Mother Nature threw everything she had at us, but even a biblical downpour couldn’t stop Yamaha’s all-new R9 from making a splash on track
The resurgent middleweight sports bike category – traditionally known as the Supersport class – continues to excite as Yamaha re-enters the ring with its all-new Yamaha R9. The 890cc triple had a dream debut, taking a Race One win at Phillip Island’s opening round of WorldSSP. Competitively priced at just over $23,000 the R9 has well and truly thrown down the gauntlet to its rivals.
It would be easy to assume the R9 is a repackaged MT-09 because its R7 and R3 stablemates are essentially the same as their naked siblings when their sleek and sporty bodywork is removed. But the R9 is very different. It has a completely new Deltabox frame and chassis geometry, multi-adjustable KYB suspension and, while the potent and flexible CP3 engine used in the MT-09 remains, almost everything else is new. This includes a six-axis IMU and an extensive suite of lean-sensitive rider aids, including ABS, and high-end Brembo Stylema calipers. All this is wrapped in attractive bodywork which Yamaha says is their most aerodynamic to date.
Yamaha’s track-only R6 and GYTR R1 models are still available in Australia so the new R9 doesn’t replace either. Despite its track focus, the R9 has been designed to work on the road as well and, according to Yamaha, has “pure sports performance and a strong R-model DNA, while also being highly accessible”.
Supersport has sprung back to life, both on track and in the showroom, and we couldn’t wait to ride the sector’s newest entry.
However, due to a storm that flooded the famous MotoGP Jerez racetrack in southern Spain and surrounding areas, Yamaha went above and beyond, and – literally overnight – moved the entire press launch 100km to Seville, the same track we’d ridden the new Ducati V2 on just a few weeks previously. It was a logistical nightmare but Yamaha pulled out all the stops so we could sample the new R9 on track at least, bearing in mind it is now eligible for ASBK’s Next Gen class.
Built to perform
There’s been a bucket load of interest in the new R9. After all, Yamaha has a tradition of producing red hot mid-capacity sports bikes. Think FZ600, FZR600 and, for the last 25 years or so, the at times dominant YZF-R6. Now the Japanese giant is hungry for more WorldSSP success and the road-bike sales that will follow.
Centre stage is the flexible, fun and grunt-rich CP3 890cc triple, a direct lift from the hugely popular MT-09, now producing 87kW (117hp) at 10,000rpm and 93Nm of torque at 7000rpm. It’s a cracking engine suited to any number of riding environments and, for this track-focused iteration, Yamaha has altered the final gearing from the MT-09’s 16/45 to 16/43 to increase top speed and tweaked the YCCT fuelling. Although the engine is the same, the aluminium Deltabox frame is bespoke, and a staggering 10kg lighter than the MT’s, with tighter, faster steering geometry and increased rigidity. Quoted wet weight for the bike is 195kg, with an unofficial dry weight of 179kg. That is light. The KYB suspension is fully adjustable and high-end Brembo Stylema brake calipers pair with large-diameter 320mm discs (there’s a single 220mm disc on the rear), while a plethora of riding modes, power modes and lean-sensitive rider aids derived from the R1 are installed alongside a six-axis IMU.
There’s new switchgear, a five-inch full colour dash with a race display option and connectivity, and the most aerodynamic bodywork Yamaha has ever produced with an attractive minimalist front end and integrated winglets.
RAIN STOPS PLAY
Yamaha’s plan for the press test was a one-day road ride followed by a day lapping the historic and magnificent Circuito de Jerez MotoGP track. However, on arrival a fierce storm flooded the track and surrounding roads, meaning we had to uproot and head to a new track just outside Seville. Having ridden Ducati’s new Panigale V2 S here the previous week added extra relevance to our test.
So I was like a greyhound waiting for the rabbit and couldn’t wait to get out on track.
Conditions were not perfect, with a few damp patches, meaning Yamaha opted for the standard Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport RS11 road rubber. It’s a bold move for a manufacturer to launch a bike on a racetrack with standard road tyres instead of dedicated race rubber but, wrapped in tyre warmers and up on stands waiting for the track to dry, the new R9 certainly looked the part. With the number plate and mirrors removed it carries the aura of a race bike, and it is hard to see where Yamaha has saved on cost to get the price down to $23k.
Seat height is lower than the R7 and Yamaha claims the riding position is not as radical as the R6, but it certainly feels very R6, with a familiar (14-litre) tank shape.
I opted for the footpegs set in the high position and a race pattern gear shift. The new five-inch dash is neat, with multiple themes to choose from including a track mode. Switchgear we have seen before on other new-ish Yamaha models features the love-it-or-hate-it indicator switch, while cruise control comes standard.
With my head locked into track mode, the fact that the R9 also has self-cancelling indicators and a USB-C outlet under the seat, seemed welcome but rather incongruous. After days of travel and waiting around, I just wanted to get out on track.
