Is the Yamaha MT-09 the best heavy-middle weight naked bike?

[cg_ops]

I actually just went to a KTM dealer this morning to look at a 890 Duke, but they didn't have one. I'm pretty much set on the MT09 or 890 Duke.

Edit: has your 890 not been reliable?

My Duke has been much, much better than my 701 was - that thing had a lot of issues, largest of which was nuking the motor twice (1 top end, 1 bottom end) despite 1/2 interval maintenance. I believe it was partially due to riding it at big tracks like THill or Sonoma and partly due to buying a press bike... but still, 2x in under 20k miles is a bit much.

My 890 has only had a countershaft leak and a little seepage from the valve cover. Both repaired under warranty in 2 weeks at Mach 1. I don't ride like I used to - down from 15k miles/year to ~5k. So my Duke only has about 9k miles on it, but it has, otherwise, been problem free. I ride the piss out of it and I haven't had it overheat or put up any fuss.

My gold standard for reliability is Yamaha. ~100k miles between 3 different R6's, an R3, and WR250 and never had any issues that weren't directly/indirectly caused by crashing. Contrast that to the 8 or 9 issues with my 701 (2 of which were the motors) and the 2 mild issues on the 890 and it's hard for me and my anecdotal experience to say any KTM is problem free, especially if you're not a great garage mechanic, like me.

I have a friend with a 790 adventure with very low miles and a smoked clutch which is apparently a big complaint for the mid-size adventure.

Apparently you don't ride the 790 adventure like a dirt bike or normal bike where you use the clutch for low traction or uphill line picking riding. You let the traction control and slipper do the work as using the clutch heats it up and smokes it.
Apparently the 890 is a little better as they added more oil passages to keep the clutch wetter.

Does the Duke have any of the same problems?

I'm probably the worst person on earth to ask about clutch issues on the 890. I've literally never used it for shifting, only to get in/out of N at a stop. I know it seems glamorous and cool, but 1-armed life isn't all its cracked up to be


The Rekluse has been amazing, just as it was in my 701. I do worry about clutch life when stopped, waiting for a light or for the ride to get moving. Since it is partially engaged at idle speed, it's like feathering it for prolonged periods of time. So, if I'm going to be stopped for more than 5-10 seconds, I reach over and hold the clutch until it's time to go.

As for the slipper clutch - it has come in handy with the eager quick shifting on the Duke. I have, a couple times, accidentally dropped an extra gear, coming into a corner, and was relieved to NOT get the dog-butt-wiggle as the tires fought the RPMs until they calmed their tits.

 

[Ant]

Not a naked but If I were gonna go Yamaha this gets my gizzard tingly.

 

[fadkar]

It's the best bike in the class, it's why it wins most of the middleweight shootouts. Probably the best bang for buck street bike that money can buy if you're factoring in fun/performance but also reliability/cost of ownership.

 

[J-Boat]

I was in the market for an MT-09. Then I found a 2017 FJ-09 that checked all the right boxes. Full luggage is a plus...
This Yamaha crossplane triple engine is a true gem...

Banging though the gears full throttle with the quickshifter=FUN!
A-mode=Awesome!
TCS Off= Wheelies!

No regerts!

 

[Jammer]

Yamaha makes great.bikes.

 

[Lonster]

I will second cg_ops 890 Duke R opinion.
Most fun bike I have EVER ridden, easy or hard.
Great suspension, best brakes in the industry, comfortable riding position and a wonderful torquey motor.
They don't call it the Super Scalpel by accident.
There are MANY ride comparisons between the MT07,8,9,10,11,12,etc., the Street triple and anything else you can think of. The 890 Duke R always comes out as the most fun period.

 

[augustiron]

I was in the market for an MT-09. Then I found a 2017 FJ-09 that checked all the right boxes. Full luggage is a plus...
This Yamaha crossplane triple engine is a true gem...

Banging though the gears full throttle with the quickshifter=FUN!
A-mode=Awesome!
TCS Off= Wheelies!

No regerts!

Beautiful bike, love the blue and black and lack of blurple. Classy AF.

 

[Lionel Cosgrove]

If you’re truly looking for a relatively awesome out the box middleweight, I’m gonna second cg ops and refer you to the Duke 890r

 

[discoganya]

I was a ktm guy for a long time. Got a 2021 MT09 maybe 4 months 3000 miles ago. Love this bike, even more than my Superduke.

My experience with KTM was also awesome, except for reliability - they failed on me mid-ride several times.

The Yamaha has a better quickshifter than the KTM and comes with all the advanced electronics you need.

I would also consider the newer S1000R and the MT10...

 

[Mr. White]

^^ sweet bike

I ended up buying an MT09. I think this bike is going to be exactly what I was looking for.

 

[InsuranceGuy]

Smart move and a great looking bike. Enjoy

 

[discoganya]

wow wow wow congratulations!

 

[Jammer]

^^ sweet bike

I ended up buying an MT09. I think this bike is going to be exactly what I was looking for.

Please update this thread with your riding, maintenance experience. It will be helpful to the next rider considering a new Yamaha.

 

[Holeshot]

I thought the same, but many reviews say otherwise.

I should add I want to keep it in the $10K range and I want something comfortable that isn't a faux adv bike. So no superbikes or adv bikes.

Thanks for the suggestions so far!

Indian FTR

They're a little more than $10K new, but used you can get them cheap enough. Need an easy wheel change to 17's, but the Indian FTR is shockingly good and fun. Stock fueling sucks like all bikes so they need an ECU flash ($500) as well. But, after that, they're a fun torque machine. And they do well on-track as well with a few small upgrades (mainly, suspension).

 

[NATEWA]

The Triumph Street Triple R has been considered to be the best middleweight naked for a number of years.
Brembo, Showa and Ohlins components, really needs nothing straight off the showroom floor.
And that sweet, sweet triple engine!

My friend wants a street triple but doesn’t want to spend the money. He’s seriously considering the mt09 sp. Cruise control and better suspension.
https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/hyper-naked/models/mt-09-sp

 

[Wolf]

No electronics.

 

[tfkrocks]

I have had a Street Triple R and an FZ-09. Loved both bikes. STR would be better without any mods but the FZ-09 was still fun. I sold the FZ-09 to get the STR so I wouldn't get tempted to drop a bunch of cash on suspension upgrades (not necessary but it would have been nice. Also maybe not the best comparison since the STR I bought was definitely not stock lol). I would at least flash the FZ-09 ECU though; idk if the MT-09 stock tuning is better.

 

[davidji]

That bike looks good! Enjoy.

Indian FTR

They're a little more than $10K new, but used you can get them cheap enough.

I compared an FTR once against some Yamaha triple with a similar price, but adding options I wanted, the Yamaha went up a little, the Indian went up a lot.

 

[Holeshot]

What options do they have on the FTR's? I'm not educated on that part..

 

[davidji]

What options do they have on the FTR's? I'm not educated on that part..

I don't remember. I was just using the bike builder on their website. There were far more things there than on the Yamaha site for the bikes I was looking at, and they were more expensive. I remember it being easy to add $10K in factory options to the Indian, impossible for the Yamaha.