First Ride Impression: Yamaha FZ/MT-09

So after spending a full day riding the little brother of the FZ/MT-09 around Japan, my buddy asked me to look after his bike for the summer while he is deployed. Being a good friend I, of course, said sure. Who wouldn't want to rip around on this beautiful example of two-wheeled delight? Getting a chance to put some miles on this bike will let me experience all of the praise that magazines have heaped on the FZ-09 (MT-09 in the rest of the world) in real life. It will also let me compare the two FZ models first hand for myself.

Naked bikes, nice! Pretty much all business with the FZ lineup of motorcycles that Yamaha came out with. Especially if your business is being a bit of a hooligan. In that respect, the bike fits my friend perfectly. Ride by wire throttle with a standard, low and high power modes lets you tailor power output and throttle response to meet your needs. My friend rode the bike for year before switching into 'A' mode which is the sport mode with full engine power and aggressive throttle response. After switching he said it was like a new bike, but that he was glad he got used to the standard mode first.

Transformer inspired styling, you betcha. The little body work that there is definitely shows that angles and complex shapes are all the rage with the naked bike market these days. Since Yamaha put a good deal of effort into the engine technology, they had to make a compromise somewhere and in this case the suspension is pretty basic. While there are modern, upside down forks, they only have preload adjustment. For the price point, you get a superb platform to begin your own tuning and the money you saved at initial purchase can be put right back into suspension to really unleash the chassis and engine.

A beautiful nest of three cylindered delight! The engine has been lauded by every manner of motojournalist all over the civilized world. After twisting the throttle a few times, I can see why. The torque comes on right away and the engine has a smooth, silky quality of an inline four cylinder. I love the sound this engine makes when it comes on power and can see that Yamaha is going to get good life from the engine in all of the platforms they use it in. Currently there are three bikes with the 847cc, cross plane triple, the FZ-09, The FJ-09 and the XSR900. 

Is it blue? Or is it purple? After consulting with the internet, I have been informed that the official designation of this color is blurple. The exhaust system is nicely concealed with just a bit of the slash cut muffler exposed under the bike's right side. A nice, fat 180 rear section tire makes putting all the triple's power to the ground an easy exercise.

Always ride with protection. In this case that protection is frame sliders and case guards. There are also front and rear axle sliders to go along with these for pretty comprehensive tip over protection. They worked apparently as the bike did get dropped once with just a few scuffs to the right side set with no damage to the body work or tank. Other mods include a rear fender eliminator to clean up the tail section. Very good quality that you'd expect from a Japanese OEM, even if the switchgear and other parts are basic.

Not really digging the dash on this thing. While being informative, the digital bar tach is hard to read quickly. I like a good analog tach. I'm not a fan of digital speedos either. The numbers are always jumping around. Other changes done to the bike are bar end mirrors. They are not bad, but I'm just not used to the mirrors being where they are. That and these mirrors make things look farther behind me than they actually are.

After creeping it around the neighborhood in fear of getting pulled over for expired registration (a little fact my buddy didn't inform me of…) I have decided that, for me, the ergonomics suck. Big time. I won't go into too much detail, but can you say "front wedgie". Yeah it sucks. The FZ-07 had a much more neutral seating position and the pegs fell right into place. With this bike, I'm wedged into the tank with a sloping seat. The pegs are behind me making me support my 208 lbs with my man parts instead of my legs. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. If I were to ride around doing wheelies all day, the pressure would be shifted back to my quads. Yeah, Yamaha must have designed it that way. as the front wheel has a propensity to lift with quick application of right wrist activity.

I will get it around a bit more for some more notes and to play with the 'A' mode. I can't go far with the expired tags anyway. As well I really need to put miles on the KTM that shares a place in my shop. I believe if I were to get a chance to ride the new XSR900, I'd find damn near a perfect bike to take the place of the V-Strom in the garage. Before that can happen, the TX needs to get finished.

Well that is it for now. By the time you read this I will be off on work related travel. I will be on the hunt for more motorbike content while away, but I don't think I'll be able to get a ride in. Being on travel isn't all bad. I get compensation for the fact that I have to pay for miscellaneous expenses out of pocket first. By my rough calculations I should be able to buy some more track related gear including a small generator, pop-up canopy and even a trailer with my reimbursement. That is if I don't spend all my money eating out. Come back soon for more as soon as I can. Thanks.

Blue