There’s no Race ABS setting, and Yamaha took the decision to remove the ABS altogether for the purpose of this test. There are four power modes, three standard riding modes – Sport, Street and Rain – two customisable modes, and four track modes. With the track still damp in places, I opted for a track mode Yamaha had pre-set to suit the weather and Seville circuit. Given the lack of grip, the setting was similar to the standard Sport mode with some rider aid intervention on hand just in case.
On the first few familiarisation laps there was no escaping the fact it does feel very much like a Yamaha R6, only more relaxed and with new switchgear and clocks. The riding position isn’t as radical as the 600 but it’s still quite aggressive with low (below the top yoke) and narrow ‘bars, and ‘pegs now on their highest settings. You’re close to the wide fuel tank and feel very much a part of the bike. Even at a steady pace, you can feel what the KYB suspension and Bridgestones are translating.
If the chassis is reminiscent of the R6, the engine is far less frantic and more usable. You can afford to be in the wrong gear, use the CP3’s always-available torque, and drive out of turns like an R6 or any inline 600cc could only dream of.
The R9 is user-friendly and will be ideal for new riders taking to the track for the first time, or more experienced riders learning a new track. Easy power, easy handling, very light – it might appear a little intimidating with those racy wings and minimal lights, but those first few laps highlighted how effortless it is to just jump on and ride briskly.
Once I’d figured out where the damp patches were lurking it was time to tuck in and push for a fast lap. Yamaha had fitted the optional GPS unit and with the VPB (Virtual Pit Board) display on the new dash, each lap turned into a mission to cut my PB lap time, which was clearly shown on the dash every time I crossed the start-finish line.
Even when pushing for a fast lap, the third-generation QSS quickshifter works so smoothly you can backshift at high rpm without any issues. Front-end feel, critical to a lap time on a Supersport machine, is excellent, again very much like the R6, giving you the confidence to roll a little bit too quickly into fast corners and brake relatively deep into the apex. A few times I had to remind myself that I had no ABS and was on road-biased Bridgestones – but still I felt able to take liberties. The set-up of the R9 chassis, particularly the 43mm KYB fork, really is that good.
Once into the corner, the flat-top tank, whose supportive shape has been sculpted into near perfection over the decades, makes it second nature to hang off the inside. As per the R6, some taller riders wanted the adjustable ‘pegs lower, but I was fine on the higher settings which also gave ample ground clearance.
Mid-corner, you feel immersed in what the chassis is doing. You hit every apex thinking: “I could have gone faster! I should have carried more corner speed!”
I couldn’t pull elbow-dragging lean angles on the road rubber but it will be very exciting to see how the R9 performs on slicks.
On the corner exit, it’s simply a matter of how brave you are and how much grip the tyres have left. On a 200hp YZF-R1 you must wait, then wait some more, before unleashing the power. On the R6 you must be immaculate and precise, hitting the exact rpm every time. On the R9 you can get on the power early and afford to be imperfect and lazy. It’s working with you all the time.
keep it on the torque curve
Towards the end of a 20-minute session, I could start to feel the road-biased rubber complain (but again, the feedback is excellent). I think, in hindsight, that I was riding it like a high-revving R6, hitting the rev limiter time and again and generally getting a bit carried away. The R9 has so much more torque and oomph but runs out of revs at around 10,500rpm, which – for a sportsbike – is relatively low. The standard gearing didn’t help on the Seville circuit, either, as there were several sections where I wanted to hold onto a gear longer but had no over-rev to play with. Just a few more thousand rpm would have cut the lap time.
Back in the pits I opted to leave the power in the recommended 2 mode and not the more aggressive 1, but did remove the LIF (wheelie control) and turned down the rider aids a fraction. I wanted to push for a decent lap but was also aware we were on the standard R11 Bridgestones and not race Pirelli slicks like we had been the week previous on the Ducati V2.
With lap times automatically displayed by the new VPB display, it’s almost impossible not to push. As the pace increased, the handling continued to impress, especially that forensically wonderful front-end feel. I quickly learned that carrying more corner speed and using a gear higher, which means not hitting the limiter as frequently, is the key. With all that torque to push you along, lap times are still impressive – and it is much easier to ride.
The final section of the track is very tight, with lots of switchbacks that the R9 makes easy work of. At around 179kg dry it’s supremely flickable, the only hindrance being the narrow ‘bars. I’d prefer slightly wider ones with more leverage for less effort. That said, at the end of each track session, I didn’t feel fatigued. The R9 is undemanding to ride at pace – so relaxed to ride hard compared to an R6 – you feel you are lapping slower, but you aren’t.
