extra relaxed ergonomics make this a far simpler machine to get probably the most out of in comparison with a razor-sharp R6, as does the torquey CP3 motor. It doesn’t have the standard soundtrack and astronomical rpm of years passed by however progress, particularly within the supersport class that by no means noticed any of it for what seems like a long time, is an effective factor.
I don’t learn about you, however I wish to experience and never get too beat up on the finish of the day. I did the perfect a part of 60 laps at Sonoma and felt completely positive on the finish of it. I can’t say that about many different bikes I’ve ridden within the final 5 years.
The R6 could also be gone, but it surely has a worthy successor within the R9, and that’s about the perfect praise I can provide Yamaha’s new supersport weapon.
For extra data see the Yamaha Moto Australia website.
2025 Yamaha YZF-R9 Specs
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2025 Yamaha YZF-R9 Specs |
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Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valve, 3-cylinder |
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Telescopic forks, 120mm journey, fully-adjustable KYB |
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Swingarm (hyperlink suspension), 117mm journey, fully-adjustable KYB |
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Hydraulic twin discs, 320mm – ABS, Brembo Stylema and radial master-cylinder |
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Hydraulic single disc, 220mm – ABS |
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