One disappointment: the Brembo Stylema and 320mm discs, complete with stainless steel mesh brake lines, didn’t feel as sharp as I’d expected. A detectable sponginess might have been down to the front tyre grip and feel on the limit, so too a little instability when turning and braking – but overall the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport R11s worked incredibly well on track, given their road focus. With track-specific rubber fitted, I suspect the R9 would carry even more corner speed and hit the limiter less. Tweak the suspension, trim the rider aids further, and things could get interesting. But poor weather cut our test short.
Verdict
The original test of the new Yamaha R9 at Jerez was a washout but Yamaha moved the entire launch to an untried venue overnight and took a gamble. Normally, a manufacturer would have a week to set up and test to make sure everything from suspension settings to tyre pressures is optimised for their new machine. But Yamaha rolled the dice and opted for a new track on road-going rubber designed to deliver a decent mileage, not a lap time. Thankfully, their gamble paid off as the R9 performed exceptionally well considering the conditions.
In fact, running the bike standard showed just how good it is on showroom settings. In many ways, its sublime chassis and excellent front end make it feel like an R6. But the R9 is far easier and more forgiving to ride and possesses a more usable engine. Its delivery is less frantic and as such doesn’t seem to be as quick, but the lap times told a very different tale. The only slight disappointment was the brakes, which lacked the edge normally associated with Brembo Stylemas.
The R9 is a grown-up R6. There’s still a light, taut and accurate chassis and confidence-inspiring front end, but also a more welcoming and inclusive engine supported by state-of-the-art electronics. More riders will be able to have fun on the new machine. It’s already winning in racing and looks great – and, while we can’t comment on rider comfort, tank range and the myriad other normal test criteria – it should be more suited to the road than the R6, too. Time and miles on an Australian test will tell.
PROS – A grown-up R6 with a more welcoming and inclusive engine supported by state-of-the-art electronics.
CONS – Brakes lacked the edge normally associated with Brembo Stylemas but we were on road tyres on a race track.
red rag to a bull
There is a big elephant in the room. A big red elephant from Ducati in the shape of the new Panigale V2. Due to poor weather, we eventually rode at the same Seville track Ducati used for the V2’s press test just a few weeks before. Ducati had the upper hand: they were able to set the new Panigale up perfectly, and the bikes were on pre-heated WorldSSP slicks in perfect conditions, whereas the Yamaha was on road rubber. I lapped 2.3 sec slower on the R9 but, taking into account the difference in tyres, temperature and weather conditions, the gap isn’t that great. Ducati didn’t deactivate the ABS and Yamaha did.
On paper the Ducati is lighter, has a fraction more power and over-rev, and a higher specification, which is reflected in the price. The Ducati felt a fraction easier in the tight sections, but the Yamaha does have a great front end. It will be interesting when we get the bikes back-to-back – it’s going to be close.
The Competition
Honda CBR600RR – $29,200
89kW/63Nm
194kg (kerb weight)
Ducati Panigale V2 – $26,800
88kW/93.3Nm
193kg (kerb weight)
Kawasaki ZX-6R – $18,800 ride-away
91kW/69Nm
198kg (kerb weight)
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Capacity 890cc
Type Water-cooled, 4v per cylinder four-stroke, 3-cylinder
Bore x stroke 78mmx62.1mm
Compression ratio 11.5:1
Electronic fuel injection TCI
Transmission Six-speed quickshift
Clutch Wet multiplate
PERFORMANCE
Power 87kW (117hp) @ 10,000rpm (claimed)
Torque 93Nm @ 7000 rpm (claimed)
Top speed 260km/h (est)
ELECTRONICS
Rider aids: Riding modes (see below), 1-4 power modes, 1-9 traction control, slide control 1-3, lift control 1-3, quickshifter 1-2, EBM Engine Brake Management 1-2, BC Brake Control on/off, BSR Back Slip Regulator on/off, LCS Launch Control 1-2, Rear ABS, on/off.
Rider Modes: Sport, Street, Rain. Plus 2 custom modes and 4 track modes
Frame Diamond
Rake 23.4°
Trail 94mm
Wheelbase 1420mm
SUSPENSION
Type KYB
Front 43mm, USD, fully adjustable,120mm travel
Rear Single shock, fully adjustable, 118mm travel
WHEELS & BRAKES
Wheels Lightweight 5-spoke forged aluminium
Front 3.5 x 17in
Rear 5.5 x 17in
Tyres Bridgestone RS11
Front 120/70 X 17
Rear 180/55 x17
Brakes Cornering ABS
Front 2 x 320mm discs, radially mounted Brembo Stylema calipers
Rear 220mm disc, single-piston caliper
DIMENSIONS
Weight 195kg (wet, claimed) 179kg (dry, estimated)
Seat height 830mm
Width 705mm
Height 1180mm
Length 2070mm
Ground clearance 140mm
Fuel capacity 14L
BUSINESS END
Price $23,199
Colour options: Icon Blue. Tech Black
CONTACT
www.yamaha-motor.com.au
